Assignment 2: External and Internal Environments
Due Week 4 and worth 350 points

Choosean industry you have not yet written about in this course, and onepublicly traded corporation within that industry. Research the companyon its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and ExchangeCommission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml),in the University's online databases, and any other sources you canfind. The annual report will often provide insights that can helpaddress some of these questions.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:

1. Choosethe two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highestin their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how thesesegments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which itoperates.
2. Considering the five (5) forces of competition,choose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for thecorporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed thesetwo (2) forces in the recent past.
3. With the same two (2)forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its abilityto address these forces in the near future.
4. Assess theexternal threats affecting this corporation and the opportunitiesavailable to the corporation. Give your opinions on how the corporationshould deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity.Justify your answer.
5. Give your opinion on the corporation'sgreatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Choose the strategyor tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage ofits strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should selectto fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices.
6. Determine the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies.
7. Analyzethe company’s value chain to determine where they can create valueusing the resources, capabilities, and core competencies discussedabove.
8. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Betyped, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), withone-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA orschool-specific format. Check with your professor for any additionalinstructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of theassignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title,and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included inthe 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.

Click here to view the grading rubric.