MKT3002 writing tute

1
MKT3002 writing tute

• Week 11
• 28/05/03

2
Overview of tute

• Quick questions
• Jareds disclaimer and soapbox
• Review of sample paragraphs

3
Quick Questions

• Does the assignment need to be double spaced? Is
  it better to have new sections starting on a new
  page?
• Yes to both questions. Double spacing makes it
  easier to give you feedback and new sections
  should be on new pages for the benefit of the
  firm.
• Do we do a Transmittal Letter, Executive Summary
  Table of Contents
• Yes. This benefits the firm so they do not need
  to be double spaced.
• If recommending market development, do we need to
  specify what segments? And if recommending
  strategic alliance, do we need to specify with
  who?
• not really.  You don't want to give away more
  than you have to.  Make it convincing and
  acceptable but leave yourself opportunities to
  make more money later through additional research
• How do we refer to the owner of the business? By
  name, by title?
• Whatever you think will be well received. Don't
  write the report for me, write it for the firm.
• I discovered in conducting the value chain
  analysis and through observation dealing with HR.
  Do we have to use one of the strategies outlined
  in text books or can we develop strategies that
  would over come these problems? 
• I don't get the question. You have to develop
  strategies that overcome the problem but how you
  can develop any strategy not thought by the
  strategy experts? 

4
More quick questions

• Through conducting the SWOT analysis I have found
  several opportunities to export to Asia.  Even
  though I did not mention this in the problem
  identification section, can I still recommend a
  strategy to develop this potential area?   
• The problem statement is only a best guess and
  cannot be confirmed until after the analysis is
  complete.  You should then restate the confirmed
  management problem before proceeding with
  discussing the various alternatives to solve the
  problem.
• I have read in several books that strategies are
  suppose to achieve the company's objectives.  I
  have outlined the company's objectives however
  the strategies in the reference material I am
  using do not achieve the company's objective. 
  Can I develop strategies that will achieve this? 
• Yes, but maybe your analysis is incorrect or
  maybe you don't understand the strategies. 
• Do we have to discuss the management and control
  systems? 
• Can you afford not to?  Has there ever been a
  good strategy that has not been well managed and
  controlled? Keep in mind that you do not have to
  provide a detailed report on this section...just
  the main points that you recommend they need to
  consider further. 

5
Last quick question

• Does section 10 wants us to include the theory of
  the different types of strategic change? And how
  much theory are we required to include in this
  section? Are there other issues like importance
  of context, organisational culture theory that we
  must include?
• in terms of the amount of theory to include you
  need to treat this section like any other
  section.  In other words, you need to integrate
  the understanding of the theory to sufficiently
  apply it in order to develop and support your
  major arguments.  For the report to have some
  usefulness you must show the reader that you have
  considered whatever needs to be considered.

6
My disclaimer

• All comments given about writing the report
  throughout the whole semester has been and will
  be focused on making the report USEFUL to the
  decision maker
• Many ideas and techniques over and above basic
  requirements of course and therefore may SEEM to
  be contradictory.
• Designed to help students gain employment
• Some advice not needed for course but then why
  are you studying? To get employment?
• So if you dont care about employment and
  usefulness but only to do the minimum required
  then ignore me.
• I will not prescribe what should or should not be
  in report or how to write it.

7
Soapbox about report writing

• Present a convincing argument
• Report analysisdont tell stories or say what
  will happen.
• Focused on one MAJOR purpose/objective goal
• to know, do or believe whatever you want reader
  to know, do or think
• Clearly identify ALL the MAJOR/KEY arguments (not
  many)
• The reader needs to be convinced in order to
  achieve objective
• Identify all the key ideas that need to be
  presented
• Ensure that each argument is fully developed so
  that the reader is convinced sufficiently to
  achieve objective
• Judge for yourself if needed or not and if
  effective or not.
• If it does not convince then change or delete it
• If will help to convince then add it.
• Do you have to do it? I dont know, unless Im
  not convinced
• Homepage info

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Sample paragraph 1

• 3.2.3 Value chain
• Firms name practice of ordering in computer
  components, software, etc. as required means that
  unnecessary transporting costs are incurred, and
  indicates the business poor stock control.
  These costs are likely to be reflected in the
  product prices or alternately, must be absorbed
  by the business. Furthermore, the owner noted
  that it is possible to assemble a computer within
  two hours of receiving an order. Obviously, this
  is not feasible if the necessary parts are not on
  hand. By utilising its information support
  system (ie. customer database), firm can
  improve its stock control. With the knowledge of
  which computers are most popular, firm can
  order several of each of the most used parts.

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Sample paragraph 2

• 1.0 INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 Background
• firms name need to look at the factors
  surrounding their drop in perceived customer
  service with its core customers over the past 12
  months.

10
Sample paragraph 3

• This is a random paragraph from the external
  environment, discussing the competitors to the
  firm in question.
• Other major competitors with stores nationwide
  include clothing retailer, "Cue", attracting
  women 20 to 50 with contemporary fashion. It is
  effective in keeping in touch with its core base
  and management has no intention of broadening
  this base. "Portman's", targets women 18 -24
  years. It has a mid price structure offering
  directional fashion to a broad customer base.
  ''Rockmans", another competitor, targets women 20
  years and over providing mainstream fashion and a
  mid-price structure as well. Narrowing its market
  base has contributed to its great coverage in
  regional Australia. Its marketing focus on this
  age group is still evolving. "Witchery" stores
  are attracting women 25 - 35 years positioning
  themselves just outside firms name target
  audience has met with good results providing
  directional fashion with a mid to upper price
  range. "Witchery" has streamlined its customer
  base and seems to be providing its target market
  with the right mix of clothing apparel and price
  range (Hannen 2003).

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Sample paragraph 4

• Paragraph that follows directly from previous
  paragraph
• All of these characteristics for each competitor
  help confirm there is a market for targeting a
  younger demographic and trying to capture this
  influential market early creating a comfort zone
  for consumers. A part of firms name strategy
  is to create a bond with young consumers and keep
  them for as long as possible by providing the
  right atmosphere and the latest trends all year
  round.

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Sample paragraph 5

• 3.0 Diagnosis of problem
• owners name investigated employing more staff
  to alleviate the burden on the current workers
  but it was discovered that the right people with
  the required skills were not out there, and with
  one cadet designer on the staff they cannot
  afford to train anymore and are at almost full
  capacity at their current location as they could
  only take on one more designer, and with the
  combined factors of the prime location and
  insufficient capital to move, they are unlikely
  to move in the near future.

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Sample paragraph 6

• (FROM WITHIN EXTERNAL ANALYSIS)
• Overall the current economic environment faced by
  FIRM NAME compliments the opportunities and
  threats currently required addressing (ref PESTEL
  analysis). The businesses geographic market is
  limited to the local region making convenience
  for patients and residents in terms of proximity
  to family and friends, and for the doctors an
  important constraint on the geographical limits
  of the Pittsworth market. The overall demand for
  private hostels such as Beauaraba Lodge increased
  in demand in recent years (ABS 2002) (ref PESTEL
  analysis). This increase in demand in accordance
  with the ageing population of Pittsworth (ABS
  2002) has a significant effect on the
  organisational culture (ref cultural web), as
  changes will be required to allow for this
  increase in demand. It also influences
  management decisions and power within the
  organisation, hence affecting the overall flow of
  activities within the organisation (ref value
  chain).

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Sample paragraph 7

• 7.0 Resource allocation
• In order to successfully implement the
  recommended strategy, resources need to be
  allocated in four aspects of the organisation.
  These are human, information, financial and
  technological resources.
• 7.1 Human resources -
• The area of human resources is often seen as one
  of the most valuable assets of the organisation,
  as they are involved in all aspects of the hotels
  operation.
• Therefore to keep up with industry standards,
  necessary training programs need to be
  implemented. through relevant training, staff
  can feel empowered within there positions so that
  they can confront and overcome any opportunities
  or threats that arise out of the day to day
  operation of the hotel. This is important within
  a functional structure where employees may feel
  low job morale because opportunities for job
  development are minimal. Furthermore it is
  important for employees to have a clear
  understanding of there job description in order
  to facilitate efficiency and to eliminated
  departmental problems.

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Sample paragraph 8

• 3.1 External analysis
• There have been many different tools and methods
  used in the external environmental analysis. The
  external environment in the building design
  industry is a stable one in balance where all
  competitions are small businesses with most
  one-person firms and with a shortage of
  designers, major entry barriers of experience
  (Appendix three) little differentiation and all
  operating largely in the same markets (Appendix
  six), competitors are not a major threat to
  firms name, assuming the market stays in its
  current stable format.

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Sample paragraph 9

• (FROM MANAGEMENT PROBLEM)
• Various symptoms of a larger organisational
  problem have been identified in order to
  determine the management problem and strategic
  issue which Pittsworth Hospital is presented with
  (ref. cause and effect tree). Pittsworth
  Hospital does not know what the target market
  needs and wants are, this is shown through these
  various symptoms featured in the cause and effect
  tree. Opportunities have been presented to
  management over recent times, however it has been
  impossible to determine what to invest resources
  and core competences into.

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Sample paragraph 10

• 3.0 Plan of conduct/situation analysis
• Once the strategic problem has been diagnosed and
  identified, an internal and external
  environmental analysis of firm name would be
  conducted. The external analysis aimed at
  discovering the potential opportunities and
  threats from the external environment that is
  impacting the growth of firm name.
• Then an internal environment analysis of firm
  name is carried out. The analysis will list out
  the strengths and weaknesses that may be used to
  help define those aspects of the organization
  that help or hinder the growth of firm name.
• 3.1 external analysis

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Sample paragraph 11

• (FROM INTERNAL ANALYSIS the concluding para)
• Overall the flow of organisational activities and
  links between support and primary activities are
  strong (ref. Value Chain). However, weaknesses
  are found in this flow of activities which
  negatively affect the overall value of the
  services being provided by the hospital. These
  weaknesses are in turn effecting the efficiency
  and effectiveness that must be found in the
  support activities to enable a quality service to
  be provided (Johnson and Scholes 2002). These
  weaknesses identified are a direct contradiction
  to the firms mission statement. It is essential
  that these be eliminated and the identified
  strengths be coupled with the opportunities found
  in the external environment analysis (David
  1986). Through this coupling a strategic plan
  may be developed and implemented in accordance
  with the firms objectives (David 1986),
  overcoming the management problem of deciding
  what opportunities to invest the firms resources
  into, and strategic issue of lack of target
  market knowledge will then be able.

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Sample paragraph 12

• 6.0 Short-listing of strategies
• The first possible strategy is Horizontal
  integration, which is seeking ownership of
  competitors (Johnson Scholes 2002). firm name
  can obtain the needed financial and other
  resources to but another competitor and keep the
  competitor on as a new designer and add some of
  his customers. It would be another designer who
  could be part of the quality assurance check and
  while there would be a slight increase of
  customers, the extra designer would make the
  quality check more efficient allowing more time
  for personalised customer service. It will
  require the acquisition of high finance.
• The second strategy is internal development,
  which according to Johnson and Scholes (2002)
  involves building up a firms own resource base
  and competences. This would be done by paying
  greater attention to using its resources and
  competences in a way that will help firm name
  to maintain their competitive advantage

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Sample paragraph 13

• 1.4 Scope
• The scope of this report is the consideration of
  three alternative strategies to achieve the
  customer service goals of the company.
• 1.5Sources of Information
• Information for this report has been obtained
  from research done on the company, competitors
  and market. Secondary sources have been consulted
  in regards to marketing theory and the
  application of these theories to the case.