Business Strategy Assignment Analysis
Budget: €30 – €250 EUR
Assignment Overview
You are a strategic consultant hired by Salesforce or Amazon .The company faces
intense competition, slowing growth, and disruptive innovation from startups and
competitors. Your task is to develop a comprehensive 3-year strategic plan that
integrates strategy development, entrepreneurship and innovation, strategy
evaluation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategy implementation, and
organisational structure.
The assignment is structured in eight interconnected sections, each aligned with a
core topic. You must use reputable and available data from either Salesforce and
Slack (2021 Acquisition) or Amazon and Whole Foods (2017 Acquisition) and
relevant theories, real-world frameworks (e.g., Porter’s Five Forces, VRIO, Ansoff
Matrix, Balanced Scorecard, McKinsey 7S, etc) to support arguments with data,
financial projections, and risk analysis.
Report Structure: Your final submission should be a single, cohesive report, divided
into the main parts, as detailed below.
Section 1: The Strategic Journey/development and Context (10%)
This section requires you to provide a demonstrative and narrative analysis of the
company's strategic past. Your analysis must be supported by external research,
identifying challenges and opportunities of the chosen business.
Objective: Formulate a clear corporate and business-level strategy, pre-M&A.
Tasks:
1. Conduct a PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the chosen company
2. Perform a SWOT and VRIO analysis
3. From above, propose strategic business issues (challenges and Opportunities)
4. Using the Ansoff Matrix, recommend and justify (T & P) two growth strategies
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) strategy map and analysis
_________________________________________________________________________________
2/4
Section 2: Entrepreneurship & Innovation (10%)
You will analyse, with theoretical and practical evidence, entrepreneurial and innovative
pathways for the company.
Objective: Foster internal & external innovation to complement M&A of the company.
Tasks:
1. Design and discuss an internal venture unit.
2. Propose an open innovation program
3. Use Christensen’s Disruptive Innovation theory to identify market
opportunities.
4. Develop a stage-gate innovation funnel with KPIs
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Innovation roadmap and org chart
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: Strategy Evaluation (15%)
Objective: Establish metrics and controls
Tasks:
1. Develop a Balanced Scorecard with 2 KPIs per perspective
2. Conduct a scenario planning exercise.
3. Recommend and justify (theoretically and practically) strategy review cadence.
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Balanced Scorecard table + scenario matrix & justify
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 4. Merger & Acquisition (20%)
Objective: Evaluate M&A as a strategic tool for growth (target, focus, valuation, etc).
Tasks:
1. Apply the M&A Strategic Fit Framework (synergy, valuation, risk).
2. Recommend one target with justification using DCF valuation (provide
assumptions).
3. Outline post-merger integration risks and mitigation with justification
4. Discuss hostile vs. friendly acquisition considerations.
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Acquisition report and outcomes model
3/4
Section 5: Implementation, Recommendations and Challenges (10%)
Objective: Analyse the implementation of the new Merger or Acquisition strategy,
propose original, well-reasoned recommendations, and potential challenges.
Task:
1. Recommendations with justifications
2. Implementation
3. Challenges
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Critical analysis
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 6 - Organisational Structure (15%)
Objective: Develop a suitable organisational structure post Acquisition.
Task:
1. Design a change management plan using Kotter’s 8-Step Model.
2. Propose a new hybrid structure and justify (theoretical and practical evidence)
3. Simulate a hostile takeover defence if a competitor targets the firm post-Acquisition
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) New Org. Chart, and Discussion
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 7 - Data Collection Table, Bibliography, Citations & formatting (10%)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 8 – Develop Presentation slides (10%)
• Executive summary, strategic rationale, M&A recommendation, innovation
pipeline, financial impact, implementation roadmap and new organisational
structure.
________________________________________________________________________________
Supplementary readings to Chapters 2, 10 – 17 of the main textbook (Whittington,
R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., and Scholes, K. (2023)):
• Grant, R. M. (2021). Contemporary Strategy Analysis.
• Christensen, C. M. (2013). The Innovator’s Dilemma.
• Gaughan, P. A. (2018). Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructurings.
• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard.
4/4
Requirements for Strategic Management Assignment
All continuous assessment submissions must be accompanied by a declaration of
originality that states the document is compliant with the University’s Plagiarism Policy
and the School of Business Plagiarism and Originality policy (noted earlier in this module
handbook). This must follow the signing procedures mentioned earlier. Failure to
electronically sign the declaration of originality will result in a zero grade for that student.
• The usual academic convention is that the assignment submitted can be plus or
minus 10% of the assigned word count. Please note, that work that exceeds the
word limit will be penalised by marks being proportionally reduced in each section
of the assignment.
• All primary sources and data used must be in English or Irish. If other languages
are used, a translation must be provided.
• Use 1.15 lines spacing, font 12 and use a professional font. Make sure the text is
justified on both sides.
• Pages shall be numbered consecutively through the main text.
• You must use the cover page provided and make sure it is signed as per the
module's policy.
• Practical examples must ONLY be drawn from the textbook or lectures.
Please note that you are strictly prohibited from using any AI software to aid you in
producing this assignment. This includes the use of AI software to generate ideas even
when you have not used the content word for word. The School of Business uses AI
detection software that can detect when AI was used to generate ideas, assignment
structures, or text. There were several cases last year of students using AI in their
assignments and being caught even though free-to-use AI detection software used by the
student claimed that no such software could be detected. Do not be one of those
students
You are a strategic consultant hired by Salesforce or Amazon .The company faces
intense competition, slowing growth, and disruptive innovation from startups and
competitors. Your task is to develop a comprehensive 3-year strategic plan that
integrates strategy development, entrepreneurship and innovation, strategy
evaluation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategy implementation, and
organisational structure.
The assignment is structured in eight interconnected sections, each aligned with a
core topic. You must use reputable and available data from either Salesforce and
Slack (2021 Acquisition) or Amazon and Whole Foods (2017 Acquisition) and
relevant theories, real-world frameworks (e.g., Porter’s Five Forces, VRIO, Ansoff
Matrix, Balanced Scorecard, McKinsey 7S, etc) to support arguments with data,
financial projections, and risk analysis.
Report Structure: Your final submission should be a single, cohesive report, divided
into the main parts, as detailed below.
Section 1: The Strategic Journey/development and Context (10%)
This section requires you to provide a demonstrative and narrative analysis of the
company's strategic past. Your analysis must be supported by external research,
identifying challenges and opportunities of the chosen business.
Objective: Formulate a clear corporate and business-level strategy, pre-M&A.
Tasks:
1. Conduct a PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the chosen company
2. Perform a SWOT and VRIO analysis
3. From above, propose strategic business issues (challenges and Opportunities)
4. Using the Ansoff Matrix, recommend and justify (T & P) two growth strategies
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) strategy map and analysis
_________________________________________________________________________________
2/4
Section 2: Entrepreneurship & Innovation (10%)
You will analyse, with theoretical and practical evidence, entrepreneurial and innovative
pathways for the company.
Objective: Foster internal & external innovation to complement M&A of the company.
Tasks:
1. Design and discuss an internal venture unit.
2. Propose an open innovation program
3. Use Christensen’s Disruptive Innovation theory to identify market
opportunities.
4. Develop a stage-gate innovation funnel with KPIs
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Innovation roadmap and org chart
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: Strategy Evaluation (15%)
Objective: Establish metrics and controls
Tasks:
1. Develop a Balanced Scorecard with 2 KPIs per perspective
2. Conduct a scenario planning exercise.
3. Recommend and justify (theoretically and practically) strategy review cadence.
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Balanced Scorecard table + scenario matrix & justify
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 4. Merger & Acquisition (20%)
Objective: Evaluate M&A as a strategic tool for growth (target, focus, valuation, etc).
Tasks:
1. Apply the M&A Strategic Fit Framework (synergy, valuation, risk).
2. Recommend one target with justification using DCF valuation (provide
assumptions).
3. Outline post-merger integration risks and mitigation with justification
4. Discuss hostile vs. friendly acquisition considerations.
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Acquisition report and outcomes model
3/4
Section 5: Implementation, Recommendations and Challenges (10%)
Objective: Analyse the implementation of the new Merger or Acquisition strategy,
propose original, well-reasoned recommendations, and potential challenges.
Task:
1. Recommendations with justifications
2. Implementation
3. Challenges
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) Critical analysis
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 6 - Organisational Structure (15%)
Objective: Develop a suitable organisational structure post Acquisition.
Task:
1. Design a change management plan using Kotter’s 8-Step Model.
2. Propose a new hybrid structure and justify (theoretical and practical evidence)
3. Simulate a hostile takeover defence if a competitor targets the firm post-Acquisition
Deliverable: 2-pages (max.) New Org. Chart, and Discussion
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 7 - Data Collection Table, Bibliography, Citations & formatting (10%)
_________________________________________________________________________________
Section 8 – Develop Presentation slides (10%)
• Executive summary, strategic rationale, M&A recommendation, innovation
pipeline, financial impact, implementation roadmap and new organisational
structure.
________________________________________________________________________________
Supplementary readings to Chapters 2, 10 – 17 of the main textbook (Whittington,
R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., and Scholes, K. (2023)):
• Grant, R. M. (2021). Contemporary Strategy Analysis.
• Christensen, C. M. (2013). The Innovator’s Dilemma.
• Gaughan, P. A. (2018). Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructurings.
• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard.
4/4
Requirements for Strategic Management Assignment
All continuous assessment submissions must be accompanied by a declaration of
originality that states the document is compliant with the University’s Plagiarism Policy
and the School of Business Plagiarism and Originality policy (noted earlier in this module
handbook). This must follow the signing procedures mentioned earlier. Failure to
electronically sign the declaration of originality will result in a zero grade for that student.
• The usual academic convention is that the assignment submitted can be plus or
minus 10% of the assigned word count. Please note, that work that exceeds the
word limit will be penalised by marks being proportionally reduced in each section
of the assignment.
• All primary sources and data used must be in English or Irish. If other languages
are used, a translation must be provided.
• Use 1.15 lines spacing, font 12 and use a professional font. Make sure the text is
justified on both sides.
• Pages shall be numbered consecutively through the main text.
• You must use the cover page provided and make sure it is signed as per the
module's policy.
• Practical examples must ONLY be drawn from the textbook or lectures.
Please note that you are strictly prohibited from using any AI software to aid you in
producing this assignment. This includes the use of AI software to generate ideas even
when you have not used the content word for word. The School of Business uses AI
detection software that can detect when AI was used to generate ideas, assignment
structures, or text. There were several cases last year of students using AI in their
assignments and being caught even though free-to-use AI detection software used by the
student claimed that no such software could be detected. Do not be one of those
students