Writing Homework Help

Writing Assignment 2 (30 points)

The primary learning objectives in module 2 are to (1) identify key elements of marketing strategy and planning, and (2) apply a model of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to analyze corporate behavior.

Purpose of the assignment:

This assignment has 2 purposes.

First, this assignment is designed to improve your ability to apply key elements of marketing strategy to explain an organization’s business model.

Second, it is designed to improve your ability to apply a model of corporate social responsibility to analyze corporate decisions. In this assignment, you will apply the Virtue Matrix (explained in a required reading for this module) to real-world examples of socially responsible behavior by organizations. Your analysis should make use of specific information from the Virtue Matrix framework and data from the examples you use.

Many studies in education indicate that reflection is an effective part of learning. The design of this writing assignment gives you a guided approach for reflecting on the required readings for Module 2.

Assignment Due Date: Monday, May 24, 11:00 PM Central Time.

What to do: Answer each of these questions

1. Evaluate Levi Strauss’s organizational strategy and business model according to the following steps and questions, labelled A, B, C, and D, below (use the assigned article about Levi Strauss to get the facts that support your answer. Using information from outside this article and the assigned article on Business Model Innovation will likely result in a lower score on this assignment)

A. Define 2 of Levi’s target markets, based on information in the assigned article.

B. Describe Levi’s value proposition

1. Note: This is not explicit in the article (the tagline, “Live in Levi’s” is not a value proposition). Please state a plausible value proposition and give evidence from the article to support your answer.

2. Need help? Page 55 in the class textbook provides help defining a value proposition.

C. What value discipline is Levi’s building to support this competitive advantage, and what specific decisions has it made to support this value discipline? (the value discipline you list should be one of the value disciplines covered in Module 1 and be consistent with the information in the “Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines” article).

D. Is Levi’s business model best described as a “Creation Business Model”, a “Sustaining Innovation Business Model”, or an “Efficiency Business Model”? For the answer you choose, describe that business model phase (using the “The Hard Truth About Business Model Innovation” article) and provide at least 2 details from the Levi Strauss article that supports your answer.

Question 2 is on the next page.

2. Apply the Virtue Matrix to answer each of the following sets of questions. Be sure to use examples that are not already presented in the required reading on the Virtue Matrix.

A. Examining Strategic Actions in the Frontier: Present one example of an organization taking actions that represent the strategic quadrant of the Frontier portion of the Virtue Matrix. Explain your answer from the perspective of the Virtue Matrix framework. Be sure to provide specific information about your example that supports your conclusion about its actions.

B. Examining Structural Actions in the Frontier: Present one example of an organization participating in actions that represent the structural quadrant of the Frontier portion of the Virtue Matrix. Explain your answer from the perspective of the Virtua Matrix framework. Be sure to provide specific information about your example that supports your conclusion about its actions.

Formatting Guidelines.

Please provide all of your answers in Word or a program that easily be opened using Word.

Please include the respective number and question before each of your responses. For Question 2, please include the corresponding letter for each part of your answer (i.e., 2A, 2B).

You may use bullet points, graphs, figures, tables, etc. to communicate your response.

There is no page limit or specified minimum. Of course, submitted work should clearly validate that the appropriate assigned material was read and is being applied correctly in each answer.

Please remember, this assignment is designed to help you learn by providing a guided reflection and application of the required material.

If you quote or borrow from other people’s work you should cite the original source. You may use any citation format you prefer to cite sources in your work.

NOTE: The Module 2 lecture video(s) may help your thinking about each of these questions, but watching the video(s) is not a replacement for reading the specified assigned articles.

Originality of Work

This is an “open book” assignment. You may quote sources as part of your answers, but please cite the source when you quote it (plagiarism is not allowed). You may communicate with other members of class about the readings and questions, but you must provide your own responses.

Grading

Grades will be assigned using the criteria set out in the Writing Assignment 2 Rubric (next page).

Submitting your Work:

Please submit your work by clicking on the “Writing Assignment 2” title in Module 2 on our class’s Blackboard site.

Table 1: Writing Assignment 2 Rubric

Poor Good Excellent

Target Markets

(Q 1A) 0 Points

The question is not answered, or it contains several mistakes. 2 Point

Answer identifies only one distinct target market from the assigned article, or information used to identify target markets does not come from the article. 4 Points

Answer correctly identifies two distinct target markets from the assigned article.

Value Propositions

(Q 1B) 0 Points

The question is not answered, or it contains several mistakes. 2 Point

Answer either provides less than 2 total benefits or the answer does not provide evidence from the assigned article to support the stated value proposition. 4 Points

Answer details a bundle of benefits (2 or more) that are consistent with the way Levi’s products are described in the article.

Value Discipline

(Q 1C) 0 Points

Answer does not identify an appropriate value discipline that is listed in the “Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines” article. OR, a value discipline is listed, but no supporting details from the Levi’s article are provided. 1 Point

Answer identifies an appropriate value discipline, but it provides very little or no supporting details from the article to explain why this appears to be the value discipline Levi’s is pursuing. 3 Points

Answer identifies an appropriate value discipline and provides sufficient supporting details from the article to explain why this appears to be the value discipline Levi’s is pursuing.

Business Models

(Q 1D) 0 Points

A wrong business model phase is given and answer lacks supporting details from the article OR question is not answered. 4 Points

Answer identifies an appropriate business model phase, but it provides very little or no supporting details from the article to support the answer given. 7 Points

Answer identifies an appropriate business model phase and provides 2 supporting details from the article indicating why this is the business model phase is appropriate.

Strategic Actions in the Frontier (Q 2A) 0 Points

The question is not answered. Or, in the answer provided, it incorrectly applies the concept of strategic actions in the frontier 3 Points

The example lacks clear evidence of the criteria required to label it as part of the strategic frontier. 6 Points

The example provides clear evidence of corporate behavior that both benefits shareholders and adds to the supply of social responsibility.

Structural Actions in the Frontier

(Q 2B) 0 Points

The question is not answered. Or, in the answer provided, it incorrectly applies the concept of structural actions in the frontier 3 Points

The example lacks clear evidence of the criteria required to label it as part of the structural frontier. 6 Points

The example provides clear evidence of corporate behavior that benefits society but does not directly have a positive impact on shareholders