Business Report: Company Analysis
You are an analyst in the Industry Department of the government of a developing nation (for this
assignment, the particular country is not important). Like many developing nations, the majority
of your workforce is unskilled to semi-skilled, and your country is trying to develop an industrial
base which will provide jobs and help raise the standard of living of the population. However,
your government is wary of letting foreign companies set up operations in your country that
might harm, or treat unfairly, the county, its people or its resources. A number of companies
have recently petitioned your government for permission to set up operations in your country
(see list of companies provided). You have been asked by the Minister of Industry to analyse
your choice of any one of the companies on the list provided.
The Minister is a very busy person so it is important that the report be written in a clear and
concise manner. It will be judged on the factual information it contains, the clarity of your
argument and the depth of your analysis. Please note that you should not try to gather data that
supports only one side or the other of whether or not to give the company permission to proceed.
Rather, you should gather all the pertinent data and let your analysis guide you to the best
recommendation.
The report is to be seven to ten pages maximum (doubled spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font,
2.54 cm margins) plus title page, table of content, references and appendices. The title page must
contain your name, student number, name of course and professor, date, and the company you
have chosen from the list provided. The first half page (maximum) of the report will be an
executive summary of the report’s highlights, including your recommendation. The remainder of
the pages will cover the material noted in the rubric below with marks allocated as shown.
Please number the pages and use the items listed in the rubric as headings in your report. Only
the first seven to ten pages (starting by your executive summary) will be read and graded.
Relevant appendices are expected. Please save in PDF to upload to cuLearn.
The report must cite at least six different sources. Information sources could include the
globalEDGE Website (http://globaledge.msu.edu), Forbes Global 2000
(http://www.forbes.com/global2000/), the company’s own website and annual reports, the list of
databases provided on cuLearn (as well as below), and from business journals, business
newspapers, business websites, etc. Be wary of relying too heavily on any one source, especially
a company’s own website as they will most certainly put a positive spin on all of the company’s
activities. Do not use Wikipedia. Ensure that all data is cited – Automatic zero for the
assignment for references not cited. Please use the referencing guidelines I posted under
Assignments in our cuLearn. In this report, there should be few, if any, quotes. If you do use a
quote, ensure that it is in quotation marks and properly cited. Keep in mind that if a quote is not
in quotation marks and properly cited, it is considered plagiarism.
Please note that Carleton University offers a Writing Tutorial Service through the Student
Academic Success Centre that provides free face-to-face sessions to help you with your writing.
This may be especially helpful for those for whom English is a second language. Information
can be attained on their website (http://www1.carleton.ca/sasc/writing-tutorial-service/ ).
Items / Headings Item %
of Grade
Description
Executive
Summary
10 A concise and very well written summation of the whole report,
including recommendation and conclusion. Maximum length onehalf page.
Company
Description
10 The industry or industries the company operates in, the size of the
company in annual revenue and workforce size, where the company
is headquartered, where the company has operations, the types of
goods and services the company provides, how stable and successful
the company seems to be, and any major news stories about the
company over the last few years. Other relevant information.
Company’s
International
Strategy
15 The company’s strategy (in your own words), particular regions in
which it concentrates, where it does research and development
activities (R&D) and why you think it chooses these
regions/countries. Who the company’s competitors are, what the
company’s major strengths and weaknesses seem to be. Your views
on their strategy for the short as well as the long terms.
Company’s
Marketing
Approach
15 Where the company sells its products and why you think it chooses
these regions/countries, product/ service marketing strategies
especially with respect to the level of standardization or
customization of products/services, distribution channels and
communications methodologies the company uses in different
countries.
Company’s
Logistics Approach
10 Where it produces goods and services and why you think it chooses
these regions/countries based on country factors, technological
factors and product factors.
Company’s Human
Resource
Management
(HMR) Approach
10 Any information relative to the company’s approach to HRM in
international settings and how this may affect its impact on
operations in your country.
Analysis
15 An analysis of the risks and benefits inherent in allowing the
company to do business in your country. This section must be a
logical distillation of most important facets of the previous sections.
Recommendation
and Conclusion
5 Your recommendation regarding allowing the company to set up
operations in your country. This section must be a logical follow-on
from the summary of risks and benefits.
Presentation and
appendices
5 Presentation: Structure, spelling, grammar and clarity of writing.
Relevance of appendices.
References
5 Use of at least six different credible sources. Accurate use of the
author-date style citations. MISSING REFERENCES = 0% for the
whole assignment.
100
Databases with Company Specific Information
Provided by: Trish O’Flaherty, Reference Services, Carleton Library
You can email me at [email protected] or ask for me at the Research Help Desk,
Level 2 Library.
Canadian
• FP Advisor
o First stop for Canadian companies.
o Select Company Snapshots from left hand side
o Key in company name and click on your company name
o Look for Historical Report (if your company is a large company FP will provide
a Historical Report.) Contains history and data on company from date of
incorporation
o Look for Corporate Analyzer – here you will find financial data for 7 years
o Explore remaining table of contents for full picture of company
• SEDAR – from the Ontario Securities Commission – find official documents such as 10k
report (A form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission).
• TSX-E Review – from the Toronto Stock Exchange
Global (includes Canadian data)
• Mergent Online
Includes Mergent Industry Reports. Excellent source for comparing companies within
an industry
• EDGAR Security Exchange Commission – find 10k etc
• Factiva
o Best source for non-North American companies and news for all companies.
o For company data select Companies/Markets from top tool bar
o Click on Company
o Scroll down initial page and explore table of contents on left side.
• GMID
o Provides company profiles plus data on size of industry by country, industry
profiles, forecasting by country, etc.