Business Commons^™

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Inc., Cody Mccain

Honors Theses

After Tesla completed its first every back to back profitable quarters at the end of 2018, sales started to decline in the first quarter of 2019 and many question if the company would every be profitable. Through a strategic audit of Tesla and the electric vehicle industry several key factors have been identified to help improve Tesla’s profitability. Analysis tools used to analyze the company and the industry include Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT Analysis, and PEST Analysis. At the conclusion of the audit there are three recommendations given to help improve Tesla’s strategy. First it is recommended that Tesla focuses …

Strategic Audit: Target Corporation, Andee Capell

Honors Theses

Target Corporation is a notable publicly traded discount retailer in the United States. In recent years they have gone through significant changes including a new CEO Brian Cornell and the closing of their Canadian stores. With change comes a new strategy, which includes growing stores in the United States. In order to be able to continue to grow Target should consider multiple strategic options. Using internal and external analysis, while examining Target’s profitability ratios recommendations were made to proceed with their growth both in profit and capacity. After recommendations are made implementation and contingency plans can be made.

Strategic Audit: Starbucks, Madison Clements

Honors Theses

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee brand that is expanding operations. There are many obstacles to this level of growth, and the company needs to take great care in the differentiating the way stores are built in the United States and internationally. In order to establish brand longevity, the company should examine several strategic options. A final strategy can be chosen based on the results of a situational analysis, financial analysis, and company goals. After a final strategic recommendation has been made, a contingency plan will be created to ensure long-term success.

Adidas: A Strategic Audit, Rebekah Birch

Honors Theses

Adidas is a leader of today’s sportswear industry with its core competencies being footwear and apparel. Adidas employs various strategies to remain competitive in the industry against powerful companies including Nike and Under Armour. The industry is strongly defined by the high levels of competitive rivalry, among other forces. Adidas is directly affected by various factors in their external environment including political, economic, social, technological and environmental factors. It also has various opportunities and threats that affect its external environment and help determine the company’s success. Adidas’s internal environment explains the basis of their strategic decisions and why certain aspects …

Strategic Audit Of The Public Accounting Industry With A Focus On Ey, Mary Candela

Honors Theses

Public accounting firms provide valuable assurance services that, because of their place in our economic system and because of strong regulatory requirements, are unlikely to stop being demanded. The industry is facing several issues surrounding stagnation of the client base and difficulty in competition. Finally, the industry is also being rocked by the pace of emerging technologies and will need to adapt to and embrace them in the coming years.

The following uses several strategic frameworks to analyze the industry, the subset of the Big Four accounting firms, and EY. Ultimately, this project develops and understanding of EY’s place in …

Strategic Audit: Deloitte, Yibing Shen

Honors Theses

The project’s goal is to analyze the current situation and problems faced by Deloitte, and give out recommendation, implementation plan, and contingency plan for Deloitte. The methods to do the project is to research online to get adequate information and make assumptions for the information I cannot gather. The results are: I find out that Deloitte is competitive as one of the big four accounting firms, but it is facing the problem of brand dilution and reputational contagion due to its fast expansion and acquisition; the partner firms are not linked or connected as they expected to be. So the …