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306 PART 4 • STRATEGY EVALUATION

ASSURANCE OF LEARNING EXERCISES

Assurance of Learning Exercise 9A

Preparing a Strategy-Evaluation
Report for McDonald’s Corp.

Purpose
This exercise can give you experience locating strategy-evaluation information. Use of the
Internet coupled with published sources of information can significantly enhance the strategy-
evaluation process. Performance information on competitors, for example, can help put into
perspective a firm’s own performance.

Instructions
Step 1 Visit http://marketwatch.multexinvestor.com, http://moneycentral.msn.com, http://finance.
yahoo.com, www.clearstation.com to locate strategy-evaluation information on competitors.
Read some recent articles that discuss the fast-food restaurant business.
Step 2 Summarize your research findings by preparing a strategy-evaluation report for your instructor.
Include in your report a summary of McDonald’s strategies and performance in 2010 and a
summary of your conclusions regarding the effectiveness of McDonald’s strategies.
Step 3 Based on your analysis, do you feel that McDonald’s is pursuing effective strategies? What
recommendations would you offer to McDonald’s chief executive officer?

Assurance of Learning Exercise 9B

Evaluating My University’s Strategies

Purpose
An important part of evaluating strategies is determining the nature and extent of changes in an
organization’s external opportunities/threats and internal strengths/weaknesses. Changes in these
underlying critical success factors can indicate a need to change or modify the firm’s strategies.
Instructions
As a class, discuss positive and negative changes in your university’s external and internal factors
during your college career. Begin by listing on the board new or emerging opportunities and
threats. Then identify strengths and weaknesses that have changed significantly during your col-
lege career. In light of the external and internal changes that were identified, discuss whether
your university’s strategies need modifying. Are there any new strategies that you would recom-
mend? Make a list to recommend to your department chair, dean, president, or chancellor.