OL 501 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a strategy and change management plan. This course provides a broad survey of topics that together contribute
to an overall business acumen that managers need to possess in order to be successful in today’s business environment. Organizations are looking for managers
with a broad base of understanding that includes accounting, business environment analysis, employee motivation, sustainability, and how all these factors
blend together with the organization’s values to influence its strategic direction and the means in which it chooses to pursue it goals.
In your final project, you will choose one of the provided case studies and assume the role of a consultant hired by the executive management of the company
described in your chosen case study to construct a high-level strategy for success based on the various economic, competitive, and management challenges
faced by the company.
The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Four, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Assess current performance of an organization through analysis of financial statements for informing a strategic plan
Analyze the internal and external environment of an organization for determining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
Develop a basic strategy to promote an organization’s goals based on the analysis of the internal and external environment
Determine appropriate key performance indicators for effectively measuring the success of a proposed strategy
Determine the impact of proposed strategic decisions across departments in an organization for identifying potential internal challenges
Prompt
Assume you are a consultant who is tasked with advising a company facing a strategic challenge. To determine the best approach, you will assess the
organization’s current business situation and make recommendations on how the company should change its approach to doing business in order to maintain
profitability and sustainability.
You will choose one of the following cases from the HBR Coursepack for your analysis:
Long-Term Orientation in the Benedictine Monastery of Admont
American Apparel: Drowning in Debt?
Your presentation must address the following prompt: Select a case study and construct a high-level strategy for success based on the various economic,
competitive, and management challenges faced by the organization. To accomplish this task, you will describe the organization’s mission, vision, and values;
perform a TOWS analysis on the organization; and recommend a strategy that uses the organization’s strengths to capitalize on available market opportunities,
identifies its organizational weaknesses, and prescribes appropriate actions to address the threats that it faces. Additionally, you will identify metrics that will
serve as key performance indicators to track the success of your recommended strategy, and develop a risk mitigation plan to minimize any adverse
consequences.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: In this section, characterize the organization you have chosen for your final project.
A. Identify the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
B. Explain the challenge(s) facing the organization. Support with specifics from the case.
II. Business Environment: Analyze the internal and external setting of your chosen organization.
A. Perform a TOWS analysis to determine a strategic approach to threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths for your chosen organization.
B. Based on the TOWS analysis, ascertain strategic areas for improvement in the organization’s approach to doing business. Support with specifics
from the case.
C. Prioritize the areas to address by how well they align with the organization mission and values.
III. Financials: Examine the company’s financial statements to assess organizational health.
A. Explain what the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement reveal about how the company is functioning.
B. Calculate financial ratios and interpret what those say about the organization’s financial health. Support with specifics.
C. Identify the potential problem areas in the company as reflected in the financials.
IV. Strategy: What does the company need to do to change direction?
A. Devise a basic strategy to move the organization in a new direction based on the environmental analysis.
B. Identify the key players in implementing the strategy (marketing, operations, accounting, sales, HR, etc.) and describe how it affects them.
C. Develop a basic (high-level) plan to improve organizational performance.
1. Define goals for profitability based on specifics from analyses.
2. Explain in detail how the goals are in alignment with the company mission, vision, and values.
D. Describe in detail how this plan affects the organization’s departments (marketing, operations, HR functions, etc.).
V. Key Performance Indicators: What does success look like?
A. Determine the specific KPIs you will use to effectively measure the success of the strategy and explain how/why these KPIs align with the
identified strategy and with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
B. Identify at least one KPI for each profitability goal identified previously.
VI. Summary
A. Explain why your basic strategy is the most appropriate for meeting the organization’s goals. Support with specific details from the case.
B. Identify departmental risks associated with your strategy and develop a risk mitigation plan.
C. Predict what other factors may affect your ability to implement the mitigation plan (costs, regulations, unions, etc.).
Milestones
Milestone One: Introduction and Analysis of Business Environment
In Module Three, you will submit the Introduction and Analysis of Business Environment. You will characterize the organization you have chosen for your final
project and analyze the internal and external setting of your chosen organization. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Analysis of Financial Situation
In Module Four, you will submit your Analysis of Financial Situation. In this milestone, you will examine the company’s financial statements to assess
organizational health. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Strategy and Key Performance Indicators
In Module Seven, you will submit the Strategy and Key Performance Indicators. In this milestone, you will discuss what the company needs to do to change
direction and what success will look like. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Strategy and Change Management Plan
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final project prompt. It
should reflect the incorporation of knowledge gained throughout the course and feedback from each of your milestone worksheets. This submission will be
graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading
One Introduction and Analysis of Business
Environment
Three Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric
Two Analysis of Financial Situation Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric
Three Strategy and Key Performance Indicators Seven Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric
Final Submission: Strategy and Change
Management Plan
Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your strategy and change management plan must be 9–12 pages in length (plus a cover page and references section) and must be
written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. All references must be cited in APA format.
Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value
Introduction:
Mission, Vision, and
Values
Identifies the company mission,
vision, and values (100%)
Identifies the company mission,
vision, or values, but not all
three, or misidentifies one or
two (70%)
Does not identify the company
mission, vision, and values (0%)
5
Introduction:
Challenges
Explains the challenges facing
the organization with ample
supporting details from the
case (100%)
Explains the challenges facing
the organization with some
supporting details from the
case (90%)
Explains the challenges facing
the organization, but
explanation contains
inaccuracies or lacks supporting
detail (70%)
Does not explain the challenges
facing the organization (0%)
5
Business
Environment: TOWS
Analysis
Performs a comprehensive
TOWS analysis, displaying a
nuanced understanding of the
quadrants (100%)
Performs a TOWS analysis to
determine a strategic approach
to strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats for
the chosen company (90%)
Performs a TOWS analysis, but
the analysis is not complete or
contains inaccuracies regarding
content or strategic
implications (70%)
Does not perform a TOWS
analysis (0%)
5
Business
Environment: Areas
for Improvement
Based on the TOWS analysis,
ascertains possible areas for
improvement with ample
supporting details from the
case (100%)
Based on the TOWS analysis,
ascertains possible areas for
improvement with some
supporting information (90%)
Ascertains possible areas for
improvement, but lacks
support, contains inaccuracies,
or misses direct correlation to
TOWS (70%)
Does not ascertain possible
areas for improvement based
on the TOWS analysis (0%)
5
Business
Environment:
Prioritize Areas
Prioritizes areas to address and
shows keen insight into
alignment with the company
mission and values (100%)
Prioritizes the areas to address
by how well they align with the
company mission and values
(90%)
Prioritizes the areas to address,
but they are misaligned with
company mission and values
(70%)
Does not prioritize the areas to
address by how well they align
with the company mission and
values (0%)
5
Financials: Statement Examines and reports on what
the statements reveal, making
cogent connections between
the statements and how the
company is functioning (100%)
Examines and reports on what
the statements reveal about
how the company is
functioning (90%)
Examines and reports on what
the statements reveal about
how the company is
functioning, but the report is
not complete or contains
inaccuracies (70%)
Does not examine and report
on what the statements reveal
about how the company is
functioning (0%)
5
Financials: Calculate
and Interpret
Correctly calculates the
financial ratios, and
interpretation displays complex
grasp of the role of financial
ratios in determining financial
health (100%)
Correctly calculates the
financial ratios and interprets
what those say about the
company’s financial health
(90%)
Calculates the financial ratios,
but the calculation contains
some numerical and/or
interpretation inaccuracies of
what those say about the
company’s financial health
(70%)
Does not correctly calculate the
financial ratios and interpret
what those say about the
company’s financial health (0%)
5
Financials: Problem
Areas
Correctly identifies the
potential problem areas in the
company as reflected in the
financials (100%)
Identifies some potential
problem areas in the company
as reflected in the financials,
but the identification is not
complete or contains
inaccuracies (70%)
Does not identify the potential
problem areas in the company
as reflected in the financials
(0%)
5
Strategy: Basic
Strategy
Devises a basic strategy to
move the company in a new
direction, presenting keen
insight into connections with
TOWS (100%)
Devises a basic strategy to
move the company in a new
direction based on
environmental analysis (90%)
Devises a basic strategy to
move the company in a new
direction, but the strategy is
not entirely based on
environmental analysis (70%)
Does not devise a basic
strategy to move the company
in a new direction based on
environmental analysis (0%)
5
Strategy: Key Players Identifies the key players in
implementing the strategy,
with ample and cogent
descriptions on how it affects
them (100%)
Identifies the key players in
implementing the strategy and
briefly describes how it affects
them (90%)
Identifies some of the key
players in implementing the
strategy, but the identification
is incomplete or lacks detail on
how they are affected (70%)
Does not identify the key
players in implementing the
strategy and describe how it
affects them (0%)
5
Strategy: Basic Plan Develops a basic (high-level)
plan to improve performance,
demonstrating in-depth
knowledge of relevant plan
elements and concepts (100%)
Develops a basic (high-level)
plan to improve organizational
performance (90%)
Develops a basic (high-level)
plan, but it contains
inaccuracies in relation to
improving performance (70%)
Does not develop a basic (highlevel) plan to improve
organizational performance
(0%)
5
Strategy: Basic Plan –
Goals
Defines goals for profitability,
making cogent connections
between the analyses (100%)
Defines goals for profitability
based on specifics from
analyses (90%)
Defines goals for profitability,
but goals contain inaccuracies
in relation to analyses (70%)
Does not define goals for
profitability (0%)
5
Strategy: Basic Plan –
Alignment
Explains how the goals are in
alignment with the company
mission, vision, and values,
including ample details to
support explanation (100%)
Explains how the goals are in
alignment with the company
mission, vision, and values
(90%)
Explains how the goals are in
alignment with the company
mission, vision, and values, but
explanation is incomplete or
lacks sufficient detail (70%)
Does not explain how the goals
are in alignment with the
company mission, vision, and
values (0%)
5
Strategy: Basic Plan –
Affects
Describes how the plan affects
the organization’s other
departments, including ample
details to support description
(100%)
Describes how the plan affects
the organization’s other
departments (90%)
Describes how the plan affects
other departments, but the
description is incomplete or
lacks sufficient detail (70%)
Does not describe how the plan
affects other departments (0%)
5
Key Performance
Indicators: Specific
KPIs
Determines the specific KPIs to
use to effectively measure the
success of the strategy with
complex or unique perspective
on how they align with strategy
and mission, vision, and values
(100%)
Determines the specific KPIs to
use to effectively measure the
success of the strategy and
explains how they align with
strategy and mission, vision,
and values (90%)
Determines KPIs to use to
measure the success of the
strategy, but some KPIs are
incorrect, or explanation of
how they align with strategy
and mission, vision, values is
missing or incorrect (70%)
Does not determine the
specific KPIs to use to
effectively measure the success
of the strategy or explain how
they align with strategy and
mission, vision, and values (0%)
5
Key Performance
Indicators: One for
Each Profitability
Goal
Correctly identifies at least one
KPI for each profitability goal
(100%)
Identifies a KPI for most but
not all goals, or KPIs are
misaligned to goals (70%)
Does not identify at least one
KPI for each goal (0%)
5
Summary: Most
Appropriate
Provides detailed explanation
of why developed strategy is
the most appropriate for
meeting the organization’s
goals, and shows keen insight
into issues and appropriate
solutions (100%)
Explains why developed
strategy is the most
appropriate for meeting the
organization’s goals and
supports with details (90%)
Briefly explains why developed
strategy is the most
appropriate for meeting the
organization’s goals, but
explanation is cursory or
somewhat illogical (70%)
Does not explain why
developed strategy is the most
appropriate for meeting the
organization’s goals (0%)
5
Summary: Risk
Mitigation
Identifies departmental risks
associated with strategy and
develops a risk mitigation plan
that shows keen insight into
issues and appropriate
mitigation strategies (100%)
Identifies departmental risks
associated with strategy and
develops a risk mitigation plan
(90%)
Identifies departmental risks
and develops a risk mitigation
plan, but plan is cursory, is
somewhat illogical, or contains
inaccuracies (70%)
Does not identify risks or
develop a risk mitigation plan
(0%)
5
Summary: Ability to
Implement
Predicts what factors will affect
the ability to implement the
mitigation plan, including
ample details to support the
prediction (100%)
Predicts what factors will affect
the ability to implement the
mitigation plan (90%)
Predicts factors that will affect
the ability to implement the
mitigation plan, but response is
cursory, lacking appropriate
detail (70%)
Does not predict what factors
will affect the ability to
implement the mitigation plan
(0%)
5
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-toread format (100%)
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
(90%)
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas (70%)
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas (0%)
5
Total 100%
