Assessment Information

This assignment is an individual assignment.

This assignment requires you to develop a strategic review of Nike, Inc. external and internal environment and to make recommendations for the company on how to improve its long-term competitive position in the business. You are free to determine your own structure for this study, but in doing so please address the following five stages:

1. Describe Nike, Inc. main operations. The description must include the sector, strategic leadership structure, target market, main competitors, its major geographical markets, main product lines and financial key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Conduct an external analysis (using PESTEL framework) and identify the key issues or trends that are most relevant for the sector in which Nike, Inc. operates.
3. Conduct an internal analysis (using VRIO framework). You need to identify and critically discuss Nike’s resources and capabilities that provide the company with a sustainable competitive advantage.
4. Critically evaluate the suitability of selected theories (PESTEL and VRIO) to develop a strategic review of a company’s external and internal environment. In doing this, you must identify the advantages and disadvantages of PESTEL and VRIO.
5. Based on your analyses, recommend potential strategic alternatives for the company and explain them.

This assignment is designed to assess learning outcomes:

1. Debate different approaches to strategic management theory.
2. Critically review and develop current themes in relation to strategy content.
3. Apply and critically evaluate strategic management theory in an international, industry and
organizational context.

Word Count
The word count is 2,550.

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark (after internal moderation) for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit includes quotations and citations, but excludes figures, the cover page, table of contents, reference list and appendices.

How to submit your assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 18:00 on 03/04/2023. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents, unless otherwise advised by the module leader.
• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero.
• The University wants you to do your best. However we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict.  If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to 5 working days, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the resit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline.
  You will find information about the process and what is or is not considered to be an event beyond your control at https://share.coventry.ac.uk/students/Registry/Pages/Deferrals-and-Extension.aspx
• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THIS ASSIGNMENT

Plagiarism

As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge someone else’s writing, thoughts or ideas and that you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work. Doing so is known as plagiarism. It is not acceptable to copy from another source without acknowledging that it is someone else’s writing or thinking. This includes using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to correctly cite and reference the works of others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure, please visit www.coventry.ac.uk/caw. You can also check your understanding of academic conduct by completing the Good Academic Practice quiz.

Self-plagiarism or reuse of work previously submitted
You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your current course or for another qualification of this and any other university, unless this is specifically provided for in your assignment brief or specific course or module information. Where earlier work by you is citable, ie. it has already been published/submitted, you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted concurrently will also be considered to be self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is unacceptable because you cannot gain credit for the same work twice.

The University VLE includes a plagiarism detection system and assessors are experienced enough to recognise plagiarism when it occurs. Copying another student’s work, using previous work of your own or copying large sections from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. If you are a business student and joined Coventry University in September 2020 or later please use APA 7th edition referencing, if you joined prior to this date you may use APA or the existing Harvard Reference Style (Coventry version) that you are familiar with. Law students should use OSCOLA. Please be consistent in the referencing style that you use and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or cheating being brought. If you are unsure, please contact the Centre for Academic Writing, your Progress Coach or a member of the course team.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have marked work returned to you 10 working days after submission. If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online. As always, marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed his / her review.