1. For your first BLOG discuss, why the mission and vision are important in helping to shape organizational strategy and find two recent articles (no older than four months old) that provide examples of organizations that seem to be living up to (or failing at) fulfilling their mission and vision. Due 22 Jan 16 2. For your second BLOG discuss, why environmental analysis is important and find two recent articles that demonstrate how one or two organizations have reacted to a turbulent or competitive environment in a fashion which indicates they have leveraged their strengths, overcome weaknesses, taken advantage of opportunities, or successfully faced threats to maintain a competitive edge. What is/are the lesson(s) to be learned that you want your blog readers to take away from your analysis? 3. For your third BLOG discuss the importance of the strategy formulation and planning phase. Identify one recent article that identifies a recent major strategic effort on the part of an organization. What would you have recommended if you were sitting at the strategy planning table? Examples of such an effort might include mergers, buy-outs, sell-offs, introduction of innovative products, strategic marketing campaigns …and the like. Discuss to what extent you believe this effort will succeed given the organization’s external environment. What is the take-away for your reading audience? That is, what strategic planning lessons can be learned from the situation you highlighted in your blog entry?