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BUS485: Strategic Business Policy I & II Capstone: Home

Course Assignment

Welcome to the NU Library course guide for BUS 485: Strategic Business Policy I & II Capstone. This guide is designed to help students find resources to complete the Capstone Project.

While this guide will provide you with support to complete the research aspects of your assignment, please address all questions regarding content, formatting, and grading to your instructor.

For more information and library resources see the Business Research Guide.

Reference & Instruction Librarian

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Stephanie Johnson
she/her
Contact:
sjohnson10@nu.edu

Staffed Hours

Library Staffed Hours

Hours shown below are Pacific Time. Check your local time here. 

Monday - Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Sunday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Please see the library calendar for holiday closings/adjusted hours.

Details

FIRST: Students should select ONE CASE to use for all 4 weeks. 

  • Select a case from Part Six - Cases in Strategic Management- in your textbook.
  • Notice that some instructors may prefer to narrow down this list, so verify with your instructor the cases available to you.

Some cases to choose from are: Chipotle, Harley Davidson, Uber, Pandora, Amazon, Blue Nile, Groupon, Town Sports, Zynga, Panera Bread, Sonic, Under Armour, J.C. Penney, Best Buy, Target, Staples, Tesla, TomTom, General Electric, Snap-On Tools

NEXT:

  • Start researching the external and internal environments of your chosen company.
  • The resources you will find for your selected case in this library site should complement/expand the information you already have in your textbook.

TIPS:

  • Remember to look for information that corresponds to the dates of your case and gives you enough depth to describe, analyze and recommend a good strategy.
  • Do not search for what actually happened to your firm because what managers decided to do may not be the best strategy and knowing what actually happened may bias your analysis and distort your recommendation. 

Modules 1 & 2: Societal Environmental Scanning

External Environment Analysis Summary (EFAS)

This week:

  1. Generate 8-10 external factors, depending on the specific instructions from your instructor.
  2. Complete EFAS table
  3. Write sections I to III of the Strategic Audit.

Modules 3 & 4: Environmental Scanning & Strategic Factor Analysis

Internal Environment Analysis Summary (IFAS)

This week:

  1. Generate 8-10 external factors, depending on the specific instructions from your instructor.
  2. Complete IFAS table

Modules 5 & 6: Strategy Formulation

Situational Factors Analysis Summary (IFAS)

This week:

  1. Combine the previous EFAS & IFAS into a new SWOT matrix.
  2. Write section V of your Strategic Audit.
  3. Review the mission & objectives of the company.

Modules 7 & 8: Strategy, Implementation, Evaluation, & Control

Complete your Strategic Audit (SA)

This week:

  1. Develop Strategic Alternatives
  2. Develop Recommended Strategy

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