Assessment

For this assessment, imagine you are a professional analyst working for an organization that is looking to expand through the acquisition of another company. After months of research, the list has been narrowed to three companies. You must take one of the companies and prepare a critical analysis of the macroeconomic environment and the challenges the company faces. This assessment lets you apply the theories and concepts from this course to a real world situation.

To prepare for this assessment, you will first need to choose a publicly traded U.S. company to study and analyze. You will also need to support your analysis with examples from and references to your chosen company, as well as other scholarly or professional resources (at least 3).

Your company analysis will include the following topics:

• The company, company background, industry (computer, financial, et cetera), and industry structure (for example, oligopoly, or monopolistic competition).

• If and how the company is regulated. (For example, does it fall under the jurisdiction of the EPA?)

• Factor markets.

• Global pressures and foreign competition.

• Cost structure. (For example, is it fixed versus variable?)

• Associated ethical issues.

• Economies of scope and scale.

Requirements

Prepare your company analysis as an executive report. Include a title page, executive summary, and reference page. Follow APA guidelines for all citations and references.

Your completed company analysis should include the following:

• An introduction to the company and its industry.

o Include relevant background information.
o Describe the organizational structure.

Analyze the current economic environment of the company and industry.

o Explain how things such as tax rates, unemployment, and government fiscal policies have affected the company's economic decisions.
o Explain the role of the Central Bank in the economic environment.

Analyze the company's global presence.

o Describe the global economic climate the company is operating in.
o Explain how things such as free trade, trade barriers, Basel III, and/or NAFTA have affected the company's economic decisions.
o Analyze the economic implications of operating in different market and industry structures.
o Explain the role of ethics and regulatory considerations in operating globally.

Analyze the overall effect of macroeconomic principles, theories, policies, and tools that have influenced the company's economic decisions and strategy development.

o Explain how macroeconomic principles, models, and tools created value for the organization.
o Explain how macroeconomic principles, theories, policies, and tools affected strategy development within the organization.
o In other words, what macroeconomic principles, theories, policies, and tools do you see at work within the company, driving the economic decisions and strategy development?

Recommend strategies (based in macroeconomic principles, theories, models, and tools) the company could adopt to successfully maximize long-term profits.

A conclusion that includes a long-term outlook for the company.

• Include a title page, reference page, and one-page executive summary.
• Number of pages: 10-12, not including title page, reference page, and executive summary.