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BUS 495: Strategy: Home

BUS 495: Strategy

A multi-level, integrative approach to the study of business strategy. The course provides conceptual frameworks to consider various issues related to the strategic process and uses cases for experience in adaptation and integration.

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Public Company Websites

Google search the company name and "investor relations." This will often provide links to Annual Reports; financial reports such as 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K; and corporate social responsibility reports.

Industry Codes

NAICS

The North American Industry Classification System is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.

SIC

Standard Industrial Classification is a system for classifying industries by a four digit code.

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PESTEL Analysis

Political factors include government policies, leadership, and change; foreign trade policies; internal political issues and trends; tax policy; regulation and deregulation trends.

Economic factors include current and projected economic growth; inflation and interest rates; job growth and unemployment; labor costs; impact of globalization; disposable income of consumers and businesses; likely changes in the economic environment.

Social factors include demographics (age, gender, race, family size); consumer attitudes, opinions, and buying patterns; population growth rate and employment patterns; socio-cultural changes; ethnic and religious trends; living standards.

Technological factors affect marketing in (1) new ways of producing goods and services; (2) new ways of distributing goods and services; (3) new ways of communicating with target markets.

Environmental factors are important due to the increasing scarcity of raw materials; pollution targets; doing business as an ethical and sustainable company; carbon footprint targets.

Legal factors include health and safety; equal opportunities; advertising standards; consumer rights and laws; product labeling and product safety.

Key Search Terms

  • Profitability
  • Long term growth
  • Industry
    • Market saturation rate
    • Competitiveness
    • Growth rate
    • Life cycle stage
  • Market trends
    • PESTEL
  • Marketing research report
  • Opportunities
  • Shortcomings