HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

· Read the explanations provided in the template for each section of your paper.

· The explanations are in blue font below.

· You should have already read the assignment instructions in Blackboard.

· Type your response to each of the assignment requirements within the designated sections.

· Each assignment requirement is identified using a section Heading that is in black font

· DO NOT add extra spaces between sections.

· DO NOT change the margins.

· DO NOT delete, alter, or add anything to the section headings.

· DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections.

· After typing your responses, change the font color from blue to black and ensure your content is not in bold.

· Be sure to change the font color from blue to black on the title page after typing your name, professor's name, and date.

· Everything in blue font on the following pages should be deleted and replaced with your responses in black.

· DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment to avoid losing points.

REMINDERS

· The assignment is due in week 6.

· Use the same public corporation you used for assignment 1.

· Do not copy content from previous assignments in this class or others.

· Late submissions negatively impact your grade.

· Include at least four (4) complete academically written pages that address the requirements. The title page, this instruction page, and the source page do not count.

· Use at least three (3) quality sources, one of which MUST be the course textbook.

· Strayer uses SafeAssign – an automated plagiarism checker. You must use your own words and external resources (with in-text citations) to support what you have written in your own words.

Week 6 – External and Internal Environments

Write your introduction here. Include one (1) paragraph (not more than 6 lines of text) explaining what your paper will discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all assignment resources to understand what should be included in your paper. Review the assignment instructions in Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6 lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your introduction and change the font color to black.

General Environment

In this section, you will choose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. You must select from the segments discussed in the course. Hint: see Table 2.1 in the textbook. Do not assess all the segments—only assess the two (2) segments that rank highest in influencing your corporation. You will then assess how these segments affect the corporation and the industry in which it operates. There are two (2) subsections below, each with a heading. The heading "Segment 1" should be changed to the first segment of your selected general environment. The heading "Segment 2" should be changed to the second segment of your selected general environment. Replace this paragraph with a brief introduction that includes identifying the two (2) segments of the general environment you selected, and change the font color to black.

Segment 1

This subsection is where you assess the first of the two (2) segments of the general environment you think ranks highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. Change the subheading for this section, which currently reads "Segment 1," to the name of the selected segment. Assess how this segment affects the corporation and the industry in which it operates. Remember that to assess a concept, you need to weigh all aspects to determine the importance or relevance of that concept. Do not simply define the segment. Do not copy from your assignment 1 submission.

Segment 2

This subsection is where you assess the second of the two (2) segments of the general environment you selected. Change the subheading for this section, which currently reads "Segment 2," to the name of the selected segment of the general environment that would rank highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the "Segment 1" subsection above for this second segment of the general environment. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all the requirements for this second segment of the general environment. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black.

Five Forces of Competition

In this section, you will consider the five (5) forces of competition and choose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose in assignment 1. Hint: see Figure 2.2 in the textbook. You will then evaluate how well the company has addressed each of these two (2) forces in the recent past. There are two (2) subsections below; each has a heading. The heading "Force 1" should be changed to the first of the two forces of competition you select. The heading "Force 2" should be changed to the second of the two forces of competition you select. Replace this paragraph with a very brief introduction that includes the identification of the two (2) forces of competition you selected and change the font color to black.

Force 1

This subsection is where you evaluate the first of two (2) forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant to the corporation you chose. Change the subheading for this section, which currently reads "Force 1," to the name of your selected force. Provide a thorough assessment of why you think the selected force is significant to your corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concept described in the course. Do not Google "five forces of competition" or simply provide a definition. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course material in your assessment.

Evaluate how well the company addressed the selected force in the recent past. This will require some research. Remember that to evaluate a concept, you will break down all components to determine or analyze facts, value, or views. Your evaluation should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the textbook and course resources. Do not write about the selected force in general terms. Your evaluation should be directly related to your selected corporation and include a thorough evaluation of how the company has addressed the force recently. You must display an understanding based on what is studied in this course and demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts in a real-world evaluation of a corporation. You will need to read the chapters and listen to the lectures to understand the key concepts for each force. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. Review the Week 2 Readings under "Learn" in Blackboard for supporting content. Cite all sources and limit the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black.

Force 2

Choose another one (1) of the five (5) forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant for your chosen corporation. This should not be the same force assessed in the "Force 1" section above. Change the subheading for this section, which currently reads "Force 2," to the name of the selected force. This subsection is where you evaluate the second of the two forces of competition that you selected. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the "Force 1" subsection above for this second force of competition. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all the requirements for this second force of competition. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black.

Future Improvements

With the same two (2) forces assessed and evaluated in the previous two (2) sub-sections above, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address the forces in the next 5-10 years. Your writing here should thoroughly predict what the company should do to address the impacts of the selected forces. Do not simply discuss company information published by your sources. This section should be your prediction of what the corporation should do. Your prediction should be your own, not predictions or recommendations from your sources or actions your corporation has already taken or plans to take. Remember that a thorough evaluation is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts described in the course. Your prediction should be specific to your selected corporation, relevant to the evaluation you conducted, and directly related to improvements the corporation could make to address the two forces you selected in the two (2) sub-sections above. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. Review the Week 2 Readings under "Learn" in Blackboard for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your prediction and change the font color to black.

Greatest External Threat

Identify what you consider the greatest external threat to the corporation you selected. The threat should be specific to your corporation. Justify why you believe the threat to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the threat's impact on the corporation. For example, your justification could include comparing other threats or evaluating facts supporting the magnitude of the threat's impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation should address the threat. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification supporting why you believe the strategy will successfully combat the threat. This section must include a clearly identified external threat and a clearly articulated actionstrategy the corporation should take to address the threat. Do not write in general terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course concepts relating to threats and the external environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 Readings under "Learn" in Blackboard for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black.