Business and Management in Context
Business and Management in Context
This assignment is an individual piece of work. It represents 70% of the module mark. Students are required to produce a management report focusing on Uber – a technology company, that develops, markets and operates the Uber car transportation mobile apps.
An assignment should demonstrate that you possess a high level of understanding about the operations of the company in the United Kingdom, which is the geographical focus of the analysis. You are expected to conduct your own research. The report should not exceed 3,000 words (excluding references and appendices) and should have the following structure.
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Section/Title |
Details/Guidance |
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Cover Page |
Include module code and word count for the main text. Do not add pictures – keep the page clear and simple. |
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Contents |
Include page numbers. |
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1. Introduction (10 marks) |
This section should be designed to provide a background to the company. As a starting point, this section should ‘set the scene’ by providing information on main products/services, the industry company operates in, main competitors and markets. Pay particular attention to recent financial data. Students are asked not to construct this section by cutting and pasting or simple copying material from the company’s website and other sources. |
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2. Analysis of the current business environment affecting the industry
(40 marks) |
Focus on the industry that is relevant to the company’s core business and respective geographical focus of the United Kingdom. Look at the macro– environment and micro–environment. Identify important industry trends. Use analytical tools such as PESTLE and Porter’s Five Forces (Porter, 2008). Do not confuse external and internal analysis! State the purpose and limitations of frameworks you use. This section MUST conclude with the main opportunities and threats affecting the industry derived from the above analysis. |
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3. Analysis of the company’s strategic capabilities
(40 marks) |
This section should focus on the analysis of the strategic significance of organisation’s resources and capabilities. The analysis should begin with the identification of the company resources (tangible, intangible, threshold and unique). Students are asked to use the Value Chain framework (Porter 1988; 1985) and VRIO (Barney, 1991) tools and apply them correctly. By providing a critical, realistic and thorough analysis students should indicate if the company currently has any competitive advantage. You need to link this section with the external analysis (section 2). In a conclusion to this section, you MUST summarise the main strengths and weaknesses of the company. |
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4. Conclusion (10 marks) |
Maximum 100 words. This section should summarise the key strategic issues deriving from the analysis, which need to be addressed by the company management.
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References |
All sources must be cited and referenced using APA style. |
