Bow Valley College: MGMT2998 Business Strategy Interview Report

This report presents an interview with Harrison McCain, co-founder of McCain Foods Limited, focusing on his approach to business strategy. The report details the company's origins, key strategies, and the strategic planning process, including goal setting, strategy formation, and implementation. McCain discusses the use of SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, and the value chain in determining strategic plans. The interview covers the company's mission and vision statements, stakeholder considerations, and factors influencing strategic options, particularly industry competition. The report explores how the company measures the success of its strategies and how these strategies have evolved over time. It concludes with a reflection on the entrepreneur's insights, comparing them to the student's pre-interview assumptions and course concepts, highlighting the importance of adapting to customer feedback, observing competition, and continuous innovation for achieving competitive advantage and business success.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Business Strategy
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
1. Interview Report:.........................................................................................................................2
1. Identification of the Entrepreneur and the Company:.................................................................2
2. Summary of Questions Related to Business Strategy..................................................................2
3. Reflection.....................................................................................................................................5
References:......................................................................................................................................9
Appendix: Interview Questions and Answers.................................................................................9

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1. Interview Report:
1. Identification of the Entrepreneur and the Company:
The entrepreneur chosen for this report is Harrison McCain who is one of the co-founders
of the frozen food, McCain Foods Limited (mccain.com 2019)
The interview was carried out on 15th March, 2019 and it was carried out over the phone.
Initially, he was a bit hesitant to entertain the interview but on knowing that the interview was
conducted by business strategy student at the Bow Valley College who was interested in
profiling him in one of his assignments, he became ready to spare 20 to 30 minutes of his time.
2. Summary of Questions Related to Business Strategy
1. Tell us about your Business
I along with my brother Wallace McCain started McCain Foods Limited in 1956 that became
one of the largest suppliers of the frozen food across Canada. McCain Foods Limited satisfied
over one third of international demand for the French fries (mccain.com 2019). We tried to
provide exposure to the farming trade our father by starting a factory that not only cut potatoes
but also froze them to form French fries. The factory has been one of its kinds in producing
frozen French fries. With time we have been able to expand the business to 60 factories in
international platform.
2. What are Your Key Strategies?

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Our corporate level strategy represents a comprehensive and integrated plan that contributes to
growth and expansion, mergers and takeovers, integration, diversification and newer areas of
investment. Our business level strategy is developed by the managers for converting the vision
and the mission into concrete strategies that helps in creating the blue print of entire business
(Hill, Jones & Schilling, 2014). We also have a functional strategy which is developed by first
line supervisors and managers that involves the decision relating to production, research and
development, finance and human resource.
3. How do you go through Strategic Planning Process and Implementation of Strategy?
Our strategic planning process goes through the five stages that involve goal setting, strategy
formation, analysis, strategy monitoring and the strategy implementation (Dibrell, Craig &
Neubaum, 2014). We try to implement the strategy by undertaking clear communication of
objectives that is driven by the vision and the values of the company. Besides, the company’s
CEO tries to create the goals which they share with rest of the company. At the same time, we
also try to create focus, track progress and become action oriented.
4. Do You Use SWOT, Five Forces and Value Chain in Determining a Strategic Plan?
I believe having a look at all the aspects is important while determining the strategic plan. This is
because although SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis helps in
identifying and understanding the key issues impact the business but it does not offer solutions
(Bocken et al., 2013) Porter’s Five Forces, I believe represents a tool that analyzes the
competitiveness of the business. The five forces drawn in from the industrial organization helps
in determining competitive intensity and attractiveness in terms of profitability (E. Dobbs, 2014).
Nevertheless, it is also important to consider the value chain as it defines the set of activities

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operated by firm within specific industry for delivering a valuable service or product to the
market (David & David, 2013).
4. Do you have a formal mission and vision statement?
Yes, we do have a formal mission and vision statement. Our mission statement lies in guiding
the everyday decision making and actions by rooting the culture in each aspect of business. Thus,
based on the values, the company believes in operating in a sustainable fashion (mccain.com,
2019).
Our vision lies in bringing happiness to the lives of the people by providing tasty food in a
manner that reflected the company’s values. This is done in coordination with the community,
business and the partners across the world (mccain.com, 2019).
5. Who is the Stakeholders of the Company?
The individuals and groups who express their interest in the decision making of the organization
represent the stakeholders.
5. When have you thought about the Strategic Options? What Concerns you the most
Macro Environment, Industry Competition, Limits of the Internal Capabilities and
Resources?
We basically thought about the strategic options when the organization faced external situation
like the trends, opportunities and the threats of the outside world (Morden, 2016). As an owner
although all the factors you mentioned would impact my business but what bothers me and my
brother is the industry competition.
6. How do you know if the Strategy is Successful?

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Our business strategy is successful since it is linked to the objectives, the plans of achieving the
m and the means used for planning (Ngo & O'cass, 2013). According to me, our strategy is
successful since it uses the resources relocated according to the plan and deliver results as
expected.
7. How have the Strategy of the Company Change Over Time?
In the initial years, the company did not sell its product in Britain. The French fries and the other
food items were produced at Florenceville and sold to the British Packers. The norm was that
every four months, I visited England for making deals. Later, I had a better idea of staying in
Britain and run the business there. This made me adopt the beachhead strategy where I tried to
forge a relationship with the British wholesaler by selling peas grown in Canada to Britain.
8. How does your Company Plan to remain Competitive and Innovative?
The company plans to remain competitive by occupying positions against its competitors in the
frozen food product market. As far as innovation is concerned we love to create delicious newer
offerings by listening to the customers, identifying newer trends and insight and by exploring
newer technologies (mccain.com, 2019).
3. Reflection
My Ideas about Entrepreneurs in Creating and Executing Strategy for Companies before
the Interview
Before the interview was conducted, I believed that the entrepreneur always portrayed
clear priorities regarding the creation and execution of the strategies for companies. This

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implied that they only established a single priority at a time along with the supporting initiatives.
This was necessary since having a number of priorities meant keeping too many balls into the
air. I also believed that the entrepreneurs always specified measurable goals as part of the
strategic plan. I believed that the entrepreneur could do so through the development of the key
performance indicators that could be monitored and measured on the ongoing basis. I also
believed that they procured data related to the indicators and evaluate the results on a weekly,
daily, quarterly and monthly basis. Besides, they also evaluated what was working and continued
the process thereby boosting the performance. The failing results however acted as the basis in
determining the processes that did not work and make the immediate adjustments for prevention
of the further deterioration. I also believed that the entrepreneurs maintained a rhythm for the
meeting for ensuring that the whole organizations remain in sync with his vision and the
strategic plan. This involved the periodic gathering of the staffs for regular updates on the
meetings. I also believed that the entrepreneurs also led to the evaluation of the strategy which
implied that they met with the key management and the executive team on a quarterly and
monthly basis in evaluation of the progress with strategic plan. The strategic meetings have not
only been in-depth but were designed for determining the changes required. These meetings also
discussed the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that helped the executive in
determining the soundness of the strategy in light of the changes within industry, economy and
organization. The aim lay on exploiting the opportunities and strengths while mitigating the
threats and weakness.
My Thought about the Entrepreneurs and their Business Strategies after the Interview
The interview has provided me with an idea how the entrepreneurs makes an addition to
the gross national income. They also contribute to the creation of social change by breaking the

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traditions with the exceptional inventions that reduces the dependence on the existing systems
and methods thereby rendering them as obsolete. Business strategies represent the key building
block for advantage and competitive distinctiveness. As the organizational process, it
encompasses range of activities where the firms engage in establishing and sustaining
competitive advantage. In comparison to the established firms, the entrepreneurial firm faces
various challenges that might diminish the likelihood of the survival and success. I have
observed that as far as the business strategies goes, the entrepreneurs considers the following
steps in determining a clearer path towards success.
Observing the Competition: The entrepreneur identifies the competitors and
understands the rival service or product that it offers.
Researching Newer Products and Service: The entrepreneurs try and understand the
emerging products or service within the horizon that improves the operation of the company.
Adaptation and Listening to the Feedback of Customers: Evolution of a business with
accurate business strategy is only possible when entrepreneurs listen to the customer feedback.
What I Learnt, What was Surprising and How Did the Conversations align with the
Models and Models
I have learned that it is necessary to keep the eyes open for the new opportunities. It is
also necessary to never stop creating and have belief in self. In doing so, it is also necessary for
an entrepreneur to give back to the world.
After the interview, I have learned that with clear focus, ambition and perseverance, anyone can
learn the art of making business. After the interview, I have learned that with clear focus,

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ambition and perseverance, anyone can learn the art of making business. I have started believing
that business is a process that can be taught. In fact, the business and the entrepreneurial skills
from the selling to the basic accounting seems can be learnt through proper guidance and
training.
While conversing regarding the steps towards strategic planning the entrepreneur hinted
towards the importance of use of SWOT, Five Forces and the value chain learned in the course.

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References:
Bocken, N., Short, S., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2013). A value mapping tool for sustainable
business modelling. Corporate Governance, 13(5), 482-497.
David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2013). Strategic management: Concepts and cases: A competitive
advantage approach. Pearson.
Dibrell, C., Craig, J. B., & Neubaum, D. O. (2014). Linking the formal strategic planning
process, planning flexibility, and innovativeness to firm performance. Journal of
Business Research, 67(9), 2000-2007.
E. Dobbs, M. (2014). Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry
analysis templates. Competitiveness Review, 24(1), 32-45.
Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., & Schilling, M. A. (2014). Strategic management: Theory & cases: An
integrated approach. Cengage Learning.
mccain.com. (2019). Retrieved from://www.mccain.com/about-us/our-history/
mccain.com.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.mccain.com/about-us/
mccain.com.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.mccain.com/about-us/our-purpose-values/
mccain.com.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.mccain.com/about-us/our-passion-for-food/
mccain.com.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.mccain.com/our-partners/innovation/
Morden, T. (2016). Principles of strategic management. Routledge.

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Ngo, L. V., & O'cass, A. (2013). Innovation and business success: The mediating role of
customer participation. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1134-1142.

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Appendix: Interview Questions and Answers
1. Tell us about your Business
I along with my brother Wallace McCain started McCain Foods Limited in 1956 that became
one of the largest suppliers of the frozen food across Canada. McCain Foods Limited satisfied
over one third of international demand for the French fries. We tried to provide exposure to the
farming trade our father by starting a factory that not only cut potatoes but also froze them to
form French fries. The factory has been one of its kinds in producing frozen French fries. With
time we have been able to expand the business to 60 factories in international platform.
2. What are Your Key Strategies?
Our corporate level strategy represents a comprehensive and integrated plan that contributes to
growth and expansion, mergers and takeovers, integration, diversification and newer areas of
investment. Our business level strategy is developed by the managers for converting the vision
and the mission into concrete strategies that helps in creating the blue print of entire business.
We also have a functional strategy which is developed by first line supervisors and managers that
involves the decision relating to production, research and development, finance and human
resource.
3. How do you go through Strategic Planning Process and Implementation of Strategy?
Our strategic planning process goes through the five stages that involve goal setting, strategy
formation, analysis, strategy monitoring and the strategy implementation. We try to implement
the strategy by undertaking clear communication of objectives that is driven by the vision and

12MANAGEMENT
the values of the company. Besides, the company’s CEO tries to create the goals which they
share with rest of the company. At the same time, we also try to create focus, track progress and
become action oriented.
4. Do You Use SWOT, Five Forces and Value Chain in Determining a Strategic Plan?
I believe having a look at all the aspects is important while determining the strategic plan. This is
because although SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis helps in
identifying and understanding the key issues impact the business but it does not offer solutions.
Porter’s Five Forces, I believe represents a tool that analyzes the competitiveness of the business.
The five forces drawn in from the industrial organization helps in determining competitive
intensity and attractiveness in terms of profitability. Nevertheless, it is also important to consider
the value chain as it defines the set of activities operated by firm within specific industry for
delivering a valuable service or product to the market.
4. Do you have a formal mission and vision statement?
Yes, we do have a formal mission and vision statement. Our mission statement lies in guiding
the everyday decision making and actions by rooting the culture in each aspect of business. Thus,
based on the values, the company believes in operating in a sustainable fashion.
Our vision lies in bringing happiness to the lives of the people by providing tasty food in a
manner that reflected the company’s values. This is done in coordination with the community,
business and the partners across the world.
5. Who is the Stakeholders of the Company?

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The individuals and groups who express their interest in the decision making of the organization
represent the stakeholders.
5. When have you thought about the Strategic Options? What Concerns you the most
Macro Environment, Industry Competition, Limits of the Internal Capabilities and
Resources?
We basically thought about the strategic options when the organization faced external situation
like the trends, opportunities and the threats of the outside world. As an owner although all the
factors you mentioned would impact my business but what bothers me and my brother is the
industry competition.
6. How do you know if the Strategy is Successful?
Our business strategy is successful since it is linked to the objectives, the plans of achieving the
m and the means used for planning. According to me, our strategy is successful since it uses the
resources relocated according to the plan and deliver results as expected.
7. How have the Strategy of the Company Change Over Time?
In the initial years, the company did not sell its product in Britain. The French fries and the other
food items were produced at Florenceville and sold to the British Packers. The norm was that
every four months, I visited England for making deals. Later, I had a better idea of staying in
Britain and run the business there. This made me adopt the beachhead strategy where I tried to
forge a relationship with the British wholesaler by selling peas grown in Canada to Britain.
8. How does your Company Plan to remain Competitive and Innovative?

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The company plans to remain competitive by occupying positions against its competitors in the
frozen food product market. As far as innovation is concerned we love to create delicious newer
offerings by listening to the customers, identifying newer trends and insight and by exploring
newer technologies.

15MANAGEMENT