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***MUST BE ORIGINAL, NOT PLAGIARIZED, OR PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED WORK.*** ****MUST USE THE PROVIDED TEMPLATE**** Title: External and Internal Environments Overview In this assignment, you are to use the same corporation you selected and focused on for the Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness assignment. Using the corporation you chose from the Week 3 assignment (attached), Strategic Management, and Strategic Competitiveness, examine the industry in which the entity operates. Use any or all of the following resources to conduct research on the company: Company website. Public filings from the Securities and Exchange Commissions Filings & Forms page. Strayer Universitys online databases. The Lexis Advance database. Other miscellaneous sources. Note: the companys annual report will often provide insights that other resources may not include. Use the provided template to ensure that the assignment meets the requirements. Requirements Write a 4–6 page paper in which you do the following: Choose the two segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. Considering the five forces of competition, choose the two that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed these two forces in the recent past. With the same two forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. Assess the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Give your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Justify your answer. Give your opinion on the corporations greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Choose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices. 1 10 Week 3 Assignment 1 Globalization and technological advancements have significantly influenced how modern businesses work to increase their competitive edge and financial performance standards. Furthermore, the strategic management framework and the resource-based framework may be used on enterprises to help them accomplish overall projected ambitions. For this assignment, I chose a company that many are familiar with. The Apple Company is among the most significant international businesses. Apple was formed in 1976 and is a global technology company that develops and sells computer hardware and software, internet service providers, and gadgets, along with various things. It is headquartered in the United States and works in various industries, including cellular telephone manufacturing. It is regarded as one of the greatest technological multinational firms in market share (Abdukarimova, 2021). Apples earnings have increased due to its strong market sector growth and performance compared to its biggest rivals in the competitive market. Globalization Globalization could be referred to as the progression through which companies make a worldwide influence or start to operate on a worldwide platform. It would be understood that globalization has culminated in removing obstacles, which has boosted imports and exports. The removal of restrictions has enabled Apple to grow into new markets and increase its competitiveness and earnings. Presently, this firm works in 24 nations and territories and has approximately 500 outlets, and its commodities are sold in most places in the world. It has extended Apples consumer base, requiring the business to raise manufacturing power to satisfy growing consumer needs and requirements (Mamaghani, 2016). As a consequence, the firm employs a combination of direct and indirect distribution techniques to improve on-time deliveries and prevent unnecessary complications and delays. The degree of competition in the marketplace wherein Apples Current works has significantly grown due to globalization. The firm is presently facing severe pressure against companies such as Samsung, Nokia, and Toshiba, among many others, on a worldwide platform. The rivalry is mostly focused on pricing, responsiveness, and manufacturing efficiency, as certain businesses can accomplish low operating costs and therefore implement superior pricing tactics. The consumer wants in the sectors where Apple works are incredibly competitive, requiring firms to be extremely attentive to prevent deficits. Nevertheless, the more significant rivalry has led to the development of high-quality items that benefit buyers (Puncheva-Michelotti et al., 2018). Therefore, competing firms are the potential of producing items comparable to some of those made by Apple and selling goods at a discounted cost. Apple is concentrated on delivering high-quality goods that meet the demands of buyers worldwide, which has impacted company activities and its hiring practices. To compete, the firm companies outsource manufacturing operations from other nations and subcontract from big manufacturers to preserve the production of quality products. Globalization presents an impact on organizational operations approach. The global industry expansion and increased consumer requirements for the firms products and services have introduced some of the unique companys plans and strategies. Apple uses product differentiation to guarantee that its products stand out amid competition by introducing unique characteristics to its goods and services world. A business must use distinctive methods to draw substantial consumer preferences to achieve the desired success in the international supply chain or competitive benefits (Ksenofontova, 2018). The strategy also includes improving network infrastructure to expand the corporations worldwide reputation. Finally, Apple has been able to boost its financial performance due to increased demand from worldwide growth. Technology Current technology advancements have had a significant influence on how Apple works and also improved strategic competitive intensity. The present utilization of social networking sites is amongst the most important technological advancements. Apple makes good use of social network sites on a large scale which entails Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, among several others, to advertise new goods and services to consumers. Its attributable that most contemporary purchasers depend heavily on the internet, specifically social networking sites, to get knowledge about particular items (Pınarbaşı, 2018). Because of the use of social networking sites, the firm has been capable of observing the strong effect of the new classification items. It has also established excellent relationships with consumers and workers via the usage of social media channels. Developing positive relationships with its consumers improves the ability to respond quickly to maintain and recruit consumers. Improved staff connections also improve engagement and dispute resolution. Apple also employs machine learning to enhance product design, productivity, and craftsmanship. For instance, the firm has developed a neurological processor which improves face detection and emotions. Apple recently made substantial improvements in mechanization and robots to increase manufacturing efficiency while decreasing manufacturing costs. This aids in fulfilling growing consumer needs and requirements for its goods and services while also optimizing potential earnings. The firm also uses the companys webpage for advertising manufactured innovations and interacting with consumers. It has boosted the organizational reputation and the need for its goods and services (Ksenofontova, 2018). Apples creation of program applications has aided in strengthening consumer satisfaction by connecting more international cultures. Consumers may use the program applications to engage with both the firm and provide reviews. Industrial Organization Model Inside the Apple organization, the industrial organization framework may be used to achieve quite an average result. The framework reveals the organizational approaches choices major impact inside the surrounding company sector (Ksenofontova, 2018). It helps the organization recognize that perhaps the economy has an enormous impact on overall effectiveness than the organizational context, especially its decisions. The five forces concept strategy pushes Apple to concentrate on some of the most prospective market sectors to outperform its competition. Furthermore, the model enables the firm to highlight the use of the differentiation approach to achieve based on the profitability mentioned above (Hitt et al., 2020). It urges the firm to continue focusing on portfolio distinctiveness, mainly includes essential factors such as goods and services, design, price, and retail locations to achieve strategic attractiveness in the global market economy. Resource-Based Model The resource-based strategy might also be critical in enabling Apple to generate based on the revenues mentioned above. It may be accomplished by allowing the firm to focus on the organizational context while leveraging prospective skills and differentiated resources to leverage the surrounding working places. The firm needs to administer its assets efficiently to avoid waste and capitalize on any possibilities in an attempt to improve potential dangers. Using key capabilities like research & innovation and the personnel could also result somewhere above profits. The utilization of research & innovation may help a firm do consumer research on consumers to discover their requirements and analyze rivals to re-evaluate its strategy (Hitt et al., 2020). Recruiting and educating skilled personnel could support the firm improve its performance and achieve higher profit margins. Vision According to Apples strategic direction vision, the business is committed to creating outstanding goods and services by continually concentrating on development, cooperation, engagement, competence, transparency, and bravery to achieve the anticipated results. The strategic vision is linked to the business performance. Its because it necessitates the corporations usage of development to improve research and development. It enables the firm to create high-quality goods that are always in sync with the demands of its consumers. It also pushes the firm to use market dominance to choose the best manufacturers for a more effective supply chain (Leśniak-Moczuk, 2016). Through performance, the firm is compelled to concentrate on ethical principles to avoid unethical behavior. As a result, to achieve the required performance level, every choice must be linked with the vision statement. Mission The mission declaration for Apple company is Apple manufactures Macintosh, the global most outstanding consumer electronics, OS X, iLife, iWork, and commercial applications. Apple, including its iPhones and apple music online marketplace, is at the forefront of the digital music popular uprising (Bogdanoff, 2018). Apple has revolutionized the smart telephone with some of its innovative iPod touch and Application Store and is redefining the potential of smartphones media and personal computers with iPod touch and allowing the firm to differentiate itself against opponents by outlining the numerous goods offered to consumers. It enables the firm to focus on its manufacturing to deliver the most outstanding products and services on the market that are in limited supply. Stakeholders Stakeholders fall into three segments: financial institutions, market characteristics, and company stakeholders. Borrowers and stockholders are among the Apple Corporations financial system counterparties (Mitchell, 2019). The stockholders make a substantial contribution throughout the firm to aid in its functioning and expansion into new global markets. Borrowers, which primarily comprise banking institutions, provide financial products to the firm, including such investing, which helps to ensure corporate accounting stability. Consumers, manufacturers, and business groups are all market orientation participants. Consumers play an essential role in business performance since consumers buy organizational products or services. The organization offers excellence and sustainable development initiatives to maintain and entice potential consumers to boost profit margins. Moreover, to minimize complications and meet the necessary measure of privacy, the suppliers supply the appropriate products at the right moment. Union members guarantee that workers be recognized and appreciated by providing a higher compensation package to enhance their enthusiasm, which then, in turn, generates corporate production. Ultimately, management and workers are overall organizational shareholders. Workers assist in the execution of administrative responsibilities to ensure excellent goods and services for consumer satisfaction. It guarantees that a corporation meets its objectives (Mitchell, 2019). Managers offer oversight and management of a corporation to ensure that the required levels of development are met. Conclusion In brief, globalization has benefited corporations by offering an international market, higher revenues, and expansion opportunities to enhance comparative benefits. For instance, the case of Apple company which I have discussed its various aspects. Advancements in technology have indeed revolutionized how businesses run and maintain a competitive advantage. For instance, the present utilization of social networking sites is amongst the most significant technological advancements. Apple makes good use of social network sites on a large scale which entails Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, among several others, to advertise new goods and services to consumers. Furthermore, to attain the predicted operating efficiency, businesses should make choices linked with both the vision and goal declarations and then further maintain the many stockholders. Sources 1. Abdukarimova, M. (2021). Company overview for 2017-2021: Apple vs. Microsoft. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 04(07). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijcsrr/v4-i7-21 2. Bogdanoff, D. (2018). Why does Apple slow down old iPhones? ELECTRONICS: Science, Technology, Business, (6), 134-135. https://doi.org/10.22184/1992-4178.2018.177.6.134.135 3. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management: Concepts and Cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning 4. Ksenofontova, K. Z. (2018). Business model and strategy of industrial company management. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.12.78 5. Leśniak-Moczuk, A. D. (2016). Vision, strategy, innovation in Apple company. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego Finanse Rynki Finansowe Ubezpieczenia, 83, 33-40. https://doi.org/10.18276/frfu.2016.5.83/2-03 6. Mamaghani, F. (2016). The strategic impact of big data on competitiveness. International Journal of Strategic Management, 16(1), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.18374/ijsm-16-1.2 7. Mitchell, B. (2019). Stakeholders and partnerships. Resource and Environmental Management, 145-176. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190885816.003.0006 8. Pınarbaşı, F. (2018). The effects of strategic design on business operations. Contributions to Management Science, 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77622-4_6 9. Puncheva-Michelotti, P., Hudson, S., & Michelotti, M. (2018). The role of proximity to local and global citizens in stakeholders moral recognition of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Research, 88, 234-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.027 1 Figures title: 11 Week 6 External and Internal Environments Assignment Student’s Full Name BUS499 Business Administration Capstone Professor’s Name Date Template Instructions (delete this page before submitting) This template is provided to help you meet the assignment requirements. This page should NOT be submitted with your assignment, as it is not part of an academically written paper. Note the “Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements” section of the grading rubric. HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE · Read the explanations provided in the template for each section of your paper. · The explanations are in blue font below. · You should have already read the assignment instructions in Blackboard. · Type your response to each of the assignment requirements within the designated sections. · Each assignment requirement is identified using a section Heading that is in black font · DO NOT add extra spaces between sections. · DO NOT change the margins. · You are required to have a heading for each of the sections in your paper. · The required headings have been provided for you. · Follow the instructions below to customize the Headings as directed. · DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections. · After typing your responses, change the font color to black and make sure it is not in bold. · Be sure to change the font color on the title page to black after typing your name, professor’s name, and date. · Everything in blue font below should be deleted and replaced with your responses. · DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment to avoid losing points. Do not leave a blank page here. REMINDERS · The assignment is due in week 6. Late submissions negatively impact your grade. · Use the same public corporation you used for the Week 3 assignment. · Do not copy content from other assignments in this class or others. · Include at least 4 full and complete academically written pages that address the requirements. The title page, this instruction page, and the source page do not count. · Use at least 3 quality sources, one of which MUST be the course textbook. · Strayer uses SafeAssign – an automated plagiarism checker. It is advised that you do your own writing and use external resources to support what you have written in your own words. Week 6 External and Internal Environments Assignment Write your introduction here. Include one paragraph (not more than 6 lines of text) that explains what your paper will discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all assignment resources to understand what should be included in your paper. Be sure to review the assignment instructions in Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6 lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your introduction and change the font color to black. General Environment In this section you will choose the two segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. You must select from the segments discussed in the course. Hint: see table 2.1 in the textbook. Do not assess all the segments—only assess the two segments that rank highest in influencing your corporation. You will then assess how these segments affect the corporation and the industry in which it operates. There are two subsections below, each has a heading. The heading “Segment 1” should be changed to the first segment of the general environment you select. The heading “Segment 2” should be changed to the second segment of the general environment you select. Replace this paragraph with a very brief introduction that includes the identification of the two segments of the general environment you selected and change the font color to black. Segment 1 This subsection is where you assess the first of the two segments of the general environment you think ranks highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for the Week 3 assignment. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Segment 1” to the name of the selected segment. Assess how this segment affects the corporation and the industry in which it operates. Remember that to assess a concept, you will weigh all aspects to judge the importance or relevance of that concept. Do not simply define the segment. Do not copy from your Week 3 assignment submission. Your assessment should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the course resources regarding the segment. Your writing here should thoroughly assess how the selected segment influences your corporation. Do not write about the general environment in general terms. Your assessment should be directly related to your selected corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course material to your assessment. Do not Google “segments of the general environment” or provide high-level summaries. You must display, in specific detail, an understanding based on what is studied in this course and demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts in a real-world assessment of a corporation. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Properly cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your assessment and change the font color to black. Segment 2 This subsection is where you assess the second of the two segments of the general environment you selected. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Segment 2” to the name of the selected segment of the general environment that would rank highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for the Week 2 assignment. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the “Segment 1” subsection above for this second segment of the general environment. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all of the requirements for this second segment of the general environment. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Five Forces of Competition In this section you will consider the five forces of competition and choose the two that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose in assignment 1. Hint: see figure 2.2 in the textbook. You will then, evaluate how well the company has addressed each of these two forces in the recent past. There are two subsections below, each has a heading. The heading “Force 1” should be changed to the first of the two forces of competition you select. The heading “Force 2” should be changed to the second of the two forces of competition you select. Replace this paragraph with a very brief introduction that includes the identification of the two forces of competition you selected and change the font color to black. Force 1 This subsection is where you evaluate the first of two forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant to the corporation you chose. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Force 1” to the name of your selected force. Provide a thorough assessment of why you think the selected force is significant to your corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concept as described in the course. Do not Google “five forces of competition” or simply provide a definition. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course material in your assessment. Evaluate how well the company addressed the selected force in the recent past. This will require some research. Remember that to evaluate a concept, you will break down all components to determine or analyze facts, value, or views. Your evaluation should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the textbook and course resources. Do not write about the selected force in general terms. Your evaluation should be directly related to your selected corporation and include a thorough evaluation of how the company has addressed the force recently. You must display an understanding based on what is studied in this course and demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts in a real-world evaluation of a corporation. You will need to read the chapters and listen to the lectures to understand the key concepts for each force. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite all sources and limit the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Force 2 Choose another one of the five forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant for the corporation you chose. This should not be the same force assessed in the “Force 1” section above. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Force 2” to the name of the selected force. This subsection is where you evaluate the second of the two forces of competition that you selected. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the “Force 1” subsection above for this second force of competition. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all of the requirements for this second force of competition. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Future Improvements With the same two forces assessed and evaluated in the previous two sub-sections above, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address the forces in the near future. Your writing here should provide a thorough prediction of what the company should do to address impacts from the selected forces. Do not simply discuss company information published by your sources. This section should be your prediction of what the corporation should do. Your prediction should be your own, not predictions or recommendations from your sources or actions your corporation has already taken or plans to take. Remember that a thorough evaluation is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. Your prediction should be specific to your selected corporation, relevant to the evaluation you conducted, and directly related to improvements the corporation could make to address the two forces you selected in the two sub-sections above. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your prediction and change the font color to black. Greatest External Threat Identify what you consider to be the greatest external threat to the corporation you selected. The threat should be specific to your corporation. Justify why you consider the threat to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the impact the threat has on the corporation. For example, your justification could include a comparison of other threats or an evaluation of facts that support the magnitude of the threat’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation should address the threat. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification that supports why you believe the strategy will be successful in combating the threat. This section must include both a clearly identified external threat and a clearly articulated action\strategy the corporation should take to address the threat. Do not write in general terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course concepts relating to threats and the external environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black. Greatest Opportunity Identify what you consider to be the greatest opportunity to the corporation you selected. The opportunity should be specific to your corporation. Justify why you consider the opportunity to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the impact the opportunity could have on the corporation. For example, your justification could include a comparison of other opportunities or an evaluation of facts that support the magnitude of the opportunity’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation could best take advantage of the opportunity. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification that supports why you believe the strategy will be successful in adding value to the corporation. This section must include both a clearly identified opportunity and a clearly articulated action the corporation should take to take advantage of the opportunity. Do not write in general terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course concepts relating to opportunities and the external environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black. Strengths and Weaknesses Give your opinion on the corporations greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Keep in mind that strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization (i.e. the internal environment). You will need to address both the greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Do not choose one or the other. Both the greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses must be addressed. Do not write in general terms. The identified strengths and weaknesses should be specific to your selected corporation. Include a justification that supports your opinions. This section must include both clearly identified strengths and clearly identified weaknesses. Read Chapter 2 and 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your application and change the font color to black. Strategy or Tactic Choose the strategies or tactics the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of the strengths you identified in the section above, and the strategies or tactics the corporation should select to fix the most significant weaknesses you identified. You will need to select strategies/tactics for both the strengths and weaknesses. Do not choose one or the other. Strategies/tactics for both the strengths and weaknesses must be addressed. Justify your choices. Your justifications should be sound and thoroughly explained. For example, do not simply state that the corporation should choose a selected strategy, but rather explain why the strategy is a good choice for your corporations’ specific strengths or weaknesses. Read Chapter 2 and 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your responses and change the font color to black. Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies Determine the companys resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Your determination should include an explanation of the relevance of each resource, capability, and core competency. Do not simply list the resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Remember that a thorough determination will provide a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. Use your course materials to demonstrate your understanding of the key course concepts regarding resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Do not write in general terms. Your determination should display that you can apply the course concepts to your selected corporation. R ead Chapter 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background to this section. Review the Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your determination and change the font color to black. Sources 1. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning 2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address) 3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address)