The Balanced Scorecard and the Financial Perspective (CASE1)

Assignment Overview

In this module’s case assignment you will be introduced to the balanced scorecard concept and will begin to consider how organizations link strategy with the balanced scorecard approach. We will look at the interrelationship of strategy and the balanced scorecard approach in more depth later on in this course. For now, however, it is good to understand the fundamentals of the BSC and to consider examples of how organizations have integrated the BSC approach into their daily operations in a fashion that reflects the strategy of the respective organizations.

To prepare for this case assignment you are to start by reading the required readings identified on the background page. You’ll note that one of those articles includes:

Martello, M., Watson, J., Fischer, M., (2008). Implementing a balanced scorecard in a not-for-profit organization. Journal of Business & Economics Research. 6(9), 67-80. Retrieved from:http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBER/article/view/2471/2517

This is the case study you will be evaluating for this assignment. Note that there is an option to download the PDF file rather than using the PDF viewer on this page. This may save you some aggravation.

After reading this article, formulate an argumentative essay around the following thesis statement:

Cattaraugus County Rehabilitation Center did an effective job of implementing a balanced scorecard approach in a fashion that reflects their organizational mission and vision.

 If you do not think this thesis is accurate, you can argue that the Center did not do an effective job.

Assignment Expectations

Your analysis should be structured in terms of the following four perspectives (you will be using essentially this same comparative evaluation framework for the first four modules of this course):

Introduction: In this part of your essay you will need to set up your argument by introducing your topic and presenting your position or thesis statement somewhere in this introductory paragraph.

Analysis: In this section you will present several arguments arguing in favor of your thesis statement. Make sure you discuss how the Center used the score card quadrants to align with organizational strategy (or how it failed to do so).

Conclusion: Wrap up your argument with a clear and cogent synopsis of your findings. Do your best to convince your reader (aka, your professor) as to your position.

Additional Instructions: Your argumentative essay should be 3 to 4 pages in length (not counting your title page or references). You must include a list of references. APA formatting is preferred. Do not paste in sections of text into your essay. All of your work must be written in your own words. It’s OK to use a short quote now and again, but quotations must be in quotation marks and properly cited. In-text citations should be used anytime you are borrowing somebody else’s ideas, or information. That is to say, if you are borrowing a thought from a publication from G. Jetson’s article written in 2010, that section of text must be followed with (Jetson, 2010). Quotations, data, and general ideas (put into your own words) should all be cited.

The case assignment article can be found at:

http://www.cluteinstitute.com/ojs/index.php/JBER/article/view/2471/2517

Martello, M., Watson, J., Fischer, M., (2008). Implementing a balanced scorecard in a not-for-profit organization. Journal of Business & Economics Research. 6(9), 67-80. Retrieved from: http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBER/article/ view/2471/2517 

Optional Reading

American University of Beirut (N.D. Balanced Scorecard Initiative: Guidelines for Building a BSC. Retrieved from http://www.aub.edu.lb/osm/scorecards/Documents/guidelines_for_building_a_bsc.pdf 

Averson, P. (1998). What is the Balanced Scorecard? Balanced Scorecard Institute, a Strategy Management Group company. Retrieved from https://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx 

Measurements for Success. Retrieved from http://www.mystrategicplan.com/strategic-planning-topics/balanced-scorecard.shtml 

QuickMBA (N.D.) The Business Vision and Company Mission Statements. Retrieved from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/vision/ 

Sharma, P. (N.D.) Measuring Business strategy through balanced scorecard. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/5032771/Balanced-Scorecardfinancial-perspective