Unit 1: Business and Business Environment

Assignment 2 Brief
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 1: Business and Business

Environment (5032)
Academic Year 2024

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title ASSIGNMENT 2- Internal and External

analysis.

Issue Date
Submission Date

Submission Format

Format:
● This assignment is an Individual report and specifically.
● You must use font Times New Roman, size 12, set number of the pages and use
multiple line spacing at 1.5. Margins must be: left: 1 inch; right: 1 inch; top: 1
inch and bottom: 1 inch.

● You should use in text references and a list of all cited sources at the end of the
essay by applying Harvard referencing style.
● The recommended word limit is minimum 3000 and maximum 5000 words (+/-
10%), excluding the tables, graphs, diagrams, appendixes and references. If you
exceed the word limit (excluding reference,appendix, and administrative
sections), your grade may get penalised.
● The cover page of the report has to be the Assignment frontsheet 2 (to be attached
with this assignment brief).
Submission
● Students are compulsory to submit the assignment in due date and in a way
requested by the Tutor.
● The form of submission will be a soft copy posted on http://cms.btec.edu.vn/.
● Remember to convert the word file into PDF file before the submission on CMS.

Note:
● The individual Assignment must be your own work, and not copied by or from
 another student.
● If you use ideas, quotes or data (such as diagrams) from books, journals or other
sources, you must reference your sources, using the Harvard style.
● Make sure that you understand and follow the guidelines to avoid plagiarism.
Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a failed assignment.

Unit Learning Outcomes – Check the specification for your assigned unit
LO3 Use contemporary examples to demonstrate both the positive and negative
influence/impact the macro environment has on business operations.
LO4 Determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of specific businesses and explain
their interrelationship with external macro factors.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

Transferable skills
 TS1 - Develop appropriate research skills and skills of critical enquiry to enable the
evaluation of different approaches to problem solving in a specific business
context.
 TS3 - Competently use digital literacy to access a broad range of research sources,
data and information.
 TS4 - Communicate confidently and effectively, orally and in writing, both
internally and externally with businesses and other stakeholders.
 TS9 - Develop a range of skills to ensure effective teamworking, independent
initiatives, organisational competence and problem-solving strategies.
 TS10 - Reflect adaptability and flexibility in approach to business; showing
resilience under pressure and meeting challenging targets within given deadlines.
 TS12 - Emotional intelligence and sensitivity to diversity in relation to people and
cultures.

Vocational scenario

You are working as a business analyst at Dragon Capital (DCVFM), an Investment Fund in
Vietnam. After your report of the chosen company, your manager believes this firm has an
opportunity to be a profitable investment. He assigns you to write an analysis of the chosen
company’s internal and external environments.
For the analysis, you need to choose the same company in Assignment 1 or a different
company, regardless the nationality (so called the chosen company)
This will be performed a report to the Director and should include the following structures:
Assignment activity and guidance

1. Introduction of the purpose and main contents of the report from the perspective
stated in the scenario. ( max 200 words)

2. Analyse company’s external environment by identifying the macro environment

trends with examples and the positive and negative impacts of them upon the
chosen company. For more detail, students can apply 6 factors (PESTLE) model to
draw out a more detail picture which is affecting the company’s external
environment. At the end, conclude on the opportunities and threats drawing out from
the external environment analysis. In addition, the student can analyse the
competitive environment using some of the micro factors from Porter Five Force (5F)
model to create a more critical analysis. (max 2000 words )

3. Conduct an internal analysis of the chosen company to identify the strengths and
weaknesses.

The strengths and weakness need to be resulted from the core or distinctive
competencies of the chosen company by considering the factors below:

● Core value or Mission or Vision;

● Organizational structure;
● Human resources;
● Brand name or brand equity;
● Financial strength/ factors;
● Fix/physical assets;
● Market resources;
● Technology base or Research and Development.

The student needs to assess the above factors to justify the conclusion on strengths
and weaknesses of the company. For critical analysis, the student can compare the
above factors of the company with similar factors of at least 1 major competitor to
clearly show the position of the company in the market. (max 1500 words)

4. Explain how strengths and weaknesses interrelate with external macro factors.
● First, you have to search for at least 1 real business decision-making of the
chosen company (strategies/ action plans/ investment decisions/ developing
decisions).
● Next, you need to analyse how the previously mentioned decision is affected by
strengths and weaknesses and analysed external macro factors. The student will
 need to analyse how the company used the strengths or weaknesses to take
advantage of opportunities or avoid threats. For critical analysis, the student
may draw a SWOT analysis table and analyse which combination between
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and thearts is affecting the decision of the
company. (max 1000 words)

5. A conclusion to summarize all the key findings and analysis must be presented. (
max 300 words)

Recommended Resources
Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting point in
your research – the list is not definitive.

Textbooks
BURNS, J. and NEEDLE, D. (2019) Business in Context: An Introduction to
Business and its Environment. 7th Ed. Cengage Learning.
MORRISON, J. (2020) The Global Business Environment: Towards Sustainability?
5th Ed. Red Globe Press.
WETHERLEY, P. (Editor) and OTTER, D. (2018) The Business Environment:
Themes and Issues in a Globalised World. 4th Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
WORTHINGTON, I. and BRITTON. C. (2018) The Business Environment. 8th Ed.
Harlow: Pearson.

Websites

www.businessballs.com Business Balls (General reference)

Business Case Studies (case studies)
www. Forbes
businesscasestudies.co.uk
(General reference)
www.forbes.com International Business Times Business (General
reference)
www.ibtimes.com TED Talks
Business and technology (Video resources)
www.ted.com

Pass Merit Distinction

LO3 Use contemporary examples to demonstrate both the positive
and negative influence/impact the macro environment has on
business operations LO3 and LO4
P4 Identify the positive and M3 Apply appropriately the D2 Critically
negative impacts the macro PESTLE model to support a evaluate the impacts
environment has on business detailed analysis of the macro that both
operations, supported by specific environment in an macro- and micro
examples. organisation. factors have on
business objectives
and decision
LO4 Determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of specific making.
businesses and their interrelationship with external macro factors.

P5 Conduct internal and external M4 Apply appropriately

analysis of specific organisations SWOT/TOWS analysis and
in order to identify strengths and justify how they influence
weaknesses. decision making.
P6 Explain how strengths and
weaknesses interrelate with
external macro factors.