MKTG 6000 Minicase Initial Exercise: Company Selection and Application of Business Objective 5-12

1. List all team members:

2. List your choices for the organization/firm for your minicase?

• Only one firm per industry will be allowed. Cases with an international component are encouraged.
• What is your relationship with this organization/firm?
• What is the reason for selecting this organization/firm?
• What challenges facing this organization/firm make it an interesting case study?

3. Fundamental Entity for Analysis:
4. State the goal of Fundamental Entity:
5. Core Competence, Strategic Asset(s), and Customer Benefits

• Use the table below to write your core competencies. Review text pages 16-20.
• Typically it is easiest to begin with the strategic assets. List the current or desired strategic assets of the firm. Consider these broadly enough so that you include tangibles (e.g., systems, processes, employees, etc.) as well as intangibles (reputation). Keep in mind the fundamental definition of an asset: something that can be deployed to bring revenues and profits into the firm.
• Then, to the right of each strategic asset, list the customer benefits that result from it. Consider benefits the
  firm is currently delivering well as benefits that it could deliver.
• Now to the more difficult part. To the left, list the core competences that yield the strategic assets. Review the discussion of a core competence as a skill on text pp. 16-17. If the concept of core competence is not clear to you, review Prahalad, C. K., and Gary Hamel. 1990. “The Core Competence of the Corporation.” Harvard Business Review 68, no. 3: 79-91. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=9006181434&site=ehost-live
  Keep in mind that the core competence is a skill that uniquely distinguishes one firm from another. For a
  young company, look for the core competence to rest in the primary skill set of the founder. More established companies look for a core competence that defines the business. For example, 3M has a culture of innovation that leads to a host of strategic assets. When used effectively, core competence drives and directs the decision-making of the fundamental entity.
• You may find it helpful to review the first week’s lecture and slides to help prepare this table
• Explain the thinking behind your selections in the above matrix

6. Bid for your week:
List your first choice and second choice for the week you would like to complete and present your minicase: