Week 3 Learning Activities General instructions:

Week 3 Learning Activities

General instructions:

1. Research, apply and answer in your own words with appropriate reference(s) and in-text citation(s) to this week’s readings, videos, and/or examples from current events to support the position and/or rationale.
2. Label your responses specifically “Learning activity 1”, and “Learning activity 2”.
3. Write in 250 words at least for initial response. Due by Thursday.
4. Write in 75 words for each follow-up response (at least 2 follow-up responses for each learning activity) by expanding the discussion topic substantively and explore other possibilities and/or solutions, thereby enriching class learning.  Due by Sunday.
5. In each of the weekly learning activities (that is, weekly discussion participation forum) in this course, learners are not allowed to use the same companiesas those are instructed as the focal companies in the Assignment 1, Assignment 2, and Assignment 3 of this course.

Week 3 Learning Activity 1

External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix allows strategists to summarize and evaluate economic social, cultural, demographic, environmental, political, governmental, legal, technological, and competitive information. (David, 2005, p.101).

Requirement 1: Select a focal company out of the following industries: (1) a university or college, (2) an ocean container shipping company, or (3) a book publisher, (4) a non-profit organization, or (5) an electric home appliance manufacturer.

Requirement 2: Discuss briefly some relevant background information about that company and its industry in regards to its external environment.

Requirement 3: Determine at least 3 external factors as “opportunities”, and 3 other external factors as “threats”.

Requirement 4: Compile anExternal Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix (with specific internal factors, weights, scores, and weighted scores) as an analytic tool for technically evaluating the focal company.

EFE (External Factor Evaluation) Matrix

Requirement 5:

1. Why did you choose those opportunities and threats?

(Please keep in mind you need to discuss at least 3 supporting reasons for each of these respective factors.)

1. What do the respective weighted EFE scores mean for that organization from a strategic planning viewpoint?
2. What are some strategic implications by interring based on the total weighted scores that are derived from the EFE matrix respectively?

Support the rationale for your explanation.Use the appropriate APA formatted scholarly reference sources and corresponding in-text citations in all your postings.

Week 3 Learning Activity 2

• IFE (external factor evaluation) of a focal company or organization is a strategy-formulation tool that summarizes and evaluates the major strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of a business, and it also provides a basis for identifying and evaluating relationship among those areas. (David, 2005, p.147)

Requirement 1: Use the same company that you have selected in Learning Activity 1.

Requirement 2: Discuss briefly some relevant industry and background information about that company in regards to its internal environment.

Requirement 3: Determine at least 3 internal factors as “strengths” and 3 other internal factors as “weaknesses”.

Requirement 4: Compile anInternal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix (with specific internal factors, weights, scores, and weighted scores) as an analytic tool for technically evaluating the focal company.

• IFE (Internal factor evaluation)

Reference

David, F.R. (2005). Strategic management: Concepts and cases.(10^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall

Requirement 5:

1. Why did you choose those strengths and weaknesses?

(Please keep in mind you need to discuss at least 3 supporting reasons for each of these respective factors.)

1. What do the respective weighted IFE scores mean for that organization from a strategic planning viewpoint?
2. What are some strategic implications by inferring based on the total weighted scores that are derived from the IFE matrix respectively?

• Support the rationale for your explanation.Use the appropriate APA formatted scholarly reference sources and corresponding in-text citations in all your postings.