Assignment will be marked as follows:

- Responses

-Clarity and Grammar

-Organization and Structure

Objective for Assignment

To understand the key functional areas found in most organizations - Operations, HR, IT, Marketing and Finance - all of whom are adding value in order for the business to be successful, profitable, sustainable and capable of growing over time.

You are encouraged to seek out current and external sources of information on your selected company. Please ensure that all sources of information are properly cited as per McMaster University standards.

Select a Fortune 500 company of your choice to respond to the following questions.

1. After researching your selected organization, comment on their business model. Is it sound? Does it reflect good business fundamentals as addressed in this Business Foundations course?

Show at least four examples from your selected organization along with the relevant business concept to support your argument (maximum 1 page).

2. Based on your research, undertake a SWOT analysis for your selected organization. Identify at least four items for each SWOT category, and for each identified item provide a brief explanation as to why you selected it.

3. Business leaders are constantly reviewing operational efficiency, productivity, and cost management and balancing them off against the impact that they have on their organization's brand and customer base.
What kind operational changes did the company that you selected make over the last ten years as they responded to market factors (i.e. company growth, company contraction)? What were the implications of these operational changes to their brand? Were they positive, negative or a bit of both?

If they did not make any operational changes, why do you think this was the case?

4. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important component of many large organizations' strategic planning. Identify at least five significant CSR initiatives undertaken by your selected company. Do you feel that their various CSR practices are well aligned and legitimate representations of their business and brand, or are they merely an attempt to ‘appease the public' under the façade of being a socially responsible company? Explain.

5. The economic upheaval and recession of late 2000's (i.e. 2008-2010) has resulted in significant changes to the global economy - many of which we are still dealing with today. Compare the company that you selected with another Fortune 500 company (or if the company that you currently work for or one that you have worked for in the past is sufficiently large enough to be a good comparator, you can choose it). How did they respond to the recession and the changing business landscape? Identify and explain at least five ways that they responded by referencing the relevant business concepts.

The total length of this assignment cannot exceed 5 pages single spaced.