*Please answer Any Two Questions from the attached four question.

* Each essay question has two sections, Theory Section and Application Section. You will need your textbook, Web-related research, and logical analysis. Use your assigned company (my company is Microsoft) in each question. You need to be familiar with your assigned company, its Website, Value Line data, S&P Net Advantage data, Yahoo Finance, CNBC, etc.

* Drop ONE FILE (MSWord, double-space) in the exam drop box (see Lessons Section). Do not email.

* There is no page limit in each question. Use double-space/Times New Roman/page numbers.

* Use headings and sub-headings; make Tables/Figures/Charts.

* If you answer more than two questions, I will grade the first two answers.

* Again use data from Value Line, S&P Net Advantage, Yahoo Finance, etc.

* Provide proper references (APA Style). References can be from the WSJ, FT, NYT, Fortune, Forbes, academic journals and periodicals.

* Do Not Copy and Paste Text/Tables/Charts from the Internet; have your own value added. Also write in your own language. No points will be given for Copying from the Web.

* Be specific in your answers. No point will be given for just making basic generalizations.

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Exam I

Q 1.

Theory Part:  Define strategy and discuss (with 2-3 examples) the hierarchy of strategies (corporate strategy, business strategy and functional strategy) discussed in the textbook.

Application Part: Discuss your assigned firm’s hierarchy of strategies (corporate, business and functional). By using the ‘Value Line data’, comment/summarize your assigned firm’s 4-6 strategies which were specifically discussed by the ‘analyst’ in his/her one-page report.

Q 2.

Theory Part: Define and discuss (with 2-3 examples) Porters Five Competitive Forces Model and its applications to marketing strategy.

Application Part: Analyze and discuss your assigned firm within Porter’s Five Forces Model. Also investigate your assigned firm and its industry when dealing with Porter’s Five Forces Model (see ‘S&P NetAdvantage).

Q 3.

Theory Part: Define forecasting and discuss in detail any four methods used in forecasting.

Application Part: By using the ‘Value Line data’ of your assigned firm, provide the following data (2014 – 2020):

a. Revenues/sales ($)

b. Net profit ($)

c. Calculate average growth rate (%), revenues/sales and net profit, 2014-2020

d. Based on average growth rate (%), calculate revenues/sales and net profit (in $) from 2021 to 2025. 

Q 4.

Theory Part: Define and discuss (with 2 examples) the ‘diffusion of innovation curve’ (5 stages with percentages) as discussed in the textbook.

Application Part: Discuss your assigned firm’s Three major products/brands and their relevance to the ‘diffusion of innovation curve’.