Current events in business and technology offer important evidence to understand competitive strategy. Identify a single article of interest about a company within the last two years from a reputable internet source (e.g. CNET, Wired, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch, BusinessInsider, MarketWatch). Write a technical essay addressing the following criteria. It is highly suggested to organize your paper into an outline before beginning this assignment. Refer to the rubric on the Blackboard.
- State the full APA citation for the article which is the basis for your essay at the top of your paper. Reference the APA citation style guide posted on the Blackboard to ensure proper formatting. Next, summarize the article in 250 words or less. In addition to presenting an overview of the article, the summary should also clearly state the business problem and/or opportunity faced by the company. Afterwards, visit the organization’s website and conduct internet research to answer the following questions.
a. Describe the firm’s general business environment from the perspective of each of the five components of Porter’s competitive forces model. Make sure to clearly define each competitive force and the concepts used to support your analysis.
b. From your review of the company’s website and other supporting internet articles, discuss examples of company business processes and/or proprietary technologies that support primary activities according to Porter’s value chain. - What are your recommendations for how the firm can realize the full potential of their product and/or service technology? Are they making the right decisions to remain competitive? Why or why not?
Style & Content: The essay should be your original work, free of misspellings, and grammatical errors. Avoid first person language (e.g. "I", “We”, “Me”), excessive spacing, and bullets. The essay should have a conceptual beginning (introduction), middle (body), and end (conclusion); be logically organized into sections, with section titles and section numbering. The essay should include your interpretations and recommendations which reinforce course material.