Assignment title: Information
Module 2 - Case
The External Environment, Internal Profile, and SWOT
Assignment Overview
Remember that the Case in this course is an ongoing exercise, meaning that we will be taking an
intensive look at one company over the course of our four modules. This session, we will be conducting
a strategic analysis of the Coca-Cola Company.
The outcome of this Case is use a completed external and internal analysis of the Coca-Cola Company, in
the completion of a SWOT. Coca-Cola Company
Case Assignment
In a 7- to 10-page paper, integrated your external and internal company analysis, completing a formal
company SWOT.
Keys to the Assignment
Step 1: Perform research, and complete an industry analysis using each of the Five Forces in
Porter's model. Support your analysis with current financial, operational, and marketing data.
Step 2: Complete your external analysis using each of the four elements in the PEST analysis.
When considering economic data, use the most current data you can find.
Step 3: Write up the results of your external analysis, and be sure to label the impact of each of
the Five Forces as high, moderate, or low. Taken together, the Five Forces analysis and the PEST
analysis should lead to conclusions about the overall opportunities and threats facing the Coca-
Cola Company as revealed by your research. All data and factual information that you report in
your Five Forces and PEST analysis must be properly cited using APA style.
Step 4: Conduct a critical and thorough internal analysis of the Coca-Cola Company, assessing
as many of the company's key internal strengths and weaknesses as you can. Consider the
operations, customer service, finance, human resources management, and marketing functions.
See the following website, as it will help you decide which strengths and weaknesses you might
wish to evaluate: http://www.businessballs.com/swotanalysisfreetemplate.htm
Step 5: Discuss the results of your internal analysis, including your conclusions concerning the
strengths and weaknesses facing the Coca-Cola Company.
Step 6: Synthesize your internal analysis with your external environmental analysis, formulating
a complete SWOT analysis. Provide a SWOT diagram (include as an Appendix – not as part of the
written analysis!) in which you show – in each of the four quadrants – the most important 3-4
company strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Each of these should be discussed
thoroughly within your written analysis.
Based on your SWOT, give very specific and informed recommendations as to what the
company should do. Give your overall analysis—does the company have more strengths than
weaknesses? More weaknesses than strengths? Whatever you decide, you need to recommend
(with strong, convincing support) what you believe should be the company's strategy — in
response to your collective assessment of the organization's strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. You must demonstrate evidence of critical thinking – don't simply
restate facts you've learned about the company! Interpret the data and factual information
you've found instead!
Step 7: Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of
Directors and CEO as the Coca-Cola Company's consultant. This is a professionaldocument.
Follow the format below:
o Executive summary: This is a synopsis of the main points, conclusions and
recommendations made in the longer report. If you would like a refresher on writing an
executive summary, check this website:
http://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html
o Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to
accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
o Main Body: The "meat" of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate
separate topics or sections with section headings.
o Conclusion: Summarize your paper in the light of your thesis statement.
Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated using the grading rubric.
Tips and Suggestions
Note the following tips and suggestions:
Business school case-study assignments are meant to offer practice opportunities for future
businesspeople who are earning their MBA degrees. Consider yourself a consultant hired by the
company to make these critical assessments. There are no right or wrong answers to the Case
questions – however, your position must be well-defended.
Study the theoretical concepts provided in the Background materials section of the module, and
identify main strategy concepts.
Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 7-10 pages of analysis described
above.
Include section headings in all papers.
Cite and reference all sources, including those that you paraphrase. This means include citations
and quotation marks for direct quotes, and citations for information you have "borrowed" or
paraphrased from other sources.
Follow TUI Guidelines for Well-Written Papers.
.Submit your analysis by the end of this module.