Part 1 case tips bally total fitnesswalmartwher

1. Part 1 Case Tips
Bally Total Fitness
Walmart
Where We Are
Just did:
External and internal analysis
Bally Total Fitness and Walmart Cases
Next:
Submit a case response to either Bally or Walmart (due 2/17)
Read and think about both!
Bally Total Fitness Question
Recommend an action that Bally Total Fitness should take to
address their two biggest external threats. You may find it
useful to describe Bally's strategy.
Economic Climate
Technical Change
Legal/Political Conditions
Demographic Trends
Cultural Trends
Specific International Events
Focal Firm

2. Things to Chew Over
Why is Bally Total Fitness successful? How would you describe
their strategy?
Classify “threats” from the case into different concept buckets
E.g. rivalry, substitute products, suppliers, cultural trends,
demographic trends
As you read assess all the threats, and then select the two most
significant
Ok to show why some potentially relevant threats aren’t that
big.
See discussion of implications of external concepts to connect
threats to your recommendation.
Still stuck? A structure to start you off.
Paragraph 1
State your recommended action & biggest threats.
Briefly describe Bally’s strategy (based on facts from the case):
what is their theory of gaining/sustaining advantage?
Paragraph 2
Threat #1
Describe use the facts of the case and concepts to argue that this
threat is important.
Describe how the threat contradicts Bally’s strategy? (which
would then make them less likely to gain and sustain a
competitive advantage)
Explain how your recommendation would help.
Paragraph 3

3. Threat #2
Walmart Case Question
Recommend a VRIO resource that Walmart should use in its
approach to online retailing. Answer at the time of the case,
2013. Your recommendation may also consider why some
potentially appealing resources do not meet the VRIO test.
Things to Chew Over
What are the key resources that Walmart is leveraging for in
person retail?
How do those translate online?
Try to think about which “inimitability” concept you can appeal
to for arguing that a given resource is VRIO
Recommended Structure
Paragraph 1
Your recommendation
1-2 sentences summarizing your arguments in the two
supporting paragraphs
Paragraph 2
VRIO Resource
Argue why it’s VRIO (especially on inimitability) in the online
space
How you might take actions based on the resource to gain a
competitive advantage online?
Ok to take more than a paragraph to really make the point.

4. Paragraph 3
Another related VRIO resource, or an argument why some
alternative resources aren’t VRIO online.
Due 2/17
Only submit Bally Total Fitness or Walmart
Not too late to get feedback on McDonald’s if you would like
help figuring out how to do better.
Stick to case facts & time periods
Cite case facts with “(Case)” or page number if available.