1. Why is it important for a firm to study and understand the external environment?
2. What are the differences between the general environment and the industry environment? Why are these differences important?
3. What is the external environmental analysis process? What does the firm want to learn when using this process?
4. List and discuss the six segments of the general environment
5. How do the five forces of competition in an industry affect its profit potential? Explain.
6. What is a strategic group?
7. Discuss the importance of collecting information about competitors? Distinguish between ethical and unethical methods of gathering competitive intelligence.