BMGT 495- PROJECT 1

Purpose

This project is the first of four projects. This project provides the first steps in completing an external environmental analysis of your specific company’s strategic management plan. You will use tools and apply concepts learned in this and previous business courses to demonstrate an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain their competitive position in the 21st century (rapidly evolving/shifting/changing), uncertain hyper-competitive business environment.

Completing a company overview and assessing the general environment is key in performing an external environment analysis. This project provides you with the opportunity to evaluate the competitive position of one of the organizations listed below and integrate that information into the beginnings of an external environmental analysis.

The company you will be analyzing operates within the global market. Therefore, you will assess the company in terms of the global industry. Industries differ widely in their economic characteristics, competitive situation, and future profit potential.

In this project, you are presenting a report document. The expectation is that the report provides details to help the audience grasp the main topics and understand the business climate.

“Analysis” is the operative word. In analyzing the external environment, you are expected to thoroughly research the company. As part of that effort, you will need to take that research and break it into small parts to understand better what is happening in the external environment of the business. In researching an industry, it is important to understand that every company within an industry is different, so gathering information on one company does not mean that the collected information is relevant to other companies. When researching, parsing the material is critical to an accurate analysis. Avoid presenting just any information as that may lead to using irrelevant information.

You will then write the report in your own words to share the external analysis. You are expected to present information with supporting ideas and reasoning using the course material and your research. You will not lift any information from source documents without properly citing and referencing. For the technical analysis aspect of the project, you must create the technique on your own and may not use any source material that you happen to find. No work from a clearinghouse or similar website may be used or cited as a credible source.

Outcomes Met With This Project

• Utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
• Integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including accounting, finance, market, business, and human resource management.

Instructions

In completing the report, you will use the chapters in the eBook and other course material. Moreover, you will research the company and its industry before responding, in narrative form, to the information provided in the steps (see below).

Step 1Specific Company for All Four Projects

In this project, you will complete a Company Overview, an Evaluation of the General Environment, and a conclusion.

You will be assigned by your instructor one specific company to complete the analysis. The assigned company must be used for all four projects in this course. You cannot write a report on any other company different from the company specifically assigned by your instructor. If a company other than that assigned to you is used, a zero will be assigned.

Students must complete the project using the assigned company. Deviating from the assigned company will result in a zero for the project. You will look for the company assigned to you in the Announcement area of the classroom.

Step 2 Course Materials and Research

BMGT 495 – Project 1: Starting an External Environmental Analysis (Week 2)
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work (only your work). You may not use any
work from another student, the Internet, or an online clearinghouse. You are expected to
understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy and know that it is your
responsibility to learn about your Instructor and general academic expectations concerning
proper citation sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 7th Ed. (You are held
accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only).
Project 1 is due Tuesday by 11:59 p.m. eastern time of Week 2 unless otherwise changed by the
Instructor.
Purpose
This project is the first of four projects. This project provides the first steps in completing an
external environmental analysis of your specific company’s strategic management plan. You will
use tools and apply concepts learned in this and previous business courses to demonstrate an
understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and
sustain their competitive position in the 21st century (rapidly evolving/shifting/changing),
uncertain hyper-competitive business environment.
Completing a company overview and assessing the general environment is key in performing an
external environment analysis. This project provides you with the opportunity to evaluate the
competitive position of one of the organizations listed below and integrate that information into
the beginnings of an external environmental analysis.
The company you will be analyzing operates within the global market. Therefore, you will assess
the company in terms of the global industry. Industries differ widely in their economic
characteristics, competitive situation, and future profit potential.
In this project, you are presenting a report document. The expectation is that the report
provides details to help the audience grasp the main topics and understand the business
climate.
“Analysis” is the operative word. In analyzing the external environment, you are expected to
thoroughly research the company. As part of that effort, you will need to take that research and
break it into small parts to understand better what is happening in the external environment of
the business. In researching an industry, it is important to understand that every company
within an industry is different, so gathering information on one company does not mean that
the collected information is relevant to other companies. When researching, parsing the
material is critical to an accurate analysis. Avoid presenting just any information as that may
lead to using irrelevant information.
You will then write the report in your own words to share the external analysis. You are
expected to present information with supporting ideas and reasoning using the course material
and your research. You will not lift any information from source documents without properly
citing and referencing. For the technical analysis aspect of the project, you must create the
technique on your own and may not use any source material that you happen to find. No work
from a clearinghouse or similar website may be used or cited as a credible source.
Outcomes Met With This Project
Utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company
strategically;
Integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including
accounting, finance, market, business, and human resource management.
Instructions
In completing the report, you will use the chapters in the eBook and other course material.
Moreover, you will research the company and its industry before responding, in narrative form,
to the information provided in the steps (see below).
Step 1 Specific Company for All Four Projects
In this project, you will complete a Company Overview, an Evaluation of the General
Environment, and a conclusion.
You will be assigned by your instructor one specific company to complete the analysis. The
assigned company must be used for all four projects in this course. You cannot write a report on
any other company different from the company specifically assigned by your instructor. If a
company other than that assigned to you is used, a zero will be assigned.
Students must complete the project using the assigned company. Deviating from the assigned
company will result in a zero for the project. You will look for the company assigned to you in
the Announcement area of the classroom.
Step 2 Course Materials and Research
You are required to research information about the specific company and the external
environment for this project. You are accountable for using the course materials to support the
ideas, reasoning, and conclusions made. Course material’s use goes beyond defining terms and
explains the ‘why and how’ of a situation. Using one or two in-text citations from the course
materials and then relying on Internet source material will not earn many points on the
assignment. A variety of source material is expected, and what is presented must be relevant
and applicable to the topic being discussed. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop
of the discussion by explaining how something happens or why something happens, which
focuses on importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think
clearly and rationally, showing an understanding of the logical connections between the ideas
presented from the research, the course material, and the question(s) being asked.
Note: Your report is based on the research results performed and not on any prepared
documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that
are supported by the research and the course material rather than the use of any source
material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from the Internet, for-pay
websites, or any pre-prepared document, video or source material. A zero will be earned for not
doing your own analysis.
Success: The analysis is based on research and not opinion. You are not making
recommendations, and you will not attempt to position the specific company in a better or
worse light than other companies within the industry merely because you are completing an
analysis on this particular company. The analysis must be based on factual information. Any
conclusions drawn have to be based on factual information rather than leaps of faith. To ensure
success, as stated above, you are expected to use the course materials and research on the
specific company’s global industry and the specific company. An opinion does not earn credit,
nor does the use of external sources when course materials can be used. It is necessary to
provide explanations (the why and how) rather than making statements. Avoid stringing one
citation after another, as doing so does not show detailed explanations.
Library Resources (Company Required)
All the information needed for your assigned company must be obtained from one of the
library’s suggested online company research databases. To use these resources, go to the main
navigation bar in the classroom, select Academic Support, and then select Libary. Next, select
Databases by Title (A-Z). Since your primary online company research database is Statista, select
S from the alphabet list, and scroll down to select Statista Online.
Dun and Bradstreet’s Hoovers Database, among others listed using the link directory below, is
another excellent source of company research, competitor and industry information.
You can find relavant and significant additional information required for company project
research by using https://libguides.umgc.edu/business-research.
Additional Library Resources
Research for Company Financial Ratios: Financial Research.
Research for Industry Financial Ratios: CSI Market.
Use “OneSearch” to find scholarly articles by clicking Library under Academic Support on the
classroom main menu bar and checkmark “Scholarly Journals Only” prior to starting a search.
Library Support Personal Assistance
Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
at https://www.umgc.edu/library/index.cfm to support you in your studies. In addition, the
UMGC Library provides research assistance in creating search strategies, selecting relevant
databases, and evaluating and citing resources in various formats via its “Ask a Librarian” service
at https://www.umgc.edu/library/libask/index.cfm.
Step 3 How to Set Up the Report:
The document must be written in Word or RTF. No other format is acceptable. Pdf files will not
be graded. Use 12-point font for a double-spaced report. The final product should be 7 – 8
pages. It may not exceed 8 pages, including all tables and matrices, but excluding the title and
reference pages. Do no use an Appendix.
Create a title page with the title, your name, date, the course number, and the instructor’s
name.
Create Topic Headings that correspond to the exact sections of the project requirements.
Step 4 Company Overview
Provide a company overview, which is an essential component of the strategic management
process. The company overview includes the purpose(s) for the founding of the company (i.e.,
what problem(s) was it formed to solve and/or opportunities it was formed to exploit, who are
the founders, home country or state, current management, employee headcount, last year’s
revenue, etc.).
Step 5 Evaluate the General Environment
Identify the global industry in which the company operates.
Discuss the company’s general environment by developing a PESTEL analysis.
First, use the course material to identify the elements of the PESTEL and what components
make up each element. Then, complete the analysis using research on the industry and the
specific company. Be sure to present and support the reasoning for what is presented
thoroughly. You may not use a PESTEL analysis that is already completed and available on the
Internet. A zero will result if used as the analysis has to result from your research and your own
development.
NOTE: A PESTEL analysis is not a table, and it is not a bulleted assessment.
Identify and discuss one key trend for each letter of the PESTEL for the industry. Key trends are
separate from the PESTEL analysis.
Select one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discuss how the selected
trends could affect the specific company.
Discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the specific company that
could potentially impact the company’s strategy.
Perform strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision, and objectives.
Step 6 Conclusion
Create a conclusion. The Conclusion is intended to emphasize the purpose/significance of the
analysis, emphasize the significance/consequence of findings, and indicate the wider
applications derived from the main points of the project’s requirements. Finally, you will
conclude the findings of the external environment analysis.
Step 7 Review the Paper
Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.
The following are specific requirements that you will follow. Use the checklist to mark off that
you have followed each specific requirement.
Checklist
Specific Project Requirements
Proofread your paper.
Read and use the grading rubric while completing the paper to ensure all requirements are met
to lead to the highest possible grade.
Third-person writing is required. Third-person means that there are no words such as “I, me,
my, we, or us” (first-person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second-person writing). If
uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person.
Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.
Paraphrase and do not use direct quotations. Paraphrase means you do not use more than four
consecutive words from a source document. Removing quotation marks and citing is
inappropriate. Instead, put a passage from a source document into your own words and
attribute the passage to the source document. There should be no passages with quotation
marks. Using more than four consecutive words from a source document would require direct
quotation marks. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having
quotation marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this
material will not be included in the grade.
You are expected to use the research and weekly course materials to develop the analysis and
support the reasoning. Therefore, there should be a robust use of the course material. The
material used from a source document must be cited and referenced. A reference within a
reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. Changing words
from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks.
Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with
each in-text citation.
You may not use books in completing this problem set unless it is part of the course material.
Also, do not use a dictionary, Wikipedia, or Investopedia, or similar sources.
You may not use Fern Fort University or any other for-fee website.
Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation. For the eBook, you must include
the chapter title, section heading, and page number.
For citations using a video, you must provide the minutes and second of the cited material.
Step 8: Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder
The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered the student’s final
product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor. It is incumbent upon the student to
verify the assignment is the correct submission. No exceptions will be considered by the
instructor.
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another
student, the Internet, or an online clearinghouse. You are expected to understand the Academic
Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor
and general academic expectations concerning proper citation sources as specified in the APA
Publication Manual, 7th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an
associated reference list only.)
Due on Jun 25, 2024 11:59 PM
Hide Rubrics
Rubric Name: Project #1
Criteria
Excellent
Proficient
Sufficient
Needs Improvement
Did Not Achieve
Criterion Score
Company Overview and Identify industry in which focal company operates.
19 points
Thoroughly and correctly presents a company overview describing why the company was
formed, its headquarters home country or state, its founders, and its ownership, management,
employee headcount, last year’s revenue and revenue sources, all clearly supported by
thorough research.
Correctly identifies the global industry using an appropriate library database.
15.2 points
Missing one identified element of company overview; uses research that supports the reasoning
and conclusions; needs some development.
13.3 points
Missing two identified elements of company overview; uses research that supports the
reasoning and conclusions; needs significant development.
11.4 points
Information presented but is missing at least three elements, superficial, vague, or incorrect;
little or no evidence of research and course material; needs major development.
Incorrectly identifies the global industry or fails to use an appropriate database.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Company Overview and Identify industry in which focal company operates.,/ 19
General Environment – PESTEL analysis
35 points
Thoroughly and correctly uses the course material to identify elements of each letter in PESTEL
and thoroughly and correctly discusses both the general environment of the industry and the
focal company research to support reasoning and conclusions.
28 points
Uses the course material to identify elements of each letter in PESTEL and discusses both the
general environment of the industry and the focal company using research to support
reasoning, but some development is needed.
24.5 points
Uses some course material to identify elements of each letter in PESTEL and discusses both the
general environment of the industry and the focal company using little research to support
reasoning; significant development is needed.
21 points
Attempts to discuss the general environment OR the the focal company, but not both; OR
presents superficial, vague, or incorrect information; little to no evidence of research AND
course material; needs major development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of General Environment – PESTEL analysis,/ 35
Identify and discuss one key trend for each letter of PESTEL
21.5 points
Thoroughly and correctly identifies and discusses one key trend for each letter of PESTEL using
research to support reasoning and conclusions.
17.2 points
Identifies and discusses one key trend for each letter of PESTEL using research to support the
reasoning made, but some development is needed.
15.05 points
Identifies and discusses one key trend for each letter of PESTEL using little research to support
the reasoning made, but significant development is needed.
12.9 points
Information presented on trends, but is superficial, vague, or incorrect; little to no evidence of
research; may not provide trends for each letter; needs major development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Identify and discuss one key trend for each letter of PESTEL,/ 21.5
Select one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discuss how the focal
company could be affected by the selected trends.
16.5 points
Selects one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and thoroughly and
correctly discusses how the focal company could be affected by the selected trends using the
research to support reasoning.
13.2 points
Selects one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discusses how the focal
company could be affected by the selected trends using research to support the reasoning, but
some development is needed.
11.55 points
Selects one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discusses how the focal
company could be affected by the selected trends and attempts to uses research as support, but
support is not strong; needs significant development.
9.9 points
Information presented, but is incorrect, superficial, or vague; little to no evidence of research;
needs major development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Select one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discuss how the
focal company could be affected by the selected trends.,/ 16.5
Discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal company that could
potentially impact the company’s strategy.
16 points
Thoroughly and correctly discusses key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for
the focal company that could potentially impact the company’s strategy using research to
support reasoning.
12.8 points
Discusses key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal company that
could potentially impact the company’s strategy research to support the reasoning, but some
development is needed.
11.2 points
Attempts to discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal
company that could potentially impact the company’s strategy and attempts to uses some
research as support, but support is not strong or needs significant development.
9.6 points
Information presented but is incorrect, superficial, or vague; little to no evidence of research;
needs major development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal company
that could potentially impact the company’s strategy.,/ 16
Perform a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives.
16 points
Thoroughly and correctly performs a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and
objectives using the course materials, AND research to support reasoning.
12.8 points
Performs a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives using course
materials and research to support the reasoning, but some development is needed.
11.2 points
Attempts to performs a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives and
attempts to uses some course materials and research as support, but support is not strong; OR
needs significant development.
9.6 points
Information presented but is incorrect, superficial, or vague; little to no evidence of research
AND course materials; needs major development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Perform a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives.,/ 16
Conclusion
6 points
Thoroughly and correctly presents conclusion that emphasizes the purpose/significance of the
analysis, the consequences of findings, and indicate the wider application derived from main
points using the course material and research to support reasoning.
4.8 points
Presents conclusion that covers most of the main points using course material and research to
support the reasoning; some development is needed.
4.2 points
Presents conclusion that covers a general overview of the main topics covered with little to no
evidence of the research; significant development.
3.6 points
Attempts to present a conclusion, but only addresses some of the main topics; needs major
development.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Conclusion,/ 6
Writing Mechanics
20 points
Includes clear and concise language that uses appropriate style, has a rich vocabulary, and is
free of grammatical & spelling errors.
16 points
Includes clear and concise language, but the style and vocabulary are inconsistent or imprecise
at times. The writing has some minor errors.
14 points
Includes some clear and concise language, but the style and vocabulary are very inconsistent or
imprecise at times. The writing has many minor or major errors.
12 points
Includes language that lacks clarity and/or is not concise. There is no evidence of proofreading
or an attempt at applying conventional writing mechanics, style, or vocabulary.
0 points
Student did not achieve the minimum level
Score of Writing Mechanics,/ 20