Answer ALL questions
Course: BBM (Professional)Set No.: 1
Subject: Enterprise Management - ISubject Code: BPR 307
Answer ALL questions. Give suitable examples wherever needed.Q
1. a) List the various stakeholder groups that can influence a
companys strategy. [5 Marks] Ans. Stakeholders may include any or
all of the following groups:
Shareholders
Directors
Employees
Trade unions
Customers
Suppliers
Government
Pressure groups
General public and local people
There are different classifications of stakeholders:
internal stakeholders (employees and management)
connected stakeholders (shareholders, customer and
suppliers)
external stakeholders (governments, community, pressure
groups)
primary stakeholders have a formal contractual relationship in a
strategy or a project
secondary stakeholders have no formal relationship.
b) State the process for managing stakeholders. [5 Marks]
Ans. A process for managing stakeholders is:
Identify stakeholders and determine each group's objectives
Analyse the level of interest and power each group possesses
Place each stakeholder group in the appropriate quadrant of the
Mendelow matrix
Use the matrix to assess how to manage each stakeholder
group.
Q 2. How do you assess the power of the stakeholders? [10
Marks]Ans. Factors that may be associated with a particular group
having high power are:
Status of the stakeholders, for example:
their place in the organisational hierarchy
their relative pay
their reputation in the firm
their social standing (e.g. ministers of religion may carry
considerable power due to their social status).
Claim on resources, for example:
size of their budget
number and level of staff employed
volume of business transacted with them (e.g. suppliers and
customers)
percentage of workers they speak for (e.g. a trade union).
Formal representation in decision-making processes:
level of management where they are represented
committees they have representation on
legal rights (e.g. shareholders, planning authorities).
Or
How do you assess the interest of the stakeholder? [10
Marks]Ans. This will be more complex because it involves two
factors:
Where their interests rest. We assume that powerful stakeholders
will pursue their self-interest. It is important to consider what
they wish to achieve. It is possible to make some generalisations,
for example:
managers want to further the interests of their departments and
functions as well as their own pay and careers;
employees require higher pay, job security, good working
conditions and some consultation;
customers want fair prices, reliable supply and reassurance
about their purchases;
suppliers want fair prices, reliable orders, prompt payment and
advance notification of changes;
local government wants jobs, contribution to local community
life, consultation on expansions and so on.
In practice, we would need to interview the powerful
stakeholders to find out precisely what they wanted.
How interested they are. Not all stakeholders have the time or
inclination to follow managements decisions closely. Again, some
generalisations are possible about what will lead to interest, for
example:
high personal financial or career investment in what the
business does;
absence of alternative (e.g. alternative job, customer, supplier
or employer
);
potential to be called to account for failing to monitor (e.g.
local councils or government bodies, such as regulators);
high social impact of firm (e.g. well-known, visible product,
association with particular issues).
Q 3) Explain the PEST(EL) analysis of the companys external
environment. [10 Marks]
Ans. When establishing its strategy, an organisation should look
at the various factors within its environment that may represent
threats or opportunities and the competition it faces. This area
will be developed further in the next chapter.
The analysis requires an external appraisal to be undertaken by
scanning the business external environment for factors relevant to
the organisations current and future activities.
External analysis can be carried out at different levels, as
seen below. There are a number of strategic management tools that
can assist in this process. These included the PEST(EL) framework
which helps in the analysis of the macro or general environment and
Porter's five forces model which can be used to analyse the
industry or competitive environment.
PEST(EL) analysis
The external environment consists of factors that cannot be
directly influenced by the organisation itself. These include
social, legal, economic, political and technological changes that
the firm must try to respond to, rather than control. An important
aspect of strategy is the way the organisation adapts to its
environment. PEST(EL) analysis divides the business environment
into four main systems political, economic, social (and cultural),
and technical. Other variants include legal and
ecological/environmental.
PEST(EL) analysis is an approach to analysing an organisations
environment:
political influences and events legislation, government
policies, changes to competition policy or import duties, etc.
economic influences a multinational company will be concerned
about the international situation, while an organisation trading
exclusively in one country might be more concerned with the level
and timing of domestic development. Items of information relevant
to marketing plans might include: changes in the gross domestic
product, changes in consumers income and expenditure, and
population growth.
+social influences includes social, cultural or demographic
factors (i.e. population shifts, age profiles, etc.) and refers to
attitudes, value and beliefs held by people; also changes in
lifestyles, education and health and so on.
technological influences changes in material supply, processing
methods and new product development.
ecological/environmental influences includes the impact the
organisation has on its external environment in terms of pollution
etc.
legal influences changes in laws and regulations affecting, for
example, competition, patents, sale of goods, pollution, working
regulations and industrial standards.
Or
Q 3) Explain the Porters Five Forces Model that can be used top
understand the companys external environment. [10 Marks]Ans. New
entrants
How easy it is for companies to enter a market depends on the
barriers to entry:
Economies of scale, where the industry is one where unit costs
decline significantly as volume increases, such that a new entrant
will be unable to start on a comparable cost basis.
Product differentiation, where established firms have good brand
image and customer loyalty. The costs of overcoming this can be
prohibitive.
Capital requirements, where the industry requires a heavy
initial investment (e.g. steel industry, rail transport).
Switching costs, i.e. one-off costs in moving from one supplier
to another (e.g. a garage chain switching car dealership).
Restricted access to distribution channels (e.g. for some major
toiletry brands 90% of sales go through 12 buying points, i.e.
chemist multiples and major retailers). Therefore it is difficult
for a new toiletry product to gain shelf space.
Cost advantages of existing producers, independent of economies
of scale, e.g. patents, special knowledge, favourable access to
suppliers, government subsidies.
Government policy; the government can limit or even foreclose
entry to industries with such controls as licence requirements and
limits on access to raw materials.
Rivalry amongst competitors
The intensity of the rivalry amongst the existing competition
will depend on the following factors:
Number and relative strength of competitors where an industry is
dominated by a few large companies rivalry is less intense (e.g.
petrol industry, CD manufacture).
Rate of growth where the market is expanding, competition is low
key.
Where high fixed costs are involved, companies will cut prices
to marginal cost levels to protect volume, and drive weaker
competitors out of the market.
If buyers can switch easily between suppliers the competition is
keen.
If the exit barrier (i.e. the cost incurred in leaving the
market) is high, companies will hang on until forced out, thereby
increasing competition and depressing profit.
An organisation will be highly competitive if its presence in
the market is the result of a strategic need.
Substitutes
Porter explains that, 'substitutes limit the potential returns
by placing a ceiling on the price which firms in the industry can
profitably charge'. The better the price-performance alternative
offered by substitutes, the more readily customers will switch.
Power of buyers
The bargaining power of buyers is affected by factors such
as:
Where a buyer's purchases are a high proportion of the
supplier's total business or represent a high proportion of total
trade in that market.
Where a buyer makes low profit.
Where the quality of purchases is unimportant or delivery timing
is irrelevant, prices will be forced down.
Where products have been strongly differentiated with good brand
image, a retailer would have to stock the range to meet customer
demands.
Power of suppliers
The bargaining power of suppliers is affected by factors such
as:
The degree to which switching costs apply and substitutes are
available.
The presence of one or two dominant suppliers controlling
prices.
The extent to which products offered have a uniqueness of brand,
technical performance or design not available elsewhere.
Q 4 a) Why is competitor analysis important?
[4 Marks]Ans. CIMA defines competitor analysis as:
Identification and quantification of the relative strengths and
weaknesses (compared with competitors or potential competitors),
which could be of significance in the development of a successful
competitive strategy.The actions of competitors will impact on the
profits of a business. This may include:
price cuts
launching of a rival product
aggressive expansion of production which reduces the firms
market sales
inclusion of costly modifications to the product which the firm
must also undertake.
This will have implications for managements choice of strategy.
A suitable strategy is one which yields satisfactory financial
returns after taking into account the potential responses of
competitors.
Q 4 b) Explain how High Uncertainty can affect business
strategy? [6 marks]Ans. Written in the notes.. Assignment 6
Q 5. Describe the Boston Consulting Group Model and what are the
strategies recommended by the BCG Model.
[5 + 5 Marks]Ans. Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
A model which can be used in competitor analysis when
considering market share and market growth is the Boston Consulting
Group Model (BCG). This model can look at the position of
individual SBUs in relation to the market sector they compete in.
Each SBU is assessed in terms of its market share, relative to that
of the market leader in their sector. This is mapped against the
growth rate of the sector.
By plotting each of its SBUs on the grid (shown below), the
organisation is able to assess whether it has a balanced portfolio
in terms of products and market sectors. It can also help in the
development of strategic options for each SBU, depending on the
potential growth in the market sector and the relative strength of
the SBU compared to its competitors in that sector.
Strategies recommended by the BCG model:Cash cow cash flows to
be used to support stars and develop question marks
Cash cows to be defended
Weak uncertain question marks should be divested to reduce
demands on cash
Dogs should be divested, harvested or niched
If portfolio is unbalanced, consider acquisitions and
divestments
Harvesting reduces damage of sudden divestment but reduces the
value at eventual disposal. A quick sale now may produce larger
proceeds
SBUs to have different growth targets and objectives and not be
subject to the same strategic control systems.
Q 6. Briefly outline the rational approach to strategy
formulation. [10 Marks]Ans. The rational approach is also referred
to as the traditional, formal or top-down approach.
The rational strategic planning process model is based on
rational behaviour, whereby planners, management and organisations
are expected to behave logically. First defining the mission and
objectives of the organisation and then selecting the means to
achieve this. Cause and effect are viewed as naturally linked and a
strong element of predictability is expected.
The rational approach is seen as having four main steps:
(1)Analysis of current position
(2)Formulation of strategic options and choice
(3)Implementation of strategies
(4)Monitor, review and evaluation
The model below shows a framework of the rational approach and
clearly shows the various stages which management may take to
develop a strategy for their organisation.
The rational approach follows a logical step-by-step
approach:
Determine the mission of the organisation.
Set corporate objectives.
Carry out corporate appraisal involving analysis of internal and
external environments.
Identifying and evaluating strategic options select strategies
to achieve competitive advantage by exploiting strengths and
opportunities or minimising threats and weaknesses.
Evaluate each option in detail for its fit with the mission and
circumstances of the business and choose the most appropriate
option.
Implementing the chosen strategy.
Review and control reviewing the performance of the organisation
to determine whether goals have been achieved. This is a continuous
process and involves taking corrective action if changes occur
internally or externally.
Each of the different stages in the model above will be looked
at in more detail in this, and the following chapter.
Ensure you are comfortable with this model as you will refer
back to it throughout this syllabus area.Q 7. Explain the Emergent
approach to Business Strategy and list the skills a manager should
have to adopt such an approach.
[4 + 6 marks]ANS. Q 8 a). What are the difficulties with Porters
Diamond Model? [6 Marks]
Although not as popular as his models of five forces, value
chain and generic strategies, this model has still achieved a lot
of recognition for Porter. It is not, however, without its
difficulties:
Companies not countries. The industries that must succeed
globally have their own management and strategies. By focusing on
their country of origin Porter does not explain why a given country
produces both stars and duds in the same industry. For example,
Toyota and Honda are both Japanese car makers which are a success.
Nissan and Mazda are less successful and have been rescued by
Renault and Ford, respectively.
Ignore multinational or global corporations. The idea that
Microsoft is an American company seems outdated when we consider
that their staff, shareholders and customers are from all over the
world. Porters model seems to apply better to firms that are
exporting and less well to ones who are actually setting up outside
of their home country.
Ignores the target country. Commercial success or failure will
depend more on the environment in the target country than it will
on the environment in the home country. Therefore it is necessary
to analyse the target country too.
Less applicable to services. Porters examples are restricted to
manufacturing and closely allied industries such as banks and
management consultancies. It is hard to see how his model would
apply to say Starbucks where so much of the product and staffing
depends on the local economy.
Q 8 b). What are two actor conditions in the Port diamond Model?
[4 marks]Ans. Natural factor conditions: Scotland has ready
availability of the raw materials required for whisky production.
This includes a plentiful water supply and a climate suited to
growing the crops required in the production process.
Advanced factor conditions: Over the years, knowledge and a
skilled workforce has developed in Scotland. In addition the name
Scotch can only be applied to whisky which has been produced in
Scotland and Scotch is known throughout the world and recognised
for its quality.
Q 9 a) What is Critical Path Analysis (CPA)?
[7 Marks]Ans. One of the component parts of network analysis is
critical path analysis or CPA (this is often called network
analysis). It is the most commonly used technique for managing
projects.
The process of CPA.
(1)Analyse the project. The project is broken down into its
constituent tasks or activities. The way in which these activities
relate to each other is examined: which activities cannot be
undertaken until some previous activity or activities are
complete?
(2)Draw the network. The sequence of activities is shown in a
diagrammatic form called the network diagram.
(3)Estimate the time and costs of each activity. The amount of
time that each activity will take is estimated, and where
appropriate the associated costs are estimated.
(4)Locate the critical path. This is the chain of events that
determines how long the overall project will take. Any delay to an
activity on the critical path will delay the project as a whole;
delays to other activities may not affect the overall timetable for
completion. That is the distinction between critical and
non-critical activities.
(5)Schedule the project. Determine the chain of events that
leads to the most efficient and cost effective schedule.
(6)Monitor and control the progress of the project. This implies
careful attention to the schedule and any other progress charts
that have been drawn up, to monitor actual progress in the light of
planned achievement.
(7)Revise the plan. The plan may need to be modified to take
account of problems that occur during the progress of the
project.
Q 9 b) What are the limitations of Critical Path Analysis?
[3 marks]Ans.
Limitations of CPA
It may be too time consuming to produce and monitor for large
projects.
Difficult to use for less routine projects with lots of
uncertainty.
Overly complex for some smaller short-term projects.
Q 10. List the contents of the Final Project report. Also list
the documentation to which the reference will be made to produce
the final report. [6 + 4 =10 Marks]Ans. The contents of the final
project report will include:
Brief overview of project.
Customer original requirements and original project
deliverables.
List of deliverables which the customer received.
Actual achievements re costs, schedules and scope.
Degree to which the original objective was achieved.
Future considerations.
To produce this report reference will be made to the following
documentation:
feasibility study & report
PID
project planning reports
milestones& gates.
Set by_____________ Scrutinized by_______________
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