Best Buy Corporate Strategy Discussion

Read Case 22, ” Best Buy Co. Inc. (2009): Sustainable Customer-Centricity Model?” by Alan N. Hoffman, in the Strategic Management and Business Policy textbook and the case analysis instructions below. Analyze the strategic performance of Best Buy Co. Inc. Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (A 5-page response is required.)

Case Analysis Instructions

In this Activity, you will be required to write a case analysis. While the case has been chosen to illustrate specific concepts covered in each lesson, the overall format and perspective remains the same for all cases. Thus, it is important to maintain a bird’s eye view and use the perspective of top management when it comes to analyzing organizational performance and recommending suitable strategies.

The following steps are suggested in performing case analysis.

Read the assigned case in detail. Keep the Case Analysis Instructions in mind as you go over the case and make notes of the information that you will need to use in writing your analysis and in making decisions and recommendations.
Obtain the information you need (regarding the organization, specific industry, and events and changes that have occurred since the case was written) using the following resources:
Based on the information and insights obtained from reading the case and research, apply your knowledge of the concepts and techniques in the textbook, your professional and personal experiences, and your analytical and reasoning skills to critically evaluate the strategic performance of the company (at the corporate, business, and functional levels) and suggest recommendations for future strategic initiatives.

The company website
Hoover’s (This can be accessed through ProQuest: Use the company name as your search term and limit your search to within the Hoover database.)
Articles on ProQuest that are specifically related to the industry or current events regarding the company
Other sources of research which are recommended (but not required) include newspapers, business magazines, news programs, trade journals, etc.

4.The case analysis activity is comprised of four (4) parts. Use the following instructions to complete each case analysis. You must cite all resources used and include an APA-formatted bibliography. Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. (A 5-page response is required for the combination of Parts A, B, C, and D.)

Part A Background: Begin with an overview of the background information provided in the actual case reading, supplemented by information regarding the organization’s current situation obtained through your research. Address the following issues:

History: A brief history of the company and its founders
Mission and Management: The corporation’s mission and its current management
Industry Overview: A brief overview of the industry and the firm’s competitive position
Current Situation: The firm’s current situation and the factors (if any) contributing to it
Strategic Issues: A statement regarding the important strategic issues facing the company.

Part B External Analysis

1.Porter Analysis: Perform an in-depth analysis of the firm’s task environment using Porter’s Approach to Industry Analysis. Analyze the importance and impact of the following five (5) forces:

Threat of New Entrants
Bargaining Power of Buyers
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Rivalry Among Competing Firms
Threat of Substitute Products or Services

2.Other Characteristics: Describe at least two (2) other industry characteristics that you think are important and that affect the performance of firms in this industry.

3.Opportunities: Discuss at least three (3) opportunities available to the firm based on the industry analysis.

4.Threats: Discuss at least three (3) threats facing the firm based on the industry analysis.

Part C Internal Analysis

1. Core Competencies
- Description: Describe at least two (2) core competencies that the firm possesses or can develop.
- Distinctiveness: Are these distinctive competencies? Explain.
- 2. Competitive Position Current Position: What is the firm’s current competitive position? Discuss. Competitive Advantage: Does the firm possess a significant competitive advantage over other firms in the industry? Explain. Sustainability: Can the firm sustain its competitive advantage over the long term? Explain.
- 3. Strengths: Discuss at least three (3) strengths of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
- 4. weaknesses:Describe at least thre (3) weaknesses of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
- Part D Recommendations 1. Issues/Challenges: Describe at least two (2) major strategic issues and challenges that the company faces. These should be based on the actual case reading.2. Alternatives: Based on the SWOT Analysis, describe at least four (4) strategic alternatives available to the firm. 3. Recommendations: Which one of the above strategic alternatives do you recommend for the organization? You must make at least two (2) comprehensive recommendations that describe the strategic direction you think the firm should take based on its current situation and issues. Your recommendations can include corporate, business, or functional strategies based on the facts of the case and your analysis of the firm. Number your recommendations and group them as applicable (for instance, if you recommend a low-cost business strategy, list any functional strategies that lead to it as sub points).