PROFESSOR GEEK ONLY

RESEARCH PAPER

You will work individually on a research paper that is divided into two phases. Each phase is designed to apply and integrate the knowledge acquired from the course of an aspect of business policy and strategy. In phase-1 you will perform the SWOT analysis for a company of your choice. In phase-2 you will use a concept from business policy and strategy and relate it to the company you selected. See below for due dates and details of each of the phases.

PHASE 1

SWOT Analysis of a Company (100 points) (Due: 10/9/14)

Ø  Select a company of your choice (except Google, Facebook, and Microsoft). The company has to be currently functioning and active in the U.S. You will be using the same company for phase 2 also. Therefore, it is advisable to look over phase 2 requirements before making the selection.

Ø  Format your paper as a word doc with the following settings:
Font: Times New Roman 12”; Margin: 1” all around; double spacing.

Ø  Keep your papers to a maximum length of 5 pages using the specified format.

Ø  Use the following template to write the paper:

Introduction and Research Objective – Introduce the theme of your paper and clearly state your research objective (10).

Research Background – Give a brief history of the company and its performance that is relevant to the paper topic. Make sure to cover the following details (10 points).

Strategic Analysis – Perform a SWOT analysis for the company and analyze the components in detail (40 points).

Key Issues – From the SWOT analysis, identify two key strategic issues currently facing the company. State your reasons as to why you selected these two issues (15 points).

Conclusions and Future Directions – From the analysis, derive conclusions and offer future directions for the company (15 points)

Bibliography – Use the APA style to cite your sources. Use a variety of sources to research and support your paper. At least 4 sources are required (note: Wikipedia cannot be cited as a source). Cite all sources using APA style. You can use the link to obtain information on the APA format: https://www.library.cornell.edu/research/citation/apa (5 points).

Ø  Report Format: Points will be awarded for the presentation and format of the report (5 points).

PHASE 2

Analysis of a Strategic Concept and it’s Application to a Company (100 points)

Ø  Format your paper as a word doc with the following settings:
Font: Times New Roman 12”; Margin: 1” all around; double spacing.

Ø  Keep your papers to a maximum length of 5 pages with the specified format.

Ø  Select a concept from the following and apply it to the company you selected in Phase 1.

v  Information Technology and Strategy

v  Corporate Social Responsibility and Strategy

v  Sustainability and Strategy

v  Social Media and Strategy

Ø  Use the following template to write the paper. Note that the below template indicates different sections within one holistic paper. Ensure that there is a flow from one section to another.

vIntroduction – Introduce the concept and clearly state your research question (15 points).

vResearch Background – Give details about the concept and how the concept relates to different companies (20 points).

vAnalysis – Describe how the concept relates to the company you selected in Phase 1 or how the company utilizes the concept (30)

vConclusions and Future Directions – State your opinions on the current utilization of the concept by the company and offer recommendations for the future. You can also include proposed strategic directions for the company. (30).

vBibliography – Use the APA style to cite your sources. Use a variety of sources to research and support your paper. At least 4 sources are required (note: Wikipedia cannot be cited as a source). (5 points). (Use for APA style – https://www.library.cornell.edu/research/citation/apa )

Ø  Report Format: Points will be awarded for the presentation and format of the report (5 points).