Capstone Prospectus

CAPSTONE PROSPECTUS

OVERVIEW

Develop a 1–2-page prospectus (a streamlined proposal) for a chosen organization.Note: Developing a capstone project requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in sequence and must be completed in order

CAPSTONE PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Throughout your MBA program, you have worked to develop as a practitioner-scholar to meet the needs and future challenges as a business leader. Your program culminates in the capstone project, which is the focus of this course, the final course you will take in the program. The capstone project is intended to provide you the opportunity to demonstrate your MBA program outcomes by:

• Planning and executing the strategic and tactical elements of a comprehensive project.
• Integrating and demonstrating skills and techniques you have learned throughout the MBA program.
• Communicating project outcomes in written and presentation formats.

The first step in completing the capstone project is the creation of a capstone prospectus.By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Apply foundational knowledge and an understanding of business systems, processes, and technology within and across core disciplines.
  • Provide a brief and clear description of the project including business systems, processes, and technology considerations as well as the global and cultural demographics.
• Competency 3: Think critically and analytically to provide evidence-based solutions to business challenges and opportunities.
  • Identify an organization and topic in the capstone project prospectus.
  • Develop a prospectus for the capstone project that summarizes how the achievement of program outcomes will be demonstrated.
• Competency 7: Communicate clearly and effectively in a business environment.
  • Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business profession.

Competency Map

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Use this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course.

CONTEXT

As you know, in this course you are completing a major capstone project, designed to demonstrate your mastery of all MBA program outcomes.

CAPSTONE PROJECT EXPECTATIONS

The capstone project must meet these expectations:

• The organization you choose to analyze must meet the requirements listed below under Choosing an Organization.
• The scope of effort required should be such that the project can be planned and completed in six to eight weeks.

Before you can begin your capstone project, you will need to choose an organization on which to focus your capstone project. The audience for your project will be the key stakeholders within the organization pertaining to your project. The organization you choose must meet the following requirements:CHOOSING AN ORGANIZATION

• The organization must be real, not fictitious.
• You may choose an organization to which you have direct access for data gathering or one for which you will gather data via published sources. In either case, it must be an organization for which you can gather the data needed to complete the project.
• If need be, you may be allowed to use a disguised name for the organization in the project report, but you must disclose to the instructor the actual organization you are using as the setting for the project.

Note: You may choose nearly any company that you wish. If you choose a company that you work for, you must receive permission from a supervisor at your work place to use the company before submitting Assessment 1. In addition, you may not choose any one of the organizations listed below:

• Proctor and Gamble.
• Johnson and Johnson.
• Harley Davidson.
• Pepsi or Coke.
• Amazon.
• Apple.
• Starbucks.
• Toyota.
• Walmart.
• Google.
• Kellogg.
• Target.
• McDonald’s.
• Ford.

CAPSTONE PROJECT EXAMPLES

You will choose the type of project you will complete for your capstone. Examples of project types that meet the project requirements include but are not limited to the following:

• Preparation of a strategic plan for an organization.
• A strategic analysis of all or a selected part of an organization.
• Development of a case study of all or a selected part of an organization.
• Development of an intervention, such as a workshop or training activity, that is broad-based enough to demonstrate the program-level outcomes.
• Development of a consulting report on a problematic issue within an organization, provided that the issue is broad-based enough to demonstrate program-level outcomes.

You may propose other structures for the capstone project so long as you are able to identify how the proposed project satisfies the requirement of demonstrating the program-level outcomes.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community

RESOURCES

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Capella Resources

Click the links provided to view the following resources:

• Capstone Prospectus Template.

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:Library Resources

• Sloboda, B. (2003). Creating effective PowerPoint presentations. Management Quarterly, 44(1), 20–34.

Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the MBA-FP6900 – Capstone Library Guide to help direct your research.

ASSESSMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Before beginning this assessment, complete the following:

• Choose an organization for your project. The audience of your capstone project will be the key stakeholders within the organization pertaining to the project’s focus. If you have not yet chosen an organization for your project, review Choosing an Organization in the Context for the requirements for the chosen organization.
• Choose a project type. Examples of project types are listed in the Context.
• Review the Capstone Project Outline in the Course Summary. Keep the program outcomes in mind as you select an organization and project type.

For this assessment, develop a prospectus (a streamlined proposal) for your chosen organization. The prospectus is a brief, one-page overview of what your project will be. You will receive feedback on your prospectus that will reflect on the appropriateness of your project in demonstrating your program outcomes and the feasibility of the project. Complete the following in your prospectus:

• Identify your chosen organization.
• Describe your project’s objectives and scope.
• Describe how you will demonstrate all MBA program outcomes in your project.

The table provided below is a sample prospectus. A template for this table is linked in the Resources. You may use the template provided and, for your assessment, merely replace the text in the Description column with your own text. Or, if you prefer, you may prepare a document in an alternative format that addresses all of the entries shown in the table.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Use APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
• Number of resources: None required at this stage.
• Length of paper: 1–2 typed, double-spaced pages (not including cover page or references).
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.