01 Jan Analyzing the effectiveness

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Activity Context

This week’s discussions help you to develop the skills to master the following course competency:

Critically evaluate information from core business functions and the value chain to enhance organizational knowledge of strategic position and direction.
Activity Instructions

In this discussion, you will further your knowledge of strategic development by:

Identifying and appraising the resources and capabilities of a firm.
Using the results from analyzing resources and capabilities to formulate strategies to exploit internal strengths and defend against internal weaknesses.
After reading Chapter 3 in your Foundations of Strategy text, use the functional classification and value chain perspectives to identify Harley-Davidson’s principal resources and capabilities. Can their resources and capabilities confer sustainable competitive advantage? What strategy recommendations would you offer to Harley-Davidson’s management team?

Response Guidelines

Critically read the posts of your peers and respond to the posts of at least two other learners. Your responses should seek clarification of assumptions or statements that lack evidence to support them. Remember, you are participating in a dialog with your peers for the purpose of ensuring their communication is clear, persuasive, and defensible, from both business and academic perspectives.

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Activity Context

This week’s discussions help you to develop the skills to master the following course competencies:

Critically evaluate information from core business functions and the value chain to enhance organizational knowledge of strategic position and direction.
Create a comprehensive organizational strategy assessment.
Activity Instructions

In this discussion, you will further your knowledge of strategic development by:

Analyzing the effectiveness of the core or mainline operations of the firm to create and deliver products and services.
Identifying inconsistencies between the organizational design of the firm and its business strategy.
Analyze the firm key resources and core capabilities of the firm you selected for your project. Identify the functional areas of the firm’s organization or the activities in the value chain where the key resources and core capabilities reside (see Classifying Capabilities in Chapter 3). Are core or distinctive resources and capabilities structured and supported in a manner that aligns with the competitive advantage? What opportunities do you see to exploit the key capabilities of your project firm? Are there internal weakness that should concern the firm?

Read the posts of your peers and respond to the posts of at least two other learners. When responding, seek clarification, share your personal experiences that relate to their experiences, and provide feedback.