1. Strategy Investigation (Individual Assessment)
This investigation requires you to examine in detail why the business model has grown in popularity over the last two decades. This has happened, at times, at the expense of a firm’s strategy. For this assessment, you need to analyse critically the limitations of the traditional approach to strategic management that might explain the increased use of the business model. Additionally, you need to investigate approaches to strategy formulation that complement the development of a firms business model, and specifically, its value proposition. To help you with this assessment, some articles have been added to the reading list for this unit that will give you some insight to the limitations of the traditional strategy approach and a new approach that focuses more on the consumer. The strategy investigation requires you to provide a 2,500 (+/-10%) word assignment that evaluates alternative principles and concepts to demonstrate further your critical analysis skills. The use of diagrams to support your discussion is encouraged while your ability to synthesise key principles, concepts and models into your own conceptual frameworks will be regarded favourably by your instructor. Diagrams, tables and references do not form part of your word count. Further advice regarding this assessment will be posted on Blackboard.
For this assessment, you must cite, using Chicago Referencing, at least fifteen (15) references, a minimum of ten (10) of which need to be from academic journals (examples of these journals are listed on page 3 of this outline). Failure to meet this requirement will result in loss of marks (see marking guide on Blackboard). Since there has been a rapid growth of late, in the number of journal articles that relate to the topics of strategy and business models, it is expected that at least five (5) of the references you use have been published since 2016 (last five years). This way, you will make sure you are across the more recent research in the field. As mentioned earlier, some relevant articles have been provided for you in the reading list on Blackboard and you are expected to use them. You will need to use references skillfully since these will be the sources of information that help you build your argument. Where articles provide contrasting or alternative views, make sure you argue how the views contrast and weigh up the relative merits of the differing views. While the minimum requirement is fifteen (15) references, students who do well in this assessment use considerably more than this. This assignment must be submitted to Turnitin. The final version of your assignment submitted to Turnitin will be graded by your instructor. Please note, paper submissions will not be accepted and therefore will not be graded. Please review the marking criteria for this assessment via the relevant link on the ORGM5000 Strategy, Change and Innovation Blackboard site.
