External Environmental Issues

Individual Written Brief (IWB Memo), students learn to apply PESTLE analysis by using assigned library databases — to research and identify critical issues of an industry.

This assignment is to research an industry and succinctly but accurately analyze external issues facing that industry. A list of industries has been developed and is located on page 3 of this document. Each student will identify their top three preferred industries from the list and will email their request to their TA using proper email etiquette (see Course Syllabus for due date and time).
After being assigned an industry, each student will work individually to conduct their own research. They will use the IBISWorld database, Factiva, and Google searches and their industry’s trade association(s) to identify and cull through various data. The goal of the research is to identify the three most urgent issues or problems in the industry and rank them from most urgent to least urgent. Each issue will be supported with an analysis by the student, supported by three to four supporting third-party data points in bullet form and using APA reference citations. Students will then draft a conclusion based on anticipated customer response to the changes and submit a two-page memo with a third page listing all in-text APA citations.