Assignment 1 Lasa 2 Strategic Plan And Self Reflectio 989589

Assignment 1 Lasa 2 Strategic Plan And Self Reflection Summaryreview

Review the initial scenario and the Strategic Business Plan presented in Module 1 to ensure that the requirements of the Board and the Part II Strategic Plan are met. Prepare the final Strategic Business Plan—Part II—Strategic Plan to the Executive Board. Your report should include a title page, table of contents, executive summary, and comprehensive sections within an 8- to 12-page document:

  • Part I: Global Economy & Factors Affecting H-D
    • Identify Harley-Davidson’s (H-D) motivations for expansion and associated risks.
    • Explain H-D’s competitive advantage in global markets.
    • Determine and elucidate entry strategies for global expansion.
    • Recommend an Internet approach/strategy for H-D, covering how the Internet adds value, business models, competitive strategies, and leveraging e-business capabilities.
  • Part II: Corporate Leadership
    • Current Direction Setting:
      • Evaluate Harley-Davidson’s organizational culture; define attributes team members should possess to meet business goals.
      • Propose motivational techniques to foster team success.
    • Organizational Design:
      • Recommend team strategies for each department, considering the shift toward team-oriented structures rather than traditional functional setups.
    • Leadership Traits
    • Ethical Organization Characteristics:
      • Identify key elements and any missing elements.
    • Learning Organization Characteristics:
      • Identify current elements and those missing.
  • Part III: Strategic Plan Summary
    • Conclusions and recommendations.
    • Implementation strategies, including team integration per department.
    • Development of an implementation roadmap.
    • Primary benchmarks to measure success or failure.
    • Assessment of risks.
  • Part IV: Self-Reflection Summary
    • Discuss five or six key lessons learned from the textbook and course content that will aid your career.
    • Reflect on career opportunities that interest you in business.
    • Share insights about yourself, including how personal biases and assumptions have influenced your work and how you plan to manage them moving forward.

Your final submission should be an MS Word document, approximately 8–12 pages, citing 4–6 scholarly or professional sources. The document must be clearly written, well-organized, ethically scholarly with proper attribution, and free from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

Paper For Above instruction

The strategic expansion and leadership development of Harley-Davidson (H-D) in the global marketplace necessitate a comprehensive understanding of economic, cultural, and organizational factors. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of these aspects, along with a strategic plan outline and personal reflection to guide future leadership roles.

Part I: Global Economy & Factors Affecting H-D

Harley-Davidson's motivations for international expansion are driven by the desire to tap into emerging markets, diversify revenue streams, and enhance brand prestige globally. These motivations are balanced by risks such as geopolitical instability, currency fluctuations, cultural differences, and supply chain complexities. Recognizing these drivers and deterrents allows H-D to craft strategic approaches aligned with global economic dynamics (Kumar & Pansari, 2016).

Harley-Davidson’s competitive advantage in global markets lies in its strong brand identity, loyal customer base, and high-quality craftsmanship that differentiate it from competitors. Its iconic status and emotional connection with consumers foster brand loyalty across borders (Kotler & Keller, 2016). Additionally, H-D's ability to customize products for diverse markets enhances its competitive position.

Entry strategies for expansion include joint ventures, franchising, and wholly owned subsidiaries, chosen based on market maturity, legal environment, and cultural compatibility. For emerging markets, joint ventures with local firms facilitate market entry by leveraging local knowledge, while wholly owned subsidiaries are suitable for mature markets with stable legal frameworks (Cavusgil et al., 2014).

An internet strategy for H-D should incorporate e-commerce platforms for direct sales, digital marketing campaigns tailored to regional preferences, and online community engagement. The internet adds value by expanding market reach, improving customer engagement, and reducing distribution costs (Ramadan et al., 2018). Business models could include a hybrid approach combining direct sales and third-party retail channels, leveraging e-business capabilities such as data analytics for targeted marketing and customer relationship management.

Part II: Corporate Leadership

H-D’s organizational culture emphasizes innovation, quality, and rugged individualism, which must be preserved while adapting to a team-oriented approach. To reach organizational goals, team members should embody attributes such as collaboration, adaptability, customer focus, and proactive problem-solving (Schein, 2010). Motivational techniques like recognition programs, participative decision-making, and aligning incentives with performance can foster engagement and initiative.

The shift toward a team-oriented structure involves adopting collaborative team strategies tailored to departments. Product development teams should be cross-functional with clear roles in innovation cycles; sales and marketing teams benefit from autonomous, goal-driven groups; and manufacturing departments should implement continuous improvement teams. Such strategies promote agility, innovation, and accountability.

Leadership traits essential for H-D include emotional intelligence, visionary thinking, decisiveness, and resilience. These traits support change management and innovation, key for maintaining competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving global market (Goleman, 2013).

Ethical organization characteristics encompass transparency, integrity, social responsibility, and respect for diversity. Missing elements may include comprehensive corporate social responsibility policies and mechanisms for stakeholder engagement. Enhancing these areas fosters trust and long-term sustainability (Crane et al., 2014).

Learning organization characteristics involve continuous knowledge sharing, openness to change, and fostering innovation. Elements like supportive leadership and systems thinking are present, but areas such as experimentation and risk-taking need strengthening to fully embed a learning culture (Senge, 2006).

Part III: Strategic Plan Summary

In conclusion, H-D’s strategic expansion requires integrating global economic insights, robust leadership, and innovative organizational structures. Recommendations include adopting targeted entry strategies, leveraging digital platforms, and cultivating a culture of continuous learning. Effective implementation hinges on clear communication, team alignment with strategic goals, and ongoing performance measurement.

The implementation roadmap involves phased market entry, staff training, and technological investments. Key benchmarks for success include sales growth in new markets, customer satisfaction scores, and digital engagement metrics. Risks—such as cultural misalignment and cyber security threats—must be proactively managed through comprehensive risk mitigation plans.

Part IV: Self-Reflection Summary

Throughout this course, I have learned invaluable lessons that will impact my professional growth. Key among these are the importance of adaptive leadership, the strategic value of cultural awareness in global markets, and the necessity of ethical integrity in organizational practices (Northouse, 2018). These lessons underscore the importance of versatility, ethical judgment, and continuous learning as essential leadership qualities.

My career interests revolve around strategic management roles within multinational corporations, where I can leverage cross-cultural competencies and strategic thinking. The program has enhanced my understanding of global business dynamics and refined my analytical skills.

On a personal level, I have gained insight into my biases and assumptions, recognizing how they influence decision-making. Moving forward, I plan to adopt a more reflective approach, actively seeking diverse perspectives and fostering inclusive environments. This self-awareness will contribute to my development as a responsible and effective leader.

References

  • Cavusgil, S. T., Knight, G., Riesenberger, J. R., Rammal, H. G., & Rose, E. L. (2014). Strategic Management in International Business. Pearson.
  • Crane, A., Palazzo, G., Spence, L. J., & Matten, D. (2014). Contesting the Value of Corporate Social Responsibility. Business & Society, 53(2), 163-181.
  • Goleman, D. (2013). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books.
  • Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson.
  • Kumar, V., & Pansari, A. (2016). Competitive advantage through engagement. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 75-89.
  • Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Ramadan, A., Rasool, M. F., & Ameen, A. (2018). E-commerce Smart Strategies for Business Sustainability. International Journal of Business and Management, 13(8), 85-94.
  • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
  • Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization. Doubleday.