1 8Week 3 Assignment 1 Nicole Lynn Sowards Strayer University BUS499 Business Administration Capstone Dr. Joseph Keller April 20, 2020 Week 3 Assignment 1 Ford is an American multinational automobile company founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Firstly, the paper will also discuss the impact of globalization and technology on the Ford company. Secondly, it will further shed light on the industrial organization model and the resource-based model to assess the returns of the corporation. The paper will finally discuss the vision and mission of the company, including the impact of stakeholders on the success of the company.Globalization According to Grant, the key element in changing an industry's profitability is in the evolution of an industry's structure. Industries around the world have changed due to globalization and maturity. Both components have contributed to competition. The competition has increased as globalization has bought firms together by shrinking the space between them and providing them with the same market (Grant, 2008). The same is true for the Ford company. Globalization means using and being a part of the world economy and profiting from it.  Companies in the global economy need ways to supply and produce automobiles that don't only cater to the needs of international clients but develop something that caters to the needs of locals. To overcome the problem of attending to local needs, Ford, for example, has created a global scale network to assemble plants to get access to the greater supply-base. Ford's partnership with Mazda, for example, has made it easy for Ford to get Mazda's well-established supply base in Thailand. Given the hassle of building local supply and the pressure, companies go through to create local content; such partnerships help companies like Ford in globalization ( (Sturgeon & Florida, 2002). But before adjusting to the world global economy, Ford has to struggle to be a part of the globalization. The reduced restrictions in trade in the emerging market after globalization has led to a wave of investment across the globe. Before the 1970s, the companies of automobiles were dominating the market in the U.S., which was called "Big Three." But after globalization permitted foreign vehicles to enter the market, the U.S. market for automobiles changed. For example, Japanese cars that were high-quality cars and introducing new modes of manufacturing changed the industry. Ford's competition was threatened by globalization and the other two companies' restrictions in trade in the emerging market after globalization has led to a wave of investment across the globe. Before the 1970s, the companies of automobiles were dominating the market in the U.S., which was called "Big Three." But after globalization permitted foreign vehicles to enter the market, the U.S. market for automobiles changed. For example, Japanese cars that were high-quality cars and introducing new modes of manufacturing changed the indust.

1. 1
8Week 3 Assignment 1
Nicole Lynn Sowards
Strayer University
BUS499 Business Administration Capstone
Dr. Joseph Keller
April 20, 2020
Week 3 Assignment 1
Ford is an American multinational automobile company founded
by Henry Ford in 1903. Firstly, the paper will also discuss the
impact of globalization and technology on the Ford company.
Secondly, it will further shed light on the industrial
organization model and the resource-based model to assess the
returns of the corporation. The paper will finally discuss the
vision and mission of the company, including the impact of
stakeholders on the success of the company.Globalization
According to Grant, the key element in changing an industry's
profitability is in the evolution of an industry's structure.
Industries around the world have changed due to globalization
and maturity. Both components have contributed to competition.
The competition has increased as globalization has bought firms
together by shrinking the space between them and providing
them with the same market (Grant, 2008). The same is true for
the Ford company. Globalization means using and being a part
of the world economy and profiting from it.
Companies in the global economy need ways to supply and

2. produce automobiles that don't only cater to the needs of
international clients but develop something that caters to the
needs of locals. To overcome the problem of attending to local
needs, Ford, for example, has created a global scale network to
assemble plants to get access to the greater supply-base. Ford's
partnership with Mazda, for example, has made it easy for Ford
to get Mazda's well-established supply base in Thailand. Given
the hassle of building local supply and the pressure, companies
go through to create local content; such partnerships help
companies like Ford in globalization ( (Sturgeon & Florida,
2002).
But before adjusting to the world global economy, Ford has to
struggle to be a part of the globalization. The reduced
restrictions in trade in the emerging market after globalization
has led to a wave of investment across the globe. Before the
1970s, the companies of automobiles were dominating the
market in the U.S., which was called "Big Three." But after
globalization permitted foreign vehicles to enter the market, the
U.S. market for automobiles changed. For example, Japanese
cars that were high-quality cars and introducing new modes of
manufacturing changed the industry. Ford's competition was
threatened by globalization and the other two companies'
restrictions in trade in the emerging market after globalization
has led to a wave of investment across the globe. Before the
1970s, the companies of automobiles were dominating the
market in the U.S., which was called "Big Three." But after
globalization permitted foreign vehicles to enter the market, the
U.S. market for automobiles changed. For example, Japanese
cars that were high-quality cars and introducing new modes of
manufacturing changed the industry. Ford's competition was
threatened by globalization and the other two companies (Miller
& Sirgy, 2011)
Technology
Technology has hugely contributed to the success of the Ford
company. The crucial need to reduce cost and simultaneously
increase efficiency has led Ford to use Artificial intelligence as

3. one of the main manufacturing process and planning systems.
For example, Ford had built the "Ford Body &Assembly
Operations developed Standard Language" in 19990 as a
standard format for writing descriptions. Before this, process
sheets were used in a freeform text. These process sheets were
ambiguous and inconsistent, that caused a lot of problems for
the company. Standard Language was built to create a clear way
of communicating with different engineers and manufacturing
staff. It has eliminated ambiguity and inconsistency and helped
the company to create a standard format across the corporation
(Rychtyckyj, 2007).
Another tech advancement that has helped ford increase its
manufacturing is the machine translation known as M.T. Ford
has been using this tech since 1998 to translate English
instructions to build and assemble cars to German, Spanish,
Portuguese, and Dutch. It is being used worldwide in
automobile companies as well to make it easier for the
production of items (ibid). The company has also created and
used the GSPAS AI system that represents all the "automobile
assembly planning information by using its knowledge base's
semantic network model" (ibid.17).
The GSPAS AI system interprets instructions and creates
actions required to implement those instructions at the
assembly-plant level and also the time of the instructions to
execute, making the process much easier for workers
(Rychtyckyj, 2007).Industrial Organization Model
The global market for automobiles is very competitive. Ford,
for example, used to be one of the best automobile companies in
the U.S. but has lost its name because of poor strategic
decisions and lack of innovation in its automobiles. The
changes in the market for Ford were because of global
competition that raised after globalization. On the other hand,
Ford has been building better vehicles that meet customers'
needs and desires. Ford managers lost their market and did not
invest in new products while its competitors went ahead
(Hanson, Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2017).

4. More recently, for above-average returns, Ford takes part in the
industrial organization model. The strategies of Ford company
are usually centered on their external environment. For
example, with the trend and popularity of vehicles that were
more environmentally friendly, Ford responded to it with cars
that were ford Fusion Hybrids. The external environment has a
clear impact on the firm than the internal capabilities (Buisness
Says, 2020).Resource-Based Model
Ford uses a unique way to differ from its competitors, and one
of the main strategies it uses it to claim that it is t it is
"greener" and "more technically advanced" than its competitors
such as General Motors. It uses its reliable resources and
capable work staff to build innovative automobiles (Hitt,
Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2017). Ford has also embraced the
recently advanced technologies for decreasing pollution and
waste production.Vision
The vision of the company is “to become the world’s most
trusted company, designing smart vehicles for a smart
world” (Thompson, 2019, p.4). The vision of Ford is very
relevant to its targeted audience, which helps ford to attract
consumers every year. For example, Ford uses its vision
statement to show that it is a company that leads in the
automobile industry and is available worldwide. This expands
their range of customers globally. The smart vehicles, for
example, is the need for current worldwide customers. The
world today looks for efficient products with more innovation in
technology.
The vision also intends to bring forward the pursuit of Ford
company in walking with the recent marking trend. For
example, the electric car by Ford is an indication of the vision
to produce a smart vehicle, and if customers want the latest tech
cars, they know where to look for (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson,
2017). Mission
The mission of Ford is “to make people’s lives better by making
mobility accessible and affordable” (Thompson, 2019, p.4). The
statement forces the stakeholders to restructure their methods to

5. guarantee expanding profits for the company at the existing
model mix and market. Also, the statement asks the stakeholder
of the company to work towards a more profitable, quick, and
viable Ford (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2008).
Stakeholders
The stakeholder of Ford includes its customers, employees,
suppliers, and unions. All of the above impact the success of
Ford in one wat to others. The company’s primary source of
profit is its customers. The host companies of Ford keep the
supply market for ford's product. According to Ford, for
example, the company relies on” 1,200+ global production
suppliers to provide many of the parts that are assembled into
Ford vehicles. Another 11,500 supplier companies provide a
wide range of nonproduction goods and services, from industrial
materials to computers to advertising” (Ford, 2012, p.4).
The employee of the company ensures efficient work, and the
company takes care of their welfare. Employees also main the
company's positive work culture and make sure to deliver strong
products with the latest innovation. They also improve the
product's quality and maintain the company. According to the
company, more than 5.7 million vehicles to our customers
worldwide as of 2012 (Ford, 2012, p.1).
Sources
1. Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E., & Hitt, M. A. (2008).
Understanding Business Strategy: Concepts and Cases.
2. Business Says. (2020). Auto Industry I/O Model.
3. Hanson, D., Hitt, M. A., Ireland, D., & Hoskisson, R. E.
(2017). Strategic Management and Strategic and
Competitiveness.
4. Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2017).
Strategic Management Competitiveness & Globalization.
5. Miller, C., & Sirgy, M. J. (2011). Impact of Globalization
of the Automotive Industry on the Quality of Life of the U.S.
Southeast. The Economic Geography of Globalization.
6. Rychtyckyj, N. (2007). Intelligent Systems for
Manufacturing at Ford Motor Company.

6. 7. Sturgeon, T., & Florida, R. (2002). The Globalization of
Automobile Production.
8. Thompson, A. (2019). Ford Motor Company’s Mission
Statement & Vision Statement: An Analysis.
1
Figures title: 8Week 6 Assignment 2
Student’s Full Name
BUS499 Business Administration Capstone
Professor’s Name
Date
Template Instructions (delete this page before submitting)
This template is provided to help you meet the assignment
requirements.
This page should NOT be submitted with your assignment, as it
is not part of an academically written paper. Note the “Clarity,
writing mechanics, and formatting requirements” section of the
grading rubric.
HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE
· Read the explanations provided in the template for each
section of your paper.
· The explanations are in blue font below.
· You should have already read the assignment instructions in
Blackboard.
· Type your response to each of the assignment requirements
within the designated sections.
· Each assignment requirement is identified using a section
Heading that is in black font
· DO NOT add extra spaces between sections.
· DO NOT change the margins.
· You are required to have a heading for each of the sections in
your paper.
· The required headings have been provided for you.
· Follow the instructions below to customize the Headings as

7. directed.
· DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections.
· After typing your responses, change the font color to black
and make sure it is not in bold.
· Be sure to change the font color on the title page to black after
typing your name, professor’s name, and date.
· Everything in blue font below should be deleted and replaced
with your responses.
· DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment
to avoid losing points. Do not leave a blank page here.
REMINDERS
· The assignment is due in week 6. Late submissions negatively
impact your grade.
· Use the same public corporation you used for assignment 1.
· Do not copy content from other assignments in this class or
others.
· Include at least 4 full and complete academically written
pages that address the requirements. The title page, this
instruction page, and the source page do not count.
· Use at least 3 quality sources, one of which MUST be the
course textbook.
· Strayer uses SafeAssign – an automated plagiarism checker. It
is advised that you do your own writing and use external
resources to support what you have written in your own words.
Week 6 Assignment 2
Write your introduction here. Include one (1) paragraph (not
more than 6 lines of text) that explains what your paper will
discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the
assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all
assignment resources to understand what should be included in
your paper. Be sure to review the assignment instructions in
Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course

8. announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6
lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct
quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace
this blue text with your introduction and change the font color
to black.General Environment
In this section you will choose the two (2) segments of the
general environment that would rank highest in their influence
on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. You must
select from the segments discussed in the course. Hint: see table
2.1 in the textbook. Do not assess all the segments—only assess
the two (2) segments that rank highest in influencing your
corporation. You will then assess how these segments affect the
corporation and the industry in which it operates. There are two
(2) subsections below, each has a heading. The heading
“Segment 1” should be changed to the first segment of the
general environment you select. The heading “Segment 2”
should be changed to the second segment of the general
environment you select. Replace this paragraph with a very
brief introduction that includes the identification of the two (2)
segments of the general environment you selected and change
the font color to black.
Segment 1
This subsection is where you assess the first of the two (2)
segments of the general environment you think ranks highest in
its influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment
1. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says
“Segment 1” to the name of the selected segment. Assess how
this segment affects the corporation and the industry in which it
operates. Remember that to assess a concept, you will weigh all
aspects to judge the importance or relevance of that concept. Do
not simply define the segment. Do not copy from you
assignment 1 submission.
Your assessment should demonstrate that you have read,
understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the course
resources regarding the segment. Your writing here should
thoroughly assess how the selected segment influences your

9. corporation. Do not write about the general environment in
general terms. Your assessment should be directly related to
your selected corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as
providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial
regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the
course. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts
from the course material to your assessment. Do not Google
“segments of the general environment” or provide high-level
summaries. You must display, in specific detail, an
understanding based on what is studied in this course and
demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts in a real-world
assessment of a corporation. Read chapter 2 in the course
textbook. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting
content. Properly cite your sources and avoid the use of direct
quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text
with your assessment and change the font color to black.
Segment 2
This subsection is where you assess the second of the two (2)
segments of the general environment you selected. Change the
subheading for this section, which currently says “Segment 2”
to the name of the selected segment of the general environment
that would rank highest in its influence on the public
corporation you chose for assignment 1. Repeat the evaluation
instructions provided in the “Segment 1” subsection above for
this second segment of the general environment. Re-read the
instructions above to ensure you have covered all of the
requirements for this second segment of the general
environment. After completing this section, replace this blue
text with your evaluation and change the font color to
black.Five Forces of Competition
In this section you will consider the five (5) forces of
competition and choose the two (2) that you estimate are the
most significant for the corporation you chose in assignment 1.
Hint: see figure 2.2 in the textbook. You will then, evaluate
how well the company has addressed each of these two (2)
forces in the recent past. There are two (2) subsections below,

10. each has a heading. The heading “Force 1” should be changed to
the first of the two forces of competition you select. The
heading “Force 2” should be changed to the second of the two
forces of competition you select. Replace this paragraph with a
very brief introduction that includes the identification of the
two (2) forces of competition you selected and change the font
color to black.
Force 1
This subsection is where you evaluate the first of two (2)
forces of competition that you estimate to be the most
significant to the corporation you chose. Change the subheading
for this section, which currently says “Force 1” to the name of
your selected force. Provide a thorough assessment of why you
think the selected force is significant to your corporation. A
thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete
response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various
details of the concept as described in the course. Do not Google
“five forces of competition” or simply provide a definition. You
will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course
material in your assessment.
Evaluate how well the company addressed the selected force in
the recent past. This will require some research. Remember that
to evaluate a concept, you will break down all components to
determine or analyze facts, value, or views. Your evaluation
should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can
apply the concepts covered in the textbook and course
resources. Do not write about the selected force in general
terms. Your evaluation should be directly related to your
selected corporation and include a thorough evaluation of how
the company has addressed the force recently. You must display
an understanding based on what is studied in this course and
demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts in a real-world
evaluation of a corporation. You will need to read the chapters
and listen to the lectures to understand the key concepts for
each force. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and review
the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite all

11. sources and limit the use of direct quotes. After reading these
instructions, replace this blue text with your evaluation and
change the font color to black.
Force 2
Choose another one (1) of the five (5) forces of competition that
you estimate to be the most significant for the corporation you
chose. This should not be the same force assessed in the “Force
1” section above. Change the subheading for this section, which
currently says “Force 2” to the name of the selected force. This
subsection is where you evaluate the second of the two forces of
competition that you selected. Repeat the evaluation
instructions provided in the “Force 1” subsection above for this
second force of competition. Re-read the instructions above to
ensure you have covered all of the requirements for this second
force of competition. After completing this section, replace this
blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to
black.Future Improvements
With the same two (2) forces assessed and evaluated in the
previous two (2) sub-sections above, predict what the company
might do to improve its ability to address the forces in the near
future. Your writing here should provide a thorough prediction
of what the company should do to address impacts from the
selected forces. Do not simply discuss company information
published by your sources. This section should be your
prediction of what the corporation should do. Your prediction
should be your own, not predictions or recommendations from
your sources or actions your corporation has already taken or
plans to take. Remember that a thorough evaluation is defined
as providing a complete response that is not superficial or
partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described
in the course. Your prediction should be specific to your
selected corporation, relevant to the evaluation you conducted,
and directly related to improvements the corporation could
make to address the two forces you selected in the two (2) sub-
sections above. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and
review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite

12. your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading
these instructions, replace this blue text with your prediction
and change the font color to black.Greatest External Threat
Identify what you consider to be the greatest external threat to
the corporation you selected. The threat should be specific to
your corporation. Justify why you consider the threat to be the
greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the
impact the threat has on the corporation. For example, your
justification could include a comparison of other threats or an
evaluation of facts that support the magnitude of the threat’s
impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the
corporation should address the threat. Specifically describe the
strategy and provide a justification that supports why you
believe the strategy will be successful in combating the threat.
This section must include both a clearly identified external
threat and a clearly articulated actionstrategy the corporation
should take to address the threat. Do not write in general terms.
Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course
concepts relating to threats and the external environment. Read
chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid
background for this section. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading
for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of
direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue
text with your response and change the font color to
black.Greatest Opportunity
Identify what you consider to be the greatest opportunity to the
corporation you selected. The opportunity should be specific to
your corporation. Justify why you consider the opportunity to
be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of
the impact the opportunity could have on the corporation. For
example, your justification could include a comparison of other
opportunities or an evaluation of facts that support the
magnitude of the opportunity’s impact. Follow this justification
with a discussion on how the corporation could best take
advantage of the opportunity. Specifically describe the strategy
and provide a justification that supports why you believe the

13. strategy will be successful in adding value to the corporation.
This section must include both a clearly identified opportunity
and a clearly articulated action the corporation should take to
take advantage of the opportunity. Do not write in general
terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the
course concepts relating to opportunities and the external
environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The
textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review
the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your
sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these
instructions, replace this blue text with your response and
change the font color to black.Strengths and Weaknesses
Give your opinion on the corporation's greatest strengths and
most significant weaknesses. Keep in mind that strengths and
weaknesses are internal to the organization (i.e. the internal
environment). You will need to address both the greatest
strengths and most significant weaknesses. Do not choose one
or the other. Both the greatest strengths and most significant
weaknesses must be addressed. Do not write in general terms.
The identified strengths and weaknesses should be specific to
your selected corporation. Include a justification that supports
your opinions. This section must include both clearly identified
strengths and clearly identified weaknesses. Read Chapter 2 and
3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid
background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3
Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and
avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions,
replace this blue text with your application and change the font
color to black.
Strategy or Tactic
Choose the strategies or tactics the corporation should select to
take maximum advantage of the strengths you identified in the
section above, and the strategies or tactics the corporation
should select to fix the most significant weaknesses you
identified. You will need to select strategies/tactics for both the
strengths and weaknesses. Do not choose one or the other.

14. Strategies/tactics for both the strengths and weaknesses must be
addressed. Justify your choices. Your justifications should be
sound and thoroughly explained. For example, do not simply
state that the corporation should choose a selected strategy, but
rather explain why the strategy is a good choice for your
corporations’ specific strengths or weaknesses. Read Chapter 2
and 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid
background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3
Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and
avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions,
replace this blue text with your responses and change the font
color to black.Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies
Determine the company's resources, capabilities, and core
competencies. Your determination should include an
explanation of the relevance of each resource, capability, and
core competency. Do not simply list the resources, capabilities,
and core competencies. Remember that a thorough
determination will provide a complete response that is not
superficial or partial regarding the various details of the
concepts as described in the course. Use your course materials
to demonstrate your understanding of the key course concepts
regarding resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Do not
write in general terms. Your determination should display that
you can apply the course concepts to your selected corporation.
Read Chapter 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a
solid background to this section. Review the Week 3 Learn
Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the
use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace
this blue text with your determination and change the font color
to black.
Sources
1. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management:
Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th
ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning
2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How
to Find (e.g. web address)

15. 3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How
to Find (e.g. web address)