Unit 7-Business Strategy
Qualification: Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma Business (Management) |
Unit Number and Title
Unit 7-Business Strategy
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Assessment Deadline:
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Module Leader Name
Joy Meme
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Date issued:
29th September 2014
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Unit 7-Business Strategy:Rules and regulations
Plagiarism is presenting somebody else’s work as your own. It includes: copying information directly from the Web or books without referencing the material; submitting joint coursework as an individual effort; copying another student’s coursework; stealing coursework from another student and submitting it as your own work. Suspected plagiarism will be investigated and if found to have occurred will be dealt with according to the procedures set down by the College. Please see your student handbook for further details of what is / isn’t plagiarism.
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Unit 7-Business Strategy:Coursework Regulations - Submission of coursework must be undertaken according to the relevant procedure. Lecturers will give information as to which procedure must be followed, and details of submission procedures and penalty fees can be obtained from Academic Administration or the general student handbook.
- Late coursework will be accepted by Academic Admin Office and marked according to the guidelines given in your Student Handbook for this year.
- If you need an extension (even for one day) for a valid reason, you must request one. Collect a coursework extension request form from the Academic Admin Office. Then take the form to your lecturer, along with evidence to back up your request. The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick. The completed form must then be returned to Academic Admin for processing. This is the only way to get an extension.
O Learning Outcomes and assessment requirements
| Learning Outcomes | Assessment Criteria for pass |
On successful completion
of this unit a learner will:
| To achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to: |
LO1
Understand the process of strategic planning
| 1.1 Explain strategic contexts and terminology – missions, visions, objectives, goals, core competencies |
| 1.2 Review the issues involved in strategic planning | |
| 1.3 Explain different planning techniques | |
LO2
Be able to formulate a new strategy
| 2.1 Produce an organisational audit for a given organisation |
| 2.2 Carry out an environmental audit for a given organisation | |
| 2.3 Explain the significance of stakeholder analysis | |
LO3
Understand approaches to strategy evaluation and selection
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3.1 Analyse possible alternative strategies relating to substantive growth, limited growth or retrenchment
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| 3.2 Select an appropriate future strategy for a given organisation | |
LO4
Understand how to implement a chosen strategy
| 4.1 Compare the roles and responsibilities for strategy implementation |
4.2 Evaluate resource requirements to implement a new strategy for a given organisation
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| 4.3 Discuss targets and timescales for achievement in a given organisation to monitor a given strategy. |
In addition to the above PASS criteria, this assignment gives you the opportunity to submit evidence in order to achieve the following MERIT and DISTINCTION grades
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Grade Descriptor
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Indicative characteristic/s
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Contextualisation
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| M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions |
Effective judgements have been made.
An effective approach to study and research has been applied.
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To achieve M1, leaner would have applied an effective
approach to study and research to make judgements with
Regards to APPLE strategies.
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| M2 Select / design and apply appropriate methods / techniques | Appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied. | To achieve M2, learner would have used appropriate sources of information and suitable techniques to explore and evaluate the internal and external environments of APPLE. E.g. SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces). (Evidence of research to be present) (Task 2) |
| M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings | Communication is appropriate for familiar and unfamiliar audiences and appropriate media have been used. |
To achieve M3, the structuring and presentation of the report is appropriate. Relevant terminology and concepts have been used accurately.
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| D1 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions |
Conclusions have been arrived at through synthesis of ideas and have been justified.
Realistic improvements have been proposed against defined characteristics for success.
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To achieve D1 Conclusions made are logical and consistent with the flow of arguments and information presented in the body of the report.
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| D2 Take responsibility for managing and organising activities |
Activities have been managed.
Autonomy / independence demonstrated
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Autonomy and independence of approach and critical
thinking has been demonstrated in evaluating APPLE
Strategies and conducting analysis. (Task 3)
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| D3 Demonstrate convergent/lateral/ creative thinking |
Ideas generated and decisions taken
Innovation and creative thought have been applied.
Receptiveness to new ideas has been demonstrated.
| To achieve D3, convergent, logical and creative thinking have been applied and new ideas are evident (e.g. response to competitors’ strategies and recommendations for APPLE) (Task 4) |
Assignment Title
| Apple and its Business Strategy |
Purpose of this assignment
This unit will develop learners understanding of strategy process which includes strategic planning, strategy formulation, approaches to strategy evaluation and implementation.
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Scenario
Apple’s profitable but risky strategy
When Apple’s Chief Executive – Steven Jobs – launched the Apple iPod in 2001 and the iPhone in 2007, he made a significant shift in the company’s strategy from the relatively safe market of innovative, premium-priced computers into the highly competitive markets of consumer electronics. This case explores this profitable but risky strategy.
Early beginnings
To understand any company’s strategy, it is helpful to begin by looking back at its roots. Founded in 1976, Apple built its early reputation on innovative personal computers that were particularly easy for customers to use and as a result were priced higher than those of competitors. The inspiration for this strategy came from a visit by the founders of the company – Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniack – to the Palo Alto research laboratories of the Xerox company in 1979. They observed that Xerox had developed an early version of a computer interface screen with the drop-down menus that are widely used today on all personal computers. Most computers in the late 1970s still used complicated technical interfaces for even simple tasks like typing – still called ‘word-processing’ at the time.
Jobs and Wozniack took the concept back to Apple and developed their own computer – the Apple Macintosh (Mac) – that used this consumer-friendly interface. The Macintosh was launched in 1984. However, Apple did not sell to, or share the software with, rival companies. Over the next few years, this non-co-operation strategy turned out to be a major weakness for Apple.
Battle with Microsoft
Although the Mac had some initial success, its software was threatened by the introduction of Windows 1.0 from the rival company Microsoft, whose chief executive was the well-known Bill Gates. Microsoft’s strategy was to make this software widely available to other computer manufacturers for a license fee – quite unlike Apple. A legal dispute arose between Apple and Microsoft because Windows had many on-screen similarities to the Apple product. Eventually, Microsoft signed an agreement with Apple saying that it would not use Mac technology in Windows 1.0. Microsoft retained the right to develop its own interface software similar to the original Xerox concept.
Coupled with Microsoft’s willingness to distribute Windows freely to computer manufacturers, the legal agreement allowed Microsoft to develop alternative technology that had the same on-screen result. The result is history. By 1990, Microsoft had developed and distributed a version of Windows that would run on virtually all IBM-compatible personal computers.
Apple’s strategy of keeping its software exclusive was a major strategic mistake. The company was determined to avoid the same error when it came to the launch of the iPod and, in a more subtle way, with the later introduction of the iPhone.
Apple’s innovative products
Unlike Microsoft with its focus on a software-only strategy, Apple remained a full-line computer manufacturer from that time, supplying both the hardware and the software. Apple continued to develop various innovative computers and related products. Early successes included the Mac2 and PowerBooks along with the world’s first desktop publishing programme – PageMaker. This latter remains today the leading programme of its kind. It is widely used around the world in publishing and fashion houses. It remains exclusive to Apple and means that the company has a specialist market where it has real competitive advantage and can charge higher prices.
Not all Apple’s new products were successful – the Newton personal digital assistant did not sell well. Apple’s high price policy for its products and difficulties in manufacturing also meant that innovative products like the iBook had trouble competing in the personal computer market place.
Apple’s move into consumer electronics
Around the year 2000, Apple identified a new strategic management opportunity to exploit the growing worldwide market in personal electronic devices – CD players, MP3 music players, digital cameras, etc. It would launch its own Apple versions of these products to add high-value, user-friendly software. Resulting products included iMovie for digital cameras and iDVD for DVD-players. But the product that really took off was the iPod – the personal music player that stored hundreds of CDs. And unlike the launch of its first personal computer, Apple sought industry co-operation rather than keeping the product to itself.
Launched in late 2001, the iPod was followed by the iTunes Music Store in 2003 in the USA and 2004 in Europe – the Music Store being a most important and innovatory development. ITunes was essentially an agreement with the world’s five leading record companies to allow legal downloading of music tracks using the internet for 99 cents each. This was a major coup for Apple – it had persuaded the record companies to adopt a different approach to the problem of music piracy. At the time, this revolutionary agreement was unique to Apple and was due to the negotiating skills of Steve Jobs, the Apple chief executive, and his network of contacts in the industry. Figure 1.9 shows that Apple’s new strategy was beginning to pay off. The iPod was the biggest single sales contributor in the Apple portfolio of products.
In 2007, Apple followed up the launch of the iPod with the iPhone, a mobile telephone that had the same user-friendly design characteristics as its music machine. To make the iPhone widely available and, at the same time, to keep control, Apple entered into an exclusive contract with only one national mobile telephone carrier in each major country – for example, AT&T in the USA and O2 in the UK. Its mobile phone was premium priced – for example, US$599 in North America. However, in order to hit its volume targets, Apple later reduced its phone prices, though they still remained at the high end of the market. This was consistent with Apple’s long-term, high-price, high-quality strategy. But the company was moving into the massive and still-expanding global mobile telephone market where competition had been fierce for many years. (Note that with regard to Figure 1.9, the new iPhone was too new to have made any impact on sales or profitability in 2007.)
The leader in mobile telephones – Finland’s Nokia – was about to hit back at Apple, though with mixed results. But other companies, notably the Korean company Samsung and the Taiwanese company, HTC, were to have more success later.
So, why was the Apple strategy risky?
By 2007, Apple’s music player – the iPod – was the premium-priced, stylish market leader with around 60 per cent of world sales and the largest single contributor to Apple’s turnover – see Figure 1.9. Its iTunes download software had been re-developed to allow it to work with all Windows-compatible computers (about 90 per cent of all PCs) and it had around 75 per cent of the world music download market, the market being worth around US$1000 million per annum. Although this was only some 6 per cent of the total recorded music market, it was growing fast. The rest of the market consisted of sales of CDs and DVDs direct from the leading recording companies.
In 2007, Apple’s mobile telephone – the iPhone – had only just been launched. The sales objective was to sell 10 million phones in the first year: this needed to be compared with the annual mobile sales of the global market leader, Nokia, of around 350 million handsets. However, Apple had achieved what some commentators regarded as a significant technical breakthrough: the touch screen. This made the iPhone different in that its screen was no longer limited by the fixed buttons and small screens that applied to competitive handsets. As readers will be aware, the iPhone went on to beat these earlier sales estimates and was followed by a new design, the iPhone 4 in 2010.
The world market leader responded by launching its own phones with touch screens. In addition, Nokia also launched a complete download music service. Referring to the new download service, Rob Wells, senior Vice President for digital music at Universal commented: ‘This is a giant leap towards where we believe the industry will end up in three or four years’ time, where the consumer will have access to the celestial jukebox through any number of devices.’ Equally, an industry commentator explained: ‘[For Nokia] it could be short-term pain for long-term gain. It will steal some of the thunder from the iPhone and tie users into the Nokia service.’ Readers will read this comment with some amazement given the subsequent history of Nokia’s smartphones that is described in Case 9.2. ‘Nokia is going to be an internet company. It is definitely a mobile company and it is making good progress to becoming an internet company as well,’ explained Olli Pekka Kollasvuo, Chief Executive of Nokia. There also were hints from commentators that Nokia was likely to make a loss on its new download music service. But the company was determined to ensure that Apple was given real competition in this new and unpredictable market.
Here lay the strategic risk for Apple. Apart from the classy, iconic styles of the iPod and the iPhone, there is nothing that rivals cannot match over time. By 2007, all the major consumer electronics companies – like Sony, Philips and Panasonic – and the mobile phone manufacturers – like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola – were catching up fast with new launches that were just as stylish, cheaper and with more capacity. In addition, Apple’s competitors were reaching agreements with the record companies to provide legal downloads of music from websites –described in more depth in Case 12 at the end of this book.
Apple’s competitive reaction
As a short term measure, Apple hit back by negotiating supply contracts for flash memory for its iPod that were cheaper than its rivals. Moreover, it launched a new model, the iPhone 4 that made further technology advances. Apple was still the market leader and was able to demonstrate major increases in sales and profits from the development of the iPod and iTunes. To follow up this development, Apple launched the Apple Tablet in 2010 – again an element of risk because no one really new how well such a product would be received or what its function really was. The second generation Apple tablet was then launched in 2011 after the success of the initial model. But there was no denying that the first Apple tablet carried some initial risks for the company.
All during this period, Apple’s strategic difficulty was that other powerful companies had also recognised the importance of innovation and flexibility in the response to the new markets that Apple itself had developed. For example, Nokia itself was arguing that the markets for mobile telephones and recorded music would converge over the next five years. Nokia’s Chief Executive explained that much greater strategic flexibility was needed as a result: ‘Five or ten years ago, you would set your strategy and then start following it. That does not work anymore. Now you have to be alert every day, week and month to renew your strategy.’
If the Nokia view was correct, then the problem for Apple was that it could find its market-leading position in recorded music being overtaken by a more flexible rival – perhaps leading to a repeat of the Apple failure 20 years earlier to win against Microsoft. But at the time of updating this case, that looked unlikely. Apple had at last found the best, if risky, strategy.
(Please refer to Apple’s corporate reports and articles on Apple).
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Prepare a report addressing the following tasks, answer all questions and relate your answers to Apple wherever possible:
TASK 1 The Process of Strategic Planning
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TASK 2 Formulating Strategy
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TASK 3 Approaches to Strategy Evaluation and Selection
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TASK 4 Strategy Implementation
4.1. Compare the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of strategy in implementing the strategy adopted in 3.2. (AC 4.1)
4.2. Evaluate what resources will be required to implement Apple’s chosen strategy. (AC 4.2)
4.3. Discuss the importance of targets and timescales to monitor the successful achievement of the adopted strategy for Apple.
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| Evidence checklist | Summary of evidence required by student |
| Task 1 | Strategy, mission, vision, objectives, core competence, planning issues and planning techniques of Apple. |
| Task 2 | Internal and External analysis on Apple, and significance of stakeholder analysis |
| Task 3 | Evaluation of Apple Strategy and selection |
| Task 4 | Comparing roles and responsibilities, resource allocation, and target and time scale of Apple strategy implementation |
| Additional Information | An INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION and a REFERENCE LIST using the HARVARD reference style. |
Achievement Summary
Qualification
| Pearson BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Business |
Assessor name
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Unit Number and title
| Unit 7 Business Strategy |
Student name
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| Criteria Reference | To achieve the criteria the evidence must show that the student is able to: |
Achieved?
(tick)
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| LO 1 | ||||||||
1.1
| Explain strategic contexts and terminology – missions, visions, objectives, goals, core competencies | |||||||
1.2
| Review the issues involved in strategic planning | |||||||
| 1.3 | Explain different planning techniques | |||||||
| LO 2 | ||||||||
2.1
| Produce an organisational audit for a given organisation | |||||||
2.2
| Carry out an environmental audit for a given organisation | |||||||
2.3
| Explain the significance of stakeholder analysis | |||||||
| LO 3 | ||||||||
| 3.1 | Analyse possible alternative strategies relating to substantive growth, limited growth or retrenchment | |||||||
| 3.2 | Select an appropriate future strategy for a given organisation | |||||||
| LO 4 | ||||||||
| 4.1 |
Compare the roles and responsibilities for strategy implementation
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| 4.2 |
Evaluate resource requirements to implement a new strategy for a given organisation
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| 4.3 |
Discuss targets and timescales for achievement in a given organisation to monitor a given strategy.
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Higher Grade achievements (where applicable)
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Grade descriptor
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Achieved?
(tick)
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Grade descriptor
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Achieved?
(tick)
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M1: Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions
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D1: Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions
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M2: Select/design and apply appropriate methods/techniques
| D2: Take responsibility for managing and organising activities | |||||||
M3: Present and communicate appropriate findings
| D3: Demonstrate convergent/lateral /creative thinking | |||||||
This sheet must be submitted with your assignment. Failure to complete, sign and submit this form will result in a mark of ‘0’ for the assignment.
Student Name
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Student ID
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Assessor Name
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Qualification
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Unit Number & Unit Title
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Assignment Title
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Date of Submission
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By submitting this form and signing below, I declare that:
- I am the author of this assignment and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully disclosed and acknowledged in this assignment
- I also certify that this assignment was prepared by me specifically for this course
- I certify that I have taken all reasonable precautions to make sure that my work has not been copied by other students
- I confirm that I have understood the College’s regulations on plagiarism
- I confirm that research resources are fully acknowledged
Signature: ……………………………………… Date: ………………………………
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