Education Commons^™

Evaluating Strategic Leadership Development Programs, Felicia Littlejohn

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Companies that lack an in-depth understanding of leadership development program evaluation may invest in a program that achieves suboptimal results. However, there is no generally prescribed framework for the evaluation of leadership development programs. Thus, the purpose of this action research paper is to provide the basis for vetting leadership development programs based on their organizational fit and investment value, training methodologies, workplace development approaches, coaching and development support, and targeted business outcomes.

Union Pacific Railroad Company Strategic Audit, Alison Steger

Honors Theses

Union Pacific Railroad Company (Union Pacific, UP, UPRR) is a freight railroad based in Omaha, Nebraska, servicing 23 states in America, with additional ports and country interchanges. The 160-year history of this railroad began with Abraham Lincoln and continues into 2023, with the recent announcement of CEO Lance Fritz’s departure. A PESTEL analysis provides an in-depth look at UP's external operating environment, and Porter’s Five Forces industry analysis assesses the industry's competitive environment. Analyses of Union Pacific's competitive advantages, essential resources, and projected roadblocks are followed by strategic recommendations for UP to remain a Class I freight railroad industry leader.

Vanmoof Strategic Audit, Chi-Chun Chang

Honors Theses

VanMoof is an e-bike brand originated in Amsterdam that has expanded to Western Europe, Eastern Asia, and North America. This paper will analyze the e-bike industry using PESTEL analysis. It will also analyze the industry’s competitive environment using the framework of Porter’s Five Forces, followed by an analysis of the strategy VanMoof’s currently employing. Based on the results, the paper will end with a recommendation for future strategies.

Lululemon Athletica Strategic Audit, Nolan T. Rinn

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is principally a designer, distributor, and retailer of technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories with a vision to create transformative products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all (Lululemon). This paper will examine Lululemon to understand its market position and competitiveness within the athletic apparel industry. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry Lululemon operates in.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Backhaul Strategic Audit, Hadley Hiatt

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is an athletic apparel company headquartered in Canada. Lululemon targets consumers who strive to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Its business model is based on the “Power of Three x 2” focusing on three strategic pillars, product innovation, guest experience, and international expansion. This analysis seeks to understand Lululemon’s face paced growth and unique business strategy through the use of a PESTEL analysis of macro environment, Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the competitive environment of the industry, analyzing the company’s strategy, major strategic objectives, competitive advantages, resources that may lead to a sustainable competitive advantage, and …

Kate Spade Strategic Analysis, Cydne Munson

Honors Theses

Kate Spade is an American luxury handbag and accessory company. The company is best known for its fun yet timeless and functional designs and has been a highly regarded and recognized brand since its inception nearly thirty years ago. This report explores the history of the Kate Spade brand and its resources that contribute to competitive advantages in the industry. A Porter’s Five Forces analysis and a PESTEL analysis are used to examine Kate Spade’s external environment and the luxury handbag industry as a whole. Finally, potential future threats and strategies to counteract them are examined.

Nvidia Corporation: Pc Gaming Industry Strategic Audit, Charlie Peng

Honors Theses

Nvidia is a semiconductor company focusing on high-performance computer graphics technology. The company designs graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used in a variety of fields such as data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming. This paper seeks to examine Nvidia’s position within the PC gaming industry. First, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses are used to detail the overall PC gaming industry. The next section examines how Nvidia competes through its strategy, resources, and competitive advantages. Finally, future challenges and recommendations to position the company are explored.

Northern Oil & Gas Strategic Audit, Jacob Hansen

Honors Theses

Northern Oil & Gas is an energy company that operates in various basins across the United States. The company utilizes a non-operating model, meaning it does not drill wells or operate rigs, but rather partners with operators and acquires fractional working interests in drilling units. This report seeks to understand Northern Oil & Gas’ business model by examining its competitive strategy, advantages, and resources. Internal and external environmental factors are also analyzed using both PESTEL analysis and Porter’s Five Forces. In addition, key challenges facing the company are explored and recommendations are given on how Northern Oil & Gas can …

Walt Disney Theme Park Strategic Audit, Joseph Peraino

Honors Theses

Walt Disney theme parks are a part of the Theme parks, Resorts, and Cruise line sector of The Walt Disney Company. Despite many world changes to its environment throughout the years, Disney has remained one of the leaders in the entertainment industry. This Strategic audit will use PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces to analyze the industry as a framework to understand how Disney can remain a strong competitor in its changing environment and industry.

Deloitte U.S. Strategic Analysis, Lucy Bazis

Honors Theses

Deloitte is a well-known public accounting firm that provides various services, such as audit, tax, and consulting. This analysis assesses the external forces affecting Deloitte utilizing a PESTEL analysis, the industry forces utilizing a Porter’s Five Forces analysis, the current strategy, competitive advantages, and the resources of capabilities of the firm. Based on the assessment, this paper gives strategic recommendations to remain the top of the accounting industry.

Workiva Strategic Audit, Rose Pilakowski

Honors Theses

Workiva is a software development company that simplifies complex reports for companies in over 180 countries around the world. Within a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform, Workiva customers connect critical business data directly with their source systems. This paper will analyze Workiva to help understand how it utilizes its platform to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the software and accounting environments. After completing an analysis of Workiva and its industry, I found that Workiva currently sits at an advantageous position in relation to its competitors, but still has room to grow in holding the lead above them.

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.

A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Jaden Capaldi, Rachel Jendro, Jacob Mir, Sophie Newman, Tommy Wolfe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Redfin Strategic Analysis, Steffanie Hitz

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Strategic Audit Of A24, Jackson Bartak

Honors Theses

A24 is an independent film production and distribution company founded in 2012. The company performs both duties for independent films as well as television programs, and a small portion of company revenue comes from merchandise it sells in an online kiosk. As of 2021, A24 had around 300 employees while maintaining a large catalog of movies and shows. Using a focus strategy, the company targets a more cultured audience for its unique (and sometimes outright bizarre) subject matter. To achieve this, A24 attempts to cast top B-list personnel both in acting and technical roles in order to corner its market. …

Hudl Strategic Analysis, Jessica Swanson

Honors Theses

Hudl is a cutting-edge company that assists with the filming, distributing, and recording statistics for more than 40 sports. The sports, at the high school, college, and even professional level, consist of football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and many others. Growing since its founding in 2006, Hudl now has more than 2,400 employees across 20 countries. To analyze the external environment of the video-sharing industry, a PESTEL analysis and a Porter’s Five Forces analysis were completed. These analyses found that Hudl was a unique case because they are in a very niche portion of the industry and take up a large …

Arbor Edge Defense (Aed) Sales Training, Michael J. Wetherbee

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Due to a change in revenue policy, an organization that sells products in the DDoS attack solution space embarked on a journey to fundamentally change the strategy they employed to sell their DDoS solution. The offering from the organization was a combination of two products that provided a comprehensive DDoS solution. The solution was made up of a cloud solution combined with an on-premises appliance.

Because most of the cloud portion was owned by another organization and the profit margins were small, they decided to sell their portion to the other organization. Once sold, they decided to change the sales …

A Comparative Review Of Perceived Costs And Benefits Of Business School Accreditation Options, Daniel R. Ball

Faculty Works: Business (1973-2022)

Business schools are continually challenged with developing programs that prepare students for successful careers and meet the evolving needs of industry. An accreditation association can provide business schools with best practice guidelines that help them ensure quality in their educational programs and supporting processes. The choice of accrediting agency is an important one for each school and could impact its success in achieving its mission. This paper examines the three primary business program accreditation associations in the United States: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); The Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP); and The International …

Lutz Strategic Analysis, Ashley Tyler

Honors Theses

Lutz, an accounting firm in Nebraska, was founded in 1980 and has grown radically since. It now has four divisions – Accounting, Finance, Talent, and Technology – and over 275 employees. When analyzing the external environment, a PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analyses were done. These found the external environment can have an impact on the industry, however, accounting is a job that will always be needed, and growth is almost always available. Lutz’s current strategy for growth is a resource-based view of the firm that involves being a one-stop-shop for customers. It is also looking for new firms …

Cohen And Milstein Strategic Analysis, Noah Marik

Honors Theses

Cohen Milstein is a medium-sized law firm operating out of six U.S. cities. It is a boutique-style firm specializing in niche areas of law and litigates higher-profile cases other firms avoid. This paper will examine Cohen and Milstein to understand its market position and competitiveness within the legal industry. The legal industry provides a unique set of challenges to firms as technology advances, new laws are imposed, and customer relationships evolve. To explore Cohen and Milstein, I will employ various tools, including Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL, and SWOT analyses. Following the firm's evaluation through these metrics, strategic recommendations will be …

Pacific Life Strategic Analysis, Jake Litel-Smith

Honors Theses

Pacific Life is one of the most recognizable names in life insurance. The company is known for its brand and consistent delivery on its promises for over 150 years. This study shows a comprehensive analysis of Pacific Life, including external and internal considerations. Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL will provide a guide to understanding the environment outside of the company. A SWOT analysis will provide a better grasp on the company’s current market position. The analysis will conclude with an understanding of Pacific Life’s current strategy and recommendations for its future success.

Trader Joe's Case Study, Madisson Magee

Honors Theses

My senior project is focused around analyzing Trader Joe’s business model and writing a case study focusing on the management strategies of the company. I wanted to know what made them so successful and recognizable as brand in the grocery store industry. My case study is based off of a Harvard Business School published case. Not only did I want to understand their success, but also what factors impact them and what issues they face in maintaining a successful business model. To do this, I analyzed many aspects of their company, where they stand against competitors and internal and external …

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Presentations

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Mayflower: Ode To New Beginnings — A New Column For New Times With A Positive Mission, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous studies and articles downplay the value of libraries, citing instances of library defunding, layoffs, and outright closures, along with studies on the waning usefulness of libraries based on flawed quantifiables. Such pronouncements spread fear of obsolescence and irrelevance, contributing to dissatisfaction in the library profession. Yet polls in the United States and Great Britain reveal the library profession's enduring value among the most trusted professions.

To kick off the column "Mayflower: Ode to New Beginnings", this article frames library pressures in a context of broader trends affecting economic and educational conditions, examines professional stewardship and the library profession’s enduring …

Employee Perceptions Of Succession Planning Within Higher Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Matthew Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Higher education institutions provide programs and services in support of personal, professional, and community development. The positive impact of higher education is threatened by the imminent departures of experienced employees responsible for implementing institutional programs and services. Research suggests succession planning assists organizations in responding to the potential departures of experienced employees while successfully serving stakeholders, yet a majority of higher education institutions do not possess adequate succession planning programs. Employee perceptions are essential to developing and evaluating programs, however, there is currently a lack of available insight into employee perceptions pertaining to succession planning within the field of higher …

Dialogue And Roles In A Strategy Workshop: Discovering Patterns Through Discourse Analysis, Martin Duffy

Masters

Strategy workshops are frequently used by Executive management teams to discuss and formulate strategy but are under-researched and under-reported in the academic literature. This study uses Discourse Analysis to discover participant roles and dialogic patterns in an Executive management team’s strategy workshop, together with their effect on the workshop’s operation and outcome. The study shows how the workshop participants adopt different roles through their language and content. It then identifies a dialogic pattern in the workshop discourse, with the emphasis on achieving shared understanding rather than winning the debate. The workshop facilitator’s role is shown to bring discussion as a …

E-Learning And Dit’S Strategic Plan, Eileen O' Donnell

Other resources

This presentation explores the question can e-learning be used to enhance the student experience and further prepare students to work in industry?