Choose ‘Starbucks’ as your company.. Then set out your views on a business strategy for that company over the time period 2014-2019, using the questions in sections A, B and C as your framework.

Participants are required to answer ALL questions in Sections A and B and ONE of the three questions in Section C. The focus of the assignment is to suggest a strategic direction for Starbucks..

SECTION A: ANALYSIS
* Using the PESTLE and the 5-forces frameworks, evaluate the attractiveness of the business in which the company operates.
* Using appropriate models, identify how your chosen company creates competitive advantage in the marketplace and evaluate if these advantages are relevant for future success.
* Using the SWOT analysis, summarise the current competitive position and potential of your chosen company.

SECTION B: STRATEGY FORMULATION
* Using the TOWS matrix, convert the SWOT analysis into a set of strategic options available to your chosen company for the period 2014 to 2019. Which of the alternatives do you consider the most appropriate for the company, and why have you selected this option?
* State (a) what you believe ought to be the key objectives and performance measures for your company for this period and (b) the reasons why you have selected these objectives and measures.
* List the programme headings that make up a cohesive strategy for achieving these objectives, explaining how you have derived these from the preceding analyses.

SECTION C: MANAGEMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION
1. Identify the problems that your chosen company might face in balancing short-term financial performance requirements and the cost/profit impact of investment and change that is implicit in the strategy that you have set out in Section B. What criteria would you use to decide how to make the necessary trade-offs?
OR
2. Identify the opportunities that your company could take to enhance performance by further use of e- commerce in building agile internal and external supply-chain relationships. Show how the key performance measures could be affected during the 2014-2019 period.
OR
3. Explain how you would communicate your selected strategy within your chosen company, bearing in mind that each one is a global operation with employees throughout the whole world.