Business Capstone Paper
Assignment: Capstone
Select the following publicly traded corporation:
United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
Research the corporation on its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml), in the University’s online databases, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.
Write a nine (9) page paper in which you:
1.Determine the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
2.Analyze the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
3.Create a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
4.Based on the SWOT analysis, outline a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
5.Discuss the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
6.Outline a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
7.Select two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and evaluate how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
8.Evaluate the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
9.Assess efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and determine the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Provide specific examples to support your response.
Use at least five (5) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Determine ways in which the vision, mission, and stakeholders of a firm impact that firm’s overall success.
Identify how the six segments of the general environment affect an industry and its firms.
Identify the five forces of competition.
Analyze the external environment for opportunities and threats that impact the firm.
Analyze the internal environment of a company for strengths and weaknesses that impact the firm’s competitiveness.
Identify various levels and types of strategy in a firm.
Predict ways in which corporate governance will affect strategic decisions.
Assess the relationship between strategy and organizational structure.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.
Write clearly and concisely about business administration using proper writing mechanics.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.
Points: 400
Assignment 5: Capstone
Criteria
Unacceptable
Below 60% F
Meets Minimum Expectations
60-69% D
Fair
70-79% C
Proficient
80-89% B
Exemplary
90-100% A
1. Determine the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
Weight: 5%
Did not submit or incompletely determined the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
Insufficiently determined the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
Partially determined the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
Satisfactorily determined the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
Thoroughly determined the impact of the company’s mission, vision, and primary stakeholders on its overall success.
2. Analyze the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely analyzed the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
Insufficiently analyzed the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
Partially analyzed the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
Satisfactorily analyzed the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
Thoroughly analyzed the five (5) forces of competition to determine how they impact the company.
3. Create a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely created a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Insufficiently created a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Partially created a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Satisfactorily created a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Thoroughly created a SWOT analysis for the company to determine its major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
4. Based on the SWOT analysis, outline a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely outlined a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
Insufficiently outlined a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
Partially outlined a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
Satisfactorily outlined a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
Thoroughly outlined a strategy for the company to capitalize on its strengths and opportunities, and minimize its weaknesses and threats.
5. Discuss the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely discussed the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
Insufficiently discussed the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
Partially discussed the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
Satisfactorily discussed the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
Thoroughly discussed the various levels and types of strategies the firm may use to maximize its competitiveness and profitability.
6. Outline a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely outlined a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
Insufficiently outlined a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
Partially outlined a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
Satisfactorily outlined a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
Thoroughly outlined a communications plan the company could use to make the strategies you recommend above known to all stakeholders.
7. Select two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and evaluate how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely selected two 2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and incompletely evaluated how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
Insufficiently selected two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and insufficiently evaluated how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
Partially selected two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and partially evaluated how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
Satisfactorily selected two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and satisfactorily evaluated how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
Thoroughly selected two (2) corporate governance mechanisms used by this corporation and thoroughly evaluated how effective they are at controlling managerial actions.
8. Evaluate the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely evaluated the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
Insufficiently evaluated the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
Partially evaluated the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
Satisfactorily evaluated the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
Thoroughly evaluated the effectiveness of leadership within this corporation and make at least one (1) recommendation for improvement.
9. Assess efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and determine the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Provide specific examples to support your response.
Weight: 10%
Did not submit or incompletely assessed efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and incompletely determined the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Did not provide specific examples to support your response.
Insufficiently assessed efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and insufficiently determined the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Insufficiently provided specific examples to support your response.
Partially assessed efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and partially determined the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Partially provided specific examples to support your response.
Satisfactorily assessed efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and satisfactorily determined the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Satisfactorily provided specific examples to support your response.
Thoroughly assessed efforts by this corporation to be a responsible (ethical) corporate citizen and thoroughly determined the impact these efforts (or lack thereof) have on the company’s bottom line. Thoroughly provided specific examples to support your response.
10. 5 references
Weight: 5%
No references provided
Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices.
Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices.
Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.
Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
11. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements
Weight: 10%
More than 8 errors present
7-8 errors present
5-6 errors present
3-4 errors present
0-2 errors present
Solution Preview
Introduction
The united states service automobile association (USAA) is a fortune 5oo organization, offering insurance, banking, investing and advice services to former and serving members of the military together with their families. The company is based in San Antonio, Texas, but has opened overseas offices in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany. USAA is no doubt big successful incorporation, with an estimated number of 11.9 million members, over 28,600 workers at 19 locations, 15,00 employees and 6,000 contractors operating at the company’s headquarters in San Antonio.
(3,241 words)