The objective of this assignment is to:
• Familiarize you with at least one company and begin to understand one industry
• Help you more holistically evaluate competitors
• Help you begin to evaluate possible employers
Instructions:
• Choose any publically traded company that interests you. Make sure that they are large enough to have been covered by the press.
• One primary source for information on the company will be its website.
• Read at least five articles about the company you are studying and complete the following grid. Do not write a separate essay - please just complete the grid.
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Company Studied
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Name of company studied
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url of the company website
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Articles you read about each company (online or print) - you must list at least 5 citations (article title, author, publication, date or if the article is online, the URL). If you read more, list more.
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more:
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Headquarters location
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Number of employees
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Gross revenue in most recent year available
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Chairman of the Board and CEO
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Are there any interesting people on the company board of directors? If yes, who do you think is interesting and what kind of expertise do you think they are offering to the company?
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How is the company leadership described? Are they competent, admired, respected, etc.?
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Key Products/Services
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Three adjectives that describe the company in the marketplace - why did you choose these three particular adjectives?
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Describe the company's culture
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Describe the company's values
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From what you've read, does the company live its values?
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Biggest internal challenge - what makes this company difficult to lead or manage?
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Biggest external challenge - what about the market or business landscape is making it difficult for this company to compete?
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Internet presence - is it effective? Please describe.
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Advertising in other media - is it effective? Please describe.
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Target customer demographics - who is this company's target market?
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Describe the company's reputation
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Are there any scandals associated with the company?
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Who are their major competitors?
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Would you like to work for this company? Why or why not?
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