Strategic Planing Report
Instruction
Your boss has asked you to craft a restructuring strategy [around some identified business problem(s)]for the company you work for. (If your company is a large one, then focus on a strategic business unit or department. The structure will be aimed at your designation level ie supervisor, team leaders, unit head, head of strategic business unit, CEO etc. Frame the issue at your level so that you are familiar with issues. For example if you are a supervisor it would be inappropriate for you to look at International diversification but this might be something for the CEO.
If you are not employed in a company, exceptionally select a well-known local company and use the same criteria. Delve down to the lowest level commensurate with your designation. The organisation must be approved by your tutor.
Not for profit organisations are fine too. Your tutor will need to approve the company chosen. Your remit, in the form of a strategic management project will be to propose a new design, approach (solution) to restructuring that would make the company more efficient and competitive.
Report Structure
Table of Content
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms (if any)
A business proposal for your boss is likely to be peppered with abbreviations and acronyms for ease of communication within the organisation. While the list is not usually needed, it is useful to provide the full description of abbreviations and acronyms that will be used in this report.
Executive Summary (300-400 words- not included in the total word count)
Provide a summary of the whole report covering key aspects. It is likely to include the reasons for needing a change of the structure for the organisation or a SBU/Division/Department as well the significant aspects of the recommendation that addresses the opportunities or challenges impacting the organisation.
- SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ( ~1000 -1200 words)
1.1 Company Overview (200-250 words)
Provide a brief overview of the organisation that you have chosen for this project. Only key data in respect of nature of business, scale of operation. Avoid providing a historical background of the organisation.
1.2 Business case for restructuring (~ 800-1000 words)
Explain what your boss wants you to investigate. Why?
Diagnose the significant internal and external conditions facing the organisation using relevant models and frameworks. Daft’s structural dimension, Daft’s contingency factors and Porter’s 5 Forces are some of the frameworks to consider – you may use others too.
The focus is on giving your boss a good analysis of the situation facing the organisation, which should include the opportunities and challenges that significantly impact on the organisation’s current objectives and strategies, some reasons for the need to reorganise.
The section should also provide ideas about how divisions/ departments/ functions correlate with each other so as to achieve a design that is both effective and efficient to the organisation.
- SECTION TWO LITERTURE REVIEW ( 1000- 1200 words)
This section focuses on synthesizing the current knowledge as well as theoretical concepts, models or frameworks that relate to the key ideas presented in the proposal. The purpose is to situate the restructuring within the body of literature, and therefore provide the academic underpinning for your analysis. Using business and management databases from the learning centre find research to support your plan to restructure your organisation. Articles may include analyses of specific aspects of organisational design, industry briefs and case studies on similar companies.
- SECTION THREE – Analysis/Restructure (1500-2000 words)
In this section you analyse the chosen organisation along the dimensions you proposed and present the restructured organisation in light of the identified problem/issue.
A comparison of the existing and proposed organisational charts will certainly be useful in helping your boss to have a better insight into your thought process for the new design. Mention of delayering, job losses need to be justified.
Keep the analysis tools used in the appendices (so it is not a part of the word count).
- SECTION 4 CONCLUSIONS (200-250 words)
Summarize the key points discussed, and include your perspectives of the current situation faced by the organisation and your proposed restructuring plan.
Appendices
Provide additional information in support of your analysis and argument, if relevant and appropriate. Diagrams, charts and graphs may also be placed here.
References
It is expected you will have between 8 and 12 academic sources as your references. Harvard referencing rules should be applied
Note: Your report should be written in standard business English that favours ease of comprehension. In general, your sentences and paragraphs will be shorter compared to standard academic English. It is also acceptable to use a limited number of bullet points in the report.
Key assessment criteria
- Complying the specific content requirement for the task
- Soundness of proposal
- Evidence of extensive research and readings that reflects theoretical support for the restructuring effort
- Depth of analysis and synthesis of the environmental conditions that translate to significant implications to the organisation’s current objectives and strategies, and use of the relevant proper concepts and theoretical frameworks
- Clarity in writing and use of references
