Deadline

This is a group assignment. Students will be expected to form their own groups. Numbers in groups will depend on class size; it is however envisaged that group size should be no more than ~8 members). Each group will carryout a consultancy project on a well-know Irish company. The content of the report should include:

* a brief history of the company, its owners, products, markets, management structure.

It is expected that students would use models from their weekly lectures to build up a business profile of the company. The report should analyse the current trading environment. In particular the report should outline the important challenges facing their client company and the choices available to them.

In particular, the report should refer to the current situation of the company; challenges that the company faces and responses to those challenges; and possible future direction (see assessment criteria for more details).

The written report is due in week 11 (11th April, 2006).

The presentation package to be submitted will include;

* A hard copy of the report,

* A disc with all work included.

* A separate report on how the team went about their duties, how they divided up the tasks and how they worked or didn't work as a team.

* A peer assessment report. (to be found on Web-CT)

It is envisaged that as the students make their way through the Business Strategy

Module they will apply the models to their client company as a working example to build up their practical, as well as theoretical, knowledge of strategy making.

The marking scheme will follow the criteria outlined in the Student Handbook.