For the second Discussion Assignment, please conduct and submit an Analysis of the External Environment. Please note that you cannot see other submissions until you submit your own assignment.
From the syllabus: ” Discussion Assignments: You should expect to contribute actively to online application-based discussion assignments. The discussion assignments in this course are not meant as forums to simply share your opinions or beliefs. Rather, they are meant for you to provide your peers with a thorough, grounded application of course materials to your assigned firm or industry context. This allows each of us to see how we may apply these tools across a variety of contexts. For all discussion assignments, you must provide an original response to the prompt by the time noted on it. You must then provide a substantive comment on another student’s response before the prompt closes. For example, a follow-up post may compare or contrast the application in the original post with your own or seek clarity from the original poster if you have difficulty reconciling a conclusion with course materials. I will grade your responses on both quantity and quality. Use clear reasoning and incorporate all relevant course readings on that topic for both your initial response and comments on your classmates’ responses. If someone replies to your post, be sure to address their points in another reply. Be sure to demonstrate your mastery of the topic in responding to all parts of the prompt.”
Assignment Instructions: Pick a firm. You might want to pick the same firm that you used in discussion one since you are already more familiar with this firm. This is, however, not a requirement. Research the general external environment of this firm (e.g., PESTEL). Discuss all six segments of the general environment for the firm you chose. Then, think about what industry this firm belongs to. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to evaluate the industry concerning its competitive rivalry, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes, the supplier (bargaining) power, and the buyer (bargaining) power. Based on your analysis of the general environment and Porter’s Five Forces, what recommendations do you have for the firm? Things you can think about are: What challenges in the external environment is the firm facing? What are the trends in the segments of the general environment that the firm will need to respond to? How will the firm be impacted? What forces are most problematic to the firm and how can it mitigate those forces? Be specific and use references to provide evidence (e.g., articles, books). You can find a list of source types that are approved and not approved on Blackboard.