Readings:

• Magretta, J. (2011). Understanding Michael Porter: The essential guide to competition and strategy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. (read Chapter 1, Competition: The Right Mindset, and Chapter 2, The Five Forces: Competing for Profits)
• Lafley, A. & Martin, R. (2013). Playing to win: How strategy really works. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. (read Chapter 1, Strategy is Choice, and Chapter 2, What is Winning)

Each week students should review one article related to business strategy.  The article can cover business strategy in fields like Finance, IT, HR, Accounting, etc.  

Articles can be found in Business Source Complete or ProQuest Central.
The article text itself must be 1) at least 1,000 words (excluding title, bios, and any other related material), 2) peer-reviewed, and 3) published within the last five years. If you have any questions about using a particular article, please reach out to your professor. Article Review Instructions:  In 500-800 words (including title and references) review the article as follows:

• First half – review of article contents, concepts, insights, and how it relates to business strategy
• Second half – application to your world
• Use at least one QCR (quotation, citation, reference) from the article itself
• Use at least one QCR from another source (can be a peer-review article or something from HBR, Fortune, Economist, or Wall Street Journal).
• Therefore, your references at the end of your article should have at least two entries.
• Title your review LastName_FirstInitialWk1AR

This week we are introducing the main assignment for this course – The Strategic Profile Analysis (SPA).  The Strategic Profile Analysis gives students the opportunity to analyze an industry and company from a strategic viewpoint. For the six-week assignment, youll be choosing a business that is publicly traded and providing an analysis of the company. To assist, Ive included a website listing publicly traded companies:  You will want to choose your company early. Two students cannot choose the same company. 
For the next five weeks (Wks 3-7), youll post a chapter of your SPA each week.  As each draft is returned, youll have the option to revise and improve it before the final project submission in week 8. The final project will be a compiled and edited version of the entire paper.  It is highly recommended you read the below guide before beginning your work on this project.  Strategic Profile Analysis (SPA) Guide:   Wk3 SPA Assignment: Industry Overview: Now that you’ve chosen a publicly-traded company, provide an overview of the industry in which your company is found. The SPA overview for this week should include the following elements including headings for the second and third sections. 

• Cover Page: Include your name, course, professor, date, and page number
• Industry Overview: Provide a brief overview of the industry
• Industry Analysis: Detail the most important aspects of your industry including: 
  • Brief history
  • Industry features
  • Current industry trends 

Title your paper LastName_FirstInitialWk3SPA.