COVER PAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

MAIN HEADINGS

SUB HEADINGS

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCES

Scenario

You are part of the strategy and innovation department at a UK-based organisation of your choice that is preparing to launch a Sustainability-Driven Transformation plan. As a Junior Strategy Consultant, your role is to evaluate how internal capabilities and external environmental factors will shape the success of this transformation. The organisation’s leadership team has identified sustainability not only as a compliance requirement but also as a long-term growth opportunity.

Your task is to produce a comprehensive report that evaluates the organisation’s readiness for sustainable transformation and provides evidence-based recommendations.

The report should critically analyse the interplay between the macro environment, the industry context, and the organisation’s internal strengths and weaknesses.

The final document will be submitted to the Sustainability Steering Committee to support strategic decision-making and planning.

Report Requirements

1. Introduction (including Mission, Vision, and Objectives)

• Provide a clear overview of the chosen organisation, including its mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
• Explain the importance of sustainability within its sector and why it is relevant to the organisation’s growth.

2. External / Macro Environment Analysis

• Apply the PESTLE framework to analyse the impact of the broader sustainability-related factors (e.g., environmental regulation, consumer behaviour shifts, technological advancements in green innovation) on your chosen organisation and its strategies
• Use Porter’s Five Forces to evaluate the competitive pressures and market dynamics that may affect the sustainability transformation.

3. Critical Analysis of Macro Environment for Strategic Decision-Making

• Critically analyse how the findings from PESTLE and Five Forces shape opportunities and risks.
• Provide insights on which external factors should be prioritised in the organisation’s sustainability strategy.

4. Internal Environment and Capabilities Assessment 

• Conduct a SWOT analysis to highlight internal strengths and weaknesses linked to sustainability (e.g., resources, leadership, culture, supply chain).
• Evaluate how internal capabilities align with external opportunities and threats.

5. Value Chain Analysis

• Apply Porter’s Value Chain to identify core and support activities that can drive sustainable value creation.
• Assess where the organisation adds value efficiently and where weaknesses or inefficiencies undermine sustainability performance.
• Interpret data and evidence to recommend which areas should be developed to support sustainable transformation.

6. Conclusions and Recommendations

• Summarise findings on the organisation’s overall readiness for sustainability transformation.

Report Guidelines

• Word count: 2,000-2,500 words (excluding references and appendices).
• Use Harvard referencing throughout.
• Support all analysis with contemporary examples (e.g., reports, industry news, case studies, government publications).
• Present findings in a professional, business-report style with clear headings and subheadings.

Deadline for activity 1 formative feedback is 7^th November 2025 on Moodle

Building on the analysis completed in Task 1, you are now required to develop a strategic management plan for your chosen organisation. The plan should be informed by relevant models, theories, and concepts that guide effective strategic decision-making. It must focus on creating and sustaining competitive advantage within a defined market sector. Your strategy should demonstrate clear alignment between the analysis in Task 1 and the proposed actions in Task 2.

You should define strategic objectives, recommend appropriate management tools, and outline tactical actions to guide the transformation process. The report must be structured to show critical thinking, application of theory, and clear strategic direction.

All work must be supported with credible research (academic journals, industry reports, government data) and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Failure to reference correctly may result in plagiarism concerns.

Report Structure

• Cover Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction (including company overview and purpose of report)
• Main Body
• Conclusions & Recommendations
• References

1. In this task, first you need to determine and apply appropriate management tools to analyse a given market sector for your chosen organisation and inform strategy.
2. Then, you devise appropriate strategic objectives, based on the outcomes of your analysis above

• Identify two or more strategic management tools to inform strategy (e.g., Ansoff’s Matrix, Porter’s Five Forces, Blue Ocean Strategy, or Bowman’s Strategy Clock).
• Explain why these tools are suitable for analysing your chosen organisation.

• Develop three to four strategic directions, objectives  and tactical actions that reflect the organisation’s transformation goals.
• Ensure objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
• Ensure to link each objective directly to the challenges and opportunities you have identified

Examples: “Increase digital sales by 25% within three years through e-commerce expansion” or “Reduce operational costs by 15% via process automation within two years.”

1. Justify use of an appropriate strategic management tool for a given market sector, to inform strategy and strategic objectives for your chosen organisation.
2. Apply a range of models, concepts or theories to interpret and devise strategic planning for your chosen organisation.
3. Lastly, using the strategic direction and objectives you have identified previously, you now design a strategic management plan, that has tangible and tactical strategic priorities and objectives to improve competitive edge and market position based on the outcomes.

• Select one strategic management tool (e.g., Ansoff’s Matrix).
• Justify why this tool is the most relevant to guiding the organisation’s transformation
• Compare briefly with at least one other tool, highlighting why the chosen one is better suited.

• Apply at least two different strategic frameworks (e.g. Porter’s generic strategies, Hybrid strategy, Strategic positioning and extended model of Bowman’s Strategy Clock)
• Show how these models complement each other in shaping the transformation strategy.

•  Address how the organisation will:

• • Improve efficiency
  • Enhance customer experience
  • Strengthen competitiveness
• Present the plan in a structured format (tables, roadmaps, or Gantt charts recommended).

• Ensure the plan includes both strategic (long-term) and tactical (short-term, actionable) elements.

  Word Count

• Recommended: 2,000- 2,500 words (excluding references and appendices).

Textbooks

JOHNSON, G. et al (2019) Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases.12th Ed Harlow: Pearson. KIM, W. C. and MAUBORGNE, R. (2015) Blue Ocean Strategy. Expanded Ed.

Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
ROTHAERMEL, F. (2018) Strategic Management. 4th Ed. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.