You can choose any organisation you like, whether it is UK based or abroad that has undergone or is currently undergoing a merger or acquisition process.

Assignment Title

Individual Report (3000 words)

Assessment Information – What you need to do

This assignment is an individual assignment. 

This assignment requires you to choose an organisation that must have undergone or is currently undergoing a merger or acquisition process as part of their strategic transformation. You must assess the strategic rationale for the choice of merger/acquisition, and then evaluate the strategic opportunities and challenges associated with the process and the outcomes.

In this process, you are required to conduct a critical and detailed strategic analysis covering all levels of business environment (i.e., internal, industry, and remote external). Your strategic analysis should be used to provide strong rationale for the chosen strategic option (i.e., merger or acquisition) through the application of strategic choice fit in terms of feasibility, strategic fit, acceptability, and competitive advantage (i.e., four tests of suitability). Then, you are required to evaluate the strategic integration and impact of this strategic choice on both organisations’ strategic positions using strategic tools/theories/frameworks such as Rumelt’s strategic evaluation frameworks, SWOT, Value proposition canvas, perceptual map, etc.

The summative assessment will require you to think critically, be able to analyse, evaluate and then apply concepts and theories taught during the module. Ideally, you should apply your own research skills in finding information and use your own initiative to develop insights into chosen business strategy.  

You will write a 3000-word academic report and are expected to work on this assignment throughout the module. Your 3000-word report should be articulated in a professional manner as if delivering the outcomes to the organisation’s Board of Directors for its consideration.

The academic report should consist of at least the following major elements:

• Background of the chosen organisation with some background details about merger/acquisition process.
• A critical strategic analysis for the business environment of the chosen organisation.
• The generation of strategic rationale for the merger/acquisition based on conducted strategic analysis and using strategic choice fit concepts and theories (i.e., four tests of suitability).
• Evaluating impact of integration on both organisations’ strategic positions using appropriate strategic management theories and frameworks.

Choosing a company: 

You can choose any organisation you like, whether it is UK based or abroad that has undergone or is currently undergoing a merger or acquisition process. The merger/acquisition choice can be a successful one or one that is failing. However, the chosen organisation must currently be in business and its existence can be verifiable (through the availability of an official website, for example). Choose one of the companies below to see a list of companies that have undergone a merger or acquisition to choose a company of your choice.

1. Financial Times

2. Intellizence

3. BBC

Information collection 

In completing this individual report, you may wish to search the internet sources for information about your chosen organisation. Websites, newsletters, articles, business news magazines, blogs, and other sources may be valuable to find the information you need.

Criteria for Assessment - How you will be marked.

Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here. 

This assignment is designed to contribute to the assessment of the following learning outcomes: 

• Demonstrate an advanced, critical understanding of strategic management, current issues in the field and the associated literature to examine the organisational context of projects and demonstrate a critical awareness of the human resource aspects of project teams.
• Critically appraise and adapt to a range of theoretical frameworks for analysing business strategies and apply a theoretical and practical understanding of challenges and solutions relating to business and sustainability, as well as of the extended social impact of business in society.
• Evaluate project management techniques and critically appraise their use.
• Use the multiple different perspectives and approaches to strategy to select and apply appropriate analytical techniques to the various stages of a project’s life cycle.
• Assess and apply problem-solving and decision-making processes whilst understanding the nature of failure’ and how to strategically manage the outcomes.
• Critically appraise research data and apply the current methods of measuring impact, presenting data, while developing related research skills and championing innovation and rigour in an area of impact assessment.

Assessment Details

This is an academic report that must follow academic report writing style. The report should be submitted via Turnitin in word format and should have:

• a cover page with full details about title of submission, you, your module, instructor, date of submission.
• executive summary to summarize the work done, methods followed in collecting information and analysis, and evaluation of impact on both organisations. 
• Acknowledgement.
• Declaration (to declare that this is your own work)
• table of contents.
• List of tables and figure (if you have them).
• list of references and appendices (provided at end of report).

Report should be typed, using 1.5 spacing and an easy-to-read Arial 12-point font. The maximum word count is 3000 words.

The maximum word count of 3000 words should:

• Include all the text in body of report, including introduction, in-text citations, quotations, footnotes, tables, figures, and any other items not specifically excluded below.
• Exclude cover page, executive summary, acknowledgments (if any), declaration, table of contents, bibliography/list of references, and appendices (if any). However, it is not appropriate to use diagrams or tables merely as a way of circumventing the word limit. If a student uses tables or figures, then this will be included in the word count.

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