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STR 581 WEEK 1 Assignment, Career Connections – Values and Strategy Paper
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Running head: CAREER CONNECTION: VALUES AND STRATEGY PAPER 1STR 581 WEEK 1 Assignment, Career Connections – Values and
Strategy Paper
Choose an organization according to the following:
Current employer
Most recent or former employer
Place of business that you have patronized or have been familiar with over a long period
of time.
o Avoid choosing an organization that is so large that historical data would be
difficult to apply. Firms in the Russell 2000® index may fit well, whereas firms in
the Dow 30 Industrial index probably do not.
The organization can be a start-up that you or a significant other may create in the future.
For a start-up, focus on an entrepreneurial idea that is of substantive interest, so this
project leaves you with a product you may leverage in the future.
Write a 1,050-word paper in which you address the following:
Identify the major components of the strategic management process.
Discuss how these components work together to create value for the organization.
Evaluate the company's mission statement, vision statement, motivation strategy,
innovation strategy, and people strategy. If the organization does not have one or more
of these, how does that affect the organization and its people?
Explain the role of ethics and corporate social responsibility in strategic planning. How
does this direct their strategy? How does the organization's vison and mission align with
your own values and vision? If you are currently working for the organization, how does
your role influence this and vice versa?
Career Connection: Values and Strategy Paper
Bill Gates founded Microsoft in 1975 and held the vision of ensuring every desktop
have at least one personal computer. Microsoft has established itself over the years to become
the leader in several industries. In fact, the firm has been listed in the Fortune 100 and has
amassed an exceptional portfolio of partnerships, customers, worldwide activity and
resources (Chauhan, 2015). This paper evaluates Microsoft’s strategic management with the
aim of suggesting recommendations for future implementation.
Mission Statement
The mission statement of Microsoft is provided by Bill Gates and is as follows: “Our
vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone, and that adapts to
each person’s needs. The accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with
, CAREER CONNECTION: VALUES AND STRATEGY PAPER 2
disabilities, and it enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities” (Chauhan,
2015, p. 2).
External Opportunities and Threats
Given its superior financial resources, Microsoft can acquire new start-ups which
would introduce fresh skills, technology, and experiences to the firm. Also, since mobile
advertising is projected to develop significantly shortly, the company could take the chance to
join these markets with its mobile operating system (Chauhan, 2015; BurgeSmani and
Wheelwright, 2004). Moreover, tablets and smartphones markets are expected to expand
further, which gives Microsoft the opportunity to benefit from introducing its smartphones
and tablets.
On the other hand, the fact that consumers are changing their preference from
personal computers to tablets and smartphones is a substantial threat to Microsoft. Microsoft
tends to possess only a modest share in such markets (Chauhan, 2015). Also, Microsoft is
compelled to come up with a desirable operating system for both personal computer and
mobile given that its competitors such as Apple and Google have already established their
own (Chauhan, 2015; Hitt et al., 2012).
Internal Strengths and Weakness
Microsoft products, especially Windows OS, have are popular among users because
they are top-quality and often easy to use (Chauhan, 2015). Furthermore, the company has a
huge cash reserve which has allowed it to put in considerable investments into R&D.
However, Microsoft has been known to make several poor investment decision. Many
of their acquisitions such as WebTV and Link Exchange have shut down (Chauhan, 2015).
Further, the acquisition of Nokia led to a substantial drop in Microsoft’s share prices. The
firm has projected a full recovery of these losses by 2016, but that is a long strategy because
it is dependent on the prospective growth of the smartphone fair.
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