Strategic Executive Board Meeting for Alibaba Group: Analyzing External Forces & Offering Recommenda

Time Allowed and Learning Outcomes Assessed

Time allowed 20 minutes in total for the boardroom discussion – this involves the students presenting their research and recommendations. Afterwards, up to 5 minutes for answering questions from the CEO and directors (your module tutors).  These will be emailed to your group on 5 May 2021.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

3. Examine and critically assess the external forces shaping the business environment.
4. Use strategic tools and the strategic management literature to evaluate an international company’s strategic options.

Presentations due Pre-recorded group presentations are to be uploaded via OneDrive by 5pm, Wednesday 12th May 2021.

Brief:

Working together as a team, in groups of 4-5 students from within your seminar group, you will act as The Executive Committee for a large international organisation (The Alibaba Group). You are invited to contribute to the annual strategic executive board meeting in May 2021 where you will collectively present your position, via a pre-recorded video, on what you consider to be the strategic situation facing the organisation (i.e. via TOWS/PEST) and how you suggest the organisation should move forward (i.e. offer strategic choices and options). Your case is to be supported by extensive wider research and your results from your own analysis employing the strategic analytical tools. You should also make suitable recommendations to the Chief Executive Officer and their associated Directors. Your discussions, during the senior management’s strategic board meeting, will feed directly into their strategy development process of the organisation – which is the aim of the board meeting.

What to include:

• Consider the external environment (for example PEST and then match this to the internal environment, e.g. TOWS):

Review political trends and international barriers for the organisations’ international strategy – how might this change in the future?

current and future economic climates of the geographical regions of relevance.

Social trends such as customer buying habits – national and international.

Advances in technology and the impact this will have on the business now and in the future.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the company to meet the needs of the changing environment?

• Depending upon the factors outlined above, what should the future focus of the firm be?

Outline some strategic choices (such as Porters generic strategies of Cost Leadership or Differentiation, as well as results from an Ansoff Growth Matrix).

How do you recommend the organisation move forward – support this with your reading and strategic analysis.

• Utilise relevant strategic analytical tools.

for example: PEST, SWOT/TOWS, Porters generic strategies and the Ansoff Matrix to support your discussion points, arguments and suggestions.

• To summarise the company’s strategic options and make recommendations to the CEO and company director on what should be the long-term direction of the business.

How does this fit with the current values, mission and vision statements of the organisation?

Are these practical – what implications might this pose? i.e. is there an element of risk or financial burden?

What is expected from you and your group:

• Dress in formal business attire and remain professional throughout.
• Act as a collaborative cohesive group – group work should be undertaken wholly together rather than dividing work out and each person taking a separate section.

All group members will speak/ present, thus contribute toward the overall recorded presentation.

• A detailed and well-thought out case with thorough understanding of the issues and content.
• strong arguments supported with evidence.
• Make effective recommendations for the organisations’ future direction.

Marking criteria for assessment 2:

As a group, the external forces shaping the business environment were critically assessed and examined drawn from wider reading and research

Appropriate strategic tools applied, and relevant strategic management /wider literature drawn upon to review the company’s strategic options

Thorough understanding of the issues to enable practical recommendations to be made and the implications of these comprehensively considered

Evidence of cohesive group working and effective presentation and communications of the group in the board room, within a professional manner