MBA Capstone Project Description ✓ Solved

MBA Capstone Project Description MBA Capstone Project Desc

Throughout your MBA program, you have worked to develop as a business professional and prepare to meet future challenges as a business leader. Your program culminates in the capstone project, which forms the primary focus of MBA-FPX5910, the final course you will take in the program. The capstone project is intended to provide you the opportunity to demonstrate your MBA program outcomes by:

  • Planning and executing the strategic and tactical elements of a comprehensive project.
  • Integrating and demonstrating the business leadership skills and techniques you have learned throughout the MBA program.
  • Communicating your analysis and recommendations for a real organization both in written form and in a formal presentation.
  • Completing your MBA program with an experience that reinforces and integrates what you have learned throughout your MBA program.

The following information outlines the requirements and work associated with the capstone project for MBA-FPX5910.

Capstone Project Examples

You have a wide variety of choice when it comes to choosing a capstone project that is personally interesting and rewarding to you. It is your responsibility to propose a capstone topic and scope that will allow you to demonstrate all of the MBA program outcomes. Examples of project types that might be proposed to meet these requirements include, but are not limited to:

  • A strategic plan developed for an organization to use that helps them solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity.
  • A strategic analysis conducted on a selected part or area of an organization.
  • A case study developed on a selected part of or situation within an organization.
  • An intervention developed to address an organizational issue; for example, a workshop or training activity.
  • A consulting report developed to analyze a problematic issue within an organization; the issue and analysis should be broad-based enough to demonstrate program-level outcomes.

You may propose other project types for the capstone project so long as you are able to identify how the proposed project satisfies the requirement of demonstrating the program-level outcomes. When choosing your project type and/or topic, keep in mind that it must result in recommendations, next steps, or some other type of actionable, evidence-based takeaways for your intended audience, user, or subject of the project.

Capstone Project Selection and Proposal Guidelines

The organization must be real, not fictitious. This may be an organization to which you have direct access for data gathering or one for which you will gather data via published sources. In either case, it must be an organization for which you can gather the data needed to complete the project. If need be, you may be allowed to use a disguised name for the organization in the project report, but you must disclose to faculty what actual organization is being used as the setting for the project. There are certain organizations that we want you to avoid using for your capstone. These organizations have been overly covered in the various business courses and might not be “fresh” enough for you to showcase your MBA outcomes.

For that reason, we encourage you to select more low-profile organizations, or ones you can easily access for researching and analyzing. Do not select these organizations for your capstone project:

  • Proctor & Gamble.
  • Johnson & Johnson.
  • Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
  • PepsiCo.
  • The Coca-Cola Company.
  • Amazon.com.
  • Apple Inc.
  • Starbucks Coffee Company.
  • Toyota Motor Corporation.
  • Walmart.
  • Google.
  • Kellogg’s.
  • Target Corporation.
  • McDonald’s Corp.
  • Burger King.
  • Ford Motor Company.

When proposing a capstone project, you will be required to briefly identify how the proposed project ensures the demonstration of all seven program outcomes. The scope of effort required should be such that it is doable in a 15–20 page paper, which is to be submitted in Assessment 4.

Capstone Project Requirements

The capstone course project must demonstrate your achievement of the MBA program outcomes. The project must meet certain evaluation criteria, which ensure comprehensive coverage of business systems and processes, analytical thinking, ethical practices, and effective communication.

Capstone Deliverables

You will plan, execute, and deliver your capstone project; it should include the components and requirements such as a project summary, formal proposal, annotated outline, final report, and presentations. Each deliverable has specific guidelines regarding length, resources, and style, which must be adhered to for successful completion of the project.

Credible Resources

The majority of your resources should be from credible sources such as peer-reviewed, scholarly journals and articles found in the Capella library. Other resources/databases, also available from the Capella library, are the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Lexis Nexis, IBIS, et cetera. Evaluate and vet these sites/resources diligently to ensure you are using information that is credible and evidence-based.

Paper For Above Instructions

The MBA Capstone Project represents a culmination of academic efforts throughout the MBA program, providing an opportunity to thoroughly apply the knowledge and skills developed over the course of study. The objective of this paper is to create a detailed consulting report that analyzes a specific organization’s current challenges and opportunities, developing recommendations based on evidence-based research.

For this capstone project, I have chosen to focus on a regional nonprofit organization that aims to support local entrepreneurs. The project's aim is to identify strategic opportunities to enhance their operational effectiveness and improve outreach efforts. This choice allows me to demonstrate my understanding of business systems and processes as well as my analytical and leadership skills.

Project Overview

As a nonprofit organization, the client has been facing challenges related to funding sustainability and community engagement. The key objectives of this project will be to perform a strategic analysis of its current operations and develop a comprehensive strategic plan that addresses these issues while leveraging the strengths and assets of the organization.

Strategic Analysis

The SWOT analysis will serve as the backbone of this strategic analysis. Strengths include a dedicated volunteer base and established community partnerships, while weaknesses might involve limited funding sources and a lack of visibility compared to larger organizations. Opportunities for growth can be identified through emerging trends in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, and threats may include economic downturns affecting funding and competition from other nonprofits.

Recommendations

Based on the analysis, several key recommendations will be proposed, such as expanding funding outreach efforts, strengthening partnerships with local businesses, increasing marketing efforts, and enhancing service offerings to support entrepreneurs. These recommendations will be supported by actionable, evidence-based strategies that are geared towards fostering innovation and sustainable growth.

Conclusion

The MBA Capstone Project is an essential component that not just culminates in a final paper but encapsulates the learning journey throughout the MBA program. This project will effectively allow integration of technologies, collaborative leadership practices, ethical considerations, and analytical frameworks to create a comprehensive and sustainable strategic plan for the organization.

References

  • Burns, T. (2020). Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: A Practical Guide. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 30(2), 123-132.
  • Fletcher, K. (2019). Strengthening Nonprofit Leadership: A Guide to Organizational Growth. Journal of Nonprofit Public Sector Marketing, 31(1), 45-58.
  • Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2001). The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Harvard Business Press.
  • Peters, T. J., & Waterman, R. H. (1982). In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies. Harper & Row.
  • Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.
  • Ritchie, J. R. B., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective. CABI Publishing.
  • Roberts, J. (2018). Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability. Stanford Social Innovation Review.
  • Smith, J. (2022). Navigating Nonprofit Funding: Strategies for Resilience. The Nonprofit Quarterly.
  • Thompson, A., & Strickland, A. J. (2003). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
  • Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2011). Strategic Management and Business Policy: Achieving Sustainability. Pearson Prentice Hall.

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