There are two parts to this homework assignment, a PEST analysis and a SWOT analysis. Both of these assignments will be added as appendices to your capstone project.

PEST Analysis
For this part of the assignment you will need to go to the . Using the organization that you are going to do your capstone project on, complete and upload the PEST analysis into the dropbox for  unit 2.  Each section in the PEST template has over 10 factors. Choose ONLY FOUR factors from each list for inclusion in your PEST (so 16 factors total- four from each category), and be sure to explain why you chose these factors.

SWOT Analysis
For this part of the assignment you will need to go to the . Using the organization that you are going to do your capstone project on, complete and upload the SWOT analysis into the dropbox for  unit 2.  You’ll notice that there are over 30 key factors in the SWOT template. Choose ONLY EIGHT of these factors for your SWOT. The ‘Technology’ key factor is mandatory, but you can pick the other seven that you want to explore. When you’re done you should have 32 cells in this matrix completed (eight factors, and the attending strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/strengths associated with each). Unlike with the PEST you do not need to justify your choice of factors here (we’ll do that later on in the capstone). 

Assignment

Chapters 1 & 2

Some textbooks and training on project management begin by explaining the specifics of project management, its processes, and the benefits. They then get into the mechanics of using project management software, the reporting structure, and reporting outcomes. While this is certainly one way to address this topic, in Chapters 1 and 2 of our textbook, Kerzner emphasized that understanding project management is not solely about using the right widgets or taking the right steps. Instead, project management is a holistic approach of using best practices for the success and survivability of an organization. All employees are actually project managers to some degree and are expected to make business as well as project decisions (Kerzner, 2014, p. 14). 

Every organization is unique and while project management offers tools and processes based on past successes and best practices, defining success is an individual process based on organizations, industries, and desired outcomes a cookie-cutter approach does not always work. 

Assignment Instructions:

For this weeks assignment, you are going to apply the information and discussions from Chapters 1 and 2 to a work situation you are familiar with. This exercise will help you identify with the issues being discussed as well as better familiarize you with applying the concepts. 

Part I Chapter 1:

• Identify and describe a work environment that you are familiar with do not use a specific business name, just identify the industry (e.g., fast food, retail, IT-helpdesk, medical-doctors office or hospital).
• Describe the best practices used. Are they written down, conveyed by word of mouth, learned in training sessions, on-the-job knowledge? Or are there no formalized best practices used? Obviously, there will be many different options to choose from, so please do not describe the entire job; instead, narrow down your options to a specific area or job. For example, if you work retail, you might want to focus on how you learned the technologies used when customers are purchasing an item. If you work IT-HelpDesk, you may want to cover the process used for handling a specific technology-related problem with a customer (use one that you frequently encounter).
• What did the role of best practices play in your ability to effectively do your job or be a success in your organization? For some of you, it may have been a structured training session that was very effective in establishing a baseline in the organization. For others, it may have been a training partner where nothing is written down on the job training. But for some of you, it may have been sink or swim!

Part II Chapter 2:

• Based on the relevance to your response in Part I, identify one of the Migraine Headaches discussed in chapter 2. (e.g., having the wrong culture in place pp. 75-76).
• Explain what role this headache played in your ability to successfully do your job. How did it help or hinder you to contribute to the success of your organization? Did you have sufficient knowledge or information to effectively handle the situation?
• What recommendations would you have for your organization regarding best practices? These recommendations must be focused on the success and sustainability of the organization. Therefore, clearly explain how your recommendation ties to the organizations success. Stay focused on the issue you identified from Chapter 2 do not include the kitchen sink! I realize that this is early in the class and weve only covered Chapters 1 and 2; however, at this point Im sure you have a good idea of what you might do differently if you were in-charge.

Assignment Requirements:

• Post Part I & Part II as one Threaded Discussion (not two separate postings). This will allow other students to respond to your posting.
• Total threaded discussion must be 400-600 words (approximately one page). strictly enforced. While this may seem like a lot to some of you, I can guarantee that as you begin writing, it will be difficult to stay within the confines of those word-count parameters. This will require that you be clear, concise, and focused on what youre going to say. As one of my previous professors used to say, he does not grade by weight but by quality.
• Posting must be in narrative/sentence form not a list of bullets. Good sentence structure, grammar, and spelling are required. You may include headings if you choose.
• You must include two citations one in Part I from Chapter 1 and one in Part II from Chapter II. These citations must support or strengthen your position. They can both be from the textbook or you may include outside sources. Be sure to include a reference at the bottom of your posting. All citations and references must be in APA format. If you do not own an APA manual, consider purchasing a handbook from a bookstore or online site. A website that is helpful for both APA and MLA formatting is

Part III: Response to Classmates Posting:

• After youve posted your original posting for Part I & Part II, please respond to a classmates posting.
• You must respond to at least one posting. While I am not setting a word-count for your response, it must be substantial and add information or support to their posting. This can be in the form of a similar experience you had and how you handled the situation.
• Short answers such as ‘I agree, Good job, or I had a similar situation are not acceptable.
• Citations/references are not required in your response.

Reference

Kerzner, H. (2014). Project Management Best Practices: Achieving Global Excellence (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons

Exercise Assignment #2

1. Identify an example of a company that competes on one of the competitive priorities discussed in the chapter (e.g. consider companies you have read about, that are in this book; it could even be a company you shopped at on your way home or have worked at).
2. What is the companys product? What is the companys competitive priority?
3. Identify specific aspects of the companys supply chain that enable the company to compete in this way (e.g. vertical integration or special relationship with suppliers or specialized technology).
4. Zara is discussed in the Chapter opener. What is Zaras competitive priority? Give examples of how Zara ensures this strategy. Do you think this strategy will continue to be effective in the future? Why or why not?

Tip: It is okay to make assumptions about a company. As long as you are able to justify your decision based on your assumptions it is fine. The idea is for you to learn the consequences of supply chain decisions and how decisions are interconnected.

 In your own words, explain what the following terms mean to you as they apply to information security and safe computing: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Why are these factors so important to businesses?  The response should be around 400 words and follow APA format.

The use of case study analysis gives you an opportunity to see project management in action. Case study analysis takes abstract methodologies and puts them into practice. In this assignment, you will analyze the case study that will be used for your final project: a program performance report.

Before you begin your case study analysis, review the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric to gain an understanding of what is expected of you as you work toward your final goal in this course. Post any questions you have to the General Questions discussion topic.

Then, read the case study . You will be working with this case study throughout the course, so take the time to familiarize yourself with it. Focus on the important facts and key issues. Use the following guiding questions to focus your reading and assist in writing your overview:

• What is/are the defining objective(s) identified in the case study?
• What are the differences and similarities and the advantages and disadvantages of managing at the project, portfolio, and program levels?
• Who is the target stakeholder group that would benefit from understanding the portfolio management process?
• How does corporate strategy align with the project portfolio in the case study?
• What role does the project manager play in this case study?

Write a concise three- to five-paragraph overview of the case study addressing the previous questions and summarizing your final thoughts on the case study presented.

After reading chapter-7 and chapter-8 from the attached text book, type a two page paper regarding what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding. 

Familiarize yourself with the following terms and concepts discussed this week in preparation for completion of this assignment: organizational structure, organizational culture, inertia, Holacracy, PESTEL model.

Create a 700 to 1,050-word entry in your strategic management research journal (APA paper). You will use information from this entry in your presentation due in Week 5. Respond to the following prompts in your journal entry:

• Assess whether Caterpillar Inc. is using the appropriate measures to verify its strategic effectiveness.  
• Summarize Caterpillar Inc.s organizational structure. 
• Determine whether Caterpillar Inc.s organizational structure is considered a traditional organizational structure or a Holacracy.  
• Detail why it is important for Caterpillar Inc. leadership to study and understand the companys internal and external environments.  
• Evaluate Caterpillar Inc.s competitive position and how they have responded to shifts in the external and internal environments.  

Please use APA criteria for creating your journal (APA Paper).

Website: https://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/who-we-are.html

Familiarize yourself with the following terms and concepts discussed this week in preparation for completion of this assignment: market capitalization, economic value created, sustainable strategy, business-level strategy, differentiation strategy, strategy canvas.

Create a 700 to 1,050-word entry in your strategic management research journal. You will use information from this entry in your presentation due in Week 5. Respond to the following prompts in your journal entry:

• Describe the role of strategic planning in achieving a competitive advantage.  
• Assess Caterpillar Inc. to determine whether their top focus is accounting profitability, shareholder value creation, or economic value creation. 
• Assess whether Caterpillar Inc. leverages the appropriate value and cost drivers for their business strategy. 
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Caterpillar Incs competitive advantages.
• Evaluate the influence of ethics, social responsibility, and legal considerations on strategic planning.  
• Discuss the value of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and determine if Caterpillar Inc.s CSR meets those values. 
• Analyze the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing Caterpillar Inc.s strategic plan while considering stakeholder needs and agenda. 

Please use APA style format.

Use this website for Caterpillar info :

 https://www.caterpillar.com/en/company/who-we-are.html 

Case 2: The Wallace Group

Conduct a strategic analysis using the Executive Summary template.   Prepare and submit a three-page executive summary that discusses what  strategic alternatives are available and provide a recommended  strategy. 

You are to work alone to analyze and prepare the Executive Summary  for the case.  NOTE: Click “Submit Assignment” in the upper right-hand  corner of your screen to turn in your Executive Summary no later than  Sunday, midnight CT. Name your file with your name and the unit number,  i.e. Jones1 or Brown1. Your file should be in either Microsoft word  (.doc or .docx) or rich text (.rtf) format.

The following information will be required for the Executive Summary.  and the  These files are required for the unit textbook case studies. 

Synopsis of the Case: The content of the synopsis should present relevant background facts about the case under examination.

Relevant Factual Information about the Problem or Decision the Organization Faced: State  the precise problem or decision the organization faced.  The section  should include information that addressed the business issue under  examination. This section should be no longer than a single paragraph.

Explanation of Relevant Concepts, Theories and Applications Derived from Course Materials:  This  section should be the bulk of your paper. Analysis of the business  problem or decision in light of the course concepts must be presented,  as well as the business lesson another organization could learn from  this situation. Besides citation to the text, learners must conduct  research in the University library related to the top. Citing the  textbook only is not enough to demonstrate you understand and can apply  the course objectives. Here is where comparative and contrasting  positions should be considered and examples and illustrations provided.

Recommendations: Provide logical  recommendations to address the business lesson identified above. The  recommendations need not to be specific to the organization examined,  but should consider how other organizations, if similarly situated,  could lessen the impact of the problem or decision identified. Recall,  that the organization under examination has already moved pasted this  problem so any recommendations made, at this point, are fruitless. The  focus of this section should be on what other companies should be aware  of to address similar problems or decisions. Citation to the textbook  alone is insufficient for analysis in this section. Learners should  conduct research in the Universitys library to support their positions.  Depth of scholarship is not demonstrated by providing personal opinions  alone, but by using examples, analogies, comparison and illustrations  from the academic literature. Not only does this synthesize the material  to assist the readers understanding, it is an effective way to present  the academic sources and extend the discussion of your ideas. This  section should be a paragraph or two.

Alternative Recommendations: This section is not a  continuation of the prior. Provide suggestions for how to avoid the  problem or decision the examined organization faced. Analysis here  should be may be forward- thinking, predictive or, most likely,  preventative in nature but tied to the thesis statement. Again, opinion  is insufficient to provide the required academic analysis. Sources,  other than the text, must be provided to sustain the statements made.  This section should be a paragraph, at most.

Conclusion: End the assignment with  a summary of the important points made in the document. No new  information may be presented. Writing a conclusion can be done by  rewording the opening or reformulation the topic sentences of each  paragraph to make a summary for the reader. This section should be a  paragraph, at most. 

 500 words – Pick one of the following terms for your research: coercive forces, institutional environment, interorganizational relationships, joint venture, legitimacy, niche, organizational ecosystem, retention, strategic alliance, or trade association.

500 words –  Read  and complete the questions at the end of the case study. 

500 words –   Pick one of the following terms for your research: Morals, principles, values, corporate social responsibility, or ethical culture.