Instructions

Instructions for mid-term assignment due end of week 4: SWOT

SWOT Analysis

Here’s the scenario: You are put in charge of a large corporation and need to figure out where the company needs to go. You must develop the company’s strategy using SWOT analysis and present your plan (this report) to the board of directors. You may write an analysis on any company.  If you are having trouble thinking of companies, here are a few choices that might be interesting:

Walmart – one of the largest, most successful companies in the world, but they are struggling internally with labor issues. They face serious competitive pressure from Amazon.com.

Hostess – a company in obvious decline, so where can they go from here? You could write this from the perspective of another company looking to acquire Hostess.

Nike – at the top of their game, but is there room for growth? Corporations are focused on growing the business so that shareholders earn a return. So, while Nike has mastered the art of branding, the U.S. market may be saturated for their product. Can they grow their product in other countries?

Apple – huge quarterly profits but their market share for smart phones and tablets are being eroded by Android (and potentially Microsoft?). Recently, they tried to develop a mapping application and found out that moving beyond their core competency can be difficult.

Please email me the name of your company selection by the end of Week #4.  When the assignment is due, please post it to the assignment drop box.

You should find and reference a few (at least 3-4) news articles to give background on the company’s current situation.  Please follow these guidelines when writing your paper:

Submit in Microsoft Word .doc/.docx file format

Include a cover sheet with your name, your paper title, the date, and the paper’s word count

e facilitator with any questions.