BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 1 – Background
Strategic Review
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>

OVERVIEW OF CASES
The Integrative Case
Project (which you learn more about in the Case) focuses mainly on using
Organizational Diagnosis (OD) models to analyze Whole Foods Market. For
purposes of the Case studies, you will assume the role of a consultant for
the Excellent Consulting Group. You will need to study Whole Foods Market
and prepare reports for your boss, Art Epance, who is the Senior Project
Manager at the Excellent Consulting Group. Essentially, the ABC Company has
determined that it will require an outside review of Whole Foods Market to
assist the company in determining how to proceed relative to integrating
Whole Foods Market into ABC Company.
Each Case will be a
separate analysis task in which you will prepare a report. The details of
these assignments are explained in the Case assignments in each module.
The five cases in
this course include the following:
Case 1 – Strategic
Review of Whole Foods Market.
Case 2 – An analysis
of Organizational Diagnostic models and identifying a model to use for
diagnosing Whole Foods Market.
Case 3 – Diagnosing
the Inputs and fit with the strategy of Whole Foods Market.
Case 4 – Diagnosing
the Outputs and Performance of Whole Foods Market.
Case 5- Analyzing
critical feedback loops and the opportunities for organizational learning
at Whole Foods Market.

The SLP for this
course involves participating in a simulation exercise. Unlike cases, which
are static, simulations are interactive and you can see the results of your
decisions. Additionally, you can repeat the simulation to improve the quality
of your decisions.
GENERAL SLP SCENARIO:
Joe Schmoe is the
current VP of Marketing for Clipboard Tablet Co. He has a pricing and R&D
strategy that he intends to use for the next four years: 2012 through 2015.
The performance of the company is pretty lackluster and Joe gets fired on
Dec. 15, 2015. You get hired to replace him as the company is about to move
forward into 2016. But for some strange reason, you get caught in a Time
Warp, much like the guy in the movie, “Groundhog Day.” You are doomed to
repeat the last four years, 2012 through 2015, until you can improve the
performance of Clipboard Tablet.
In particular, you
will be looking at income statements and marketing reports and making
decisions about pricing, product development (R&D expenditure), and
product life cycles for a company that sells Tablet Computers.
This is a brief
summary of what you will do in each SLP:
1. In this first SLP it is Dec. 15, 2015, and you
are getting ready to make a Marketing strategy for 2016. But you want to
review the performance of the company over the last four years, so you review
the Financial and Marketing data, as well as the product data and how it stacks
up against the competition. You have a great New Year’s Eve celebration
thinking you are ready to move ahead.
2. In SLP2, you experience a Time Warp. You are
back on January 1, 2012. You realize that you will have to go through 2012,
2013, 2014, and 2015, but you think you can do better than Joe Schmoe. You
work your way through each year, trying to make better decisions and generate
more profit and an overall better performance than your predecessor. As you
do this, you keep track of your decisions, your reasoning and results, which
turns into a final report that you hope will be useful as you move ahead into
2016.
3. In SLP3, the Time Warp strikes again. Once
more you are at January 1, 2012. This time you decide to develop a complete
strategy for all four years and use CVP analysis to help you. You analyze the
results from your first Time Warp and develop another strategy, this time for
all four years being predetermined.
4. In SLP4, it is the next day. You begin to
implement your new strategy. You do so at the beginning of each year and time
flows quickly. At the end of each year you review the results and collect the
data. At the end of 2015, you note your overall performance, hoping that you
will now move ahead into 2016. But once again, the Time Warp strikes and you
have to do it again. This time you vow you will do it better. You analyze the
results and use CVP analysis. You now have another strategy ready to go,
having spent all of New Year’s day putting it together.
5. In SLP5, on January 2, 2012, you begin the
same four-year journey again. You implement your strategy at the beginning of
each year and get the results as time flies by. New Year’s Eve, 2015, you
note your final results. How did you do? When you wake up on New Year’s Day,
it is 2016. You celebrate. Then you understand that you had lessons to learn.
So you decide to compare the results of this last Time Warp to the results
that you got in the previous Time Warp. You will explain how the results are
different and why they are different.
GET FAMILIAR WITH THE SIMULATION
Go to the simulation at .com/simulate/jelson/tablet-development-sim-1/simulation/#p=page0″>Forio.com. You will see the simulation interface, which
provides you with information about the Clipboard Tablet Company as well as
the input interface to implement your strategy (pricing decisions and R&D
budget allocations).
Explore the interface
and get familiar with it and the information it provides. The menu on the
left-hand side shows these options:

NEED TO BRUSH UP ON CVP ANALYSIS?
You were introduced
to this method in your previous courses, but this link will provide a
refresher. There are other websites you can look at as well, but this one
provides a detailed and thorough review.
Accounting for
Management.com Cost-Volume-Profit Relationship (CVP Analysis): .accountingformanagement.com/cost_volume_profit.htm”>http://www.accountingfor

management.com/cost_volume_profit.htm

Retrieved 2/20/12.

Introduction – Some background about the company and its three
products, and how to play the simulation.Financials – Provides the financial results of the current year
and the previous year. Clicking on the tabs across the top will show
different data for the company and for each of the three products.Market Info – Provides the market results of the current year
and the previous year. Clicking on the tabs across the top will show
different data for the company and for each of the three products.Make Decisions – This is where you input your pricing and product
development budget (R&D%) strategy decisions.View Summary – This provides a summary of important information
for each round (year). Here you can see your Score. An advisor will tell
you how you are doing.Get Help – This provides additional information about the
simulation and some theory that it is based on. You should click on each
of these links to gain an understanding: .duke.edu/~charvey/Classes/wpg/glossary.htm”>Glossary of Financial Terms; .quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/”>Product Life Cycle (some theory you can use),
and .org/glossary/feedback.htm”>Feedback and Decisions. In this last link,
notice the Systems Feedback connections.
Every time you open
the simulation or reset it to play again, you will be at end of the year of
2011, and the data you see will show the results for 2011 and 2010 (previous
year). When you run the simulation you will run it for the next four years:
2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. After each year, you will always be at the end of
that year and see the results for that year and the previous year.
OPTIONAL READING AND REOURCES:
Remember that in
preparing the assignments for this module (as those that follow), you must
demonstrate thatyou know how to use the appropriate business tools for such an
analysis. This will require you
to integrate learning from courses throughout the MBA program.
OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES:
Useful Internet Sites:
You may access some
useful Internet and other resources relating to such matters as financial
ratios and processes for measurement of organizational resources (both
tangible and intangible)at .investopedia.com/university/ratios/#axzz2JNe7QCr3″>http://www.investopedia.com/university/ratios/#axzz2JNe7QCr3
and .sveiby.com/articles/IntangibleMethods.htm”>http://www.sveiby.com/articles/IntangibleMethods.htm

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 1 – SLP
Strategic Review
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
BACKGROUND:
First, run the simulation using the Default
Decisions. In other words, use the prices and R&D percentage that are
already there. Capture or collect the results for each product (X5, X6, X7) as
you run each year. Copy (using Excel, by hand, or some other method) the
Financial results and Marketing results, as well as the information provided by
the Advisor.
REQUIRED READING:
Refer to the reading on the SLP in the Module 1
Background. Then read the following scenario before you proceed:
SCENARIO
It is December 15, 2015. Joe Schmoe, the VP of
Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., is smugly patting himself on the back for
how well he has done with pricing and product development on the three products,
X5, X6, and X7. He knows his strategy was not very creative, since he did not
change any prices or R&D allocations over the four-year period (actually
six years, counting 2010 and 2011). But he is certain that he did not need to
change anything, and that his overall performance is proof.
However, Sally Smothers, CEO of Clipboard Tablet
Co., has a different opinion, and she fires Joe.
You are hired. You applied for the position a
few weeks ago and interviewed, unaware of the fate of Joe Schmoe at the time.
So here you are, Dec. 15, 2015, VP of Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., and
ready to move the company ahead into 2016. Your boss, Sally Smothers, is
expecting you to take over and move the company forward in terms of product
development, and smart pricing.
ASSIGNMENT:
Write a 4- to 6-page paper, not including cover
and reference page, according to Sally’s directions as follows:
Sally wants to make sure that you are ready to
move ahead and asks you to review the past four to six years to see what was going
on in terms of product development, sales, pricing, and performance against the
competition. You collect all of the data and write a report which is due on
Sally’s desk January 2, 2016.
Analyze the results of Joe Schmoe’s decisions
and thenwrite the report that Sally is requesting. Run the simulation of the Clipboard Tablet Co.
using the default decisions. Access the .com/simulate/jelson/tablet-development-sim-1/simulation/#p=page0″>simulation siteand
collect the data for each year (or you can download a copy of it – see below).
Make a Case for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant
theories.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
The key aspects to this
assignment that should be covered in your paper include:
·
A review of the
products, their life cycles, and how they stack up in terms of price and
performance.
·
Financial review for
each product: X5, X6, and X7 – sales, costs, profitability, prices, unit
margins, etc.
·
Market review: New
Sales, Repeat Sales, Market Saturation, etc.
·
Propose an alternate
strategy: a general idea of how you might do better with these products: what
pricing and R&D allocations, etc., you would have put in place over the
last four years, 2012 – 2015.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS:
Your paper will be
evaluated on the following seven points:
·
Breadth – Is the full
breadth of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
·
Depth – Does the paper
address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background reading and
other background resources as references?
·
Critical thinking – Is
the subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically,
relevantly, and precisely?
·
Clarity – Is the writing
clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis
of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points
conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
·
Organization – Is the
paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for
graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?

·
Referencing (citations
and references) – Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where
appropriate? Are the references from the background reading and assignment
present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography
present and referred to via citation?
·
Application – Are the
concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject?
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS:
Please note the
following tips and suggestions:
·
Include a cover page and
reference page, in addition to the 4-6 pages of analysis described above.
·
Include headings for all
papers greater than two pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings
as “space fillers.”
·
Cite and reference all
sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This
means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five
words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed”
or paraphrased from other sources.
Follow .trident.edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf”>TUI Guidelines for
well-written papers.

Hints for success!
Throughout this SLP,
you will be asked to make business decisions under conditions of incomplete
information and uncertainty. To do so, you will need to make assumptions
based on what you have learned throughout the MBA program about how markets
operate. Thus, your strategies in approaching this decision need to rely on
models, financial analysis, and theories from such classes as Economics, Finance,
Accounting, Marketing, Strategy, and Quantitative Analysis. In addition, the
simulation will give you some additional market information as you progress.
Be sure to explicitly
draw on concepts and theories from the courses you have taken throughout the
MBA program. That means you need to “think like an MBA” and use the
financial data you are given. You will have to crunch some numbers and
present your data analysis professionally by creating some simple tables,
charts and graphs.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 1 – Case
Strategic Review
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
BACKGROUND:
XCG
THE EXCELLENT CONSULTING GROUP
Communication from Art Epance:
Welcome to this project. ABC Company and Whole
Foods Market expect us to provide them with top-notch advice on how to
integrate Whole Foods into ABC Company. I will be working on analyzing ABC
Company. You will be working on analyzing Whole Foods Market. Review as much
information as you can on the Whole Foods Market website, particularly that in
the “Investor Relations” section. At a minimum, review the following
materials in preparation for your report/analysis:
REQUIRED READING:
.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=WFM.O”>Reuters Company Profile:
Whole Foods Market. Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from: .reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=WFM.O”>http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=WFM.O
Case study: .asp.radford.edu/whole%20Foods%20Case.pdf”>http://pnphillip.asp.radford.edu/whole%20Foods%20Case.pdf
(be sure that you do not rely on this document as your primary source of
information, but be sure that you have synthesized information from multiple
sources). Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from: .net/archives/102″>http://tainted-ink.net/archives/102.
Article: .net/archives/102″>Business Analysis: Whole Foods Market
Retrieved on November 7, 2012 (again,do not rely on this document as a primary source of information, but be
sure that you have synthesized information from multiple sources).
Whole Foods Market website: .wholefoodsmarket.com/”>http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Retrieved on
November 7, 2012.
Whole Foods Market (about the company) .wholefoodsmarket.com/company/index.php”>Whole Foods Market
Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from: .wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info”>http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info.
.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info/investor-relations/annual-reports”>Whole Foods Market – Annual
Stakeholders Report, 2011. Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from: .wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info/investor-relations/annual-reports”>http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info/investor-relations/annual-reports.
Review Case Analysis since it is so important in this final course.
The purpose of a Case is to show that you have thought critically about the
subject matter that you are learning and to make an argument for aClaim about the specific situation in the Case
Assignment. Stephen Toulmin has developed an Argument Methodology that is very
useful inMaking a Case.
To review Case Analysis and Toulmin’s Argument Methodology, go to .trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=custom1″>Making a
Case page.
CASE 1 ASSIGNMENT:
First, you need to do a strategic analysis of
Whole Foods Market. The executives want us to provide an independent, objective
view of Whole Foods Market’s current strategic position, including full
information of Whole Foods Market’s mission, vision and values. They want to
identify its current set of strategic goals, and acritical assessment of the competition and the
competitive environment (remote and operating environments). Also, they want to
see the opportunities and threats Whole Foods is presently facing, and they
need a general idea of the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Whole Foods
Market and ABC Company want to know if we think they should make any strategic
changes or continue with the status quo. Synthesize everything you have
learned, provide a final recommendation, and justify your reasoning.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
1. Do diligent research on Whole Foods Market. I
have included links to various websites above.
2. As an MBA, you must perform additional research
to find information on competition and general trends for opportunities and
threats. For the competitive analysis, identify a minimum of three of the top
competitive companies and their best-selling services or products – and justify
why each is a viable competitor.
3. Your report should be thorough, and follow
closely the outline that I have given you. The final section is the most
important one. Use excellent logic and sharp argumentation skills to make your
case.
The report must be 5-7 pagesminimumand no more than 10 pages.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS:
Your paper will be
evaluated on the following seven points:
·
Precision – Does the
paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
·
Breadth – Is the full
breadth of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
·
Depth – Does the paper
address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background reading and
other background resources as references?
·
Critical thinking – Is
the subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically,
relevantly, and precisely?
·
Clarity – Is the writing
clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis
of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points
conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
·
Organization – Is the
paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for
graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?

·
Referencing (citations
and references) – Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where
appropriate? Are the references from the background readings and assignment
present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography
present and referred to via citation?
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
·
Optimize your research time: Get an overview of the Case Assignments so you know what
information you will be looking for when you do research. As you do research
for Case 1, you can also be finding information and data for the other cases,
too. Continue this strategy as you do research for the next case and the next,
etc. The more information you have about the chosen company, the better you
will get to know it. The better you get to know it, the better your analysis
will be.
·
You may use a simple
diagram to highlight important factors. However, do not use the diagram in lieu
of valuable analysis (or to take up valuable writing space). It should be in
addition to your 5-7 pages of analysis.
·
Just because you have
written the minimum five pages does not mean that you have adequately covered
the topic. Err on the side of writing more rather than less.
·
Choose the data you use
carefully. Is it relevant and important?
·
Include a cover page and
reference page, in addition to the 5-10 pages of analysis described above.
·
Include section headings
within the paper.
·
Cite and reference all
sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This
means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five
words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed”
or paraphrased from other sources.
·
Follow .trident.edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf”>TUI Guidelines for
well-written papers.

INTERNET RESEARCH TIPS
Search for articles in
the business and trade press that give an independent view of the company;
you do not want to depend solely on corporate information. Check the
financial websites such as Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Morningstar, Dunn &
Bradstreet, and Standard and Poor’s for reports by industry and financial
analysts. Wiki’s and blogs are good ways to get an “inside” look
and helpful for evaluating corporate culture/climate.