BMGT – Project 1: Starting an External Environment Analysis (TILRAY, INC.)

Instructions for Project 1: Starting an External Environment Analysis (Use the template below to complete the project: ( Project 1 Template )

In completing the report, you will use the chapters in the eBook (Mastering Management Strategy-see attachment) and other course material, and perform research on the company and industry in which the company operates and answer the required elements below in narrative form following the steps provided.

Step 1: ASSIGNED COMPANY: Tilray, Inc. (NSM: TLRY)

In this project, you will complete a Company Overview, an Evaluation of the General Environment and a conclusion.

Students must complete the project using the assigned company (Tilray, Inc. (NSM: TLRY). Deviating from the assigned company will result in a zero for the project.

Step 2: Course Material and Research

Although you are required to research information about the focal company and the internal environment for this project, you are accountable for using the course material to support the ideas, reasoning and conclusions made. Course material use goes beyond defining terms but is used to explain the ‘why and how’ of a situation. Using one or two in-text citations from the course material and then relying on Internet source material will not earn many points on an assignment. A variety of source material is expected and what is presented must be relevant and applicable to the topic being discussed. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop of the discussion by explaining how something happens or why something happens, which focuses on importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think clearly and rationally showing an understanding of the logical connections between the ideas presented from the research, the course material and the question(s) being asked.

Note: Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any prepared documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that are supported by the research and the course material rather than the use any source material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from the Internet, for-pay websites or any pre-prepared document, video or source material. A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.

Success: The analysis is based on research and not opinion. You are not making recommendations and you will not attempt to position the focal company in a better or worse light than other companies within the industry merely because you are completing an analysis on this particular company. The analysis must be based on factual information. Any conclusions drawn have to be based on factual information rather than leaps of faith.

To ensure success, as stated above student are expected to use the course material and research on the focal company’s global industry and the focal company. Opinion does not earn credit nor does using external sources when course material can be used. It is necessary to provide explanations (the why and how) rather than making statements. Avoid stringing one citation after another as doing so does not show detailed explanations.

See attachment for Tilray, Inc Annual report or 10K report. You may also use Market Line and should be looking at the focal company’s Annual Report or 10K report. You are not depending on any one resource to complete the analysis. It is impossible to complete a Porter’s Five Forces, competitive analysis or OT by using only course material.

NOTE: You should not be using obscure articles, GlassDoor, or Chron or similar articles.

Research for Financial Analysis: Financial Research

Research for Industry Analysis CSI Market

Step 3: How to Set Up the Report:

In this first part of the External Environmental Analysis, you will develop part of a strategic plan: the Company Overview and an Evaluation of the General Environment. You are not lifting from other sources but performing your own analysis.

The final product should be between 6-8 pages in length, which includes all tables and matrices but excludes the title page and reference page.

Step 4: Company Overview

Provide a company overview, which is an essential component to the strategic management process. A company overview describes the purpose(s) for the founding of the company, i.e, what problems was it formed to solve and/or opportunities it was formed to exploit, who are the founders, home country or state, current management, employee headcount, last year’s revenue, etc.)

Step 5: Evaluate the General Environment

Identify the global industry in which the company operates.

Discuss the company’s general environment by developing a PESTEL analysis. Use the course material to identify the elements of the PESTEL and what components make up each element. Be sure to thoroughly present and support the reasoning for what is presented. You may not use a PESTEL analysis that is already completed and available on the Internet. A zero will result if used as the analysis has to be the result of your research and your own development. NOTE: A PESTEL analysis is not a table and it is not a bulleted assessment.

Identify and discuss one key trend for each letter of the PESTEL for the industry.

Select one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discuss how the focal company could be affected by the selected trends.

Discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal company that could potentially impact the company’s strategy.

Perform a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives.

Step 6: Conclusion

Create a concluding paragraph. The Conclusion is intended to emphasize the purpose/significance of the analysis, emphasize the significance/consequence of findings, and indicate the wider applications that are derived from the main points of the project’s requirements. You will draw conclusions about the findings of the external environment analysis.

In writing the report,

Use the grading rubric while completing the project to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.

Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing).

Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.

No direct quotes except for mission statement and vision statement. For all other source material used in the analysis, you will not use direct quotation marks but will instead paraphrase. What this means is that you will put the ideas of an author or article into your own words rather than lifting directly from a source document. You may not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, as doing so would require direct quotation marks. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade and could lead to allegations of academic dishonesty.

Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation. You may not use books in completing this project.

**Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented.

**  Project 1 Template ; Use this template to complete the project: Project 1 Template :

Company Overview

( Provide a company overview, which is an essential component to the strategic management process.  A company overview describes the purpose(s) for the founding of the company, i.e, what problems was it formed to solve and/or opportunities it was formed to exploit, who are the founders, home country or state, current management, employee headcount, last year’s revenue, etc.)

Industry Identification

(Identify the global industry in which the company operates. This information comes from Mergent Online, Morningstar or similar financial database from the UMGC Library). It does not come from articles, course material or any other resource)

PESTEL Analysis

(Discuss the company’s general environment by developing a PESTEL analysis.  Use the course material to identify the elements of the PESTEL and what components make up each element.  Be sure to thoroughly present and support the reasoning for what is presented.  You may not use a PESTEL analysis that is already completed and available on the Internet.  A zero will result if used as the analysis has to be the result of your research and your own development.  NOTE:   A PESTEL analysis is not a table and it is not a bulleted assessment.)

Key Trends for Industry

(Identify and discuss one key trend for each letter of the PESTEL for the industry)

Key Trends for Industry

(Select one of the six trends identified in the previous requirement and discuss how the focal company could be affected by the selected trends.)

Key Areas of Uncertainty

(Discuss key areas of uncertainty related to the identified trend for the focal company that could potentially impact the company’s strategy)

Company Mission, Vision and Objectives

(Perform a strategic analysis of the company’s mission, vision and objectives.)

Conclusion

(Create a concluding paragraph.  The Conclusion is intended to emphasize the purpose/significance of the analysis, emphasize the significance/consequence of findings, and indicate the wider applications that are derived from the main points of the project’s requirements.  You will draw conclusions about the findings of the external environment analysis.)

RESOURCES

Tilray, Inc Annual report or 10K report https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1731348/000156459019009157/tlry-10k_20181231.htm

Mastering Management Strategy (see attachment) Chapter 1,2, and 3

External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix ; http://www.maxi-pedia.com/EFE+matrix+external

PESTEL Analysis ; https://pestleanalysis.com/pestle-analysis-of-the-automotive-industry/

Porter’s Five Forces ; https://www.business-to-you.com/porters-five-forces/

Using Porter’s Five Force Model ; https://soundcloud.com/businessbankingcoach/using-porters-five-forces-model

The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy  (13:11 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYF2_FBCvXw

SWOT Analysis: How to perform one for your organization ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNXYI10Po6A

Please note the below questions help with the project.

External Environmental Analysis

1. What economic factors have to be considered in identifying an industry analysis?

2. What competitive forces do companies face in an industry?

3. What factors are driving industry change and what impacts will they have?

4. What market positions do rivals occupy – who is strongly positioned and who is not?

5. What strategic moves are rivals likely to make next?

6. What are the key factors for future competitive success?

7.  Does the outlook for the industry present the company with an attractive opportunity?

8. What are the five forces of Porter’s model?

9. What are the specific elements that should be assessed under each of Porter’s five forces?

10. What is the difference between the company you are evaluating, the country industry and the global industry?

11. What is the purpose of the Competitor Profile Matrix?

12. What are different key success factors that a company would consider?

13. What is the purpose of completing a partial SWOT (OT)?

14. From where did the factors of the EFE matrix derive?