18 Oct Create a 2-3 page proposal that analyzes your business topic, defines the scope and strategy for how you will go about your capstone project, and explains how your proposed project allo
Create a 2-3 page proposal that analyzes your business topic, defines the scope and strategy for how you will go about your capstone project, and explains how your proposed project allows you to demonstrate the MBA program outcomes.
Introduction
Based on the feedback you received from faculty on your capstone summary in Assessment 1, you should now have a firm grasp on the scope of your project. In fact, if someone asks you what your project is about, you should have an “elevator speech” prepared. That is, you should have memorized 1–3 sentences that explain the topic, problem, and scope in a clear and concise way. With just these few sentences, explaining your project to someone while on a short elevator ride would be no trouble at all! Additionally, having such a clear vision will help you with this assessment and the project overall.
For this assessment, you will formally propose your capstone project.
Preparation
- Review the MBA Capstone Project Description [PDF].
Assessment Description
Write a business proposal that formally proposes your capstone project and ends by asking for permission to continue, just as you might propose a project to a supervisor or client.
Include, at minimum, the following information:
- Analyze a business challenge or opportunity.
- Include an introduction about your proposal.
- Summarize the capstone project topic, scope, and components; saying that your capstone will comprise a paper and presentation is not enough.
- Establish the premise of your paper; for example, if your plan is to talk about how Dillard's department store can come back after a huge financial loss, you should include citations that establish its dramatic financial loss.
- Define the strategy, scope, and action plan that you will use to complete the capstone project.
- Provide a general action plan on how you will research, analyze, and identify recommendations or solutions to this business challenge or opportunity.
- Discuss the general type of data sources you will be using to inform your analysis. Provide at least two specific sources that you are considering. These resources should be from credible sources such as the Wall Street Journal, IBIS, et cetera. Use the excellent Research Guide – MBA for locating credible resources from the Capella library's business databases and article collections.
- Include the process or steps on how you will access the data necessary for analysis of a business topic or challenge.
- Write a conclusion.
- Include a wrap-up that ensures your supervisor/client that your project will meet all requirements, be valuable to them, and be completed on time.
- Be sure to conclude by asking for permission to continue to the next step.
Your proposal should be organized using these sections:
- Introduction.
- Summary.
- Discussion of the Proposal.
- Strategy and Scope.
- Action Plan.
- Conclusion.
Submission Requirements
- Style: Your proposal should follow professional style, as described in the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines (available in the MBA Program Resources), including single-spaced paragraphs. It should use subheadings and be well organized and well written.
- Communication: Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message and quality.
- APA guidelines: Format your citations according to current APA style.
- Resources: Use at least two citations from credible sources.
- Length: Your proposal should be 2–3 pages (single-spaced, professional style).
- Font and font size: Use 12 point, Times New Roman.
ePortfolio
You should consider adding this to your personal ePortfolio. Writing formal proposals is a business fundamental; this proposal deliverable demonstrates this skill, and you might consider showing it to potential employers and clients.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Apply foundational knowledge and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
- Analyze a business challenge or opportunity.
- Competency 2: Integrate information across disciplines and from differing perspectives.
- Define the strategy, scope, and action plan that will be used to complete the capstone project.
- Competency 7: Communicate clearly and effectively in a business environment.
- Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional.
1
MBA Capstone Project Description
MBA Capstone Project Description Throughout your MBA program, you have worked to develop as a business professional and prepare to meet future challenges as a business leader. Your program culminates in the capstone project, which forms the primary focus of MBA-FPX5910, the final course you will take in the program. The capstone project is intended to provide you the opportunity to demonstrate your MBA program outcomes by:
• Planning and executing the strategic and tactical elements of a comprehensive project.
• Integrating and demonstrating the business leadership skills and techniques you have learned throughout the MBA program.
• Communicating your analysis and recommendations for a real organization both in written form and in a formal presentation.
• Completing your MBA program with an experience that reinforces and integrates what you have learned throughout your MBA program.
The following information outlines the requirements and work associated with the capstone project for MBA-FPX5910.
Capstone Project Examples You have a wide variety of choice when it comes to choosing a capstone project that is personally interesting and rewarding to you. It is your responsibility to propose a capstone topic and scope that will allow you to demonstrate all of the MBA program outcomes.
Examples of project types that might be proposed to meet these requirements include, but are not limited to:
• A strategic plan developed for an organization to use that helps them solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity.
• A strategic analysis conducted on a selected part or area of an organization.
• A case study developed on a selected part of or situation within an organization.
• An intervention developed to address an organizational issue; for example, a workshop or training activity. The intervention should be broad-based enough to demonstrate the program-level outcomes.
• A consulting report developed to analyze a problematic issue within an organization; the issue and analysis should be broad-based enough to demonstrate program-level outcomes.
You may propose other project types for the capstone project so long as you are able to identify how the proposed project satisfies the requirement of demonstrating the program-level outcomes. When choosing your project type and/or topic, keep in mind that it must result in recommendations, next steps, or some other type of actionable, evidence-based takeaways for your intended audience, user, or subject of the project.
2
Capstone Project Selection and Proposal Guidelines The organization must be real, not fictitious. This may be an organization to which you have direct access for data gathering or one for which you will gather data via published sources. In either case, it must be an organization for which you can gather the data needed to complete the project. If need be, you may be allowed to use a disguised name for the organization in the project report, but you must disclose to faculty what actual organization is being used as the setting for the project.
There are certain organizations that we want you to avoid using for your capstone. These organizations have been overly covered in the various business courses and might not be “fresh” enough for you to showcase your MBA outcomes. For that reason, we encourage you to select more low-profile organizations, or ones you can easily access for researching and analyzing. Do not select these organizations for your capstone project:
• Airlines: Southwest, American, Delta, United
• Retailers: Amazon, Target, Walmart
• Tech Companies: Apple, Google, Netflix
• Auto Companies: Ford, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagon
• Beverage Companies: Pepsi, Coke, Starbucks
• Burger King & McDonald's
• Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
• Johnson & Johnson
• Proctor & Gamble
• Kellogg's
• Uber
• Any other company that your instructor posts in Announcements
When proposing a capstone project, you will be required to briefly identify how the proposed project ensures the demonstration of all seven program outcomes.
The scope of effort required should be such that it is doable in a 15–20 page paper, which is to be submitted in Assessment 4.
3
Capstone Project Requirements The capstone course project must demonstrate your achievement of the MBA program outcomes. The following table is taken from the Capstone Project Scoring Guide, at the Proficient level. It outlines the expectations, at a minimum, for demonstrating each program outcome. (For the best grade possible, strive to meet the grading criteria at the Distinguished level.)
MBA Program Outcome Grading Criteria (at the Proficient Level) 1. Apply foundational knowledge
and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Applies foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
2. Integrate information across disciplines and from differing perspectives.
Integrates most relevant supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from differing primary functional perspectives individually and holistically.
3. Think critically and analytically to provide evidence-based solutions to business challenges and opportunities.
Develops logical, well-supported, solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (data, insights, analyses, best practices) to solve business challenges and opportunities.
4. Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Applies innovative, strategic, and sustainable (long- term) approaches to business practice and planning.
5. Lead and collaborate in virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Applies leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
6. Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions.
Integrates principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications and resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas.
Capstone Deliverables You will plan, execute, and deliver your capstone project; it should include the components and requirements listed in this table.
Assessment Brief Assessment Description Submission Requirements Assessment 1: Capstone Project Summary
You will develop a brief summary of your capstone project so that faculty can approve your organization choice and scope and provide appropriate guidance. The project summary will also list out each program outcome and how the topic allows you to demonstrate mastery of each.
• Double spaced, academic style.
• Use at least one resource from the Capella library and one from the Wall Street Journal.
• Length is 2–3 pages.
4
Assessment 2: Capstone Proposal
Once your topic and scope are approved, you will submit a formal proposal that includes a concise analysis of your business topic. You will also explain how you will leverage your leadership strengths assessment results and coaching experience (provided by BetterUp), as well as your knowledge and experience as a leader, to support your capstone work.
• Single spaced, professional style.
• Use at least two resources from the Capella library.
• Reference your BetterUp leadership strengths assessment results and coaching experience.
• Length is 2–3 pages.
Assessment 3: Annotated Outline
To help you stay on track and receive faculty feedback, you will create an annotated outline of your paper. This document will list all of the major sections and sub-sections of your paper and include some resources.
• Double spaced, academic style.
• Use at least four resources from the Capella library, in addition to Internet resources.
• Length is 2–5 pages. Assessment 4: Capstone Project
The final written project report will be a formal document prepared for the key stakeholders of your project. The structure and length of the document will vary according to the type of project being undertaken, but the report is expected to be substantial.
In Appendix A, you can view the Capstone Project Scoring Guide. Be sure to review these criteria often throughout your project to ensure you are fulfilling the expectations of the MBA program outcomes.
• Single spaced, professional style.
• Use at least six resources from the Capella library, in addition to Internet resources.
• Length is 15–20 pages.
Assessment 5: Reflection and Goal Setting (Note: this assessment is not part of the Capstone paper)
This paper will summarize how your strengths—as identified in the BetterUp leadership assessment and improved through your coaching—helped you to create an effective capstone project. Your paper will include a reflection of your growth, how you have applied your strengths, & how you would apply those strengths further to enact the recommendations you made in your Capstone paper.
• Single spaced, professional style.
• Reference your BetterUp strength assessment results and coaching
• Length is 2-4 pages
5
Assessment 6: Capstone Presentation
This formal oral presentation will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation including slides with notes. You will record the oral presentation and upload it to the courseroom for formal review by faculty. Your presentation should present all facets of the capstone project.
• Presentation slides with audio recording of you presenting to your audience.
• Length is 10–20 slides. • Not to exceed 8 minutes of
run time.
Credible Resources The majority of your resources should be from credible sources such as peer-reviewed, scholarly journals and articles found in the Capella library. Other resources/databases, also available from the Capella library, are the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Lexis Nexis, IBIS, et cetera. By now you should have solid skills in navigating the Capella library, but just in case you need a refresher, remember that we have a custom library guide, Research Guide – MBA, which is an excellent place to start your research.
6
You may also use additional Internet resources (such as blogs, websites, white papers, et cetera), but evaluate and vet these sites/resources diligently to ensure you are using information that is credible and evidence based. Use this information to determine whether or not the resource is credible: Sources: What Can You Use for Your Research?; make sure you explore the source types listed on the left.
7
Appendix A – Capstone Project Scoring Guide
Criteria Non-performance Basic Proficient Distinguished
Apply foundational knowledge and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
References but does not apply fundamental, practical foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and a functional understanding of business systems, processes, and technology.
Applies fundamental, practical foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and a functional understanding of a limited set of business systems, processes, and technology within but not across core disciplines.
Applies foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Applies a balance of theoretical and practical foundational knowledge (theories, models, practices) and an in- depth understanding of a full range of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines. Justifies approach to integrating foundational knowledge, business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
Integrate most relevant supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from differing primary functional perspectives individually and holistically.
Analyzes information from a singular discipline or perspective or poorly analyzes information across disciplines from few differing primary functional perspectives.
Analyzes but does not integrate limited information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from few differing primary functional perspectives individually but not holistically.
Integrates most relevant supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices) across disciplines from differing primary functional perspectives individually and holistically.
Evaluates supportive and conflicting information (data, insights, best practices), integrating insights across disciplines from multiple diverse functional and strategic perspectives individually and holistically.
Develop logical, well- supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (data, insights, analyses, best practices) to solve business challenges and opportunities.
Develops unsupported (that is, emotional testimonials, anecdotes, or lack of evidence) solutions and solutions that are not logically connected to business challenges and opportunities.
Develops unsupported (that is, emotional testimonials, anecdotes, or lack of evidence) solutions or solutions that are not logically connected to business challenges and opportunities.
Develops logical, well- supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (that is, data, insights, analyses, or best practices) to solve business challenges and opportunities.
Develops logical, well- supported solutions based on relevant, sound, logical, and credible evidence (that is, data, insights, analyses, or best practices) to systematically solve business challenges and opportunities relevant to all applicable stakeholders and cross- functional departments.
Apply innovative, strategic, and sustainable (long-term) approaches to business practice and planning.
Does not apply or poorly applies elements of innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Applies some elements of innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Applies innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning.
Integrates and justifies innovative, strategic, and sustainable approaches to business practice and planning that appropriately challenge the status quo while recognizing change management implications.
Apply leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Does not describe or poorly describes leadership or collaboration strategies.
Describes leadership and collaboration principles and strategies that may or may not be appropriate to virtual,
Applies leadership and collaboration principles and strategies for virtual, global, and culturally diverse environments.
Assesses leadership and collaboration principles, strategies, and opportunities in virtual, global, and culturally
8
global, and culturally
diverse environments. diverse environments
and integrates flexible perspectives and collaborative approaches in business.
Integrate principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications and resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas.
Does not assess or poorly assesses principles of ethics and integrity.
Assesses principles of ethics and integrity by analyzing ethical implications but may overlook important ethical considerations.
Integrates principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications and resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas.
Integrates principles of ethics and integrity into business decisions by assessing ethical implications, resolving ethical conflicts and dilemmas, and making right and just decisions for the organization and the larger business community.
Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional.
Does not write coherently nor use grammar and mechanics as expected of a business professional; writing has major errors.
Writes somewhat coherently to support ideas, but writing has some grammar, mechanics, or other errors that detract from credibility as a business professional.
Writes coherently with minimal or minor errors to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional.
Writes coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a business professional; writing is free from errors and formatted appropriately for the purpose or audience.
,
You might find that using analysis tools to analyze internal and external environments is an effective way of analyzing the chosen capstone organization. If you need to learn more about these types of analysis tools, check out the resources below.
Internal Analysis Tools • tutor2u. (2016). PESTLE (PEST) analysis
explained [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=sP2sDw5waEU
• SmartDraw. (n.d.). SWOT analysis. https:// www.smartdraw.com/swot-analysis/
• SWOT Framework.
External Analysis Tools • Applying VRIO and PESTLE. • PESTLE Analysis. (n.d.). What is PESTLE analysis? A
tool for business analysis. http://pestleanalysis.com/what- is-pestle-analysis/
• Study.com. (n.d.). What is PESTLE analysis? Definition and examples. https://study.com/academy/lesson/what- is-pestle-analysis-definition-examples.html
• Management & Finance1 TU Delft. (2016). The five competitive forces that shape strategy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYF2_FBCvXw
Use these resources as you see appropriate:
• Research Guide – MBA
• This research guide was custom created to help MBA learners. If you are feeling a bit lost on where to start, this would be a good starting point.
• James, N. (2007). Writing at work: How to write clearly, effectively and professionally. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.
• Use this as a general writing handbook. For example, there are chapters on tone, grammar, punctuation, style, et cetera.
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteEdu. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
Do you need help with this question?
Get assignment help from WriteEdu.com Paper Writing Website and forget about your problems.
WriteEdu provides custom & cheap essay writing 100% original, plagiarism free essays, assignments & dissertations.
With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.