PM607: CASE STUDY / REPORT STRUCTURE OUTLINE
ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: You are required to choose TWO companies, as case studies, and conduct some analysis on their macro-environment. These companies must be multinational companies and the focus of your analysis should be how these businesses develop their international operations. The analysis should focus on the following.
a. Conducting a PESTLE analysis for both companies.
b. Business challenges relating to innovation, business ethics and marketing c. Risks they faced with international expansion
STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT
COVER PAGE (With the module details (PM607: Strategic Management), your student number (not your name); Tutor name, and date of submission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (MAXIMUM OF 100 WORDS)
• Summarise what the report is about
• Outline the key frameworks used for your analysis
• Summarise the key conclusions of your analysis for each company
Table of Contents
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION (MAXIMUM OF 200 WORDS)
• What is the aim of the report?
• Identify the two companies, when and where they were formed, and their country of origin.
• In which other countries do they operate in?
• What products or services they sell
• Who are their customers and where they are located
• Who are their main competitors / rivals
• Outline the structure of the report
SECTION 2: MACRO-ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS. (MAXIMUM 600 WORDS)
• Define the macro-environment (at least 2 academic definitions with citations).
• Briefly explain the importance of analysing and understanding the macro-environment.
• Describe the framework used to analyse the macro-environment (PESTLE) (with academic citations) and briefly explain how it is used for the analysis of the macro- environment. This should focus on explaining the key factors the PESTLE framework says should be considered when analysing the macro-environment. For each factor, what are the sub-factors to analyse? For example, if you want to analyse the political environment, what factors should be look at.
State that the PESTLE framework will be used for the analysis of the broader macro- environment in which your proposed business will be operating in.
Now presents an analysis of the macro-environment of your chosen business under the following headings (100 words)
SECTION 2.1: PESTLE ANALYSIS FOR COMPANY A (maximum 250 words)
Section 2.11: Analysis of the Political Environment Section 2.12: Analysis of the Economic Environment Section 2.13: Analysis of the Social Environment
Section 2.14: Analysis of the Technological Environment. Section 2.15: Analysis of the Legal Environment
Section 2.16: Analysis of the Ecological Environment
SECTION 2.2: PESTLE ANALYSIS FOR COMPANY B (maximum 250 words)
Section 2.21: Analysis of the Political Environment Section 2.22: Analysis of the Economic Environment Section 2.23: Analysis of the Social Environment
Section 2.24: Analysis of the Technological Environment. Section 2.25: Analysis of the Legal Environment
Section 2.26: Analysis of the Ecological Environment
SECTION 3: BUSINESS CHALLENGES (INNOVATION, BUSINESS ETHICS, MARKETING
ENVIRONMENT) (Maximum 600 words)
Given the fact that both company A and B chosen are business with international presence, you are required to analyse / describe what challenges they faced with innovation, issues of business ethics and marketing in their international environment and how these companies dealt with these.
Section 3.1: Challenges of innovation (you can focus on challenges of product innovation; technological innovation, research and development etc.) and how each company dealt with these.
Section 3.2: Challenges with Business Ethics (discuss any ethical issues your chosen businesses may have faced in their international environments) and how each company dealt with these.
Section 3.3: Challenges of marketing in the international environment (Discuss any specific adaptations they have to do in their marketing strategies and tactics in their international marketing operations, and how each company dealt with these.
SECTION 4: FACTOR EVALUATION (Maximum 600 words)
In this section, provide an analysis of the factors;
Section 4.1: Company A Factor Evaluation
• Reasons why your chosen countries decided to internationalise.
• What risk factors the company had to overcome (risk assessments)
• What entry modes the company chose to enter selected international market.
Section 4.2: Company B Factor Evaluation
• Reasons why your chosen countries decided to internationalise.
• What risk factors the company had to overcome (risk assessments)
• What entry modes the company chose to enter selected international market.
SECTION 5: REPORT CONCLUSION (maximum 200 words)
• State what the objectives (s) of the report were.
• State frameworks you used to analysed this objective (s) • State the main findings / conclusions of your analysis.