CHICK-FIL-A CASE: CRITICAL THINKING RUBRIC

The strategic analysis of a business case is a major component of this course. For this case, assume that your position is that of a consultant to the CEO.Your goal is to focus on a strategic issue, conduct a competent analysis, evaluate strategic solutions, and provide effective recommendations.

Detailed instructions for accessing the case can be found on blackboard. The case is entitled “Chick-fil-A: International Expansion Challenges” and was written by Bertrand Guillotin. The case can also be accessed by following this link: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/733191

Guiding question: How should the company address the backlash from supporters of LGBTQ rights and ensure the success of Chick-fil-A outside the United States?

Content(Make sure to use the headings listed below, in this order)

• Executive Summary:Provide a summary of your case paper(half a page on this section is sufficient). This should not be a summary of the information already provided by the Chick-fil-A case or the history of Chick-fil-Aas a company. Instead, this focuses upon your ideas stemming from the headlines provided below- that is, you are summarizing your case analysis, not the information already provided by the case. Although this heading must be the first listed, my advice is to write this executive summary last.
• Strategic issue:Clearly state the strategic issuethat you address (i.e. the guiding question). Using information from the case, expand upon this issue such that you not only state the question, but also recognize nuances or implicit aspects of the issue.
• SWOT analysis:This section, along with the next two, should comprise the ‘bulk’ of your submission. All students will utilize a SWOT analysis for this case. If you need to review this analysis technique, it is discussed in Chapter 2 of the textbook and Week 3 of the pre-recorded lectures. Be sure to focus on the most important and relevantstrengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—and discuss them appropriately. Provide justification, with a focus on quantitative evidence,to support your claims. Vague statements are not sufficient evidence. For example:
• Strategicsolutions: What should the leaders of the company do? Suggest at leasttwo strategic solutionsfor the strategic issue you identified. Then identifypotentialprosandconsforeach solution.
• Recommendations:Choseonestrategic solution fromthe two you suggested.Explainandprovideevidenceas to whyyourfinalrecommendationis the best choice. The chosen solution should be effective (meaning it addresses the root cause of the strategic issue) and have the highest net benefit (more pros than cons). Then provide a brief course of actions to implement your recommended strategic solution.For example, if you recommend that Chick-fil-A invests more heavily in improving the brand image of the company, specify some concrete steps through which they could do so (and why this would be effective at solving the issue you have identified).

Insufficient: “Lots of consumers like to shop at Chick-fil-A”

Sufficient: “Chick-fil-A has a 40% market share in their industry”

CHICK-FIL-ACASE FORMAT AND SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES

1. Format the paper in double spaced, 12 size Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins
2. The paper should be written using full paragraphs, such that it resembles an essay (i.e. avoid bullet points/relying on an outline to make your arguments).
3. Limit your paper to 5-7 pages(excluding any separate title page and/or references page)
4. The paper can include ‘high-quality’ references from sources such as BusinessWeek,Fortune, Forbes, The Economist, and Wall Street Journal. If you do include outside sources, please document all sources in a reference list at the end of your paper. All references from sources going through a professional editorial process are permitted (such as the references above). However, the main information source must be the Chick-fil-A case and outside references are optional.
5. Your submission must be focused upon the situation facing Chick-fil-A at the time of the case analysis.
6. You must submit your paper through a link in Blackboard. Please save your case analysis as your last name and UIN. For instance: CALLAHAN_123456789.doc
7. Include your full name on the first page.
8. Use the five headings listed above.
9. If you wish to incorporate any tables and/or figures, these should be labeled and included in an appendix at the end of the paper. Only include Tables and Figures if you discuss them in the text. These pages also do not count towards the 5-7 page limit.
10. For citations, I suggest you follow the APA style (see here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html). However, if you are more familiar with another style, that is fine as well, so long as any outside work is sufficiently cited.
11. Be professional and proofreadthe case before submission.
12. This project is due on 11/20 at 5:00 pm. Late submissions will reduce your grade by five (5) points out of 100 possible points per calendar day. That is a 5% reduction per calendar day the case is late.