BS 6100 - Strategic management

Simulation individual assignment

brief

Workshop
BS6100 Individual Assignment 2016-17

WRSX: The Strategy Experience

Your participation in ‘The Strategy Experience’ is intended to focus on ‘strategy-in-action’ - the application of
strategic concepts and frameworks in the creation and pursuit of strategic objectives.

Once you have completed six Board Room meetings, equivalent to three years management of the
advertising and marketing communications group WRSX, you will be in a position to complete your individual
assignment.

Address the following:

1. Consider a specific instance of either good or unexpectedly poor business performance during your
three year period as a director. Imagine you are presenting to WRSX investors.
A. Referring to data from the performance report and using your notes on the decisions that were
made, assess a specific decision and explain how this contributed to the subsequent performance.
20 %
B. Considering the same instance, discuss the underpinning theoretical frameworks you either used,
or could have used, to assist your decision making. Did (or could) the theory support the decision,
or mislead you, and why?
20 %
2. Consider your original analysis of the strategic position and strategic choices for WRSX. To what
extend did your initial assessment of the strategic position and strategic choice change or evolve over
the three year period? Did this lead to a change in strategy or not? 20 %

3. Outline your strategic recommendations for WRSX Group for the next three years from the time you
end the simulation. 20 %

The word count for questions one, two and three (combined) is 2000 words (+/- 10%).
 Additional marks will be awarded for:
 Stock market performance 1-5%
 Appendix A: Strategic Position Summary 5%
 Appendix B: Strategic Choices Summary 5%
 Appendix C: Final Performance Report 2.5 %
 Appendix D: Summary Decision Log 2.5 %

These appendices are the same for all group members.

Submission Deadline: 9.00 am Thursday 12th April 2018

Share Price Performance:

Based on Price after Board Meeting Six
Groups in Top 20%: Mark = 5

Groups in Bottom 20%: Mark = 1

 WRSX: Individual Assignment

Question 1 A: “assess a specific decision and

explain how this contributed to the subsequent
performance”
– Choose one of the four decisions in the immediately
preceding Board Meeting
– Focus on the decision which you believe was the
principal influence on the performance
– The other three may well have had some influence,
but concentrate on the principle influence
– Use relevant performance data to explain how the
implementation of the decision produced the
performance
– The emphasis must be on why it happened not what
 WRSX: Individual Assignment

Question 1 B: “discuss the underpinning theoretical

framework…. ”
– Focus on the same decision as in 1A
– Did you consciously apply a theoretical framework when making
the decision? Explain how it helped and if the performance was
as expected? If not why did the theory not ‘work’ in this
instance?
or
– If you did not use a theoretical framework – which one would
have been useful and how?

One decision, one framework (or an element of one framework)

– Refer to decisions with a very brief description not simply as Option A , B etc
Appendix A: Strategic Position

• The environment: macro and industry

– Socio-cultural, political, economic, technology
– Effect on client base, location, requirements
– Structure & size of competitors
• Strategic capabilities: internal analysis of WRSX
– Past successes and failures?
– Resources and competences?
– Leadership & management?
• Strategic purpose: what is the group trying to achieve?
– Juliette Waldron addresses this. How realistic? What is the external
perspective?
• Culture and strategy: how does WRSX work (or doesn’t)?
– A unified group or a federation of agencies?
– Should the Group be centralised or decentralised? How can this be
achieved?

If you submitted Strategic Position document on Canvas by 19

February, please insert a screen shot of Canvas confirmation before
Appendix A.
Appendix B: Strategic Choices

The strategic choices for growth available to WRSX

• Directions:
– Services: Specialised or broad based provider of integrated
solutions?
– Markets: Target specific industries? Seek geographic growth?
• Methods:
– organic, M&A, alliances? How has past success been achieved?
• Business & Corporate Strategy:
– Address aspects of ‘broad v niche’; address role of the board
(parent) and relationship between business units
• International growth:
– Relevance? Where? How to achieve?

If you submitted Strategic Choices document on Canvas by 19

February, please insert a screen shot of Canvas confirmation
before Appendix A (one screen shot is enough for both
appendices A and B).
Appendix C: Final Performance Report

2.5 %
 Appendix D: Summary Decision Log
Board Meeting One
1. Market opportunity in China
2. Sustainability
3. ‘Delivering the Doughnuts’
4. Non-performing business
5. Cultural change in New York
6. Opportunities in digital media
A. Lease office in Shanghai, recruit locally, cost £2M
B. Avoid direct competition, develop in tertiary cities, cost £600K
C. Manage strategic partner from London, £450K
D. Do nothing in China
A. No WRSX wide policy, leave for local implementation, £100K
B. Re-brand a subsidiary as ‘Green Agency’, £500K
C. Create WRSX Committee to develop group policy, £350K
D. This is local issue, not Board decision. £nil.
A. Agree with request, start consultation, trial in Paris, cost
£200K
B. Cancel now.
C. Great! Introduce group wide now! Cost £500K
D. Consider carefully, in-house survey of existing schemes, £nil
A. Sell Promoco business. Raise £4.4M
B. Retain Conference unit, sell Exhibition, raise £2M
C. Re-brand as WRSX, incentivise managers, invest £1.1M
D. Local issue, local decision for Singapore
A. Restructure, reduce layers. Cost £350K
B. ‘Leadership by example’, bring in staff. Cost £800K
C. Full restructure and move location, open-plan, cost £2.5M
D. Do nothing for now
A. Develop global digital brand, cost £3M
B. High risk so outsource, £nil
C. Develop digital centre of excellence, increase salaries
D. Do not consider expansion in digital
 Appendix D: Summary Decision Log

Board Meeting One

1. Market opportunity in China A. Lease office in Shanghai, recruit locally, cost £2M
3. ‘Delivering the Doughnuts’ D. Consider carefully, in-house survey of existing schemes, £nil
4. Non-performing business C. Re-brand as WRSX, incentivise managers, invest £1.1M
6. Opportunities in digital media B. High risk so outsource, £nil

Board Meeting Two

….
Board Meeting Three
…

2.5 %
 Assignment
• Please post all your questions regarding
simulation/assignment on Canvas discussion
boards!
• Introduction/Conclusion, Table of contents,
References and Appendices are NOT INCLUDED in
the word count.
• If you submit Strategic Position and Strategic
Choices documents on Canvas by 19 February
9.00am you will receive full points for Appendix
A and B. One group submission counts for all
group members.