Assignment Case Study

Latest woes - sales dwindling, market share eroding - are featured heavily in the media today, and even in the Wall Street Journal. But is disaster really looming on the horizon for the low-cost giant? Or do the issues simply present an opportunity for big success?

Assess the company's (that you choose in concert with your professor) external environment using three or more media sources to identify factors that are impacting their business model and take a stance on whether these factors signal imminent doom or new growth opportunities (if approached correctly).

• ExxonMobil (USA)

• Royal Dutch Shell (UK/Netherlands)

• BP (BP plc - UK)

• Chevron Corp. (USA)

• Conoco Phillips (USA)

Write a 5-6 page Business Brief for the Company Executive team on your findings 1. Identify and concisely describe four external factors impacting.

• Describe each of the four factors. Is each a positive or negative? Explain.

• What are the "symptoms" of each factor? (What is likely happening as a result of a factor?)

• How does each factor correlate to Porter's Five Forces or the Blue Ocean models? Explain.

2. Rank the factors in order from least to greatest potential impact and briefly explain your rationale. Reverse so consistent with rubric

3. Take a stand - Persuasively assert what these factors imply for the future.

• Consider how the factors potentially influence the organization's capabilities, behavior, and strategic options.

4. Support your recommendations, assertions, and facts with in-text citations, appendixes, and references.