strategic management..

Strategic management ESSAY Questions : select ONE question and submit a maxim 2,000 words essay. 1. Using an extended example critically discuss the view that a ‘sector matrix’ gives a better strategic understanding of product markets than the concepts of ‘product’ or ‘commodity’ chains. 2. To what extent does a mature and cyclical product market drive corporate ‘restructuring’? Use a corporate example of your choice to discuss whether restructuring transforms market, productivity and financial performance. Analysis and Structure In planning your essay it is valuable to consider several issues: • Decide on your answer to the question or your point of view before you begin. That is, interpret the set question insightfully with both full understanding of its context and implications and an appreciation of its various dimensions and issues. • Include an analysis or description of relevant theories and concepts, blend them with (only) relevant evidence and cases, and support your view with theoretical understanding, evidence and cases. • To achieve this objective, you must plan your analytical structure carefully and be in a position to establish links between its different sections. That is, do not lose the thematic thread that unites the various aspects of your essay, and ensure that your use of theory, concepts, models, evidence and analytical structure lead you towards the answer you have already determined. • To decide upon the core of your structure, that is the key points of your assignment or examination answer, you must be well read and knowledgeable about the relevant major topics on the course. One possible answer structure is: • Introduction. Suggest an answer to the question and outline how you intend to validate your suggested answer by clarifying the analytical structure (and maybe, therefore, the thematic thread or point of view you will pursue). • Describe the key theories, concepts, models, and/or debates, and/or areas of critique surrounding the question. Keep this section as short as possible: you need to state the main concepts but you need greater space to do more in order to acquire higher order marks. Try and establish a link with your structure (in themes and ideas) and the following sections. • Key point 1: employ empirical information and quote cases as examples to bring the academic evidences into reality. • Key point 2: try to engage your analysis of the theories, concepts, models and other critical points to your examples and your own opinion (your voice is important when supported by evidences from the literature). • Do you need an extra section that pulls the previous sections together, or a section that follows logically from your separate conclusions you make amongst the key points? You may, for example, have analyzed late development characteristics, but might now look at one of the large implications, such as which theories, concepts or models are more inclined to explain your findings. • Are there other aspects of the debate that needed to be added, which could not be easily fitted into the structure, but nevertheless remain relevant? Or are there important debates you feel are ignored by the question? For example, you may have analyzed the ‘classic’ five forces of Porter, but now need to question its relevance in the global world. You could discuss any other aspects from the literature which you find relevant, but then look at the implications of globalization for any analysis that might be relevant to your final approach in answering the question. • Conclusion. If possible, after summarising your answer, discuss other aspects of the debate needing investigation, or assess the reliability of current evidence and research.