Description

Instructions for Individual Case: Mattel strategy analysis and formulation

The Individual Case is intended to provide learning and understanding related to some key tools for

strategy analysis and formulation. The emphasis is on applying the tools in an integrated approach

aimed at identifying, prioritizing, and understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats in the organization’s internal and external environments and using this analysis to formulate a

recommended strategy for Mattel. The written case provided on the BSG site should be used to provide

much of the key information and relevant specific facts, but students should also use current, legitimate

sources, besides the case, to gather additional facts and evidence relevant to the analysis and

formulation project. All conclusions must be based on facts and evidence that come from legitimate

sources. All facts and evidence must be properly cited using APA standards (this includes both

embedded citations following each fact, as well as a complete reference list at the end). This is a fact-

based, APA standard cited, semi-quantitative analysis of the internal and external environments of

Mattel, coupled with a strategy formulation project based on the environmental analysis.

Imagine that you have been asked to prepare a report for the top management team at Mattel (MAT)

that includes the results of an analysis of the company’s internal & external environments (strategic

analysis) and then uses this strategic analysis in a TOWS matrix to generate a set of >=8 strands of

strategic alternatives, concluding with a selection (and explanation for that selection) of a subset of 4-6

of the strands of strategic alternatives. This selection of strands of strategies should, together with

elements of Mattel’s existing strategy that you recommend be retained, provide a comprehensive,

mutually reinforcing set of strategy elements, as a final recommended strategy for Mattel.

Your case report should include all appendices, as described below (in word, powerpoint, and excel

files), including all required information in considerable detail, a two-page Executive Summary, and a

reference list.

The following outline provides the specific requirements:

1. NSU Cover page (1 page in length). It will present the name of the case and the author of the

report.

1. Results of Strategic Analysis (Appendices 1-10-Rubric: Analyzes the situation…)

 EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

 Appendix 1: STEEP analysis is an Excel file – (you must contribute >= 2 trends or events in each

of the five STEEP areas)

o Create a STEEP analysis appendix in an excel file, using the example/template provided

in the Canvas file labeled “STEEP Analysis example & template”

 Column 1 brief description of each of >= 2 trends or events for each STEEP area

(cite source(s) of trend- must be relevant case and/or real-world data)

 Column 2 rate the probability that of each of the >= 2 trends or events for each

STEEP area will occur (hi, med, or lo) and give brief justification for the rating

(cite source(s) of justification-this must be relevant case and/or real-world data)

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 2 of 8

 Column 3 classify each trend or event as an Opportunity vs. Threat & rate

probable impact on Mattel if each of the >= 2 trends or events per STEEP area

occurs (hi, med, or lo) and give brief justification for rating(cite source(s) of

justification-this must be relevant case and/or real-world data)

 Appendix 2: Issues Priority Matrix (IPM) is a Word or Powerpoint file

o Plot all of the 10+ STEEP trends on an IPM, following the format provided in the

“additional slides” in Canvas

 Appendix 3: Strategic Group Map is a Word or Powerpoint file

o Provide a Map of the Firms and/or Strategic groups making up the toy industry Rivals

as you wish to define them for the Porter’s Analysis, following the instructions and

format provided in the etext (chapter 3).

 Appendix 4: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis is an Excel file – (you must contribute >= 2

determinants for each of the Porter’s Five forces)

o Create a Porter’s 5 forces analysis appendix in an excel file, using the example/template

provided in the Canvas file labeled “Porter’s Analysis example & template”

 Column 1 identify >= 2 of the determinants of each of the 5 forces (see Figs. 3.4

– 3.8 in chapter 3) & for each identified determinant provide a brief summary

of real-world evidence related to that determinant (cite sources-this must be

relevant case and/or real-world data)

 Column 2 assign a rating (between 1=causes force to be weak & 5=causes force

to be strong) based on the real-world evidence related to each of >= 2

determinants for each of the 5 forces identified in Col 1

 Column 3 give a brief justification for each col 2 (1-5) rating based on chapter 3

material (cite source of justification- generally material from chapter 3)

 Average all column 2 determinants, for each force, to provide the overall rating

for each force

 Provide 1-2 comments summarizing the effects of each of the 5 forces on

industry profit potential

 Average the average ratings for the 5 forces to provide an overall rating for the

industry (industry attractiveness)

 Provide 1-2 comments summarizing the effects of all five forces, taken together,

on industry profit potential

 Appendix 5: List of the 5 most important opportunities & the 5 most important threats in a

Word or Powerpoint file

o This list must be based on the analyses in the prior appendices and should include items

from BOTH the Porter’s and STEEP analyses

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 3 of 8

 Considering the trends or events from the STEEP (Appendix 1) in the upper-left-

most section of the IPM (Appendix 2)

 Also, considering the Porter’s forces and/or individual determinants with the

highest and/or lowest ratings from Appendix 5

o Limit your list to a total of just 5 opportunities and 5 threats

o Include sub-bullet points under each of the 5 opportunities and 5 threats on your list

briefly explaining why you chose each selected opportunity and threat and why you

did not choose other opportunities and threats from Appendices 1 & 5 that would be

“close calls” based on the analysis.

 INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

 Appendix 6: Current Strategy Specify in detail the strategy Mattel is currently using and has

used for the most recent period of “stability” (e.g. the past 5-10 years) (is a Word or

Powerpoint file)

• Address what Mattel is doing in each of the Hambrick & Fredrickson 5 elements of a

good strategy. Try to merge information related to the sub-bullets below, within the

corresponding H&F element(s). Provide cited evidence of specific actions taken by

Mattel during the past decade or longer to support your conclusions. Refer to the

frameworks provided in H&F (2001), chapters 5-8 in the text, and any other relevant

sources of strategy types.

• Which of the 5 Competitive Business Strategies (Porter’s Generic strategies-

chapter 5) does Mattel use?

• Identify the important “complementary strategic options”, functional

strategies, timing choices (chapter 6), globalization (chapter 7) and

diversification strategies Mattel has used.

• Appendix 7: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS of Mattel (MAT) vs. Hasbro (HAS) (use the excel data

provided on Canvas; get stock price data from an outside source):

• At a minimum, please do the following:
• Sales, Net Profits, Stock Price (is an Excel file) Create BOTH
• a. side-by-side LINE CHARTS, and
• b. comparisons of CAGRs

for MAT vs. HAS for fiscal years 2009-2018 in SALES (canvas), NET PROFITS (canvas),

STOCK PRICE (e.g., Yahoo finance),

• Ratios (is an Excel file) Create tables showing side-by-side comparisons of figures for

MAT vs. HAS for fiscal years 2009-2018 in:

• Profitability, including ROE, ROA, and NET MARGINS (calculate)

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 4 of 8

• Activity, including TOTAL ASSET TURNOVER, INVENTORY TURNOVER, PPE

TURNOVER

• Liquidity, CURRENT RATIO
• Leverage, TOTAL DEBT-TO-EQUITY
• Provide a total of at least 4 bullet points, including at least 2 bullet points interpreting

the information displayed in the excel files for Sales, Stock Price, Net Profits and at

least 2 bullet points interpreting the information displayed in the excel files for the

ratios (Include your interpretation of which of the findings are consistent and which

findings are inconsistent with MAT’s strategy identified in Appendix 1 and why)

• Also, provide a brief statement of your overall assessment of How well MAT’s existing

strategy appears to be working, based on the financial outcomes.

• Appendix 8: Value Chain Define the activities in MAT’s VALUE CHAIN (is a Word or Powerpoint

file)

• Show a VALUE CHAIN for MAT that includes a list of all PRIMARY and SECONDARY

activities

• For each of these activities provide sub-bullet points describing specifically what MAT

does in the activity

• Appendix 9: RBV analysis – Identify >=7 RESOURCE STRENGTHS AND >=7 WEAKNESSES within

MAT and Perform a VRIO ANALYSIS for each of these >=14 strengths & weaknesses (is an Excel

file)

• Create a VRIO RESOURCE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES INVENTORY (please create an

excel file as shown in the excel file labeled “VRIO Analysis example & template”)

(explanations of VRIO are provided in the article by Barney, 1991 and the “Additional

slides” on Canvas)

• Column 1: a list of >= 7 resource strengths and >=7 resource weaknesses of MAT

(cite sources)

• Use the techniques provided in the relevant slides from chapter 4 to ID

resource strengths and weaknesses

• Columns 2-5: rate each Column 1 item (yes or no) on VRIO
• Column 6: give a brief justification for your yes/no ratings in cols 2-5 (you must

include your own interpretation of how particular, relevant, cited statement(s)

from Barney (1991) justify your VRIO ratings for each strength and weakness)

• Column 7: state whether each col 1 item is a:
• Weakness
• Strength

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 5 of 8

• Strength and distinctive competence
• Strength and sustainable distinctive competence
• Appendix 10: List of the 5 most important Strengths & 5 most important Weaknesses from

Appendix 9 (is a Word or Powerpoint file)

• Use the VRIO ratings in Columns 2-5 in Appendix 9 to select 5 of the >=7 strengths and 5

of the >=7 weaknesses.

• Limit your list to a total of just 5 Strengths and 5 Weaknesses
• Include sub-bullet points under each of the 5 Strengths and 5 Weaknesses on your list to

briefly explain why you chose each selected strength and weakness and why you did

not choose other strengths and weaknesses from your analysis.

III. Strategy Formulation

1. Place your 5 most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from Appendix

5 and Appendix 10 in the row and column headings of a TOWS matrix & generate a SET OF >=8

STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES for MAT (Appendices 11-14-Rubric: Generates realistic Strands of

Strategic Alternatives)

1. Appendix 11: >= 2 potential SO strategic alternatives from the TOWS matrix
2. Appendix 12: >= 2 potential ST strategic alternatives from the TOWS matrix
3. Appendix 13: >= 2 potential WO strategic alternatives from the TOWS matrix
4. Appendix 14: >= 2 potential WT strategic alternatives from the TOWS matrix
5. Each of the >=8 total strategic alternatives should include:
6. A brief description of the specific suggested action
7. Identification of the specific intersecting row & column items that the suggested

action addresses (i.e. number the SWOT items and refer to the intersecting

items by the assigned numbers)

iii. Identification of at least 3 type(s) of strategies (e.g., differentiation, backward

integration, 1st mover, etc.), with which the suggested action would be most

consistent

1. Example of an ST alternative:
2. If STRENGTH #1 on the TOWS is “S#1: strong global brand recognition” and

THREAT #1 on the TOWS is “T#1: highly different customer tastes in China vs.

the US” and THREAT #3 on the TOWS is “T#3: Increasing governmental

restrictions on US firms selling products in China”

1. ST #1 might be: “ST#1: Create licensing agreements with Chinese firms to

produce and sell products in China with features that appeal to local Chinese

tastes, using the firm’s strong brand (S#1 & T#1 & T#3) (This suggested action is

most consistent with a multi-country, licensing, focus differentiation, marketing

strategy)”

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 6 of 8

1. Appendix 15: List a mutually reinforcing subset of 4-6 of the strands of strategic alternatives

(from the>=8 total strategic alternatives in Appendices 11-14) as the RECOMMENDED

STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES (Appendix 15-Rubric: Evaluates Solutions/Selects Optimal)

1. The set of recommended strategic alternatives should include:
2. Clear identification of some subset of 4-6 of the SO, ST, WO, and/or WT

strategic alternatives from the TOWS matrix (Appendices 11-14)

1. Explain why each strategic alternative was selected

iii. Explain how the set of 4-6 recommended strategic alternatives, together with

the elements of MAT’s existing strategy that are working and being retained,

address each of the elements of the Hambrick & Fredrickson 5 elements of a

good strategy and are mutually reinforcing

1. Include a few comments about why the recommended strands of strategic

alternatives would be expected to improve MAT’s strategic and/or financial

performance

1. Executive Summary (Rubric: Writes at the Graduate Level)

The Executive Summary is a concise summary of the main findings in the Appendices (maximum two

pages in length). Please use full sentences and paragraph form, NOT bullets or lists. The Executive

Summary must include the following sections:

1. A statement indicating which of the 5 Porter’s Generic Competitive Business Strategies

MAT employs, along with the highlights of what MAT is doing in each of the Hambrick &

Fredrickson 5 elements of a good strategy (briefly summarizing the highlights of

Appendix 6).

1. Identification of the single most important strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat

in MAT’s internal and external environments (i.e. choose the four most important SWOT

items from Appendices 5 & 10-most important opportunities and threats and most

important strengths and weaknesses) and a brief assessment of the collective effect of

these most important SWOT items on MAT’s future.

1. A summary of commonalities among various subsets of the eight+ strands of strategic

alternatives identified in Appendices 11-14.

1. A summary of the recommended strategy with a summary of the most important

justifications for the recommendation (briefly summarizing the highlights of Appendix

15).

FORMATTING for Executive Summary (maximum two pages in length):

 Single-spaced

 Twelve-point font

 One inch margins all around

 Four main sections as described above (A, B, C, D)

 Use headings and subheadings to organize the material in an easy to read and understandable

manner that highlights the essential points of your analysis.

Dr. Wurthmann MGT5170 Page 7 of 8

 Use full sentences and paragraph form, NOT bullets or lists.

 Do NOT include a summary or overview of the firm in your report. All parties are knowledgeable

and need no background presented.

1. Bibliography or Reference List. All evidence provided in the Appendices must be followed by

embedded citations indicating the source(s) for the evidence and the embedded citations must have

corresponding full citation listings in the reference list. The embedded citations and reference list must

conform to APA style guidelines. (Rubric: ALL sections)

1. Please Attach the Rubric provided below for the case study to the end of the report.