Sample Exam Questions BS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXAM:
Question 1 is compulsory and worth 40 marks.

Choose any 2 other questions from the remaining questions – 30 marks each.
Please enter the number of your questions on the front of your answer script.
3 Hour paper.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
A SWOT should not merely be 4 lists used at the beginning of the strategic analysis phase. Rather, it
should be the outcome of a comprehensive external and internal organisational analysis. Discuss.
An organisation needs to understand the external environment in which it operates in order to
improve the development of sound business and corporate strategy. Discuss the statement above
and in your answer ensure you define both business and corporate strategy and discuss tools that
can be used to evaluate and understand the external environment towards developing good
strategy. Examples should be used to support your answer.
Select an industry of your choice and explore the nature of the macro environment in that industry.
Use the PESTEL framework to explain your answer and discuss how these factors can affect the
organisation’s competitiveness.
The culmination of both an external and internal analysis is a SWOT. Basing your answer on an
organisation you are familiar with, discuss how a SWOT can be used in order to identify which
strengths and weaknesses are relevant when addressing opportunities and threats.
Outline the main differences between corporate level strategy and business level strategy. Please
use examples to support your answer.
Briefly discuss why an organization would choose a strategic alliance over a merger or acquisition
Discuss the ways in which a corporate parent can add or destroy value for its portfolio of business
units. In your answer explain what a corporate parent is.
Basing your answer on an organisation with which you are familiar use Ansoff’s product/market
growth matrix to discuss the various directions for organisational growth that are open to the
organisation
Identify, and explain five key drivers that may lead to an organisation pursing a diversification
strategy. Comment on whether the driver is potentially value creating or value destroying.
The ability of an organisation to extract value from a merger or acquisition depends on its approach
to the integration of the target company with its own. Distinguish between the various integration
options available.
Explain and comment on why an organisation would chose a strategic alliance over a merger or an
acquisition. Please ensure in your answer that you fully explain all three methods of development
(merger, acquisition and strategic alliance).
Suitability, acceptability, and feasibility are three criteria that can be used to evaluate strategic
options. Discuss how these criterion assists in evaluating strategic options.
You have been asked to assess the feasibility of a number of strategic options by the managing
director of the company you are employed at. Discuss how you would approach the task of assessing
feasibility and what the key areas you would focus on.
Critically assess Porter’ generic strategies with respect to competitive strategy. Where appropriate
use examples.
Market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification are alternative
strategic options available to businesses. Discuss the merits or otherwise of each of the options
using an example/s to illustrate your discussions
Distinguish between organic development, merger or acquisition, and strategic alliances and discuss
why an organization would choose one over the other.
Discuss the ways in which a corporate parent can add or destroy value for its portfolio of business
units. In your answer explain what a corporate parent is.
Strategic analysis enables organisations to consider a range of strategic options for its business.
Deciding which option to follow can be difficult. Discuss how an organisation can evaluate its
strategic options using various tools and techniques. Use examples where possible to support your
answer
Generic strategies can be defined in terms of cost-leadership, differentiation and focus. Using
examples to support your answer distinguish between each of the generic strategies as proposed by
Michael Porter.
Evaluate the diversification strategy of an organisation with which you are familiar.
Using a detailed example, discuss Porter’s five forces model and explain how it can help managers to
identify the opportunities and threats confronting an organisation?
Discuss the drivers for internationalisation of an organisation.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXAM:

Question 1 is compulsory and worth 40 marks.

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