WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENT – EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS
Week 6 Assignment – External and Internal Environments
Overview
In this assignment, you are to use the same corporation you selected for the Week 3 assignment and examine the industry in which the entity operates.This assignment requires the use of three or more quality resources, including your textbook. Use any or all of the following resources to conduct research on the chosen corporation:
- The corporation’s website.
- Public filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Filings & Forms page.
- Strayer University's online databases.
- The Nexis Uni database.
- Other credible sources such as the corporation's annual report, will often provide insights that other resources may not include.
- It is expected that you will use your textbook as a resource for this assignment.
Instructions:
- Read the Assignment Formatting and Tips [PDF] before starting the assignment. Refer back to this document as needed.
- Download and save the External and Internal Environments Template [DOCX].
- Use the template to write a 4-6 page academic research paper in which you include the following:
Step 1. Choose one segment of the general environment that would rank highest in influence on the selected corporation:
- Assess how this high-ranking segment in the general environment influences the corporation and the industry in which it operates.
Step 2. Considering the Five Forces of Competition, choose one that you estimate to be the most significant for the selected corporation:
- Evaluate how well the corporation addressed this force in the last five years. Support your response with relevant, specific evidence.
Step 3. With the same force in mind, predict how the corporation could improve its ability to address this force in the next 5-10 years. Support your response with relevant, specific evidence.Step 4. Consider the external threats affecting the corporation:
- Assess how the corporation should deal with its most serious external threat. Support your position with two pieces of specific evidence.
Step 5. Consider the opportunities available to the corporation:
- Assess how the corporation should deal with its greatest opportunity. Support your position with two pieces of specific evidence.
Step 6. Consider the corporation's greatest strengths:
- Determine the strategy or tactic, as explained in the textbook, the corporation should use to maximize its strengths. Support your choice with specific evidence.
Step 7. Consider the corporation's most significant weaknesses:
- Determine the strategy or tactic, as explained in the textbook, the corporation should use to minimize its greatest weakness. Support your choice with specific evidence.
- Use three or more quality sources, including your textbook, to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment. (Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as academic resources.)
- For help with research, writing, and citation, access the library.
- Produce writing that is clear and well organized and applies appropriate Strayer Writing Standards (SWS) style. Writing contains accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling.
This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is as follows:
- Analyze the effects of the general environment, competition, threats, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses relative to a corporation.
Week 6 External and Internal Environments
Student’s Full Name
Strayer University
BUS499 Business Administration Capstone
Professor’s Name
Date
(Note: This assignment should be 4-6 pages not including the title or source pages. The headings for each section are provided below as well as tips for success. Delete the content provided and replace it with your own content. Refer to your assignment instructions, Assignment Formatting Tips PDF, and the scoring guide (rubric) for specific details as you complete your paper. Always follow Strayer Writing Standards. Delete this text.)
Write an introduction paragraph. No more than 6 sentences. No direct quotes. (Replace this text with your text which will be in black font.)
General Environment
(This is Step 1 of the assignment. You are asked to choose one segment of the general environment that would rank highest in influence on the selected corporation. You are then asked to assess how the high-ranking segment in the general environment you selected influences the corporation and the industry in which it operates. Make the selection from the segments discussed in the course. [See Table 2.1 in the textbook]. Your assessment should be directly related to your selected corporation and should incorporate key concepts from the course material. Be specific and support your assessment with detailed evidence. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Five Forces of Competition
(This is Step 2 of the assignment. You are asked to choose one of the five forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant for the selected corporation. You are then asked to evaluate how well the corporation addressed this force in the last five years. [See Figure 2.2 in the textbook]. Your response here should incorporate key concepts from the course material and reflect the knowledge of your research. In your evaluation, you will break down all components to determine or analyze facts, values, or views. To thoroughly evaluate the corporation’s response, you will need to refer back to your Week 2 readings and lectures. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Future Improvements
(This is Step 3 of the assignment. You are asked to keep the same force in mind and predict how the corporation could improve its ability to address this force in the next 5-10 years. Your prediction should be your own, not predictions or recommendations from your sources or actions your corporation has already taken or plans to take. You must support your response with relevant, specific evidence. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Greatest External Threat
(This is Step 4 of the assignment. You are asked to consider the external threats affecting the corporation and assess how the corporation should deal with its most serious external threat. You must support your position with two pieces of specific evidence. The threat must be specific to your selected corporation. Support your position with an assessment of the threat’s impact on the corporation. For example, your justification could include comparing other threats or evaluating facts supporting the magnitude of the threat’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion of how the corporation should address the threat. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification supporting why you believe the strategy will successfully combat the threat. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Greatest Opportunity
(This is Step 5 of the assignment. You are asked to consider the opportunities available to the corporation and assess how the corporation should deal with its greatest opportunity. Justify why you believe the opportunity to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the impact the opportunity could have on the corporation. For example, your justification could include comparing other opportunities or evaluating facts that support the magnitude of the opportunity’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation could best take advantage of the opportunity. Specifically describe the strategy and provide evidence supporting why you believe the strategy will successfully add value to the corporation. This section must include a clearly identified opportunity and a clearly articulated action the corporation should take to take advantage of the opportunity. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Strengths
(This is Step 6 of the assignment. You are asked to consider the selected corporation’s greatest strengths and determine the strategy or tactic the corporation should use to maximize its strengths. Be sure to refer to your textbook in this section as it provides a solid background in Chapters 2-3. You must support your choice with specific evidence and justify your strategy or tactic. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Weaknesses
(This is Step 7 of the assignment. You are asked to consider the selected corporation’s most significant weaknesses and determine the strategy or tactic the corporation should use to minimize its greatest weakness. Be sure to refer to your textbook in this section as it provides a solid background in Chapters 2-3. You must support your choice with specific evidence and justify your strategy or tactic. Replace this text with your text which will be in black font)
Sources
1. Michael A. Hitt. 2020. Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases: Competitiveness and Globalization. 13th ed. Cengage Learning.
2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g., web address)
3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g., web address)
(Add entries if needed and be sure to apply Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). Delete this text.)
2
,
BUS499 Assignment Formatting and Expectations
This is a capstone course and your deliverables should reflect an expert level of knowledge and skills. Each paragraph of your paper should represent a thoughtful and well-researched response.
Format:
To receive full credit for formatting your paper should include:
• A title page formatted according to Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). Note: the title page and source list are NOT counted in the page length requirement for the paper. A 4-6 page paper would contain 4-6 pages of writing + the title and source pages.
• An introduction paragraph with no more than six sentences and no direct quotes.
• Strayer Writing Standards (SWS) requirements are as follows: o The body of the paper (margins, font, spacing, etc.) follows SWS. Review sample
paper and template for details at https://library.strayer.edu/sws/paper o Headings for each written section, based on the assignment instructions in SWS
format. (Note: sometimes there are two headings in a single instruction.) See Week 3 assignment template for an example.
o Source page formatted in SWS format.
Tips:
• Review the assignment instructions, rubric and the faculty video(s). The faculty videos
provide hints on where to locate information and how to address each topic in depth and
includes do’s and don’ts.
• The textbook and external research will be cited on all assignments.
• Remember to define explain, evaluate, and/or analyze terminology. The rubric will
provide the criteria for what expected.
• Demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts in a real-world assessment of a corporation.
Cite specific research to support the evidence presented within each assignment
submission.
• Strayer University uses SafeAssign, an automated plagiarism checker. Complete and
submit original work. Avoid copying content from any previous assignments.
o If needed, review the Strayer Library Resource: Use Your Own Words:
Preventing Plagiarism
• Submit assignments by the assigned due date or the submission will be subject to a late
deduction.