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Turnitin Originality Report
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Capstone Experience in Integration & Strategy by Jesse
Heineken
From Quick Submit (Quick Submit)
Processed on 16-Sep-2013 8:18 PM EDT
ID: 352595042
Word Count: 2529
Similarity Index
69%
Similarity by Source
Internet Sources:
1%
Publications:
0%

Student Papers:
69%
sources:
39% match (student papers from 04-Sep-2013)
Submitted to EDMC on 2013-09-04
21% match (student papers from 03-Jul-2013)
9% match (student papers from 23-Jun-2013)
paper text:
Introduction Costco is a membership warehouse association that
aims to give members competitive prices
on a wide selection of quality brand merchandise. It has many
locations across the globe and offers
expediency and exclusive associate member’s services.
2It operates subsidiaries in countries such as U.K, Japan,
Canada, Australia
and Mexico. The company aims to keep costs
down and pass the same benefits to members. It achieves this by
buying a majority of its merchandise
from manufacturers at discounted rates. Shopping can be done
through their physical warehouses or
online. Items sold include hardware, electronics, and stationary,
food, sporting items, automotive supplies,
beauty aids, medicine, gas and optical services among others.
Its competitors include Target, Amazon,
Home depot, Wal-Mart, Staples, Office depot, Kroger among

others. The company’s vision is to offer the
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best value to customers. Its strategic value include best value,
best price treat all well and act ethically.
Value proposition In the current economic conditions,
customers are keen to save more money and take
advantage of any opportunity that comes around. Costco allows
it customers to buy in bulk and obtain
quantity discounts and low product prices. The company
additionally delivers the bought items to
customer’s locations. This model of buying bulk quality items
and paying lower prices is the Costco value
proposition. Market position The company offers
2itself as a solution to bulk buying. They want to provide
convenience, ease

and fast services. The company extends services to potential
customers
who would usually not be reachable by offering
value (value proposition) and the customer needs.
2This market positioning is unique since it offers an opportunity
for
professional relationship between the company and customers.
Costco
provides limited products lines and assortments as a way of
avoiding being everything and ending up
offering poor services. Competitive advantage Costco enjoys a
strong reputation for providing better value
to customers and other stakeholders. Costco focuses on offering
exceptional deals on elegant and sought
after sophisticated items at low prices. The company uses its
bulk model to lower overheads and offer
lower prices. It has ventured into international markets hence
able to source from a broad base for skills
and other input resources. The human resources are the greatest
assets and Costco ensures it has the
best in terms of training, motivation and loyalty. Low labor
turnover reduces costs and expenses associated
with new employee training costs, transition costs, and
recruitment costs (Gomez- Mejia et al, 2008).
Employees and management are able to plan and implement
long- term mutual career programs.
2Costco has a strong loyal customer base and provide
exceptional
customer service. All these create a strong reflection of a

responsible corporate citizen. The private label is another
competitive aspect for Costco.
2The company reputation has influenced the creation of a strong
private
label in the retail industry. The
company has embraced adoption of new technology to keep pace
with the changes in the environment.
Costco has identified and known its customers well. The small
businesses are especially an interesting
segment that Costco identified and are currently an important
market segment. Costco has maintained
minimal markups, which is unusual for discounters. Most
discounters use a strategy of low price to attract
customers, but they also raise prices of particular popular items
to compensate for the lower margins. This
strategy ensures that Costco customers continue to enjoy lower
prices. Costco is already heavily

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diversified in its range of products that also include home loans,
insurance, car loans and considers
student loans in the future. It has a strong managerial
background. As earlier noted, the company has good
employee policies and hence it can manage retain most of its
employees who build their careers and rise
through the ranks. Presence of a significant number of ‘’home
made’’ senior executives are a plus since
they are already knowledgeable about the business and this
enhances efficiency and effectiveness
(Costco, 2013). The company uses less resource on marketing
campaigns but instead uses the ever
effective word of mouth approach. Applying unique tactics
ensures that they are not easy to duplicate by
competition and consequently this ensure an advantage
(Thompson et al, 2011).
1External environmental scan/five forces analysis Current
environment The
trending topics include globalization, new and emerging
economic powers
such as the BRICS countries, a sluggish economic recovery, and
regulation
of systems across the globe. Others include discerning and

value oriented
customers, rising competition in all industries and enhanced
democratic/political freedom (Farabi, 2012). These settings
open new
frontier for the retail industry and means that, Costco and others
will have to
be proactive in response to these developments. Assessment of
external
factors applying five forces Michael Porter (2008), five forces
tool is a
simple yet powerful tool to comprehend where power lies in a
business
situation. It helps to understand current competitive strength
and strength
of the endeavored position (Porter, 1996). Clarity of strength in
a
competitive position will help Costco to take advantage of its
strength and
amend weak points. Supplier power In this, assessment is on the
ability of
Costco suppliers to drive up price. This is also called the market
of inputs.
Abilities of these suppliers to influence Costco will depend on a
number of
suppliers on key inputs, uniqueness of their products, strength
they
possess and the sunk or switching cost. The few the supplier
options for
Costco and the more it depends on them the more the balance of
power
lean in favor of suppliers. The number and size of suppliers for
Costco is
large and provide common goods for mass market. Costco has a
wide

selection of suppliers where it can source from the global
market. The
company has the agility, and it can easily switch from one
supplier to
another and from one brand to another. Its turnover is massive,
and this can
easily entice any supplier, and it also benefits players due to
economies of
scale. Its many outlets provide it with an edge in regard with
potential
partners. Employee unions have lately weakened and this
provide the
company with an opportunity to manipulate their issues. Despite
the weak
unions, Costco has remained fairly considerate in regard to
employee’s

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welfare. Costco has continued to embrace introduction of
private label and
this pushes power in its favor. Buyer power It refers to the ease
for
purchasers to drive prices down. It is also referred to as the
market of
outputs. Factors influencing this include number of buyers,
importance of
individual buyers, and cost to switch from Costco to others.
Costco deals
with many buyers and it has a unique value proposition.
Although the price
is a key factor for most Costco customers, studies have shown
that the

clientele base is wealthier compared to other competitors in the
industry
such as Wal-Mart. Buyers are concentrated, and many as the
membership
runs into millions hence their single acts or decisions can not
significantly
influence the power. It is clear from the analysis that the
balance of power
and competitive edge lies with Costco especially in relation to
strategy
formulation. Competitive rivalry Consideration is on the
numbers and
capabilities of competition. Wal-Mart (Sam’s Club), Target, and
BJ’s
Wholesale club are some of the main competitors for Costco.
The
competitors offer similarly attractive products and others such
as Sam’s
Club offer lower prices. This situation means that customers can
easily
switch if they do not get superior value from Costco. The move
to
international markets is as a result of intense competition in the
domestic
arena for the industry. Costco has been received well in foreign
markets
especially Canada, and this gives the company opportunities for
profits and
growth. Costco enjoys a strong customer loyalty despite the low
degree of
product differentiation, and this reduces intensity in
competition. Costco
has sustained its competitiveness through innovation as a means
of
reducing prices and increasing efficiency. Threats of
substitution There are

many other options to shopping including the numerous online
platforms,
neighborhood retail shops among others. These options provide
alternatives for Costco customers. Buyers are flexible and can
switch to
other options easily without switching cost or inconvenience.
The products
are not highly differentiated and switching information is easily
available.
This scenario gives the balance of power in favor of customers
and the
industry. Threats of new entrants New entrants alter the
industry setting
and may easily change market share and profit margins. High
profits attract
new players and consequently affect the profitability. Current
players and
industry structure can block entry through patents, rights, and
capital
requirements. The wholesale industry is a high barrier and low
exit industry
making it favorable for existing players. Costco has a strong
brand name

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and enjoys economies of scale. New entrants will face stiff
challenges of
access to distribution, sunk costs, capital requirements, loyal

existing
customers, low profit margins, cost disadvantages, and
government
regulations. The current scenario favors Costco and other
existing
competitors.
3Strategic Issues Environmental concerns The size and scale of
the
company makes it a significant contributor to the pollution of
the
environment. Waste packaging material, disposal of broken and
obsolete
items by the company and customers, and selling of products
whose origin
contributes to destruction of the environment are some of the
key issues of
concern.
The
3company needs to devise water tight systems that will ensure
disposal of
material conform to the best practices and laid standards.
2More need to be done to ensure harmful energy forms such as
fossil fuels
are replaced fully with eco-friendly alternatives. Management
of skills and
expertise Costco
relies heavily on

2in-house career progression. Employees rise through the ranks
to occupy
senior positions in the company. Although this system has
worked well,
there is a risk of monotony
and lack of challenge to motivate employees to give their
maximum potential.
3A balanced and scaled program need to be established to
ensure external
recruits inject the much needed alternative approaches and
skills that will
enhance innovation and sustained competitive advantage.

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2Strategic alliances The industry is quite competitive and to be
able to
cope, some methods such as mergers and alliances will help
face
challenges of competition. Costco is the leader in warehouse
retailing
concept and acquisitions of smaller companies may be of
critical
importance in sustainability of its low price high volume
approach. Costco

relies heavily on independent supplier and this may pose a
strategic risk.
Controlled vertical integration may provide the necessary
stability to ensure
consistency in the supply and quality controls. Focus on private
label
should be taken a step further and ensure the
percentage level is higher. Private labels foster corporate image
and loyalty for an organization (Garretson
et al, 2002).
3Competitive advantage These are distinctive capabilities which
are not
easy to replicate (Williams, 1992). At Costco, they include
strong brand name,
leadership in innovation, implicit knowledge & skills,
teamwork, partnerships, and distinct
3business processes. A synergetic combination of distinct and
the easy to
replicate capabilities (technology, funds and marketing) provide
the much
needed sustainable competitive advantage and attainment of
Economic Value
Added (Akbar, 2012). The
recent move in acquisition

3is a move towards enhancing EVA. Costco addresses
competitive advantage
through competencies and
capabilities, dynamism, innovation, customer focus and distinct
processes and organization. Capabilities
This refers to the
3ability of the available resources to perform a task.
The continued use of

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3certain processes in set manner ensures perfection, and it
becomes difficult
for others to imitate (Barney, 1991). The
3systems and processes at Costco encourage and motivate both
individual
and group activities.
They are easy to learn and use by the staff, and at the same time
they are complicated to copy by
outsiders. The retail industry is saturated with systems that are
quite clear. Despite the trends in the
industry, Costco chose systems that are unique and ideal for the
company. An outsider will not quickly
comprehend the systems, yet they are highly simple for the
staff. At Costco, features that depict essential
elements of capabilities include leaders, groups & teams,
empowered workers, organization knowledge
unique to Costco, distinct business processes, well defined
organizational structure, systems and
technology and resources.
2Resources The resources are sourced from a broad range of
suppliers both
at local and international markets. The company has a pool of
qualified,
trained and loyal employees who are highly motivated to
achieve set
targets. The technology used in the company is continually

upgraded to
incorporate the emerging needs for its customers. The financial
statements
reflect a healthy financial status with optimal liquidity, assets
and capital to
manage its operations. The financial resources are sufficient to
handle any
significant investments or shocks in the industry. The widely
recognized
and acknowledged name and image are an asset that the
company uses and
can use in the future to aid in marketing and sales activities
mainly in new
market or when sourcing for new partners. The entrenched
structure
provides a significant competitive advantage for the firm as it
adapts in
diverse overseas markets. Recommendations Promotion The
analysis
reveals that the company uses minimal promotions and depends
on word of
mouth. It is essential to keep costs and expenses low especially
in activities
that can be done through other methods. Despite this, the
expected stiff
competition in the future should compel Costco to think of other
promotional activities such as advertising.
3Grow portfolio and diversification Diversification into other
areas of
business will provide the necessary leverage for the next growth
phase.

Innovations will play a critical part in enhancing competitive
advantage in

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future.
2Improve e-commerce The Costco direct the start and the
company need to
improve the services in terms of reach for deliveries, online
platform design
and promotions. Strategy Costco has applied several strategies
that
together work to enhance its competitiveness. They include

enterprise,
corporate, business, operational, group and individual
strategies. The
integration of the strategies offer optimal results if well
balanced.
International expansion Increase international presence since
the company
is not yet in strategic economies such as larger Europe, China,
India and
Africa. Costco can achieve international presence through
acquisitions,
partnerships and direct investments.
1Legal issues and diversity Costco should streamline systems
and
practices to ensure adherence to policies and regulations.
Regulation
measures in the online market segment is increasingly attracting
serious
challenges such as account hackers, credit card infringements or
fraud and
access to and use of personal information of individual
customers. Enhance
gender and disadvantaged segments diversity at the workplace.
It should
also apply in supply partners in order to sustain competitive
front.
Economic and societal factors and trends The economic
condition is a
challenge to many families and consumers are increasingly
seeing optimal
value proposition (Jackson et al, 2003). Consumers are looking
for supply
sources that can assure them maximum value. The society is
increasingly

resulting to e-commerce for supplies to convenience, variety,
and cost
advantage. The time availability for shopping is limited with a
tight work-life
balance. This sets a firm basis for enhancing online commerce
and one-
stop-shopping or convenience shopping. Technological factors
and trends
The retail industry is changing at a fast rate due to
technological
advancement. Technology has considerably improved efficiency
and
effectiveness (Peterson et al, 2010). Many organizations are
using
technology as a source of competitive advantage. Technology is
affecting
critical areas of inventory, logistics, control, monitoring,
security and other
operational aspects.

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Local DiskTurnitin Originality Report
LASA 2—Capstone Strategy Audit Rubric

Assignment Component
Unsatisfactory
Emerging
Proficient
Exemplary
Score
Content Knowledge: Understanding 1
Communicates the ability to summarize the significant findings
of your analyses. A concise and insightful summary of the
significant findings of your analysis findings and the
recommendations you have for your executive team.
Response exhibits substantial gaps in the knowledge of the
disciplinary content.
Response provides a minimal explanation of the specific issue
within the context of the topic area.
Response fails to provide supporting details or examples.
Response exhibits some gaps in the knowledge of the
Response discusses the specific issue superficially within the
context of the topic area using a few details.
Response relates the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline.

Response is supported by current literature, but not
consistently.
Response demonstrates a working command of the disciplinary
content knowledge.
Response examines the specific issue within the context of the
topic area using relevant details and examples.
Response analyzes the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline and their relevance to real-world
contexts.
Response is adequately supported by current and relevant
literature.
Response demonstrates an exemplary understanding of the
Response provides an in-depth discussion of the specific issue
within the context of the topic area using relevant details and
numerous examples.
areas within the discipline and provides insightful
recommendations related to real-world contexts.
Response is supported by current and relevant literature based
on sound theories and best practices leading to effective
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <65
Emerging: 66–71
Proficient: 72–77
Exemplary: 78–80

______ / 80 pts.
Comments
Content Knowledge: Application Component 1
Communicates the ability to identify the most important
strategic issues facing your business unit.
areas within the discipline
consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature.

numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40
______ / 40 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to represent all misalignments found
in the following categories:
· Product portfolio
· Structure
· Organizational culture/
behavior
· Value chain actions
· Performance measures

consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature
numerous examples.

conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40
______ / 40 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to provide recommendations for a
strategic issue and explain how it will resolve the issue.
consistently.

content knowledge
contexts.
literature.
disciplinary content
numerous examples
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40
______ / 40 pts.
Comments

Communicates the ability to provide an executive summary,
recommendation, synthesis, and presentation.
consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature.

numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <45
Emerging: 46–51
Proficient: 52–57
Exemplary: 58–60
______ / 60 pts.
Comments
Written Communication/
Personal Effectiveness
Conveys through written word understanding and application of
an executive summary, strategic issues recommendations,
SWOT analysis, balanced scorecard, organizational assessment,
external environment scan, and market position analysis.
Writing is disorganized and lacks appropriate APA style and
format.
Writing is unclear and includes major grammatical and usage
errors.
Writing shows some gaps with respect to organization and
rhetoric and has some errors with respect to APA style and
format.
Writing is somewhat clear and includes some major grammatical
or usage errors.

Writing is concise and clear in content, language use, grammar,
organization, and sentence structure.
Writing is free of major grammatical and usage errors.
Writing is professional and scholarly, reflecting mastery of
content, language use, grammar, organization, and sentence
structure.
Writing is cohesive, convincing, and well composed.
Unsatisfactory: <14
Emerging: 15–16
Proficient: 17–18
Exemplary: 19–20
______ / 20 pts.
Comments
Oral Communication/
Conveys through oral communication understanding and
application of 10-slide PowerPoint Presentation.
Presentation is disorganized or lacks coherent flow.
Content is unclear and lacks proper articulation of key points.
Presentation shows some gaps with respect to organization and
rhetoric of presentation.

Content lacks clarity and includes fragmented but emerging
articulation of key points.
Presentation is concise with a logical flow of thought.
Content includes clearly articulated key points that are free of
major errors.
Presentation is visually appealing and addresses audience
considerations adequately.
Presentation is persuasive, and well presented with a good blend
of content and graphics.
Content includes well-made key points that represent a clear
understanding.
Selection of slide design is appropriate for the topic, follows
key elements of visual aesthetics, and is well tailored to meet
audience needs.
Unsatisfactory: <26
Unsatisfactory: <14
Emerging: 15–16
Proficient: 17–18
Exemplary: 19–20
______ / 20 pts.
Comments

Total:
/ 300 pts.
Page 1 of 5
Capstone Experience in Integration & Strategy
©2012 Argosy University Online Programs
Page 2 of 5
LASA 2—Capstone Strategy Audit Rubric
Assignment Component
Unsatisfactory
Emerging
Proficient
Exemplary
Score
Content Knowledge: Understanding 1
Communicates the ability to summarize the significant findings

of your analyses. A concise and insightful summary of the
significant findings of your analysis findings and the
recommendations you have for your executive team.
consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature.

numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <65
Emerging: 66–71
Proficient: 72–77
Exemplary: 78–80
______ / 80 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to identify the most important
strategic issues facing your business unit.

consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature.
numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40

______ / 40 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to represent all misalignments found
in the following categories:
· Product portfolio
· Structure
· Organizational culture/
behavior
· Value chain actions
· Performance measures
consistently.

content knowledge.
contexts.
literature
numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40
______ / 40 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to provide recommendations for a

strategic issue and explain how it will resolve the issue.
consistently.
content knowledge
contexts.
literature.
disciplinary content

numerous examples
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <30
Emerging: 31–34
Proficient: 35–38
Exemplary: 39–40
______ / 40 pts.
Comments
Communicates the ability to provide an executive summary,
recommendation, synthesis, and presentation.

consistently.
content knowledge.
contexts.
literature.
numerous examples.
conclusions.
Unsatisfactory: <45
Emerging: 46–51
Proficient: 52–57
Exemplary: 58–60
______ / 60 pts.

Comments
Written Communication/
Conveys through written word understanding and application of
an executive summary, strategic issues recommendations,
SWOT analysis, balanced scorecard, organizational assessment,
external environment scan, and market position analysis.
Writing is disorganized and lacks appropriate APA style and
format.
Writing is unclear and includes major grammatical and usage
errors.
Writing shows some gaps with respect to organization and
rhetoric and has some errors with respect to APA style and
format.
Writing is somewhat clear and includes some major grammatical
or usage errors.
Writing is concise and clear in content, language use, grammar,
organization, and sentence structure.
Writing is free of major grammatical and usage errors.
Writing is professional and scholarly, reflecting mastery of
content, language use, grammar, organization, and sentence
structure.
Writing is cohesive, convincing, and well composed.
Unsatisfactory: <14
Emerging: 15–16

Proficient: 17–18
Exemplary: 19–20
______ / 20 pts.
Comments
Oral Communication/
Conveys through oral communication understanding and
application of 10-slide PowerPoint Presentation.
Presentation is disorganized or lacks coherent flow.
Content is unclear and lacks proper articulation of key points.
Presentation shows some gaps with respect to organization and
rhetoric of presentation.
Content lacks clarity and includes fragmented but emerging
articulation of key points.
Presentation is concise with a logical flow of thought.
Content includes clearly articulated key points that are free of
major errors.
Presentation is visually appealing and addresses audience
considerations adequately.
Presentation is persuasive, and well presented with a good blend
of content and graphics.
Content includes well-made key points that represent a clear

understanding.
Selection of slide design is appropriate for the topic, follows
key elements of visual aesthetics, and is well tailored to meet
audience needs.
Unsatisfactory: <26
Unsatisfactory: <14
Emerging: 15–16
Proficient: 17–18
Exemplary: 19–20
______ / 20 pts.
Comments
Total:
/ 300 pts.
Page 1 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Required Readings
· Porter, M. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review

74(6), 61–78. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=9611187954&site=ehost-
live
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/technology-
business-trends_b_1153832.html
Unit 5: Module 5 - Module 5 Overview
Module 5 Overview
This module is designed to help you explore strategic literacy.
You will explore and analyze the criticality of alignment around
the plan, the people or employees, demand from the
marketplace, and economic indicators. Operating alignment and
organizational structure and fit are key components of strategic
planning. They determine which types of business model(s) and
tactics are used operationally.
Key Concepts in this Module
· Strategic alignment involves ensuring the company has the
right resources, market, and goals to achieve its vision through
operational performance. It includes, but is not limited to,
marketing, branding, alliances, mergers or acquisitions,
integration, product development, diversification or divestiture,
and globalization.
· Organization structure is often dictated by the size, roles, etc.
Most often, the structure is a hierarchy that arranges authority
outlining or determining responsibilities, duties, and rights
based on position. Structure also influences how information is
shared, processes are managed, and decisions are made.
Structure heavily influences how an organization operates and

delivers its services and goods.
· A responsibility, authority, expertise, and work (RAEW)
analysis is the process that helps identify structural
misalignments that may impede strategy execution. These
include not moving fast enough with decisions, bad processes,
and having the responsibility for something but not the right
skill set to execute (lack of expertise). The most common issues
include the following:
· Authority with no responsibility
· Responsibility with no authority
· Responsibility with no expertise
Using the navigation on the left, please proceed to the next
page.
· Analyze the complexity of ethical situations and corporate
social responsibility and their impact on decision making in
business.
· Analyze and apply practical strategic business principles,
models, and theories to diverse and complex organizational
situations.
Unit 5: Module 5 - Strategic Literacy and Performance
Strategic Literacy and Performance
Strategic literacy refers to the ability of the people or

employees within an organization to understand and execute to
the company’s business goals (Tailwind Consulting, 2011). It is
critical that everyone, no matter at what level in the
organization, is literate about the company goals and how their
job relates to impacting the goals and the overall performance
of the organization.
As you have learned throughout this course, an understanding of
internal and external factors and alignment around a right-fit
strategy is critical. All too often, companies are aligned around
the mission and values, but not necessarily around the long-term
strategy. Problems arise when companies are not aligned with
the critical strategic imperatives needed to achieve the vision.
Often, executives and managers might agree on the “what” but
not on the “how.”
The vision for any business needs to be translated into a
workable framework that everyone can understand and
ultimately execute. Senior leaders often struggle with getting
everyone on the same page so they are engaged and fully
aligned. Enabling your team to collaborate around a single
strategy involves a lot of moving parts.
Strategic Performance
Strategic performance is what occurs between your intent—what
you want to do—and its execution by your people. The
translation process is essential and constantly has to be
managed to ensure total organizational alignment. Without a
managed process that gets regular attention, there are too many
opportunities for misinterpretation. This results in misalignment
and fake work where employees do work not related to the goals
and strategic direction of the company.
Tailwind Consulting. (2011). Introducing strategic literacy.
Retrieved
fromhttp://www.slideshare.net/TailwindConsulting/strategic-
literacy
page.

Unit 5: Module 5 - Your Strategy Audit
Your Strategy Audit
A strategy audit involves assessing the actual direction of a
business and comparing that course to the direction required to
succeed in a changing environment. A company's actual
direction is the sum of what it does and does not do, how well
the organization is internally aligned to support the strategy,
and how viable the strategy is when compared to the external
market, competitors, and financial realities. These two
categories, the internal assessment and the external or
environmental assessment, make up the major elements of a
strategy audit.
In this module, you will deliver your strategy audit as LASA 2.
This audit is considered as some of the most important work in
your MBA program. The ability to conduct a strategy audit
further positions you, as the learner, as not just being able to
understand but to take the knowledge and execute into action.
This is where theory and concept make meaning as they are
translated into actionable results. In the marketplace, knowledge
and understanding are critical, but even more so is the ability to
apply and “do” something that enables the organization to
assess, realign, and take action to thrive and grow.
Strategic Audit and Strategy Maps

The strategy audit is a comprehensive analysis of the company’s
business strategy and operating performance. It culminates in a
series of recommendations for improving a company’s
performance based on the findings and conclusions of a
thorough analysis. Whether you are an experienced or
developing business professional, by completing this important
project, you have added to your portfolio of critical business
skills.
page.
Unit 5: Module 5 - The Role of Ethics
The Role of Ethics
Whether formally or informally stated in a business, ethics play
an important part in overall long-term success. The lack of
ethical behavior and policy can drive employee behavior and
organizational results to dangerous places that can result in
illegal activities, such as fraud and harassment. Having a
defined ethics and code-of-conduct policy that is clear to all
levels and is enforced can help an organization prevent such
issues. In addition, it can establish a culture of expectation
around the right and wrong behavior for a specific organization

as well as its industry.
Employee Behavior
Behavior is typically looked at in several forms in an
organization: productive producer, stagnant, and disruptive. The
goal is to create productive producers; however, it is often the
case where behavior has to be managed and dealt with to correct
performance that is stagnant or disruptive. Stagnant and
disruptive behaviors do not align with the strategy or help
deliver the results. Promoting positive behavior by clearly
sharing the strategy and helping employees align and play a role
in executing to deliver the results is critical. The lack of any of
the three noted areas can create issues in employee behavior.
Evaluating the Role of Ethics
Miriam Schulman, communications director of the Markkula
Center for Applied Ethics advises that as we evaluate the role of
ethics in business, it is important to understand that an
organization can prescribe a specific set of standards by which
individuals in the organization are to operate. However, the
reality is that the behavior of all leaders in the organization
must mirror the standards and must be a pervasive part of the
culture, business strategy, purpose, and values in order to be an
organizational reality and have impact. In essence, the role of
ethics has to be built into the strategic plan.
Keep these thoughts in mind as you prepare your final
assignment in the course and as you continue in your business
career.
Schulman, M. (2006). Incorporating ethics into the
organization's strategic plan. The Markkula Center for Applied
Ethics. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/st
rategic-plan.html
page.

of 4
Interview: Brent Peterson
Initial Steps
Interviewer: I’d like to welcome, Brent Peterson, co-founder
and owner of The Work Itself Group and co-
author of the book Fake Work. Thank you for accepting our
invitation for this interview Brent.
B. Peterson: Well, thank you for inviting me, I really enjoy
talking about strategy and particularly how
people in organizations relate to the strategy.

Interviewer: Great, well we appreciate your professional
perspective, specifically regarding the preparing
for and undertaking of a strategic audit to improve a company’s
performance. One of the first
questions that come to mind is:
When an organization is preparing to undertake a strategic audit
to enhance the company’s
performance, what do you recommend as the initial steps?
B. Peterson: I usually recommend that they do a review of
current status of strategy and
performance. That is, what is the organization currently trying
to achieve? Most
organizations I work with have a strategic plan in place before I
ever meet with them. In the
plan, they attempt to state how to achieve enhanced
performance. To begin without
understanding where the organization is, is a mistake many
consultants make. It is crucial to
understand current strategy with its associated strategic goals.
What I generally find is one of the following:
very well.
ategy but is not
performing well in spite of the
strategy.
performing well
anyway.

not performing well.
Understanding how the organization is performing in relation to
its strategy is where I begin.
All four of these general findings lead to a need for higher
performance levels. Even the
organization that is performing well with a super strategy can
always get better.
Generally, about sixty percent of the organizations I work with
have a good strategy but only
about twenty percent of all organizations are performing their
best and achieving their
strategic goals.
This leads to a big problem.
My experience leads me to believe that developing a great
strategy is not the big problem.
The big problem is aligning each employee in the organization
to understand the strategy and
make it part of their daily work. If this does not occur, the
strategy does not work and the
organization does not effectively execute.
I use the following steps to complete the current status review:
Page 2 of 4

2 Interview: Brent Peterson
organization complete my
organizational strategy audit (which is called the fake work
audit). All work being done
in an organization that is not strategically related, we call “fake
work.”
After the current strategy and performance review is complete, I
generally go through the
steps outlined in your course to help develop the strategic plan.
Approach
Interviewer: And how have you approached this in your current
or prior organizations?
B. Peterson: Following are two examples of how I approach
this:
The first example is a large international high tech company
based in Texas.
This company had paid millions of dollars to develop an
excellent strategic plan. However,
their performance was very mediocre based on their strategic
goals. They had a great
strategy that was not working. We helped them understand that
their strategy was great, but
they needed to get their worldwide workforce aligned with the
strategy. Over ninety percent of

the employees who completed our audit could not list a single
strategic goal of the
organization. The goals were simply not translated to the
employees as something important
for them to worry about. If you don’t know the strategic goals
how could you perform them?
We spent most of our time with this company teaching the
leaders how to get alignment and
execution. We spent much our time teaching communication
skills and team alignment
processes to help get alignment and then execution. This
organization made about a fifteen
percent improvement in their strategic goals by simply helping
employees understand the
goals and then align their daily work to the strategic goals.
The gigantic problem here was aligning workers with the
strategy.
Another example is an international division of a music
television organization.
This organization had absolutely no strategic plan. They could
not figure out why their
programming was so poor in the Far East. People were not
watching their programs. Their
programs were US-based with people acting immorally based on
the Far East culture. Body
piercings and tattoos were not acceptable in this culture. There
was no strategy regarding
what the programming should be in the Far East. Not one
employee knew what to do
regarding programming. Without strategy, all programming
seemed to offend viewers. We
helped the company develop a strategic plan and then helped

them implement their plan and
got all employees aligned with the strategy. With new,
strategically based programming,
viewership increased by about fifty percent.
After the strategy was set, aligning the employees with the
strategy was crucial.
Challenges
Interviewer: What do you find are the biggest challenges? And
how have you overcome these?
B. Peterson: Helping organizational leadership understand that
creating strategy is simple compared to
getting employees aligned and executing the strategy.
Leaders in organizations don’t know how to implement their
strategic plan. They print the
organization’s strategic goals on the back of name badges, they
place the strategic goals in
large atriums in the entrance to the workplace, and they e-mail
all employees the strategic
goals. They even instruct all managers that they should review
the strategic goals with their
work teams. However, for a variety of reasons, employees claim
they have never seen the
strategic goals and they do not know what is really expected of
them. They don’t know what
Page 3 of 4

to do.
We overcome this challenge using a team process called The
Work Itself. This process helps
each team member know the strategic goals, understand what
they can do to execute the
goals, and how they can continually follow-up to keep
themselves and their coworkers
focused on the strategic goals.
Work Itself
Interviewer: Brent, how do you guide the process to achieve
the best possible results?
B. Peterson: We use a team process called The Work Itself. This
process helps get all workers involved
with executing the strategic plan. We have discovered that
managers can’t align employees
for execution. Managers must use a process that allows
individuals working with their work
teams to align themselves with the work.
The Work Itself provides a straightforward and practical
approach for accomplishing the most
ambitions strategic goals. This proven process has helped
thousands of people align their
teams to execute organizational strategy. The Work Itself helps:
significantly increase the value of

their contribution by increasing real work and reducing fake
work.
each team member with a
unified strategic focus. It helps each employee discover new
ways to add value to the
organization and to be proud of and satisfied with what they do.
Advice
Interviewer: What advice would you have for companies when
undertaking a strategic audit?
B. Peterson: Don’t give up on your organization’s strategy.
Most audits will point out you are having
difficulty. Determine how best to get your workers aligned with
and executing the current
strategy before trying to develop a completely new strategy.
Remember how the SAE model works: Strategy then alignment
then execution.
To Create Strategic Focus or Strategy:
Strategy is the art of defining tactics the organization is going
to use to complete,
differentiate, create values, and drive growth. Strategy is the
foundation for which business
value is built.
Align: Align teams to drive strategy
Alignment starts with leadership, but must be owned by

individuals at the work level. People
must align their individual tasks through the lens of their team.
Alignment is the challenging
task of identifying the ways which hundreds of employees will
come together through projects
and tasks to execute strategies.
And finally, Execute: Execute work that links to strategy
Execution is the culmination of strategy being translated to the
expected business outcomes.
This is the ultimate goal for strategy in the first place. Simply it
means carrying out desired
and critical work.
Page 4 of 4
4E Model
Interviewer: How have you ensured that the strategic audit
leads to a plan that is executable and will
achieve the results?
B. Peterson: Our research indicates that the only way to make
certain strategy is executed is to continually
follow-up with employees. From our research, we have
developed a model called the 4E

learning and change model.
This model illustrates how organizational change is the result of
understanding how people
learn. Think of it in four stages:
-five percent to the
total learning
impact
-five
percent to the total
learning impact
learning impact
other stages.
This model illustrates that the first two Es, excite and
experience, help teach the strategy and
its goals. However, of equal importance is the third E, execute.
The E of execute is about
follow-up. Don’t expect to get execution on any strategy
without a strong follow-up strategy.
Interviewer: These are all excellent points about strategic
audits, Brent. Thank you again for your time
today.
B. Peterson: Well, thank you for inviting me, I enjoy doing
these types of interviews and I enjoyed being
with you.
Interviewer: Thank you!

Required Readings
· Becher, J. D. (2005). Operational alignment: Bridging the gap
between strategy and execution.Business Performance
Management Magazine, 3(1), 11. (ProQuest Document ID:
218383095)http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docvi
ew/218383095?accountid=34899
· Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2007). Using the balanced
scorecard as a strategic management system. Harvard Business
Review, 85(7/8), 150–161. (ProQuest Document ID:
ew/227841808?accountid=34899
· Roh, J. J., Hong, P., & Park, Y. (2008). Organizational culture
and supply chain strategy: A framework for effective
information flows. Journal of Enterprise Information
Management, 21(4), 361–376. (ProQuest Document ID:
ew/220044319?accountid=34899
· Smith, B. D. (2007). Strategy-making: What works is what
fits. European Business Forum, 28,32–37. (ProQuest Document
ID:
ew/224670404?accountid=34899
· Zagotta, R., & Robinson, D. (2002). Keys to successful
strategy execution. The Journal of Business Strategy, 23(1), 30–
34. (ProQuest Document ID:
ew/202724421?accountid=34899
· Zuckerman, A. (2002). Strong corporate cultures and firm
performance: Are there tradeoffs?Academy of Management

Executive, 16(4), 158–160. (EBSCO AN: 17534385)
http://libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=17534385&site=ehost-live
.
Unit 4: Module 4 - Module 4 Overview
Module 4 Overview
This module is designed to explore beyond hard scientific
tactics and formulae to examine the human component and its
influence on strategy. It will also help you triangulate both the
qualitative and quantitative elements of developing and
implementing an audit that can serve as the foundation for a
strategic plan.
Economic factors, product and service demand, and application
of proven models can provide a solid foundation for any
strategy; however, understanding the human component of
business and leadership is a critical aspect of organizational
success. You will draw from prior MBA coursework on
leadership concepts and synthesize with materials provided in
this module to gain a better understanding of this aspect of
strategy.
As we further explore developing and executing strategy, a
story comes to mind about making sure you are doing the right
work, at the right time and staying aligned with executing the
strategy.
After a big snowstorm, a man went out to the street to dig out
his car. He spent a good thirty minutes shoveling and started an
initial scraping of snow and ice from the windows when a
woman came outside and gave him a big smile. She walked up
to the car saying, “I am not sure why you did this but I
sincerely thank you and appreciate your hard work.” He looked
at her puzzled and said, “I am not sure what you mean.” She

clicked the keys in her hand and the car he had been shoveling
out beeped. She said, “You just shoveled my car out; thank
you.” The look on his face was priceless.
How often do we jump into work before we ask questions or
make sure we fully understand the desired end result? The
answer likely is, too often. In the anecdotal story, the man was
doing “fake work.” He did not verify he was doing the right
work; he just dove in and started. This happens not just in our
personal lives but all too often in our professional and work
lives.
Business, at its heart, is all about people—individuals and
groups or personal taste and groupthink. There are proven tools
to help assess and evaluate values, culture, and leadership in
organizations. Those tools will be examined in this module.
· Analyze the complexity of ethical situations and corporate
social responsibility and their impact on decision making in
business.
Unit 4: Module 4 - Considering Cultural Norms
Considering Cultural Norms
In addition to reeling in individuals so they do not go down the

wrong path or focus on items that may not be the priorities,
consideration has to be given to the organization’s cultural
norms. You need to ask the following questions:
· Is there a “hurry-up” culture with an over-zealous sense of
urgency that is more about getting it done fast then getting it
done well?
· Is there a culture of “review and refine, review and refine”
before moving forward and making change happen?
· Is the approach methodical and deliberate with an appropriate
sense of urgency?
This question is hard to answer because it requires talking to
people who live and work within the organization as well as
observing the environment over time. That said, most managers,
leaders, and staff-level team members can give you their
perspective, and it is usually an accurate representation. Though
the perspective typically has a slight personal twist to it, that is
to be expected.
“Fake Work”
When one of the authors of Fake Work and strategy and
execution expert Brent Peterson was asked about issues with
organizations implementing strategies, he offered the following:
My experience leads me to believe that developing a great
strategy is not the big problem. The big problem is aligning
each employee in the organization to understand the strategy
and make it part of their daily work. If this does not occur, the
strategy does not work and the organization does not effectively
execute. (Peterson, 2012)
Consider the following steps to complete a current status
review:
· Review all the strategy documents in the organization.
· Interview the entire executive team.
· Randomly have many employees throughout the organization
complete the organizational strategy audit. All work being done
in an organization that is not strategically related is considered
“fake work” (Peterson, 2012).
Peterson, B. (2012, April). Driving business results through

well planned strategy and execution. Presented at a workshop
for the Argosy University College of Business Speaker Series,
Argosy University, Washington, DC.
page.
Unit 4: Module 4 - Implementing the Strategy
Implementing the Strategy
After the current strategy and performance review is complete,
you must proceed through the following steps outlined in this
course to help you develop the strategic plan:
· Environmental scanning/SWOT
· Five forces analysis
· Value chain analysis
· Performance analysis/benchmarking
· Strategic issues
A critical part of the process before finalizing and implementing
any strategy is to ensure alignment within the organization with
management and staff. Ultimately, it is the combination of the
two that executes and delivers the desired results. Without
understanding and aligning with the strategy, the ability to
achieve success is reduced.
Generally, about 60% of the organizations I work with have a
good strategy but only about 20% of all organizations are

performing their best and achieving their strategic goals.
(Peterson, 2012)
Why does this occur? Generally, it is a lack of understanding
and alignment, which creates a focus on “fake work” and
inhibits success.
http://internationalbusinesstips.net/how-to-audit-your-business-
strategy/
Peterson, B. (2012, April). Driving business results through
well planned strategy and execution. Presented at a workshop
for the Argosy University College of Business Speaker Series,
Argosy University, Washington, DC.
page.
Unit 4: Module 4 - Internal Assessment of Strategy
Internal Assessment of Strategy
The focus in this module is on internal assessment and how
employee behaviors align with the mission, vision, and values
as well as executing the strategy that drives the achievement of
goals. It is important to research how an organization’s culture
governs strategy and conduct an internal environmental scan
and organizational assessment for the strategy audit. Access to
an organization’s leadership is important in order to be able to

complete the strategy audit. This is particularly true as it relates
to interviewing leadership and observing behaviors in the
organization that can help you better understand how the culture
impacts the company (both positively and negatively).
page.
AVP Strategy Audit—External Resources
Unit 4: Module 4 - Strategic Goals and Measures
Strategic Goals and Measures
Critical to the strategy audit process is understanding what to
measure and how to measure it based on the mission and goals
of the organization.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are one such measure that
refer to identified items in the business that are considered
essential to the overall success of the business. KPIs can
include new customer acquisition, customer retention, and new

product development.
Another measure is benchmarking best practices, which you
examined in Module 2. The purpose of benchmarking is to
establish a reflective point to compare against. This is one tool
often used to help organizations to concretely measure the
results of initiatives.
The balanced scorecard is another way to look at KPIs. The
balanced scorecard is based on a prescribed or planned set of
performance objectives that will be measured and evaluated
regularly. The scorecard outlines specific indicators and
measurements that will indicate whether the company is
successful or unsuccessful in progressing toward the prescribed
vision through execution of strategy.
A balanced scorecard presents organizational performance on
four primary groups of measures:
1. Financial
2. Customer (external stakeholder)
3. Learning and growth
4. Internal processl
Business Metrics and Performance
There are pros and cons to using KPIs and the balanced
scorecard approach. In addition, the right metrics and
management adoption or acceptance is critical. At the ABC
eLearning Company, they had the right combination of metrics
and management acceptance. In addition, they offered quarterly
incentives for performance scores of nine or better.
Keep the example of ABC eLearning in mind when you explore
the company you are auditing. It will be important to understand
what business metrics are being used to assess performance and
how management and leadership describe and focus on these in
daily business. The key question you will need to ask is: Do the
metrics tie directly back to the organization’s goals and specific
strategies?
In the assignments for this module, you will discuss key
performance measures and the business culture. Then, you will

conduct a SWOT analysis and develop a balanced scorecard for
your selected business unit.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/technology-
business-trends_b_1153832.html
Required Readings
· Mascarenhas, O. A., Kesavan, R., & Bernacchi, M. (2004).
Customer value-chain involvement for co-creating customer
delight. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 21(7), 486–496.
(ProQuest Document ID:
220125989) http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docv
iew/220125989?accountid=34899
· Osarenkhoe, A. (2008). What characterises the culture of a
market-oriented organisation applying a customer-intimacy
philosophy? Journal of Database Marketing & Customer
Strategy Management, 15(3), 169–190. (ProQuest Document ID:
233312287) http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docvi
ew/233312287?accountid=34899
· Porter, M. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review
74(6), 61–78. Retrieved
fromhttp://libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.

com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=9611187954&site=ehost-
live
Recommended Readings
· Kahn, S. R. (2010). Capitalism at the crossroads: Next
generation business strategies for a post-crisis world. Choice,
48(4), 738. (ProQuest Document ID:
ew/818556268?accountid=34899
· Shore, H. (2008, March). Are you creating raving
fans? Biznik. Retrieved fromhttp://biznik.com/articles/are-you-
creating-raving-fans
Retaining Customers
Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (1993) said it best
in Raving Fans:A Revolutionary Approach to Customer
Service: “If you really want to ‘own’ a customer, if you want a
booming business, you have to go beyond satisfied customers
and create Raving Fans” (p. 13) The raving fan approach in
tandem with Porter’s five forces model can help business
managers and leaders develop an effective approach. This
element is a reminder that you can get business and that is no
inexpensive endeavor. However, keeping business and growing
it is just as important. In fact, new customer acquisition is often
more costly than keeping and growing a current customer.
Business Referrals
Some business experts espouse a method of gathering customer
satisfaction information. Although you may ask a variety of
questions to better understand what is working and what is not

in terms of customer satisfaction, there is only one question that
needs to be asked: “Would you refer our business to someone
else?” The proposition is that if the answer is “Yes,” then it
covers almost everything at a fundamental level. In addition,
satisfaction with the service or product is high enough that the
customer would refer your business to others. Ultimately, this is
what it boils down to: satisfaction supports growth.
In this module, you will examine customer satisfaction and
growth and acquire a better understanding of how supply chain
management works. Walmart’s success in managing its supply
chain has enabled it to dominate its competition, maintain an
inventory, and meet customer demand without oversupply costs
and consequences (Accounting Software Advisor [ASA]
Research, n.d.). As you work through the assignments in this
module, consider this and how supply chain management
influences or drives business.
ASA Research. (n.d.). Supply chain. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.asaresearch.com/ecommerce/supplychain.htm
Blanchard, K., & Bowles, S. (1993). Raving fans: A
revolutionary approach to customer service. New York, NY:
William Morrow and Company.
page.
Unit 3: Module 3 - Course Project Task— Preliminary Strategy
Audit
Course Project Task: Preliminary Strategy Audit
You will also submit your preliminary strategy audit as part of
LASA 1 by the end of this module.
Those with significant business experience understand the value
of this assignment—that it is an important process related to
business review and assessment and potential strategic
realignment. For those with less experience, one way to

approach this aspect of the course and the development of this
project is to equate it to building a house. The land is always
graded and essential plumbing and other internal organs that
come from the outside to support the house have to be in place
prior to laying the foundation and framing the house. The
reason builders build in phases is exactly why successful
businesses do the following:
· Create a vision
· Develop strategies around their vision
· Plan for implementation or execution
· Assess
This methodical sequencing prevents problems. Review your
preliminary strategy audit and make sure you have covered all
the required elements for this phase of the project. You could
also use a checklist, and possibly have someone review and ask
them to question what you have presented or developed thus far.
In the assignments for this module, you will also explore the
supply chain. The supply chain is the links in the logistics
process.
page.
In Module 1, you had the opportunity to review the capstone
course project. To stay on track to deliver your strategy audit
in Module 5, you should start framing your project including the
following aspects:
· Title
· Agenda

· Summary of audit
· Recommendations
· Key measurements
· Risks and benefits
· Call to action
· Next steps
Be sure to let your instructor know if you have any questions or
have met any major obstacles.
Revisit the Overview of LASAs section in Module 1 for
reviewing information about the LASA.

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