Strategic Group Map (SGM) Analysis – Graph
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Overview:
This individual assignment requires you to perform an analysis of the company you have selected from
the list provided in Week 21. For example, if you have selected and been approved to study Royal
Caribbean Cruises (Ticker: RCL), then this assignment should conduct the assigned analysis of RCL. Your
paper should reflect your own original research, content and sources.
Your analysis will be written in a word document, not longer than two pages, and uploaded to the
appropriate online forum on or before the due date/time. Refer to Paper Formatting Details (below).
Instructions:
1. Create a Strategic Group Map (SGM) graph. Your SGM should represent your company’s
industry/marketplace, be clearly labeled, and expresses all SGM features; title, axis labels (i.e.
industry dimensions), industry/market competitors, competitor clusters, and market share.
NOTE: mobility barrier is optional.
REMEMBER: Your SGM graph should document actual market/industry competitors and data. Your
observations should not be hypothetical examples.
2. Synthesize your analysis. Using your analysis, your paper should briefly respond to the
following questions;
• Explain your rationale for the industry dimensions expressed by the X and Y axes. Why did
you choose these industry dimensions?
• Describe competitor clusters of competitors as follows. Please,
i. describe the similarities (i.e. common traits) of the firms/companies within each
cluster and,
ii. compare and contrast the differences between the clustered groups.
NOTE: If your SGM does not reveal competitor clusters you’ve probably missed something.
Consider changing your axis labels (i.e. industry dimensions) and rework the graph. In most all
cases your graph should naturally identify two clusters of competitors (we’ll learn why in a couple
weeks).
3. Upload your paper to the designated forum on our class iLearn site on or before the assignment
due date and time. Assignments are due (i.e. your paper should be uploaded) before our regularly
scheduled class time on the date identified on the course syllabus.
4. Read at least two of your classmate’s analysis papers and post a response in the forum.
Forum comments should be completed within the week following the assignment due date.
• Every paper should receive at least two responses. Do not comment on a paper that
already has two comments unless every paper already has two comments. You may not
comment on your own paper.
1 See iLearn, Week 2 to find the list of company options. Your approved company selection will be the company on
which you will conduct PESTEL, 5 Forces, Strategic Group Map, VRIO and SWOT analyses.
SFSU BUS 690
Strategic Group Map (SGM) Analysis – Graph
P. Armstrong, MBA SFSU BUS 690 Spring 2021
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• Constructive Feedback Only: Feedback is an essential element for everyone in an
organization’s workforce. Providing feedback is intended to build on someone’s
contribution. This includes challenging an idea presented in a constructive manner. Avoid
“praise/critique-only” responses. It is also OK to ask the author a question as a means to
better understand or elaborate one’s point of view.
Paper Formatting Details:
Your paper should include the following:
• Introduction: a concise introductory paragraph that introduces the company and
describes the paper’s purpose.
• Analysis: as described in #1 above
• Synthesis: as described in #2 above
Formatting:
Name your file as follows: LastName_Framework.doc
For example: Armstrong_SGM.doc
Your paper’s content should be in Microsoft Word and not longer than two pages. There is no penalty for
including matrices, graphs, bullet lists reflective of the selected framework/model or a bibliography on
extra pages.
Use standard MS Word margins (not greater than 1”) and fonts (e.g. Times, Times New Roman, Cambria
or Arial). Font size shall be 11 or 12 point. Line spacing shall not be greater than 1.15. Single-spaced is OK.
Tables, charts and/or graphs: shall not have a height greater than one-third the height of the page (~3
¾ inches). If this size restriction renders the table, chart or graph difficult to read then adding an
additional page(s), as an appendix, is appropriate and will incur no penalty.
Sources and Citations: Your research should use primary sources which should be included in a
bibliography and cited within the paper.
Helpful Resources
The following resources are often helpful for this assignment.
Company website: Look for “corporate” or “investor relations” pages in order to find press releases and
corporate reports. Consider listening to your company’s quarterly earnings report.
SEC.gov: Use the EDGAR database to find annual (10K) and quarterly (10Q) filings for your company.
Analyst Reports: Look for analyst reports or links from Yahoo or Google Finance sites.
Business Press: News articles can be helpful in gathering environmental analysis information.
Your Textbook: Check the appendix for possible information about your company.
Market or Industry specific reports: It will be helpful to research the industry in which your company
competes (rather than the company itself).