Strategic Decision Making for Sunseeker: Proposing Two Strategic Directions Over Three Moves

Learning Outcomes and Goals

Aims
The key learning outcome is to embed an understanding that when making strategic decisions, there is no certain future, no guarantee of success and no way of knowing if you have made ‘the’ right decision — you have to go on the best information you have at the time. With this foundation, in the rest of the module we can discuss creative, cunning and unpredictable moves for the 21st Century in light of ever-increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. 

Keep these learning goals in mind (when you finish, look at these and ask yourself if these have been met).

1.    Demonstrate that you have grasped directions and methods in strategic choice (methods often gets overlooked!!. Each direction must have a method) and your exposition of sequential moves over time rather than a moment in time, thus demonstrating appreciation of the distinction between tactics and strategy in an international context. 

2.    Demonstrate a considered rationale behind your decisions (show that you didn’t just randomly pick two).

3.    Have presented your choices using high quality communication, in report format, in diagrams, tables and not just in words. This is not an essay. 

Your Task (what you need to do for your assignment)
Remember: There is no model answer and no one right answer. 
Offer options for ‘two’ strategic directions for Sunseeker, played out over three moves. 
A move is an action taken over a defined period of time, in a defined competitive space. 

In proposing these options you should:
•    For each move. Define the time period it takes place in and the competitive space (Market, industry, strategic groups). 

•    Present your analysis using tools, models matrices that you deem appropriate to show where they are at the start of each move and where you expect them to be at the end. 

•    Propose three sequential moves for each option. Credit will be given for appreciation that multiple scenarios exist after the first move. Remember, no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.  

•    For each move, make sure you have specified a method (JV, FDI, merger, acquisition, outsourcing, export etc.)

•    For each move made by Sunseeker, what would you expect the competitive counter moves to be based on the information provided. So…. Option 1: Your move, their move, your move. their move, your move, their move. Option 2…… and so on. Play through three moves. Each move may have several possible counter moves. Show what these might be. How is it best to present these options? Tables, flow chart??? Be creative. Logically, your report should have two sections with the flow of the two options discreetly presented. 

•    Provide a brief defence of your options in words. 

•    Provide a brief conclusion as to which option you would recommend and very briefly why.