MGMT 647: Seminar in Strategic Management: Home

To analyze the external environment of a company, focus on broader industry trends, economic factors, and competitive forces.

Frameworks to Use:

PESTEL and Porter’s 5 Forces

Databases to Use:

• IBISWorld: Industry reports with key external drivers.
• MarketResearch.com: Reports on industry trends and competitor analysis.
• Statista: Visualized statistical data on market trends and consumer behavior.
• ABI/INFORM Collection: Reports that provide in-depth insights into industry trends, competitive forces, and external factors.
• Business Source Complete: Industry profiles, market analysis reports, and articles from business journals that highlight competitive dynamics and economic factors.

Search Tips:

• Use keywords related to your industry, such as "Pet Food Market Trends."
• Start broad, then narrow your search with Boolean operators like AND/OR when available.
• Apply filters for date, geography, and industry segment when available.

For internal analysis, you will examine the company's resources, capabilities, and financial health to determine its competitive advantage.

Frameworks to Use:

VRIN/VRIO and Value Chain Analysis

Databases to Use:

• Mergent: Company financials, revenue, profit margins, and strategic summaries.
• IBISWorld: Company benchmarking reports.
• Statista: Financial data, revenue breakdowns, and statistical insights into company performance and market share.
• ABI/INFORM: Scholarly articles and trade publications that discuss business strategies and internal operations.
• Business Source Complete: Company profiles, SWOT analyses, and articles on business strategy and internal operations.

Search Tips:

• Search by company name (e.g., "Mars Inc.") to access detailed financial data and strategic insights.
• Use filters to narrow your search to company financials or strategic summaries.

Often, the exact information you're looking for won’t exist in one place. Synthesizing data from multiple databases is key to developing a comprehensive analysis.

Steps to Follow:

• Step 1: Use industry reports (from IBISWorld, MarketResearch.com) to identify trends and external factors.
• Step 2: Cross-reference company financial data from Mergent with strategic insights from ABI/INFORM.
• Step 3: Combine these insights to build your PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces, or VRIN/VRIO analyses.

Pro Tips:

• Take notes as you gather information from different databases, and look for patterns or contradictions that could strengthen your analysis.
• Remember to cite all sources accurately using built-in citation tools in each database.

• Best For: Industry reports, external factors (PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces).
• Search Tips: Use specific industry names (e.g., "Pet Food Manufacturing") for targeted reports.
• Example Query: Search for "Pet Food Market Trends" to locate industry insights.
• Pro Tip: Focus on the "Key External Drivers" section for PESTEL analysis data.

• Best For: Market trends, competitor analysis.
• Search Tips: Use broad keywords to start (e.g., "Pet Food Market") and refine your search as needed.
• Example Query: Search for "Pet Food Market Size" to find industry reports and growth projections.
• Pro Tip: Look for competitor analysis reports to support your Porter’s 5 Forces framework.

• Best For: Statistical data and visualizations.
• Search Tips: Use keywords like "market share" or "consumer trends" to locate statistics.
• Example Query: Search for "Pet Food Market Share" to access visual data on key competitors.
• Pro Tip: Statista’s downloadable charts are perfect for presentations and reports.

• Best For: Scholarly articles, trade publications, strategic insights.
• Search Tips: Use Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT to refine your searches. Apply filters for publication date and type.
• Example Query: Search for "Pet Food Industry AND Trends" for the latest insights and market conditions.
• Pro Tip: Use trade publications for real-time market developments and scholarly articles for in-depth analyses.

• Best For: Company financials, business strategies, internal analysis (VRIN/VRIO).
• Search Tips: Search by company name to access detailed financials and strategic information.
• Example Query: Search for "Mars Inc." to find financial statements and strategic business summaries.
• Pro Tip: Use the "Company Financials" and "Business Summary" sections to evaluate internal resources and competitive advantages.