10-07-2012, 04:43 PM
General Instructions for Individual
As part of the coursework, you should select a particular corporate event (e.g. M&A, strategic alliance, minority equity investment, outsourcing, corporate refocusing) or corporation with an established corporate development strategy and carry out a detailed strategic analysis in a written report. The report will account for 80% of your module mark. The objective of the coursework is to offer you an opportunity to apply your understanding and learning from this course in a real-world context and on a subject matter that is of most interest to you.
You are free to select any topic, provided that the focus is on issues that are related to the syllabus of this module. Examples of topics from previous years include:
• A David-and-Goliath Transaction: SAAB’s Acquisition by Spyker
• IBM’s PC Group: Stepping Stone for Lenovo’s Globalisation Plans
• Co-opetition between Sony and Samsung: The joint venture for LCD panel production
• An analysis of the HP – Procter & Gamble IT Services Outsourcing Deal
• Consolidation in the Global Automotive Industry
versus green-field investment; (6) A strategic analysis of the outsourcability of different parts of the value chain;
Research Design and Theoretical Background
Your report should be designed in a way that shows linkages to important themes in the module. You are expected to demonstrate familiarity with the relevant theoretical frameworks from the module and ability to select, interpret and apply appropriate theories and analytical sets of tools. Cite the relevant literature, justify your choices and discuss possible theoretical limitations. Make
© University of Manchester 2011-2012 2
sure that you identify and discuss in detail the focal variables in your study, namely the dependent, independent and control variables.
Methods
The phenomenon in question (e.g. M&As, strategic alliances, minority equity investments) should be well researched. You are expected to provide a thorough review of public sources of information. Widely used sources of information include the Internet (e.g. company websites), company annual reports, and specialized databases, such as Datastream, Thomson Banker and Factiva. Sources of data, including academic and press articles, and interviews, should be properly cited (you are required to submit an electronic copy of your work in addition to the hard copy for the purposes of checking for plagiarism).
Analysis
The appropriate analytic methods will depend on the kind of data collected for your report (qualitative or quantitative; primary or secondary). A good report should be characterized by clarity and rigor. You should comment on the quality of the data obtained and discuss any limitations that the data may place on interpreting the analysis. Make sure that your analysis addresses all the issues that you promised to investigate in your introductory section.
Conclusion and Implications
It is important to offer a clear point of view in relation to the core issue(s) of your report. Justify your conclusions in the light of alternatives or contingencies. Remember that – in many cases – there is not one correct view, only well-supported views. A good report should draw implications for managerial practice from the analyses – e.g. If you were to make real decisions based on this analysis, what would they be? What can we learn from this analysis? When are these lessons most or least applicable?
Coursework Stages
The coursework has two stages:
1. Paper topic proposal due on Monday March 19, 2012 (before 15.00). The proposal should be one page long and have three sections: Context and Objectives, Research Design and Theoretical Background, and Methods. The proposal should show the direction of your paper. Remember to place your student number and the title of your proposal on the top of the document. Please submit your proposal electronically to the online submission system using Blackboard. The clearer the overview, the more effective the feedback will be.
2. Final report due on Monday May 7, 2012 (before 15.00). The report should be a maximum of 6,000 words long (12pt Times Roman font; single line spacing; 25mm margins on all sides), including a cover page with your student number and report title, abstract, main body, exhibits, appendices and references. A hard copy of the report should be submitted to the Post-graduate Office. Please also submit your report electronically to the online submission system, available in Blackboard.