In order to complete a SWOT, we are required to identify and analyze the key opportunities and threats in the external environment. Then, we need to identify and analyze the company’s key strengths and weaknesses (internal analysis).
PART 1, you are asked to address the following:
a) Evaluate the operating industry of General Mills using a minimum of two forces included within Porter’s Five Forces model.
b) Using PEST, assess General Mills’ remote environment using a minimum of two PEST forces.
c) Conclude your assessment about the overall environment. Is it more or less favorable for General Mills? Give your ranking from 1-10 (in which 1 = vast gloom and doom for this company; 10 = huge bonus this year!). Where do you think General Mills fits on this 1-10 scale?
PART 1 HAS TO BE 200 WORDS!!!!!!!
PART 2:
a) Assess what you believe to be the most important aspects of the internal environment at General Mills. Do not try to analyze every aspect of the internal organization — rather, identify a minimum of two internal strengths and/or weaknesses. Do your best not to repeat the observations made by your peers, although you are encouraged to build on each other’s observations (or to disagree).
b) Complete your SWOT by integrating the external environmental analysis you completed in PART 1 with your PART 2 internal analysis. Use your SWOT to conclude whether the organization’s overall outlook is more – or less – favorable.
It is very important for a company to assess its strengths so that it can use them to neutralize (or better yet, to eliminate) environmental threats and take advantage of opportunities. The organization must recognize (and it must work to shore up) its weaknesses so that opportunities are not missed, and such that threats are much less likely to put the company at risk.
REF:
The five competitive forces that shape strategy. (2008). Harvard Business Publishing. Podcast retrieved on August 28, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYF2_FBCvXw
The following site is an excellent introduction to the industry (operating) and remote (macro) environments. This site is a very good overview of Porter’s Five Forces and PEST: http://web.missouri.edu/cookml/AE4972/Industry%20Analysis.pdf
Connelley, D. (2005). Strategy for the External Environment. Power Point Presentation.
PEST analysis. (2009). Retrieved on August 28, 2014, from http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_PEST_analysis.html
Porter’s Five Forces: A model for industry analysis. (2007). Retrieved on August 28, 2014, from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml
SWOT analysis: Lesson. (2009). Marketing Teacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot-analysis-marketing-tools-from-marketing-teacher/
