Gabriela Manufacturing must decide whether to insource or outsource a new toxic-free miracle carpet cleaner that works with its Miracle Carpet Cleaning Machine. If
it decides to insource the product, the process would incur $320,000 of annual fixed costs and $1.60 per unit of variable costs. If it is outsourced, a supplier
has offered to make it for an annual fixed cost of $120,000 and a variable cost of $2.30 per unit in variable costs. (Please round your answers to the nearest
whole number, the tolerance is +/-1).

Guajilote Cooperativo Forestal: Hondur I. CASE ABSTRACT Guajilote (pronounced wa-hee-low-tay) was a forestry cooperative operating out of Chaparral, a small
village located in the buffer zone of La Muralla National Park in Honduras’ Olancho province. The Guajilote Cooperativo Forestal had been given the right to
exploit naturally fallen mahogany in La Muralla’s buffer zone. After locating a fallen tree, workers cut up the tree and transported the resulting wood out of the
forest. They then sold the wood to a distributor who transported and resold the wood to furniture markers in Honduran cities. Guajilote appeared to be a reasonably
successful enterprise providing useful work and better pay than the cooperative’s members could earn as subsistence farmers. It was managed by Santos Munguia, a
rising and well-connected leader who, through the use of his political connections, had successfully increased the price the distributor paid to the cooperative
for its wood. In 1998, the cooperative was facing some important issues. The potential size of its membership and the growth of its operations were limited by the
amount of mahogany it could produce annually. Its inability to transport the cut wood to major population centers meant that the cooperative had to sell its wood
to a distributor thereby restricting Guajilote’s profit potential. The mahogany trees were themselves threatened by forest fires, illegal logging, and by slash and
burn agriculture. There was a possibility of increasing international trade restrictions if the mahogany species continued to decrease worldwide. Given these
concerns, what should Guajilote do to not only increase its chances of survival, but also to grow in size and in sales over the coming years? Decision Date: 1998
1997 Revenues: $ 22,153 1997 Profits: Not Available II. CASE ISSUES AND SUBJECTS Forestry Cooperative Honduras Vertical Integration Central America Value Chain
Strategy Formulation Growth Strategies Competitive Strategy Differentiation Strategy SWOT Analysis Ecology Versus Economic Development Societal Forces in
International Business Political/Legal Forces Mission Distinctive Competency Executive Leadership Competitive Advantage Entrepreneurial Venture Stages of Corporate
Development Economic Development Lifestyle Business Corporate Strategy Strategic Alternatives III. STEPS COVERED IN STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING PROCESS O =
Emphasized in Case X = Covered in Case DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What are the strengthsand weaknesses of Guajilote? 2. What are the opportunities and threats facing
Guajilote? 3. What are the strategic factors facing Guajilote? 4. Does Guajilote have any core competencies? If yes, what are they? 5. Does Guajilote have a
distinctive competency? If yes, what is it?

1. Please explain, in detail, the strategic issues both external and internal that Whole Foods’ faces. 2. Please explain, in detail, the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of Whole Foods’ current position based on such factors as the economy, food industry, and exiting acquisitions among others. 3. Please
explain any existing or developing trends in the grocery industry, more specifically the natural food and organic segments of the grocery industry. 4. Please
explain your understanding of the Wild Oats acquisition, both its advantages and disadvantages. Also, explain the objection to this acquisition by the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC).

1.Why does each generic business model require a difficult set of business-level strategies? Give examples of pairs of companies in: (a) the computer industry;
(b) the electronics industry; (c) the fast-food industry that pursue different types of business models.

2. How do changes in the environment affect the success of a company’s business model?

3. What is the value creation frontier? How does each of the four generic business models allow a company to reach this frontier?

4. How can companies’ pursuing cost leadership and differentiation lose their place on the value frontier? In what ways can companies regain their competitive
advantage?

5. What strategies does a company need to develop to become a broad differentiator? In what ways does this provide the company with a competitive advantage
over cost leaders? Over differentiators?

6. Why is strategic-group analysis important for superior competitive positioning?

7. What are some of the reasons companies lose control over their business models, and thus their competitive advantage, over time?

Why do you think the capstone course for the MBA program has a heavy emphasis on ethical decision making?

Watch the video, How to Perform a SWOT Analysis, and then conduct a SWOT analysis using the Starbucks’ Global Quest 2006: Is the Best Yet to Come? case provided in
the Course Materials section. The analysis should address the components of the organization’s environment (internal strengths and weaknesses, and external
opportunities and threats), alternatives to consider, and your assessment of the quality of the decision made by the company and/or your recommendation(s) for
improvement.

. Assume you work for a small firm that developed a better and faster operating system for netbooks than Microsoft Windows. What strategy
might the firm use to unseat Windows in this market?

The resource-based model identifies four criteria that firms can use to evaluate whether particular resources and capabilities are core competencies and can,
therefore, provide a basis for competitive advantage. Are these measures independent or interdependent? Explain. If (some of) the measures are interdependent,
what implications does that fact have for managers wanting to create and sustain a competitive advantage?

Scenario – You work for a manufacturing company that has an annual revenue of $50 million. Your
organization has experienced a 2% increase in sales for the past 5 years, however, the market average for your industry is a 7-10% growth per year. The
organization is not satisfied with this growth and wants a solution.

Answer the following questions relating to the scneario above:

How do you handle this as the Sales Leader? What is your plan.

How do you handle this as the Marketing Leader? What is your plan.

How do you handle this as the Director of HR?What is your plan.

How do you handle this as the CEO?What is your plan.

please follow the instruction

answer the questions on study guide… you have to write an essay for each question and give a brief and unique example..

when you give an example your example you example have to be not from the book, you can find it online..

please paraphrase your answer if you are taking it from the book or the study guide.. use your own words..

David – Strategic Management Case Analysis section on how to prepare a strategic case analysis:
You are to develop the fundamentals of strategic plans for the Ford Motor Company and the Toyota Motor Corporation, two giants of theautomobile industry. You are to develop SWOT analyses and propose strategies for the two multinational enterprises. In doing so, it will benecessary to research, analyze, and compare both firms to understand better their current position and future plans to increase competitiveadvantage. Common problems facing each auto giant today are the current economy; the competition of the other auto firms; and the demand fora lower cost, more ecologically friendly, alternative fuel vehicle. Your research should include the following issues for both firms.1. Present your data in the form of a comparative table.Issues Ford ToyotaLegal, Social and EconomicEnvironmentsManagement StructureOperational & Financial IssuesAnalysis of Strategic IntentSocial and External ChallengesCurrent ManufacturingFacilities & Distribution SystemMarket Demand & DemographicsAlternative Fuels & PropulsionSystemsYour document must evaluate, compare and contrast Ford’s and Toyota’s current position on these issues. Respond to the following:2. Take the perspective of Ford’s Director of Strategic Planning to develop a full SWOT analysis of Ford, identifying and explaining at least fivefactors for each category (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and propose a complete strategy (implementation, ramification andevaluation) which addresses one of Ford’s weaknesses and what you would do about it.3. Take the perspective of Toyota’s Director of Strategic Planning to develop a full SWOT analysis of Toyota, identifying and explaining at leastfive factors for each category (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and propose a complete strategy (implementation, ramificationand evaluation) which addresses one of Toyota’s weaknesses and what you would do about it.Deliverable Length: The deliverable length shall be of seven to ten pages (cover page and reference page not included). As a graduate businessstudent, you are required to provide a well-researched and analyzed comprehensive response to every assignment question. Brief, vague,generic, or non-definitive responses will not earn good grades.This individual project assignment requires a minimum of seven to ten (7-10) scholary sources, a minimum of one per page. You are welcomeand encouraged to use the David text book and the course materials that came for this course.For reference use the APA guide available as shown in the virtual campus under “interactive learning”2. Please submit your assignment as a Word document in APA format.Objective: The Objective of the Unit 4 IP Assignment will involve the following the Course Outcomes and Grading Criteria with their respectivepercentages for the Grading Rubric:• Analyze the relationships between a firm and the political and economic forces within its community. (60%)• Apply critical thinking skills to analyze business situations. (30%)• Use effective communication techniques. (10%)
Deliverable Length:7 to 10 pages

CHAPTER 2

Explain the four components of a mission statement as required by our class. GIVE AN EXAMPLE—CAN BE FOR/FROM YOUR INDIVIDUAL CASE .

Explain agency theory, its problems, and how to solve them. GIVE AN EXAMPLE

CHAPTER 3

Do you think a business organization in today’s society benefits by defining a socially responsible role for itself? Why or why not? GIVE AN EXAMPLE

Which of the three basic philosophies of social responsibility would you find most appealing as the chief executive of a large corporation? Explain.

Research on the Internet a company that has gone through a major restructuring (excluding bankruptcy). Research to find the company’s major business
strategy.

1).Under what environmental conditions are price wars most likely to occur in the industry? What are the implications of price wars for a company? How should a
company try to deal with the threat of a price war? 2). Discuss the Competitive forces model with reference to what you know about the U.S. beer industry. What
does the model tell you about the level of competition in the industry? 3). Identify a growth industry, a mature industry, and a declining industry. For each
industry, identify the following: (1) the number and size distribution of companies, (2) the nature of barriers to entry, (3) the height of barriers to entry, and
(4) the extent of product differentiation. What do these factors tell you about the nature of competition in each industry? What are the implications for the
company in terms of opportunities and threats? 4). Assess the impact of macro-environmental factors on the likely level of enrollment at your university over the
next decade. What are the implications of these factors for the job security and salary level of your professors?

1. Please explain, in detail, the strategic issues both external and internal that Whole Foods’ faces. 2. Please explain, in detail, the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of Whole Foods’ current position based on such factors as the economy, food industry, and exiting acquisitions among others. 3. Please
explain any existing or developing trends in the grocery industry, more specifically the natural food and organic segments of the grocery industry. 4. Please
explain your understanding of the Wild Oats acquisition, both its advantages and disadvantages. Also, explain the objection to this acquisition by the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC).

1.Why does each generic business model require a difficult set of business-level strategies? Give examples of pairs of companies in: (a) the computer industry;
(b) the electronics industry; (c) the fast-food industry that pursue different types of business models.

2. How do changes in the environment affect the success of a company’s business model?

3. What is the value creation frontier? How does each of the four generic business models allow a company to reach this frontier?

4. How can companies’ pursuing cost leadership and differentiation lose their place on the value frontier? In what ways can companies regain their competitive
advantage?

5. What strategies does a company need to develop to become a broad differentiator? In what ways does this provide the company with a competitive advantage
over cost leaders? Over differentiators?

6. Why is strategic-group analysis important for superior competitive positioning?

7. What are some of the reasons companies lose control over their business models, and thus their competitive advantage, over time?

Why do you think the capstone course for the MBA program has a heavy emphasis on ethical decision making?

Watch the video, How to Perform a SWOT Analysis, and then conduct a SWOT analysis using the Starbucks’ Global Quest 2006: Is the Best Yet to Come? case provided in
the Course Materials section. The analysis should address the components of the organization’s environment (internal strengths and weaknesses, and external
opportunities and threats), alternatives to consider, and your assessment of the quality of the decision made by the company and/or your recommendation(s) for
improvement.

. Assume you work for a small firm that developed a better and faster operating system for netbooks than Microsoft Windows. What strategy
might the firm use to unseat Windows in this market?

The resource-based model identifies four criteria that firms can use to evaluate whether particular resources and capabilities are core competencies and can,
therefore, provide a basis for competitive advantage. Are these measures independent or interdependent? Explain. If (some of) the measures are interdependent,
what implications does that fact have for managers wanting to create and sustain a competitive advantage?