Instructions Purpose: This Project Is The Second Of Four Pro
Instructions Purpose This project is the second of four projects. It also
This project serves as the second component in a series of four projects, specifically focusing on the external environmental analysis within a strategic management plan. Students are expected to utilize relevant tools and concepts from their coursework to evaluate how organizations develop and sustain competitive advantages in the dynamic, uncertain, and hyper-competitive business environment of the 21st century. A critical aspect of this analysis involves monitoring competitors’ performance to understand the company’s position relative to industry rivals. The culmination of this effort is a comprehensive report that thoroughly assesses the external environment of the assigned company, which for this project is ExxonMobil Corporation.
The report must demonstrate a rigorous analysis, supported by detailed research and application of course concepts. It is essential to deconstruct the external environment into smaller, manageable parts to aid understanding. When researching the industry and company, it’s vital to recognize that each organization’s circumstances and external factors are unique; therefore, information collected must be relevant and parsed carefully to avoid including extraneous or irrelevant data. Your own research and analysis form the foundation of the report, with direct citations and references supporting your arguments. Merely compiling information from sources without analysis or interpretation will result in a zero score. The analysis should be based on factual data, not opinion, and should incorporate course material explanations to clarify the 'why' and 'how' behind industry and company dynamics.
Use a variety of credible sources from the UMGC library resources, including Statista, Dun & Bradstreet's Hoovers, and industry financial ratios databases, ensuring the research is relevant to ExxonMobil and its industry. Do not rely on pre-made analyses or summaries from the internet; all work must be original, derived from your research, and include proper citations. The report is not a collection of opinions but a factual, research-supported analysis of ExxonMobil’s external environment from multiple perspectives including industry forces, competitive positioning, key success factors, and external opportunities and threats.