Why is growing the level of entrepreneurial activity critical to the growth of the Australian economy? What factors help and hinder the process of entrepreneurship in Australia?

This assignment should be answered in an essay format, with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Examples should be used to support your answers. There is no requirement for a table of contents for this assignment, but please use page numbers. Students must use a minimum of eight (8) references to answer the question.

The group project asks you to evaluate competitive advantage of a firm by analyzing a company of your choice and how the company competes in an industry. It can be an industry you want to learn more about and/or a company you want to work for. The more you put into the process, the more rewarding the experience will be for you.

 

The primary goal of this project is to evaluate competitive advantages of the firm of your choice. The deliverable takes the form of answering the following questions, by applying the frameworks/tools learned from this course. Students should find a focal issue for the project first.

1. Introduction: Company Description , What is your topic? What is your plan to conduct the inquiry? How is your paper organized?

2. Conduct a PESTEL analysis to identify external forces affecting the industry your company is based.

3. Apply the five forces model to the industry in which your company is based. What does this model tell you about the nature of competition in the industry?

4. Analyze your company’s resources, capabilities, and competencies. Do any of them provide the basis for a competitive advantage? Why or why not?

6. Apply a SWOT analysis. What strategic imperatives do you arrive at?
7. Identify different types of strategy the company employs, i.e. business/corporate/global

strategies. How do you assess them in terms of gaining and sustaining competitive

advantage?
8. Conclude by evaluating whether your company has a competitive advantage or

disadvantage in its primary industry. Why or why not?

FORMAT FOR ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Written assignments will be evaluated on content, analysis, clarity of expression, and your writing and grammar. Success in a professional career is truly impacted by your ability to clearly and professionally communicate your ideas and relevant information, whether it is to employers, executives, investors, customers, suppliers, or employees. All assignments are to be the students’ original work.

All written assignments will use the following format and are to be posted in Blackboard. 

Must be a WORD document.

• Always include assignment or project title, name of students, and the date of submission.
• Always use headings and sub-headings when appropriate.
• Always include a title page.
• Always include a table of contents.
• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper and bring to the class session in which the assignment is due.
• Double-space the text of your paper, and use Times New Roman. The font size should be 12 pt.
• Leave two spaces after periods or other punctuation marks.
• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
• Do not indent the first line of paragraphs.

 

Page 3 of 4

 

California State San Bernardino Management Department MGMT 490

• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, 1⁄2- inch from the top and flush with the right margin.
• Always cite your resources in text and on a reference page at the end of your paper.
  All written work, whether a paper, assignment, a summary, or a short-answer essay, should exhibit the following characteristics. Although each characteristic refers to “the paper,” the student may substitute with “the summary,” “the test answer,” or the name of any other written assignment.
  Main Idea
  The paper is focused, meets the expectations set up by the writer, and makes these expectations clear to the reader. The paper shows a clear sense of purpose.
  Well-Organized
  The paper is clearly developed; transitions are clear from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. In other words, the writer has not simply made a series of unrelated or vaguely related statements. Rather, each sentence and paragraph carries the reader closer to an understanding or appreciation of the writer’s goal.
  Support
  The writer provides specific, concrete and appropriate information from memory, observation, reading, interviewing or other sources. The paper is well developed with examples, details, illustrations, anecdotes or the like.
  Style
  Sentences are varied and word choices are accurate. There is an absence of “clutter” or “padding”. Phrasing is clear and direct. Tone is handled consistently; sentence length and word choices are appropriate to the audience and purpose of the piece.
  Mechanics
  Punctuation, grammar, spelling and aspects of format are handled correctly. The writer has prepared the paper carefully with attention to appearance and other details. Opening, closing and title are strong and contribute to the sense of purpose, focus and unity of the piece of writing. Elaborated discussion can be summarized by using bullet points, but bullet points should not be used to deliver your idea as a main method. Tables and figures always need titles and numbers.
  Proofreading
  It is strongly encouraged to run a draft by the CBPA writing center before submission for multiple rounds. Before you run it for reviews, ask yourself the following questions:
• What is my major point?
• Have I supported generalizations, opinions and conclusions with specific examples?
• Have I avoided using unnecessary words and clichés?
• Have I proofread for spelling, punctuation and typographical errors?
• Have I used the grammar and spell-check program in my word processing software? Did I make the correct choices in accepting or rejecting the grammar and spelling suggestions?