II.A. Interim Report An interim report of your team project is due by the start

II.A. Interim Report
An interim report of your team project is due by the start of class on March 18 and represents 10% of your semester grade. Your interim report should not exceed 7 pages in length (excluding exhibits). Please provide 6 copies of your report so that your colleagues will be able to conduct their written reviews.
Your interim report should include five main components:
1. An executive summary that briefly states the industry you have selected and that summarizes the results of your industry analysis, the criteria you are using to measure performance within the industry, and the results of your analysis (i.e., the identity of the top and bottom-performing firms) (1 paragraph)
2. An analysis of the factors driving overall profitability within the industry, with your
justification for selecting the specific factors that you identify (3-4 pages);
3. A discussion of the criteria you are using to measure firm performance and why they are
relevant within the context of this industry (1-2 paragraphs);
4. The results of applying these criteria to firms within the industry and your selection of the
top and bottom-performing firm (1 page); and
5. A list of references for the final paper (does not count towards the page limit). I encourage
you to use both secondary sources (e.g., newspapers or magazines) and primary sources
(company newsletters, press releases, annual reports, analyst reports, company websites, or
conversations with individuals familiar with the industry or the firms you have chosen). In both
the interim and final reports, sources of data including interviews and press articles should be
properly cited, as exemplified by the cases used in class. Don’t forget to include page numbers
in the body of your report.
HOWEVER, you are encouraged to organize the submission so as to most clearly and
persuasively convey your views while responding to the above assignment requirements.
2
The page lengths listed beside each component are suggestions only and should not be considered binding.
However, in some measure they do reflect the relative importance of each section.