Dell Corporation

Dell Corporation was once a major player in the technology industry. An analysis of the Dell Corporation is an excellent research paper topic for a business or MBA course. Paper Masters will custom write you an analysis of Dell Corporation for you to use as a guide in your research endeavors.

Elements to Include in an Analysis of Dell

Provide an analysis on the Dell corporation (www.Dell.com) as a case study and use at least some of the following tools in analyzing Dell:

1. Internal Factor Analysis
2. External Factor Analysis
3. SWOT Analysis
4. Threat, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Strengths (TOWS Matrix)
5. 5 Forces Analysis
6. Value Chain

• IFAS - (Internal Factor Analysis Summary Table) A table that organizes internal factors into strengths and weaknesses and how well management is responding to these specific factors.
• EFAS - (External Factor Analysis Summary Table) A table that organizes external factors into opportunities and threats and how well management is responding to these specific factors.
• SFAS - (Strategic Factors Analysis Summary Matrix) A chart that factors by combining the external factors from EFAS table and from an IFAS table. This should include the most important strengths and weaknesses from the IFAS and the most important opportunities and threats from the EFAS.
• TOWS Matrix - (Another way of saying SWOT) A chart that illustrates how the external opportunities and threats facing a particular corporation can be matched with that company's internal strengths and weaknesses to result in four sets of strategic alternatives.
• 5 Forces Analysis - (Utilize Porter's five forces analysis theory).
• Value Chain - A linked set of value creating activities that begins with basic raw material coming from suppliers and ends with distributors getting the final goods into the hands of the ultimate consumer.

How to Write an Analysis on a Major Corporation

1. Support data collection must include some current academic research from both primary (original data) and secondary data sources (third-party interpretations or analysis of data). Journals such as Academy of Management, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Strategy, and Journal of Management, among others, are some are great sources for secondary research. The specialized data bases highlighted in the toolkit house both primary and secondary information.
2. Conduct a SWOT analysis for the organization you selected. Based on the information you have gained from this analysis which parts of the SWOT analysis are most relevant to your decision of whether or not to invest in this company?
3. Identify the company's internal and external stakeholders.
4. Describe their wants and needs.
5. Explain how the company is fulfilling those needs. If the company is not fulfilling those explain why the stakeholders needs are not being met and what the company needs to do to ensure they are.

Provide 1-2 DETAILED paragraphs for EACH section to support your findings.
Based on the analyses, provide Information Technology recommendations (initiatives) for a strategic thrust (what you recommend for them to stay ahead of the competition). Explain your recommendations FULLY. Provide at least 10 references to back up your assertions.

Tips for Corporate Analysis Research Papers

• Visit the official company website and identify the company's vision, mission, values, and goals. (Hint: Find the mission statement and multiple value statements). Be sure to look at the most recent Annual Report.
• Critically evaluate these elements. Use the criteria in the background materials as well as the readings for the SLP to support your assessment of the quality of the vision, mission, values and goals.
• Determine which (if any) of the elements consider the goals and needs of specific stakeholder groups. Write down any examples.
• Consider what changes are needed to improve the vision and mission statements, statement of values, and statement of objectives/goals.
• Identify the company's mission, vision, values and goals.
  • Keep in mind that this may not be how the company labels these elements – use your knowledge of such statements to identify them.
  • Critically evaluate these elements, including consideration of how these elements do or do not account for stakeholder's interests.
  • Suggest any changes that would strengthen these elements and bring them more into line with what the background readings suggest.
• Prepare your report with proper documentation of sources, both internal citations and a complete reference list - or footnotes – whichever you prefer.
• Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as a company consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:
  • Executive summary: a synopsis of the main points, conclusions and recommendations made in the longer report. If you have never written an executive summary before, or would like a refresher, check this website: http://www.highendfinance.com/CommercialLoans/Docs/07-4%20ES%20Guidelines.doc
  • Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
  • Main Body: The "meat" of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate separate topics or sections with headings.
    Conclusion: Summarize your paper in the light of your thesis statement.
• Tips and Suggestions - Please note the following tips and suggestions:
  • Business school case-study assignments are meant to offer practice opportunities for future business people who are earning their MBA degrees. Consider yourself a consultant hired by the company to make these critical assessments. There are no right or wrong answers to the Case question, so long as your position is well-defended.
  • Study the theoretical concepts provided you in the Background Materials section of the module, and identify main strategy concepts.
  • Analyze the mission statement (etc.) according to the criteria presented in the background materials given you. Be very critical and do not let yourself be influenced by a company's "spin."
  • Do not hesitate to criticize the current statements. Many companies do not get this right!
  • Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers).
  • Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.