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MBA 699 Project Guidelines and Rubric

MBA-699-Q2927 Strategic Opportunity Mgmt 22TW2 TM

1/8/23, 1:49 PM MBA 699 Project Guidelines and Rubric – MBA-699-Q2927 Strategic Opportunity Mgmt 22TW2

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Competencies

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competencies:

Manage stakeholder rela�onships to sustain a compe��ve advantage

Align and integrate a short-term goal with a strategic plan

Create a change management strategy

Scenario

You are a business development manager repor�ng to the vice president (VP) of business development at one of the largest life

sciences organiza�ons in the Midwest. While the organiza�on has shown constant growth and profitability since its incep�on in

1999, the owners have decided that it is �me to sell. Given the current uncertainty in global markets, the organiza�on’s board of

directors is not convinced that this is the right approach.

While work was underway to find a poten�al buyer, the VP called on you to join the strategic planning team to assess the

organiza�on’s exit strategy and make recommenda�ons to its board of directors. You have been working closely with your strategic

planning team to make some ini�al analyses and recommenda�ons to help plan for the sale of the organiza�on.

As part of the planning team, your first task was to select people from your organiza�on to build a guiding coali�on to help the

organiza�on transi�on during and a�er the acquisi�on.

Then, you were asked to analyze one of the organiza�on’s core strengths, its talented pool of employees. This included analyzing the

a�ri�on data to understand why employees have le� the organiza�on and recommending ways to ensure employee stability in the

future. This essen�al informa�on will be provided to poten�al acquirers to assure them of the organiza�on’s ability to retain talent.

While planning was underway, your first poten�al buyer started to get cold feet. So, you were asked to research an alterna�ve buyer

and build a con�ngency plan. This con�ngency plan is an important part of your exit strategy and your report to the board of

directors. You and your team were also asked to formulate an acquisi�on road map that lays out the ac�on steps and �melines for

the plan.

Now that the ini�al analysis and plans are complete, your VP is ready to make the presenta�on to the board of directors. The VP has

asked you to prepare a formal report that you will send to the board prior to the presenta�on. This report will include the analyses

and plans you have developed over the last few weeks. It is important to note that your report will provide a first impression to the

board about the upcoming presenta�on and mee�ng. You need to cra� a compelling message that provides insights based on all the

work your team has done and substan�ates your posi�on with data. In addi�on, as a part of your report, you will also outline a

change management strategy that will help ensure a smoother transi�on a�er the sale of the organiza�on.

Direc�ons

Write a merger integra�on report that includes your analyses and insights and provides a change management strategy for moving

forward toward a sale of the organiza�on in the course scenario. Compile your work from Milestones One, Two, and Three in your

report. Remember to address and incorporate any feedback you may have received from your instructor on your milestone

assignments.

Guiding coali�on: Use the organiza�onal chart and the employee personas provided to guide your selec�on of the guiding coali�on

for the organiza�on in the scenario.

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

1. Recommenda�on: Use the organiza�onal chart and the personas to iden�fy people who should be part of the guiding

coali�on. Review the personas to iden�fy the individuals who have the influence and commitment to make a posi�ve impact

while providing guidance for the change ini�a�ve.

2. Ra�onale: Jus�fy your choice of guiding coali�on team members. Your responses should address the following for each

individual you recommend for the coali�on:

a. What is the person’s �tle and how many people do they manage?

b. How long has each person been with the organiza�on?

c. What area(s) of the organiza�on does this person influence?

d. What is your ra�onale for choosing the person? Consider the person’s characteris�cs for your ra�onale.

e. What role will each person fulfill as a member of the guiding coali�on?

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3. Team-building strategies: Describe ac�vi�es and strategies you will introduce to build a well-func�oning team. Your

response should address the following:

a. What strategies will help the members align with the change ini�a�ve of the organiza�on in the scenario?

b. What steps or ac�ons will you take to establish a sense of urgency within the team?

c. How do these ac�vi�es and strategies help build trust?

Employee a�ri�on analysis report: First, use the employee a�ri�on data to create visuals in Tableau that capture the trends and

possible reasons for reten�on and a�ri�on in the organiza�on. Then, write a report about the current state of human resources and

a�ri�on. Include screenshots from your visualiza�ons to support your report. Remember to consider the employee’s employment

status when visualizing and analyzing the data. The Status column in the spreadsheet indicates whether the employee is a current or

former employee of the organiza�on.

Specifically, you must address the following criteria:

1. Current employee demographics: Summarize the current employee demographics for the organiza�on from the course

scenario.

a. Use Tableau to visualize the demographic data such as age, sex, marital status, and experience and include the

corresponding screenshots in your summary. Choose the graphs or charts that that are best suited to represent the

demographic data.

b. Choose at least two different graph or chart types to represent the demographic data and include the corresponding

screenshots in your wri�en summary. Explain why you have selected the specific chart types to represent your data.

2. A�ri�on analysis : Analyze the given employee data to answer the following ques�ons about a�ri�on in the organiza�on,

including its causes and the rela�onship between a�ri�on and various employment factors. Use Tableau to create a visual

summary of the data and include the corresponding screenshots in your analysis. Choose the graphs or charts you believe

are best suited to represent the required data.

a. Iden�fy the five top reasons for a�ri�on.

b. For those who le� the organiza�on, how many years had it been since their last promo�on?

c. At what age does an employee typically exit the organiza�on?

d. A�er how many years of employment does someone typically leave the company?

e. What is the connec�on between how many �mes a year a person was trained, how long they stayed at the

organiza�on, and whether they have le�?

3. Reten�on: Compare the a�ri�on analysis data with your current employee details to evaluate and prevent future a�ri�on.

Your response should address the following:

a. Using the trends from the a�ri�on data iden�fy if more current employees are likely to leave. Explain your findings.

b. What does your a�ri�on analysis tell you about employee stability in the organiza�on? How is it likely to affect your

organiza�on’s evalua�on by a poten�al buyer?

4. Ac�onable steps: Based on finding from your reten�on analysis, provide three specific ac�ons that the organiza�on can take

to prevent employees from leaving. Provide ra�onale.

Alterna�ve buyer research report: Recommend one poten�al buyer from the alterna�ve buyer op�ons list provided and jus�fy your

choice. Visit the poten�al buyer’s website and research the company's market and financial situa�on. Include this recommenda�on

as an appendix in your report.

Explain your recommenda�on based on the following selec�on (and rubric) criteria:

1. Current market: Describe the current market of the selected poten�al buyer.

a. What types of products does this organiza�on manufacture?

b. Who are their customers?

c. In which industry do they compete?

2. Financial situa�on: Analyze the organiza�on’s (poten�al buyer) financial situa�on, including revenue, expenses, and

profitability.

3. Recent developments: Visit your selected organiza�on’s (poten�al buyer) website and review their news and announcements

over the past year. What notable recent events has the organiza�on experienced that might make them more or less

a�rac�ve to your organiza�on as a buyer? Explain your reasoning.

4. Buyer ra�onale: Jus�fy why this poten�al buyer is the best op�on for the life sciences organiza�on. Use data from your

research to support your ra�onale.

Acquisi�on road map: Develop an acquisi�on road map as a tool for sharing the project with the strategic planning team and the

guiding coali�on.

Task: View this topic

Activity Details

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guiding coali�on.

Specifically, you must address the following criteria:

1. Acquisi�on-related tasks :

a. Describe the tasks and steps that have already been taken toward an acquisi�on since you were appointed to the

strategic planning team.

b. Recommend the tasks and steps that would need to happen over the next one to two years to evaluate and complete

an acquisi�on. For each task and step, provide es�mates for how long it will take to accomplish them, the responsible

par�es, and any dependencies.

2. Gan� chart: Using the provided template, create a Gan� chart that visually illustrates the tasks and steps that you’ve

indicated above (Note:You can copy the chart to include it in the road map document). Your chart should include the

following:

a. Indicate tasks and steps that have already been completed since you were appointed to the strategic planning team.

For example, be sure to include guiding coali�on, industry, and compe��ve research aspects.

b. Indicate "in process" tasks and steps that are currently being performed.

Exit strategy recommenda�ons and plan: Outline your change management strategy for transi�on a�er the acquisi�on.

Specifically, you must address the following criteria:

1. Change management strategy: Using Ko�er’s change model as a guide, explain each step of the change management

strategy that you recommend. Your response should address the following:

a. How will you create a sense of urgency?

b. How will the guiding coali�on con�nue to guide the change? Who will they impact? Iden�fy which cri�cal tasks from

the acquisi�on road map the guiding coali�on should complete. Also, determine the expected �melines for these

tasks to be completed.

c. What is your strategic vision for the company, its opera�ons, and its employees a�er the acquisi�on?

d. What is the plan for enlis�ng a group of employees to get other employees united around the common vision?

e. What barriers to change do you foresee? How do you plan to remove them?

f. How will you track progress?

g. How will you communicate short-term wins?

2. Summary: Summarize your strategy and assessment of risks.

a. Describe the overall strategy that you recommend for the organiza�on’s acquisi�on goals.

b. Explain how the strategy will fit in the business environment of the oncology market segment in the pharmaceu�cal

industry. Consider using an external business environment analysis to inform your conclusions.

3. Risks: Iden�fy three poten�al risks that may be associated with your recommenda�on and explain steps the organiza�on can

take to mi�gate those risks.

What to Submit

A 16- to 20-page Word document with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. Sources should be

cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more informa�on on cita�ons. This report should

include the following sec�ons:

Guiding Coali�on Recommenda�ons

Employee A�ri�on Analysis Report

Alterna�ve Buyer Research Report

Acquisi�on Road Map

Exit Strategy Recommenda�ons and Plan

Suppor�ng Materials

The following resources support your work on the project:

Resource: HR Employee A�ri�on Survey

This spreadsheet contains employee details such as a�ri�on, demographics, and so on.

Resource: Employee Personas

Use these personas to recommend individuals for your guiding coali�on.

Resource: Organiza�onal Chart

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Use this chart as a reference in order to see where in the organiza�on each of the persons sits rela�ve to other leaders of the

organiza�on. The chart will also provide you with a visual of their sphere of direct influence. (There is also a text-only version.)

Resource: Alterna�ve Buyer Op�ons

Use this list of global biomedical companies to select one company to research as a poten�al alterna�ve buyer.

Resource: Gan� Chart Template

Use this template to create a Gan� chart to support your acquisi�on road map.

Resource: Footnotes and Appendices

Use the Appendices sec�on of this resource for help with adding an appendix to your report.

Project Rubric

Criteria Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%)Needs

Improvement(70%)

Not Evident (0%) Value

Guiding Coali�on:Recommenda�on

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Iden�fiesindividuals whoshould be part ofthe guidingcoali�on; iden�fiesthe individuals whohave the influenceand commitment tomake a posi�veimpact whileproviding guidancefor the changeini�a�ve

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude iden�fyingappropriateindividuals who willhave the mostinfluence andcommitment tomake a posi�veimpact whileproviding guidancefor the changeini�a�ve

Does not a�emptcriterion.

5

Guiding Coali�on:Ra�onale

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Jus�fies choice ofguiding coali�onteam membersusing details abouteach individual inthe guidingcoali�on includingtheir �tle,experience in theorganiza�on, theirarea of influence,the ra�onale forchoosing them, andthe role the personwill perform in theguiding coali�on

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providingsufficient andaccurate detailsabout each chosenindividual, such astheir personadetails, a logicaland well-thought-out ra�onale forchoosing them, orthe roles andresponsibili�esthey will perform inthe guidingcoali�on

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Guiding Coali�on:Team-Building

Strategies

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Describes ac�vi�esand strategies thathelp build a well-func�oning team,including strategiesto help membersalign with thechange ini�a�ve ofthe organiza�on inthe scenario andsteps or ac�ons toestablish a sense ofurgency within the

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude describingappropriatestrategies to ensurealignment of theteam to the changeini�a�ve in thecourse scenario,describing how to

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

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urgency within theteam; explaininghow theseac�vi�es andstrategies will helpbuild trust in theteam

describing how toestablish a sense ofurgency, andexplaining howthese strategiescan build trust inthe team selectedfor the guidingcoali�on

Employee A�ri�onAnalysis Report:

Current EmployeeDemographics

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Summarizes thecurrent employeedemographics forthe organiza�onfrom the coursescenario; includesvisualiza�on of thedemographic datasuch as age, sex,marital status, andexperience fromTableau; choosestwo graph andchart types thatbest suit the data;explains the choice

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayincludesummarizing thedemographics ofthe currentemployeescorrectly; includingall relevant andaccurate visualsfrom Tableau;choosing andexplaining at leasttwo different graphand chart typesthat best reflectthe data

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Employee A�ri�onAnalysis Report:

Analysis

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Analyzes the givenemployee data toanswer allques�ons abouta�ri�on, includingits causes and therela�onshipbetween a�ri�onand variousemploymentfactors; includesscreenshots of thevisual summary ofa�ri�on data fromTableau

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude consistencybetween narra�veand visuals;including allrelevant visuals;answering allques�ons aboutemployee a�ri�onand its rela�onshipto different factors

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Employee A�ri�onAnalysis Report:

Reten�on

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Explains whethermore employeesare likely to leavethe company andwhy and evaluatesemployee stabilityin the company;explains how thatmay affect theorganiza�on’sevalua�on by apoten�al buyer

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providing aclear reason whyemployees may ormay not leave thecompany orevalua�ngemployee stabilitycorrectly; providinga logicalexplana�on of howthis can affect theorganiza�on’sevalua�on by apoten�al buyer

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Employee A�ri�onAnalysis Report:

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onally

Provides threespecific ac�ons

Shows progresstoward proficiency,

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

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y pAc�onable Steps

p yclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

pthat theorganiza�on cantake to preventemployees fromleaving andprovides ra�onale

p ybut with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providingthree specific andrelevant ac�onsthat theorganiza�on cantake to preventemployees fromleaving; providingclear, adequatera�onale for eachac�on

Alterna�ve BuyerResearch Report:Current Market

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Recommends onepoten�al buyerfrom the listprovided andincludes its currentmarket, such as itsproducts,customers, and theindustry in which itcompetes

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providingaccurate andrelevantinforma�on aboutthe poten�al buyersuch as detailsabout its products,customers, andindustry

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Alterna�ve BuyerResearch Report:

Financial Situa�on

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Analyzes theorganiza�on’sfinancial situa�on,including revenue,expenses, andprofitability

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude correctlyanalyzing andclearly describingthe organiza�on’sfinancial situa�on,including revenue,expenses, andprofitability

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Alterna�ve BuyerResearch Report:

Recent Developments

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Iden�fies notablerecent events theorganiza�on hasexperienced thatmight make it moreor less a�rac�ve asa buyer; explainsra�onale

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude iden�fyingrelevant notableevents, correctlydetermining theirimpact on itsassessment as abuyer; providingclear and logicalra�onale

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Alterna�ve BuyerResearch Report:Buyer Ra�onale

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Jus�fies why thispoten�al buyer isthe best op�on forthe life sciencesorganiza�on anduses data fromresearch to supportthe ra�onale

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providingreasonablejus�fica�on forchoosing thelt � b

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

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alterna�ve buyer orsuppor�ng thejus�fica�on withrelevant data fromresearch

Acquisi�on RoadMap: Acquisi�on-

Related Tasks

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Describe the tasksand steps that havealready been takentoward anacquisi�on andrecommends thetasks and stepsthat would need tohappen over thenext one to twoyears to evaluateand complete anacquisi�on andprovides es�matesfor how long it willtake to accomplishthem, theresponsible par�es,and anydependencies

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude explainingthe work done sofar clearly orrecommendingspecific ac�ons forthe next one totwo years or no�ngdetails such as�melines to beachieved,responsible par�es,and dependencies

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Acquisi�on RoadMap: Gan� Chart

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Creates a Gan�chart that visuallyillustrates the tasksand steps; indicatestasks and stepsthat have alreadybeen completedand indicates "inprocess" tasks andsteps that arecurrently beingperformed

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude crea�ng acomplete Gan�chart or ensuringthe Gan� chart isupdated correctlywith ac�vi�es thathave beencompleted or are inprogress

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Exit StrategyRecommenda�onsand Plan: Change

ManagementStrategy

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Explains each stepof the changemanagementstrategy, includinghow they willcreate a sense ofurgency, how theguiding coali�onwill con�nue toguide the change,what the strategicvision for thecompany a�eracquisi�on is, howto unite otheremployees tosupport thecommon vision,what poten�albarriers to changeare and how toremove them, howto track progress,and how tocommunicate smallwins

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude explainingeach step of thechangemanagementprocess clearly withrespect to the exitstrategy

Does not a�emptcriterion

15

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Exit StrategyRecommenda�onsand Plan: Summary

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Describes theoverall strategyrecommended forthe organiza�on’sacquisi�on goalsand explains howthe strategy will fitin the businessenvironment of theoncology marketsegment in thepharmaceu�calindustry

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude providing aclear summary ofthe overall strategyor sharing theresults of thebusinessenvironmentanalysis of theoncology marketsegment in thepharmaceu�calindustry

Does not a�emptcriterion

10

Exit StrategyRecommenda�ons

and Plan: Risks

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Iden�fies threepoten�al risks thatmay be associatedwith therecommenda�onsand explains stepsthe organiza�oncan take tomi�gate those risks

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors oromissions; areas forimprovement mayinclude iden�fyingat least threepoten�al risks orappropriatelyexplaining steps tobe taken formi�ga�ng theserisks

Does not a�emptcriterion

5

Ar�cula�on ofResponse

Exceeds proficiencyin an excep�onallyclear, insigh�ul,sophis�cated, orcrea�ve manner

Clearly conveysmeaning withcorrect grammar,sentence structure,and spelling,demonstra�ng anunderstanding ofaudience andpurpose

Shows progresstoward proficiency,but with errors ingrammar, sentencestructure, andspelling, nega�velyimpac�ngreadability

Submission hascri�cal errors ingrammar, sentencestructure, andspelling, preven�ngunderstanding ofideas

3

Cita�ons andA�ribu�ons

Uses cita�ons forideas requiringa�ribu�on, withfew or no minorerrors

Uses cita�ons forideas requiringa�ribu�on, withconsistent minorerrors

Uses cita�ons forideas requiringa�ribu�on, withmajor errors

Does not usecita�ons for ideasrequiringa�ribu�on

2

Total: 100%

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