Every student from Portland State University completes a capstone course. This course makes them use their knowledge to consult a community organization and to create and realize a strategy in a dynamic and competitive environment (“Senior Capstone”). Under the guidance of an instructor, students try to find a solution to marketing and finance problems, which all business organizations face daily. The University Studies program is aimed at achieving four goals: inquiry and critical thinking, communication, appreciation of human diversity, and ethical and social responsibility.
I took part in this course. My work was AJP’s project challenge understanding. This project helped me to enhance my abilities concerning all program’s goals. First of all, I pay attention to the goal of inquiry and critical thinking. The ability to correctly identify the problems and drawbacks in a company’s strategy is vital for the company’s existence and successful development. I analyzed the AJP’s current online marketing statistics and identified its problems. We conducted several analyses on the company’s competitors, customers, and markets. We evaluated the AJP’s strong and weak sides, their opportunities, and possible threats to their business. It turned out that the company does not have an effectively working online marketing strategy that resulted in a low sale level and in extra costs. After that, my team developed a strategy, which included the editing of the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages that can create successful promotion of this company on the market. These steps provided me with experience and a better understanding of problem identification, how to use data sources and analytical tools. I learned how to create a business strategy in order to improve the company’s statistical data. Moreover, it prepared me for real work in the business sphere.
Concerning the communication goal, I also enhanced my communication skills. My team conducted a client meeting with AJP. Such meetings demand different skills, like foresight, the ability to ask correct questions in order to receive the necessary information. Moreover, communication, direct or indirect, is carried out with different people of different races and religions. We had to pay attention to the diversity of people. Besides, one of our suggested strategic steps was to involve social media personalities. It also demanded special skills in communicating with such people.
Appreciation of human diversity is to some extent connected with the communication goal since the communication was carried out with various people. Besides, the diversity of people is not limited just to race, religion, and sexual orientation. The diversity of people is also a diversity of their opinions. For instance, in my team, I had to work with people with different points of view. To make a good project we had to listen to each other, respect each other’s visions, and find a compromise. Diversity in the classroom made me think of my beliefs and attitudes toward other people. I realized that diversity is good for business; it plays an important role in everything that we do. Since the company’s clients are also people from different communities and groups, having a diverse team allowed us to examine the target market and customers’ needs from different sides. Such practice also increased the level of tolerance inside the team.
Ethical and social responsibility is also connected with the previous two goals. Taking into account human diversity, we had to offer such a solution to the company’s problems, which would be effective and understandable to all people. An example of this was the creation of awareness on digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram because not everyone was able to translate their statistical data and offer products. Here, I learned the importance of understanding other people’s needs.
To sum up, the Business Strategy Capstone is a way for students from different specialties to apply their knowledge practically and work in cooperation to achieve business strategic goals (“Senior Capstone”). This program helps to enhance the skills and abilities necessary for this sphere.
Work Cited
“Senior Capstone.” Portland State University. School of Business Administration. 2017. Web.