Strategic Management and Great Lakes free essay sample

Which components of Barclays’ value chain have made the company successful thus far? What changes to Barclays’ organizational structure and focus are necessary for Barclays to remain competitive? 5. Create a SWOT analysis to understand Barclays’ strengths and weaknesses. Does Barclays have a sustainable competitive advantage in the retail financial services industry? If so, what is the source? 6. What kinds of challenges does Matt Barrett face in achieving buy-in from Barclays’ management to enact his proposed organizational changes? How can he approach this issue in a way that would mitigate resistance to change?Dell 1. Based on an assessment of the threats in Dells external environment, what actions are required of the company? 2. In what ways is Dells segment growth strategy likely to succeed or fail? 3. How will competitors strategies and actions impact Dells ability to achieve its growth objectives? 4. How should Dell change its business- and corporate-level strategies to enable growth and meet these challenges? Nucor 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Management and Great Lakes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Perform a STEEP analysis to understand the general environment facing Nucor. How will Nucor be affected by external factors? 2. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to analyze the steel industry in the US.Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? 3. The steel industry is a commodity industry. Given the example of Nucor, what does it mean to be a part of a commodity industry? What are the key challenges? 4. Who are Nucor’s main competitors and how does Nucor measure up against these competitors? 5. What are the main capabilities of Nucor? Does Nucor have a core competence? 6. Create a SWOT analysis to understand Nucor’s strengths and weaknesses. Does Nucor have a sustainable competitive advantage in the steel industry? If so, what is the source?What about Nucor’s evolution and current business strategy may pose problems going forward? 7. What is the role does acquisition play in Nucor’s success or failures. What are the benefits and challenges associated with acquisitions? Do you believe that Nucor is making sound business decisions or growing too quickly? Support your beliefs with qualitative evidence and financial analysis from the case. Southwest Airlines 1. What are the key industry conditions which render profits elusive for airlines? 2. Does Southwest Airlines have a durable competitive advantage? 3.Do recent issues (such as safety violations and a labor union dispute) signal inherent weaknesses at Southwest or demonstrate the companys strength at handling threatening situations as they emerge? 4. How can Southwest achieve long-term strategic competitiveness against its rivals? 5. What strategy (or strategies) should the company use to continue its growth? 6. Is Gary Kelly the right person to head up Southwest Airlines at this time? Motorola, Inc. 1. What salient opportunities and threats exist in Motorolas external environment? 2. What are the companys most prominent strengths and weaknesses? 3.What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with each of Motorolas strategic options? 4. How can the corporations strategy and organizational structure be designed to solve the companys strategic issues? 5. How should Motorola proceed? CitiBank 1. Perform a STEEP analysis to understand the general environment facing Citibank. How will Citibank be affected by external factors? In particular what is the affect of the internet on the banking industry and Citibank? 2. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to analyze the global online corporate banking industry. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? . What are the main capabilities of Citibank? Does Citibank have a core competence? 4. Create a SWOT analysis to understand Citibank’s strengths and weaknesses. Does Citibank have a sustainable competitive advantage in the banking industry? If so, what is the source? What about Citibank’s evolution and current business strategy may pose problems going forward? 5. Who are Citibank’s current customers? What opportunities are there for Citibank to reach new customers and/or increase its product offerings to existing customers? 6. What is Citibank’s e-business strategy?Why has Citibank chosen to adopt an e-business strategy? What are the benefits and challenges associated with its strategy? Do you believe that Citibank will be successful? Why or why not? Kroger, Safeway, Costco, and Whole Foods 1. What are key performance indicators (KPI’s) when evaluating compensation packages? How are they dependent on (or independent of) a firm’s strategic objectives. 2. In mature industries, like the grocery industry, how do you identify underserved segments? 3. Where in the value-chain is a firm able to significantly differentiate itself? How does that differentiation affect a firm’s appearance? . How exactly do firms within the same broad industry compete with each other? In what ways are they not competing with each othe r? 5. What opportunities for growth/expansion to firms have within a mature industry? 6. How has innovation been used effectively throughout the development of an industry? Why? Alibaba. com 1. What are the implications of the companys new ownership structure and shareholder expectations? 2. How important is a rapidly expanding domestic market in Alibaba. coms strategic assessment? 3. What are the merits of proposed changes to Alibaba. coms pricing strategy? 4.How can the company position itself competitively against B2B giant, Global Sources? Great Lakes: Great Decisions 1. Perform a STEEP analysis to understand the general environment facing Great Lakes. How will Great Lakes be affected by external factors? 2. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to analyze the lead additives industry in the US. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? 3. Using the 3I’s framework determine Great Lakes’ immediate, impending and invisible competitors. How does Great Lakes measure up against these competitors? 4. What are the main capabilities of Great Lakes?Discuss the pros and cons of each. What is your recommendation for Great Lakes (justify using information from the case and after having considered alternatives)? Apple 1. What are the key strategic challenges facing Apple Computer? 2. What are some of the dimensions along which company success can be measured? 3. What critical external and internal environmental factors have strategic implications for Apples future? 4. How does Apples strategy stand up against industry rivalry? 5. What recommendations can be made to enhance the effectiveness of the companys strategy or to change its strategic approach for better results?