Perform an external environmental scan and industry environmental analysis on this publicly traded company from the perspective of a business unit. Begin your analysis with the seven segments of the general environment and the five forces of competition model as presented in the text, and then complete a detailed outline of the meaningful trends, issues, and factors that impact or are likely to impact the overall competitive landscape for your company in the future. The purpose of this multilevel analytical approach is to break down macro trends and issues until you identify how exactly they affect your company and business unit.

Sectors of the external environment and the five forces of competition.

Concepts to research in each category. (Note: This list is intended to be used as a springboard and should not be considered exhaustive in any individual case.)

Macro trends related to the issues noted in section B. (Note: There may be more than one trend or issue identified for each section B concept.)

Impact of the trends and issues identified in section C on your corporation.

Impact of the trends and issues identified in section D on your operating business unit.

Conclusions about how and why these assessments are relevant to the company overall. (These conclusions may be your own personal suppositions, or they may be provided from external sources.)

Sources referenced in each section of your analysis.