Case Questions
Management Strategy Case Questions
Case 5: Panera Bread Company 1. What is Panera Bread’s strategy? Which of the four generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 3 most closely fit the competitive approach that Panera Bread is taking? What specific kind of competitive advantage is Panera bread trying to achieve? 2. What does a SWOT analysis of Panera Bread reveal about the overall attractiveness of its situation? Does the company have any core competencies or distinctive competencies? 3. What is your appraisal of Panera Bread’s financial performance based on the data contained in case Exhibits 1-2, and 8? How well is the company doing financially? 4. What strategic issues and problems does Panera Bread management need to address? 5. What actions would you recommend that Panera Bread management take to strengthen its competitive position and business prospects vis-à-vis other restaurant chain rivals? eToys Case – On Blackboard 1. What is your evaluation of eToys’ financial condition? What does eToys’ financial pulse tell us? What problems do you see? 2. What direction does Toby Lenk want to take this company? What are his goals? 3. What is eToys’ business strategy? How well is it working? 4. How does a strategy differ for e-commerce vs. traditional firms? 5. What is your assessment of the competitive pressures confronting eToys.com and other providers of children’s products on the Internet? Which of there are strongest? Weakest? 6. What does your SWOT analysis reveal about eToys.com’s situation? Is the company in good shape? Why or why not? 7. Based on the preceding evaluation of eToys’ situation, what problems and issues do you think eToys’ top management team needs to address? 8. What actions do you recommend that eToys.com’s management team take to improve the company’s strategy and profit prospects? 9. What exit strategies are possible for eToys.com? 10. Is there anything that
Case 5: Panera Bread Company 1. What is Panera Bread’s strategy? Which of the four generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 3 most closely fit the competitive approach that Panera Bread is taking? What specific kind of competitive advantage is Panera bread trying to achieve? 2. What does a SWOT analysis of Panera Bread reveal about the overall attractiveness of its situation? Does the company have any core competencies or distinctive competencies? 3. What is your appraisal of Panera Bread’s financial performance based on the data contained in case Exhibits 1-2, and 8? How well is the company doing financially? 4. What strategic issues and problems does Panera Bread management need to address? 5. What actions would you recommend that Panera Bread management take to strengthen its competitive position and business prospects vis-à-vis other restaurant chain rivals? eToys Case – On Blackboard 1. What is your evaluation of eToys’ financial condition? What does eToys’ financial pulse tell us? What problems do you see? 2. What direction does Toby Lenk want to take this company? What are his goals? 3. What is eToys’ business strategy? How well is it working? 4. How does a strategy differ for e-commerce vs. traditional firms? 5. What is your assessment of the competitive pressures confronting eToys.com and other providers of children’s products on the Internet? Which of there are strongest? Weakest? 6. What does your SWOT analysis reveal about eToys.com’s situation? Is the company in good shape? Why or why not? 7. Based on the preceding evaluation of eToys’ situation, what problems and issues do you think eToys’ top management team needs to address? 8. What actions do you recommend that eToys.com’s management team take to improve the company’s strategy and profit prospects? 9. What exit strategies are possible for eToys.com? 10. Is there anything that