Q Project 2: Situation Audit Step 1: Organize Your Work Student Expectations Students are expected to find the information required to address the specific questions they are required to answer at each step of the project. The primary purpose of Project 2 is for students to demonstrate they understand and can apply the key MBA concepts and course materials found throughout Project 2 to their particular organization. Project 2 is not complete until the key MBA concepts and course materials provided within each step have been applied, as applicable, to the student’s organization. It is the student’s obligation to demonstrate (1) an understanding of the organization selected for analysis and (2) explain, apply, and integrate the key MBA concepts found in provided course materials to their organization. Examples of how the MBA concepts and course materials apply to an organization are expected. All sources used should be properly (APA) cited in-text and listed in a reference section. Final Deliverable Instructions: A Situation Audit and Preliminary Analysis of Key Factors Your boss has tasked you with preparing a situation audit that presents an overview of your organization (or an approved alternative). In this report, you'll focus on analyzing several key internal factors that, taken together, provide a portrait of your organization. The information you will rely on for this report must be publicly available or available for review by faculty, as necessary. Format Requirements Use the Situation Audit Template provided below. Your Situation Audit report will be 18 to 22 double-spaced pages, excluding a required cover page, a brief executive summary, and a list of references. See Executive Summaries for guidance on writing this section. You may also use appendices for helpful supplementary information, but these will not be included in the page limit for this report. Use APA formatting for in-text citations and references. Academic Integrity As you proceed through the steps to completion, be sure to read the materials provided in the embedded links—all are related to your project work. Cite any ideas you use from these materials in all course work you submit. By giving credit to the ideas of others in your work, you will build credibility in the minds of your readers and make your original thoughts stand out. “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” —Sir Isaac Newton Now that you have a better understanding of the project requirements, follow these guidelines: • Read over these brief guidelines about conducting research on your organization. Discuss with your instructor any limiting factors you may encounter as you write this report. After you've discussed these issues with your instructor, if you believe it's best for you to research an organization other than your own, please read this information about using an outside organization. • If necessary, schedule any meetings in advance with your organization's personnel to obtain the necessary information. • Use the step-by-step Situation Audit Template as your outline and guide for the entire report, start to finish. Next, proceed to Step 2, where you will write an overview description of your organization. Project 2: Situation Audit Step 2: Establish Key Organizational Facts To start, write a brief overview description creating an organizational fact sheet of your organization, including the following information: • when it was established and by whom • legal forms of organization and tax status • its current CEO • its industry or industries • its size • its general purpose Typically, such overviews in a report of this size are no more than one page (approximately 250 to 300 words). Remember to apply the perspective of an outside consultant to your analysis. Be as objective as possible. Also, consider the audience for this report: key stakeholders including, board members, new employees, and anyone else who would benefit from this overview. When you have finished your overview description, proceed to Step 3, where you will identify the mission, vision, values, and goals of your organization. Project 2: Situation Audit Step 3: Identify Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals Now that you've identified the key facts about your organization, turn your attention to your organization's mission, vision, values, and goals. Taken together, these elements can help drive organizational decisions, positively impact employee performance, and influence many of the other organizational components you'll be examining for this report. The mission, vision, values, and goals should be reviewed periodically to determine whether adjustments are needed in light of key environmental factors or changes in the organization's performance or capacity. Follow the steps below to analyze your organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals: • Find your organization's mission and look at whether and how it has changed over time. If it has changed, what process changed it? • Analyze the extent to which your organization's mission (1) is well understood, (2) continues to inform key decisions, and (3) is well aligned with what the organization is actually doing. • If your organization does not have a formal mission statement, read deducing a mission. • Analyze your organization's vision and core values. Consider whether the vision and core values are in alignment with and supportive of the organization's mission. Are the vision and core values widely understood and accepted within the organization? • If you cannot find formal statements about your organization’s vision or core values, read Deducing Vision and Core Values. • Next, determine whether your organization practices strategic goal setting. Analyze whether these goals are explained clearly and whether they make sense given the organization's mission, vision, and values. In other words, look for alignment of mission, mission, values, and goals. When you have completed Step 3, follow the directions in Step 12 to submit your organizational overview and fact sheet and your organization’s mission, vision, values, and goals for review and feedback. Then proceed to Step 4.