Strategy Implementation and Strategic Controls

Assignment Overview

This final case involves an analysis of strategy implementation at the Coca-Cola Company. You will use the resources you identified in the SLP to gather information about the company and relate that information to your work in the previous four cases.

Case Assignment

In Module 4, we will conclude the case study process by researching the Coca-Cola Company's strategic controls and their fit with the company's chosen strategy.

Keys to the Assignment
•Step One: Review your Case papers from Modules 1-3 so that you are familiar with the mission, vision, SWOT, strategy, and strategic choices you have identified over the course of the class.
•Step Two: Research the structure, systems, people, and culture at the Coca-Cola Company. You will not be able to get answers to every single question, but you will need to answer at least one or two for each component.
•Step Three: Describe the Coca-Cola Company's organizational design, key strategic control systems (e.g., budgeting and variance analysis systems), primary human resources concerns, and cultural factors, and the effect that these have had on the implementation of the Coca-Cola Company's strategy.
•Step Four: In a 6 to 8 page paper, critically evaluate the fit—or the lack of fit—between the company's mission, strategy, and organizational components crucial to implementation. Do these components complement the strategy? Why or why not?
•Step Five: Choose three (3) of the thirteen ethical "prescriptions" included in the following article: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/strategic-plan.html. Next, discuss the extent which the company's sense of business ethics has been embedded within its strategic management process, as evidenced by your chosen three indicators.
•Step Six: What changes would you—as the CEO—make to better assure the success of the company's strategy? This is the most important section of the Module 4 Case.
•Step Seven: Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as the Coca-Cola Company's consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:
◦Executive summary: This is a synopsis of the main points, conclusions and recommendations made in the longer report. If you would like a refresher on writing an executive summary, check this website: http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html
◦Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
◦Main Body: The "meat" of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate separate topics or sections with headings.
◦Conclusion: Summarize your paper in the light of your thesis statement.

Assignment Expectations
•Business school case-study assignments are meant to offer practice opportunities for future businesspeople who are earning their MBA degrees. Consider yourself a consultant hired by the company to make these critical assessments. There are no right or wrong answers to the Case question, as long as your position is well defended.
•Study the theoretical concepts provided in the Background materials section of the module, and identify main strategy concepts.
•Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 6-8 pages of analysis described above. You must meet minimum length requirements.
•Include section headings as appropriate.
•Cite and reference all sources, including those you paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and citations for information you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.