SOP 11104
Coursework Assessment 1
Assignment Guidelines
代写留学生作业 In this brief you will find the following:
• Details of the coursework assessment and case study question
• Guidelines on the Group Presentation
• Guidelines to assist you in answering the questions
• The assessment marking criteria and feedback sheet for the individual written case analysis
• Information on presentation and submission dates.
Case Study Question
JetBlue Airways: Challenges Ahead.
Ireland et al, Case 13 pg. 175-191
This assessment contributes 50% of your final grade for this module and you are required to analyse the case study on JetBlue. There are 2 elements in the assignment which will be combined to give you an overall grade for assessment 1:
a) A group presentation (40% of assessment 1 grade)
b) An individual written case analysis (60% of assessment 1 grade)
David Neeleman, the Chair of the Board of Directors, started this young airline in 2000. Based on years of airline experience he wanted to provide customers with a unique offering of superior service at low fares. However, in the last decade the competitive challenges have made it difficult to sustain profitable performance. The young airline is now at a crossroads and needs to develop a strategy to promote growth and secure profitable performance. In this assessment you are asked to analyse the company’s strategic position and recommend how it should develop its future strategy.
Assessment Question:
Conduct a strategic analysis of JetBlue Airways and indicate what this means for the future strategy of the company
Guidelines for the Group Presentation
The Group Presentation accounts for 40% of your coursework grade.
As you will see from the tutorial programme, time is allocated for group preparation (week 5) and giving the presentation (week 6). However, it will be necessary to call additional group meetings and you will be required to carry out independent study before attending group meetings.
Presentations will be 20 minutes and assessed according to its organisation and structure, the quality of the delivery, the analytical content, the quality of the arguments, and how questions are handled by the group. The assessment criteria are attached in appendix 1.
There will be c.5 members in each group and it is essential that all members of the Group attend group meetings and participate actively in the Group’s presentation. Note the following requirements:
1. Every member of the Group must participate in the Presentation.
2. Every Group member must complete the attached Activity Log to be handed to the tutor at the start of the Presentation.
If you do not attend group meetings or participate in the presentation and adhere to these requirements this may result in a fail grade for the coursework assessment.
Presentations must use PowerPoint slides. It is compulsory that you give the tutor a copy of your slides before the presentation commences.
A copy of the Activity Log is attached in appendix 2 and copies placed on webCT.
The question requires you to carry out a strategic analysis of JetBlue, which comprises an External and Internal Analysis together with a short set of recommendations on future strategic choices. Your Group will be asked in advance to present on only one of the components of analysis required to answer the question: either External Environment Analysis or Internal Resource & Capability Analysis. However, in your final written report you must answer the entire question comprising all the necessary components of analysis.
The guidelines and the readings which follow should be used to help you prepare both for the group presentation and your individual written case analysis.
Guidelines for Answering the Case Question
To conduct an external environment analysis you must assess the trends and impacts emanating from the general macro-environment and the industry and competitor environments.
In analysing the external environment you should give particular attention to:
• The critical aspects of the general macro-environment (PESTLE) and how they may impact the airline industry and JetBlue
• The competitive forces influencing the industry (Porter’s Five Forces Analysis)
• Brief analysis of JetBlue’s main competitors
• The key drivers of environmental change facing JetBlue, presented as opportunities and threats.
External Environment analysis is covered in lecture 2, tutorial 2 and in Ireland et al., chapter 2. Read the lecture overview on webCT which provides guidance on how to carry out this analysis.
In conducting an internal resource and capability analysis of JetBlue, you should consider its resources and capabilities, then identify and evaluate its core competencies. This should take into account:
• The value gained from JetBlue’s resources and capabilities and which of these may be core competencies - sources of competitive advantage.
• To identify core competencies: firstly, construct and analyse JetBlue’s value chain,then secondly, assess critical linkages/processes in the value chain, some of which should be the basis for your choice of core competencies.
• Consider the following stages in this analysis:
- a resource audit
- value chain analysis to assess capabilities
- explanation of VC linkages as an intermediary stage to identify
core competencies (CCs)
- clear identification of core competencies and discuss briefly
how they meet Barney’s criteria
Internal analysis is covered in lecture 3 and tutorial 3. You should read Ireland et al chapter 3 and for an alternative perspective on conducting a resource and capability analysis, read Grant (2008), chapter 5. Your value chain analysis should support your choice of core competencies but to evaluate your choice, use Barney’s criteria covered in Ireland et al, pg.74-77. A digitised version of Grant, chapter 5 can be accessed on webCT.
The final part of your individual written answer requires a brief set of recommendations consistent with the preceding analysis arguing what JetBlue might do to build and sustain its competitive advantage and further develop their strategy. An overview of strategy choices is provided in lecture 4. The recommendations section of your report is likely to be c.500 words.
The Group Presentations will take place in tutorials, week commencing 18th October. Your Group will be allocated a timeslot before the tutorial.
Individual Case Analysis
The individual written case analysis report accounts for 60% of your coursework grade.
The final written case analysis is an individual assessment. To help your preparation for this analysis, you will have gained the benefits of working in your group and hearing the presentations of other groups. However, in this part of the assignment you are required to prepare an individual case analysis based on learning from the group and your own individual learning from analysing the case. As it is an individual report it should not be the same as other members of your group as this could be in breach of the plagiarism guidelines. While it would be acceptable in places to see similar arguments from members of the same group based on your work together, you should give your own interpretation of the case analysis written in your own words.
Your case analysis must answer the entire question incorporating the External Analysis, Internal Analysis and Recommendations. Do not present your answer in a rigid report format but write in sections which reflect the major elements of your analysis.
Your answer must only be derived from the information on JetBlue contained in the case study. You are not required to go beyond the case end date since your analysis and judgement are being assessed at this point, not in the light of subsequent events. As a result you should not include references on JetBlue from the internet or other sources.
Minimum Length: 2500 words
Maximum Length: 3000 words
Submission date: 1.00 p.m. Tuesday, 28th October, 2010, room 1/53
The word limit excludes appendices and bibliography. Where a submission exceeds the stated word limit the maximum grade awarded will be P1. Appendices can be a useful to provide additional information from your analysis provided that the key points are incorporated into the main body of the answer.
Reading
Lectures 2 & 3 – see lecture overviews.
Ireland R.D, Hoskisson R. E, Hitt, M.A, (2011) Management of Strategy: Concepts & Cases, 9th edition, Cengage South-Western,
chapters 2, 3.
Grant, R.M. (2008) Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 6th edition, Blackwell, chapters 3, 4, 5. Chapter 5 is on webCT
Remember that a case analysis is not a conceptual explanation or discussion but the application of the concepts to the case events in order for you to analyse these events and reach evaluative judgements. Evidence from the case to support your analysis and conclusions are critical.
Assessment Criteria
Grades will be awarded using the weightings and criteria in the coursework feedback sheet shown on page 6.
Summary of Assessment Dates
Group Presentation: will take place in tutorials, week commencing 18th October 2009.
Individual Case Analysis: 1.00 p.m.27th October, 2010, room 1/53.
SOP11104 Corporate Strategy
JetBlue
Coursework Assessment Feedback
代写留学生作业Matriculation No.: Date of Submission:
Module: Corporate Strategy
Category Grade Comment
Depth of understanding of the issues raised in the case.
(10%)
Ability to apply the frameworks and concepts to analyse the external environment facing JetBlue. (35%)
Analysis of JetBlue’s resources, capabilities, core competencies, and competitive strategy
(35%)
Ability to reach logical strategic recommendations derived from a synthesis of the preceding analyses.
(20%)
E D C B A
Fail
(F1 – F5) Marginal Pass (P1) Satisfactory
(P2-P3) Good/Very good
(P4-P5) Excellent
(D1+)
General Comments:
Overall Grade: % Marker
Presentation Assessment Criteria
Group …………………………………………………
Comments
Organisation and Introduction How well prepared was the team? Did the presentation run smoothly? Did they allocate roles?
Was the subject introduced?
Clear aims and structure from the beginning?
Was effective use made of visual aids? Were they readable? Were they a distraction from the speakers?
Presentation Quality Were they in control? Did they maintain the audience’s interest? Was the pace too slow or too fast?
Presenter skills: tone, volume, speed
Communication: use of words, clarity of expression
Non-verbal: eye contact
Persuasiveness Was the case well argued? How effectively did they make use of the analytical tools and frameworks? Did they use case evidence to support their arguments? Did the team believe in what they were saying? Was each section/speaker linked to each other?
Did they present a logical and coherent argument?
Did it lead to an effective conclusion?
Dealing with questions How clearly did they answer questions? Were the answers relevant/appropriate to the question asked? Did they show a fluent understanding of the issues and their analysis?
Appendix 2
Part 1: Record of Activity
Group No:
Your Name and Matriculation No:
Date of Meeting or communication between Group members (electronic e.g. webCT, email). Who attended or engaged in the group discussion Describe in brief summary the nature of your contribution