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STR 405 · Unit 1 of 6

Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis

Turnarounds, Transformation and Restructuring

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Learning objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

  • Analyze real business problems in this concentration
  • Apply the frameworks in "Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis" to a real management decision
  • Make progress on your Concentration case analysis applied project

Why this matters

Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis is essential to Turnarounds, Transformation and Restructuring. Lessons build fluency with anchor-company examples, worked problems, and assessments on the unit page.

Lesson

Unit overview

Complete all 4 lessons in order. Each lesson follows the program authoring standard: conceptual prose, worked examples, practice problems, and managerial judgment prompts. Finish unit exercises and the knowledge check before marking the unit complete.

Connection to applied work

This unit feeds directly into Concentration case analysis. As you read, capture notes, examples, and data you can reuse in that deliverable. Strong students finish each unit with a draft section of their project, not just highlights.

Practice

  1. Write a one-page summary of this unit in your own words without looking at the lesson.
  2. Find a real company example (public filing, news article, or personal experience) that illustrates the main concept.
  3. Draft one paragraph recommending an action a manager should take based on this unit.
  4. Add at least three terms from this unit to your course glossary.

Knowledge check

Answer these without notes before marking the unit complete:

  1. What is the central idea of "Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis"?
  2. What mistake do beginners most often make when applying this material?
  3. How does this unit help you complete Concentration case analysis?
  4. What is one decision you face this month where this unit applies?

Key takeaways

  • Analyze real business problems in this concentration
  • Business concepts only matter when they change a decision.
  • Your STR 405 assessment (Turnarounds, Transformation and Restructuring. Six units covering applied topics in this concentration.) rewards applied understanding, not memorization.

Unit assessment

Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.

50% applied project30% case work20% knowledge checks

Exercises

Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.

ExerciseApplied practice: Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis45 min
Complete a focused practice exercise on **Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis**. 1. Choose a real company, product, or situation you know. 2. Apply one core framework from this unit to analyze it. 3. Write your analysis in 300–500 words with a clear recommendation. 4. Cite at least one credible source.

Deliverable

300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under STR 405.

Rubric

  • • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
  • • Specific evidence from a real example
  • • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
  • • Professional writing with source citation
ExerciseDrill: Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis30 min
Work through the practice problems in the unit lesson without looking at notes. Then check your work against the lesson and write a short reflection: - What you got right - One mistake you caught - One concept to review before the next unit

Deliverable

Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your STR 405 workbook.

Rubric

  • • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
  • • Honest reflection on errors
  • • Identifies a specific review action

Case analysis

Analyze a case using frameworks from this unit.

CaseCase analysis: Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis60 min
Analyze a real business case through the lens of **Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis**. Choose a public company event, HBR-style case, or documented decision. **Deliverable structure:** 1. Situation summary (150 words) 2. Analysis using this unit's frameworks (400 words) 3. Recommendation (150 words) 4. Risks and what would change your mind

Deliverable

2-page case write-up in your portfolio.

Rubric

  • • Case facts are accurate and sourced
  • • Analysis uses unit frameworks explicitly
  • • Recommendation is justified with tradeoffs
  • • Risks are specific, not generic

Knowledge quiz

Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.

1. For Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis at Meridian Industrial, what is the primary decision-quality test before board funding?

2. Meridian Industrial reports $4.80B revenue and $1.84B net debt. Why must Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis analysis include leverage guardrails?

3. In Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis, which practice best reflects VoltEdge Energy Services context?

4. Nina Park's consulting team reviews Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis. What distinguishes insight from observation?

5. Which leading-indicator discipline fits Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis governance?

6. A manager proposes a Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis initiative with positive base-case NPV but thin covenant headroom. Best response?

7. What is the strongest dissent practice in Diagnosing Underperformance and Crisis recommendations?

Next unit: Liquidity, Stabilization and Stakeholder Control →