ARISE: A Destination-for-a-Day Spa.

Final Case Analysis Project Outline: In Week 4 you will be required to submit an outline for your Final Case Analysis Project. Read your final case thoroughly. Using HBSP’ s Case Analysis Worksheet, which is available to download in Moodle, complete an outline for your final case. You will be graded on completion of this document, it will be worth 25 points. The instructor will provide feedback to ensure that each student is prepared to write their final case analysis.

Written Case Analysis Guidelines: The written analysis should be no longer than 14-20 double-spaced pages. Use 12-point font and 1” margins. Thus, you will need to be concise and focused in your write-up. The most important parts of your write-up are the Alignment and Application sections. Write-ups should incorporate relevant issues gained from course materials, as well as your own insights and analyses. Use APA format for citing your sources. The text section of your write-up should include areas A – D (see below) as headings.

Format and grading breakdown for case write-ups:

Noted: Figure 1.2 in Cascio & Boudreau (p. 20) may be helpful for your analysis.
A. Business Strategy (30 points): Briefly conduct a strategic analysis. Describe the generic strategy (e.g., cost, differentiation) the firm uses to compete in its product market. Then, be more specific: What does the firm execute well and not so well as part of its strategy? What is unique about its product or its customer experience?
B. Alignment (60 points): First describe the critical roles, rewards, and people practices that support high performance. Next, thoroughly discuss how do these components of the HR strategy support the business strategy? As you analyze the alignment, also consider how it occurs in context (Chapter 3 of Cascio & Boudreau).
C. Application (60 points): Using the following options (you can use one or both options) to identify (recommend no more than 3) problems/weaknesses/risks/etc. within the HR Diamond’s alignment – this could be issues with vertical and/or horizontal alignments.:alignments:
a. Apply concepts/models/theories or examples from readings and class. (e.g., “Company A’s compensation system…consistent/inconsistent with __ theory.”),
b. Note similarities/differences (and their reasons) when compared to other companies we discuss in the HBSP cases (e.g., “Company A pays employees based on __ rather than using the __ compensation approach favored at Company A because it is important that Company A… whereas Company B…”), and/or
D. Recommendations (30 points): Based on the problem(s) you identified in part
C, recommend 3 well-justified, feasible, and action-oriented solutions (i.e.,
support your recommendations with course content). (Do not suggest 2-3
solutions for each problem.)