STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Spring Term 2016 COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT – INDIVIDUAL ESSAY The Lego Group The case is to be found on page 544 of Johnson, Whittington, Scholes, Angwin and Regner (2014) Exploring Strategy, 10th edn. Harlow, Pearson.
5 questions
Introductions
The questions are weighted equally (20% each)
The answers are to be written in essay style
Your responses should reflect your knowledge and understanding of the concepts, tools and techniques covered in the strategic management module
You should also demonstrate your skills and abilities to analyse data and information that you have obtained from a variety of up to date, high quality sources.
Stronger answers will demonstrate an ability to exercise independent critical thinking
Full in text citations and references, using the Harverd referencing style, are required.
Q1
.Explain how the development of strategy at the LEGO group reflects the key
characteristics of strategic management as a theoretical concept.(20 marks)
answers should explain strategic management in terms of position choice and action, the internal and external environments ,direction and scope.
Competitive advantage and stakeholder expectation.
. there concepts should then be related to the case study by referencing to the difficulties that LEGO experienced in the late 1990s and the corrective actions that it took to return to growth and profitability.
Q2
. what alternative strategies were open to the LEGO group in 2004, and why do you think the gourp chose the course they did?(20 marks)
. some solutions can be identified by “brainstorming”(sell, grow, cut costs, etc)
. but owners should demonstrate the student’s abilities to sytermotkelly generate and evaluate strategic options ,including reflection upon the associated potential risks and benefits.
.what is required is a coherent set of strategies, reflecting upon the potencial costs/benefits/risks and the interaction with other strategies.
Q3
What features of the external environment have influenced strategy development at the LEGO Group?(20 mark)
.again some features can be identifies by brain storming .
.possible issues for discussion include changes and uncertainty in the market environment, the external image of the firm, and stakeholder influences.
.but better answers will refer to approaches such as PESTLE, five forces, industry life cycle, stakeholder analysis.
Q4 Which of the resources and competencies of the LEGO Group have enabled them to regain their successful position in the global toy market, and which resources and competences have been less relevant to their recovery? [20 marks]
.In addition to brainstorming, answers should explain how resources and competencies can be identified analyzed and evaluated, and which of these characteristics might have provided LEGO with distinctive advantages.
.Tools might include VRIO, value chain system, SWOT.
.physical, non-physical and relational resources should be included.
Q5 Looking at the LEGO Group today from the imaginary position of the CEO, how would you approach the process of strategy development to ensure the future success of the company? [20 marks]
.answer should emphasis that strategy is not a static concept and different approaches and management styles may be necessary in different situations.
.for example, the concept of ‘strategy lenses’ would support a discussion about strategy as design, experience, variety or discourse.
The questions are weighted equally and the answers are to be written in essay style. Your responses should reflect your knowledge and understanding of the concepts, tools and techniques covered in the Strategic Management module. You should also demonstrate your skills and abilities to analyse data and information that you have obtained from a variety of upto-date, high quality sources. Stronger answers will demonstrate an ability to exercise independent critical thinking. Full in-text citations and references, using the Harvard referencing style, are required.
