In this assignment, you are to use the same corporation you selected and focused on for Assignment 1.
Using the corporation you chose from Assignment 1, examine the industry in which the entity operates. Use any or all of the following resources to conduct research on the company:
Company website
Public filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database ( http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml )
Strayer University’s online databases
Other miscellaneous sources. Note: the company’s annual report will often provide insights that other resources may not include.
Write a six (6) page paper in which you:
Give your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Choose either a strategy OR tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy OR tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices.
Determine the company’s tangible and intangible resources, core capabilities, and core competencies.
Choose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates.
Choose two (2) forces of competition that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed these) forces in the recent past, going back no further than five (5) fiscal years.
With the same two (2) forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future.
Identify what you consider to be the greatest external threat to this corporation. Discuss how the corporation should address this threat. Justify your explanation.
Identify what you consider to be the greatest opportunity presented to the corporation, and discuss how the corporation should take advantage of this opportunity. Justify your explanation
Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS) . The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
· Identify how the six segments of the general environment affect an industry and its firms.
· Identify the five forces of competition.
· Analyze the external environment for opportunities and threats that impact the firm.
· Analyze the internal environment of a company for strengths and weaknesses that impact the firm’s competitiveness.
· Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.
· Write clearly and concisely about business administration using proper writing mechanics.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric .
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.
| Points: 125 | Assignment 2: External and Internal Environments | ||||
| Criteria | Unacceptable
Below 60% F |
Meets Minimum Expectations
60-69% D |
Fair
70-79% C |
Proficient
80-89% B |
Exemplary
90-100% A |
| 1. Choose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates.
Weight: 10% |
Did not submit or incompletely chose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Did not submit or incompletely assessed how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. | Insufficiently chose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Insufficiently assessed how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. | Partially chose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Partially assessed how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. | Satisfactorily chose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Satisfactorily assessed how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. | Thoroughly chose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Thoroughly assessed how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. |
| 2. Considering the five (5) forces of competition, choose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past.
Weight: 15% |
Did not submit or incompletely chose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Did not submit or incompletely evaluated how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past. | Insufficiently chose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Insufficiently evaluated how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past. | Partially chose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Partially evaluated how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past. | Satisfactorily chose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Satisfactorily evaluated how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past. | Thoroughly chose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Thoroughly evaluated how well the company has addressed these two (2) forces in the recent past. |
| 3. With the same two forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future
Weight: 15% |
Did not submit or incompletely predicted what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. | Insufficiently predicted what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. | Partially predicted what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. | Satisfactorily predicted what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. | Thoroughly predicted what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. |
| 4. Assess the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Give your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Justify your answer.
Weight: 15% |
Did not submit or incompletely assessed the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Did not submit or incompletely gave your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Did not justify your answer. | Insufficiently assessed the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Insufficiently gave your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Insufficiently justified your answer. | Partially assessed the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Partially gave your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Partially justified your answer. | Satisfactorily assessed the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Satisfactorily gave your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Satisfactorily justified your answer. | Thoroughly assessed the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Thoroughly gave your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Thoroughly justified your answer. |
| 5. Give your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Choose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices.
Weight: 15% |
Did not submit or incompletely gave your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Did not submit or incompletely chose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Did not submit or incompletely justified your choices. | Insufficiently gave your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Insufficiently chose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Insufficiently justified your choices. | Partially gave your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Partially chose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Partially justified your choices. | Satisfactorily gave your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Satisfactorily chose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Satisfactorily justified your choices. | Thoroughly gave your opinion on the corporation’s greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Thoroughly chose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Thoroughly justified your choices. |
| 6. Determine the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies.
Weight: 15% |
Did not submit or incompletely determined the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies. | Insufficiently determined the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies. | Partially determined the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies. | Satisfactorily determined the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies. | Thoroughly determined the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies. |
| 7. 3 references
Weight: 5% |
No references provided | Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices. | Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices. | Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices. | Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices. |
| 8. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements
Weight: 10% |
More than 8 errors present | 7-8 errors present | 5-6 errors present | 3-4 errors present | 0-2 errors present |
