JetBlue Airways Inc Strategic Audit Paper | Academic Papers Help

JetBlue Airways Inc Strategic Audit Paper.
Instructions: The Stand-Alone Project requires you to perform an in-depth strategic audit of JetBlue Airways, Inc. The strategic audit is comprised of six (6) parts. Use the following instructions to guide your research and writing. Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. ( (A 10-page double-spaced response is required for the combination of Parts A, B, C, D, and E.)
IN MAY 2007, JETBLUE AIRWAYS INC. (JETBLUE), a low-cost carrier (LCC) based in New York, announced a new leadership structure for the company. David Barger, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline, replaced David Neeleman as CEO Analysts greeted the leadership change positively. For several years after it was set up, JetBlue had been one of the most successful airlines in the United States, rivaling Southwest Airlines in profitability and growth. However, it began facing various problems, both internal and external, in 2005 2006. Several analysts were of the opinion that JetBlue s growth in its early years had been too fast and unsustainable in the longer term, and that it was because of this that things started to come undone at the airline when the business environment changed.
Since 2007, JetBlue has achieved significant success, including being in the forefront of industry innovation. In September 2014, JetBlue announced another CEO succession. The result was a significant downtrend in stock value. Expansion has since continued, with several new routes added and new partnerships formed. The question now is Will JetBlue continue to be successful in this highly competitive industry?
You are required to take on the role of a strategic analyst and suggest ways by which JetBlue Airways can compete effectively in an industry where the rules of the game have changed drastically. Based on reading the article listed below and your own research on JetBlue Airways and the domestic airline industry, prepare a strategic audit using the format outlined below.

JetBlue airways corporation (JBLU) : Company profile and SWOT analysis. (2014). (). London:
Progressive Media Group. Retrieved from
The following steps are suggested in preparing your strategic audit:

Read all of the instructions below and then read the JetBlue Airways article in detail. Make notes of the information that you will need to use in writing your strategic audit as well as notes that you think will be helpful in making decisions and recommendations.
Obtain the information you need (regarding the organization, specific industry, and events and changes that have occurred since the case was written) using the following resources:

The JetBlue Airways website
Hoover s (This can be accessed through ProQuest: Use JetBlue Airways as your search term and limit your search to within the Hoover database.)
Articles on ProQuest that are specifically related to the industry or current events regarding the company
Other sources of research, which are recommended (but not required), include newspapers, business magazines, news programs, trade journals, etc.

Based on the information and insights obtained from reading the case and research, apply your knowledge of the concepts and techniques in the textbook, your professional and personal experiences, and your analytical and reasoning skills to critically evaluate the strategic performance of the company (at the corporate, business, and functional levels) and suggest recommendations for future strategic initiatives.
In addition, read the Stand-Alone Project Benchmarks in each Assignment to get an idea of how to progress in this strategic audit as you work through the course.

Part A Current Situation: Discuss the following issues related to JetBlue Airways current situation. 1. Current Performance: How has the company performed over the last few years in terms of revenues, profitability, and market share? 2. Strategic Posture
a. Mission: What is the company s vision/mission statement?
b. Objectives: What are the corporate, business, and functional objectives? Are they consistent with each other and with the mission?
c. Strategies: What strategies has the company employed in order to be able to meet these objectives? Are these strategies consistent with each other and with the overall mission? 3. Corporate Governance
a. Directors: Who are the directors? Are they internal or external? What do they contribute to the corporation in terms of knowledge, skills, and background?
b. Top Management: What persons or groups constitute top management? How suited is the management team to the achievement of corporate objectives?

Part B External Analysis
1.Porter Analysis: Perform an in-depth analysis of the firm s task environment using Porter s Approach to Industry Analysis. Analyze the importance and impact of the following five (5) forces:

Threat of New Entrants
Bargaining Power of Buyers
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Rivalry Among Competing Firms
Threat of Substitute Products or Services

2.Other Characteristics: Describe at least three (3) other industry characteristics that you think are important and that affect the performance of firms in this industry.
3.Opportunities: Discuss at least five (5) opportunities available to the firm based on the industry analysis.
4.Threats: Discuss at least five (5) threats facing the firm based on the industry analysis.
5.External Factors Analysis Summary: Develop an External Factors Analysis Summary (EFAS Table) for JetBlue Airways listing the five (5) opportunities and five (5) threats described above. Discuss why you consider these external factors to be important.
Part C Internal Analysis
1.Core Competencies

Description: Describe at least two (2) core competencies that the firm possesses or can develop.
Distinctiveness: Are these distinctive competencies? Explain.

2.Competitive Position

Current Position: What is the firm s current competitive position? Discuss.
Competitive Advantage: Does the firm possess a significant competitive advantage over other firms in the industry? Explain.
Sustainability: Can the firm sustain its competitive advantage over the long term? Explain.

3.Strengths: Discuss at least five (5) strengths of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
4.Weaknesses: Describe at least five (5) weaknesses of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
5.Internal Factors Analysis Summary: Develop an Internal Factors Analysis Summary (IFAS Table) for JetBlue Airways listing the five (5) strengths and five (5) weaknesses described above. Discuss why you consider these internal factors to be important.
Part D Analysis of Strategic Factors (SWOT)

1.Situational Analysis: What are the most important internal and external strategic factors (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) that strongly affect the company s present and future performance? List 12 strategic factors (3 each of the opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses) and discuss the relevance/importance of each to the strategic planning process.
2.Strategic Factors Analysis Summary: Develop a Strategic Factor Analysis Summary (SFAS) Matrix for JetBlue Airways using the strategic factors described above.
3.Review of Mission and Objectives: Are the company s mission and objectives relevant in light of the above external and internal strategic factors? Explain.
4.TOWS Matrix and Strategies

Matrix: Develop a TOWS Matrix for JetBlue Airways, listing three (3) opportunities, three (3) threats, three (3) strengths, and three (3) weaknesses.
Strategies: For each category (SO Strategies, WO Strategies, ST Strategies, and WT Strategies), develop at least two (2) alternative strategies based on these factors; this is a total of eight (8) strategies.

Part E Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategies

Strategic Alternatives: What are the major feasible alternative strategies available to the company? Select and describe the top four (4) strategies that you think upper management should consider as part of the strategic planning process.
Recommended Strategies: Which of the above strategic alternatives do you recommend for the organization? You must make at least two (2) comprehensive recommendations that describe the strategic direction you think the firm should take based on its current situation and issues. Your recommendations can include corporate, business, or functional strategies based on the facts of the case and your analysis of the firm. Number your recommendations and group them as applicable (for instance, if you recommend a low-cost business strategy, list any functional strategies that lead to it as sub points).

NOTE: There are no right or wrong choices; however, you need to justify your recommendations in terms of their impact on the profitability and long-term competitive position of the firm.
Justification: Justify your recommendations in terms of their impact on the profitability and long-term competitive position of the firm. Use the following criteria to guide each of your recommendations:1.Relevance: Discuss the following issues related to relevance:

Appropriateness: How is the recommendation appropriate given the current situation of the firm?
Effectiveness: How does the recommendation deal effectively with the strategic issues facing the organization?

Sustainability: How does the recommendation lead to a competitive advantage that is sustainable over the long term?

JetBlue Airways Inc Strategic Audit Paper