Bus 109 Spring 2013 Exam 2
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE School of Business Administration BUS 109 – Competitive and Strategic Analysis SPRING 2013 Dr. Sean D. Jasso EXAM 2 The following are the questions to prepare for your second exam. On exam day we will randomly select among the four questions – the quantity of questions will be determined on exam day. Please answer each question as thoroughly as possible, providing rich detail from our lectures, readings, and discussions. The organization of your answers, the complexity of your analysis, and the clarity of your critical thinking are the key elements of your evaluation. 1. On Functional Strategy – Pertaining to your CEO Project Company a. Among the various functional divisions of the firm, identify the most burning issue whereby your functional strategy (marketing, financial, operational, etc.) impacts the overall corporate AND business strategies. Explain in detail. i. More directly, select from two functional areas and discuss the following: 1. Identify the function‟s essential goal for 2013 2. What resources must be employed to effectively realize this goal 3. What measures will indicate whether your functional strategy has produced the required results On Strategy Implementation – We discussed at length the idea of Six Sigma as a way to create synergy across the organization, to increase the probability of mission buy-in as well as the effective alignment of resources, and, most fundamentally, the production of near perfect output of product and service. Discuss the following in detail: a. What does Six Sigma mean to someone like Jack Welch? Be detailed in your response. i. Provide an example how GE uses the concept to improve performance. Pull from Winning to support your answer. ii. What is one strength and weakness of this widely subscribed philosophy? b. Lastly, pertaining to your CEO company, identify the ONE burning issue that is a prime candidate for continuous improvement – that one thing holding the firm back from