Assignment Brief

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit an Understanding the Business Environment assessment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Distinguish between organisational types.
2. Identify their key stakeholders and evaluate their needs and influence.
3. Explain the nature of the national environment in which an organisation operates and its impact on selected businesses, including economic, political and legal factors.
4. Examine the behaviour of selected organisations in their national and international market environments.
5. Identify, select and use a range of economic tools to determine appropriate business decisions under different economic, political and legal constraints.

Maximum word count: 1,000 words
This is worth 20% of your overall final grade.

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a reduction in grade by the same percentage that the word count is exceeded.

You must not include your name in your submission because Arden University operates anonymous marking, which means that markers should not be aware of the identity of the student. However, please do not forget to include your STU number.

Assignment Task

Choose an organisation with which you are familiar, either the one where you currently work, a previous employer or one for which you have access to the required information. You should use this organisation (and the industry in which it operates) as your example when one is required.

Task 1

Provide an introduction to the organisation identifying the legal structure (public company, private company, voluntary, charity, public sector, etc.) along with an outline of its operations/purpose and main objectives. Conclude with an analysis of the market structure under which the organisation operates and the impact this has on its competitive behaviour.

(1,000 words) (Learning Outcome 1)

Please note that exceeding the word count by over 10% will result in a reduction in grade by the same percentage that the word count is exceeded.