COMPETITIVE STRATEGY & INNOVATION

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group Case Study – COMPETITIVE STRATEGY & INNOVATION

Paper details:

You are required to read the case on Richard Branson and the Virgin Group and prepare a 12-14 minute board level PowerPoint presentation that addresses the following questions (support you answer in details in the Notes page of the slide):

1. What common resources and capabilities link the separate Virgin companies? (30%)

2. Which business if any should Branson consider divesting? What criteria should he use in deciding what new diversification strategy to pursue? (40%)

3. What changes in the organisational structure and management systems of the Virgin Group would you recommend? (30%) Questions to develop in the presentation: 1. What common resources and capabilities link the separate Virgin companies?: The question is clear, asking about the common resources & Capabilities linking all virgin companies. Identify the common resources & Capabilities to all Virgin Businesses and then Test them using an academic model such as VRIN in order to identify those which are granting Virgin "competitive advantage". 2. Which business if any should Branson consider divesting? What criteria should he use in deciding what new diversification strategy to pursue?Divesting Criteria: An academic model is available (& explained as well) to check which business would be the "Dog" and on what basis would be identified & named. It is worth noting that financial matters are not the only criteria to look at. Look for the logic behind Virgin business and the strategy characteristics.

Diversification criteria? This is also a clear question, few theories and academic models are available to decide and advise which industries should be pursued and following which criteria [for related & unrelated industries/businesses]. You could also give few examples on those industries and remember to support your answers by explaining why. 3. What changes in the organisational structure and management systems of the Virgin Group would you recommend? Recommended Changes? What are the changes that should take place on the structure level of virgin and the changes on the management style of the group. Remember to Support your recommendations. You have to show your own analysis, when developing the questions