Knowledge & Understanding
Analysis
1. Identify and investigate the different factors from the external environment which impact business decision making.

Knowledge & Understanding
Analysis
2. Visualize how competition can reduce demand for and increase costs of a product or service.

Analysis
Problem Solving
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how to analyse the external factors that affect a company’s goals and influences its strategic management.

1. Initial Assessment – MCQs on PESTLE (15%) (0.5hr) (LO1)
2. Individual Essay (1,000 words) (60%) (LO3) Based on problem-solving from case study
3. Individual Poster (One page, digital) (25%) (LO2)

In this module you will consider the external business environment and the impact of competition, cultural demographics, environmental issues and concepts of free and fair trade and what this means for business. You will conduct SWOT and PESTLE analyses of several firms to see how they inform the strategic management of the company. The analysis not only defines what a company should do but also accounts for an organization’s goals and the strategies attached to them. You will also explore competitive analysis including the basics of Porter's Five Forces.

In this module you will consider the external business environment and the impact of competition, cultural demographics, environmental issues, and concepts of free and fair trade and what this means for business.

This module will use case study analysis and interactive tasks to explore the module content. You will attend workshops and complete activities to investigate aspects of the external environment. You will make use of a variety of digital tools to enhance your skills. Directed, guided and self-study, together with preparation for and completion of the assessment tasks will inform your learning. The module will draw upon a mixture of activities including lectures, web-based activities, case study analysis, relevant videos and in-class discussions, individual and group problem solving and self-directed learning.

You will undertake ‘formative’ assessments during the module to help you monitor your learning and provide you and us with ongoing feedback on your progress, that helps you prepare for the ‘summative assessment(s) during or at the end of the module.

Porter, M (2004) Competitive Advantage : creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press
McDonald, M & Meldrum, M (2013) The Complete Marketer. London: Kogan Page
Paul, D. et al. (2020) Business Analysis. 4th edn. Swindon BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

VLE
Online Library
Internet
LinkedIn Learning

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