Chapter 4 : Managing Firm Resources

Learning Activity 1

As mentioned in W2 Learning activity instructions: Your chosen focal company for W2 learning activities is expected to have its own corporate website so that you can research in regards to the aspects, such as background, products, financial information, etc., and use the company ­specific details from that corporate articles for all the actual analyses and discussions in all subsequent weekly learning activities for this course because the same company is used from W2 through W6 Learning Activities).

External Factor Evaluation ( EFE) Matrix allows strategists to summarize and evaluate economic social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological, and competitive information.

Requirement 1 : Use the same company that you have chosen in Week 2 Learning Activity 1 and 2 .:

Requirement 2 : That focal company for discussion learning activities must b e different from the company you will use in your Assignment 1 , Assignment 2 , and Assignment 3 Phase 1 .

Requirement 3 : Discuss briefly some relevant background information about that company and its industry in regards to its external environment.

Requirement 4 : Determine a t least 5 external factors as "opportunities", and 5other external factors as "threats".

Requirement 5 : Compile a n External Factor Evaluation ( EFE) Matrix (with specific internal factors, weights, scores, and weighted scores) as an analytic tool for technically evaluating the focal company.

Requirement 6 :

a. Why did you choose those opportunities and threats?
(Please keep in mind you need to discuss a t least 3 supporting reasons for each o f these respective factors.)

b. What do the respective weighted EFE scores mean for that organization from a strategic planning viewpoint?

c. What are some strategic implications b y interring based o n the total weighted scores that are derived from the EFE matrix respectively?

Support the rationale for your explanation.

Use the appropriate APA formatted scholarly reference sources and corresponding in ­text citations in all your postings.

Learning Activity 2

IFE (Internal factor evaluation) matrix of a focal company o r organization is a strategy formulation tool that summarizes and evaluates the major strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas o f a business, and it also provides a basis for identifying and evaluating relationship among those areas.

Requirement 1 : Use the same company that you have selected in Learning Activity 1 of this week.

Requirement 2 : Discuss briefly some relevant corporate background information about that company in regards to its internal environment.

Requirement 3 : Determine a t least 3 internal factors a s "stren gths" and 3 other internal factors a s "wea kn esses".

Requirement 4 : Compile a n Internal Factor Evaluation ( IFE) Matrix (with specific internal factors, weights, scores, and weighted scores) as an analytic tool for technically evaluating the focal company.

Requirement 5 :

d. Why did you choose those strengths and weaknesses?

(Please keep in mind you need to discuss a t least 3 supporting reasons for each o f these respective factors.)

e. What do the respective weighted IFE scores mean for that organization from a strategic planning viewpoint?

f. What are some strategic implications b y inferring based o n the total weighted scores that are derived from the IFE matrix respectively?

Support the rationale for your explanation.

Use the appropriate APA formatted scholarly reference sources and corresponding in ­text citations in all your postings