Assume that you have just been appointed the personal assistant to the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company. Knowing that you are successfully pursuing your MBA degree, she has asked you to prepare a brief report to assist in the scenario planning for the organization.

a) Using the PESTLE framework, you need to undertake an audit of the macro environment of the pharmaceutical industry sector, to identify the key environmental influences on organizations operating within this industry and the nature of its impact within the industry. ( 30% )

b) Environmental Scanning is usedto identify possible opportunities and threats from external forces, and its internal environment for strengths and weaknesses, so that decision-makers can formulate strategies to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid or reduce the impact of threats. Using the SWOT framework you are expected to conduct a critical analysis of a pharmaceutical company of your choice, to identify such strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats and its implications for the future sustainability of the company.

c) Drawing on Porters Five Forces Analysis Framework, provide a critical discussion ofthe factors that determine the level of competitive intensity in the pharmaceutical industry and the main changes that are likely to occur in the future that would significantly affect bases of competition in this industry.

Assignment 1 will focus on your understanding of the various theories in environmental analysis and the application of theories in the case you are studying. However, only a brief overview of the theories is expected .