Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues – Assessment Briefing Title: Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues Length: 2,000 words (not including references, appendices, and illustrations etc. This assignment follows the University requirements as outlined in the Q Manual).

Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues – Assessment Briefing
Title: Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues
Length: 2,000 words (not including references, appendices, and illustrations etc. This
assignment follows the University requirements as outlined in the Q Manual).
Requirement:
This assessment task requires you to prepare a simplified report on the current and emerging
nature of the business environment. This report will contain five and be based on a Portfolio
of PEST issues that you have identified as influencing shaping the business (macro)
environment.
Your report is an analysis of the macro business environment issues you have identified and
how these issues, when taken together, are changing the business environment Therefore, you
are analyzing the impact of the issue on the business environment, not the company or institution
affected by the issue.
Your analysis must demonstrate your understanding of why it is essential for business to
monitor and adapt to the business (macro) environment(s) they operate in. Your report will
compliment your conceptual understanding with an in-depth analysis of the implications
your Portfolio of PEST issues may have in terms of future strategy development and/or the
operational and investment decisions that business will make into the future – both the shortterm and the long-term. Therefore, the focus of this assessment, is a demonstration that you
have understood how to apply the PEST framework to an issue impacting the broader business
environment, rather than your opinion on the issue being analysed.
Your Portfolio of PEST issues report must provide meaningful insights that are based on
your synthesis and analysis not purely descriptions. In simple terms, your report must
address a ‘so-what’ question to what you have identified is happening in the wider business
environment. In other words – the report is designed to help bring the ‘outside (macro
environment), inside (micro environment)’. Accordingly, not all PEST factors are necessarily
relevant for every one of the five issues identified for analysis in this report. For example, if
there is no political impact related to the business issue you have identified, do not analyze
the political impact.
Collection of articles:
The Portfolio will be your collection of articles that have been reported in reputable
newspapers, business and trade publications or similar ‘reputable’ and ‘respected
publications. Journal articles must not be used as a current business environment issue for
analysis. No duplications of topic are allowed, i.e., no two articles on the same issue can be
analysed. The time frame for this article’s in this portfolio must have been published from 1
June 2019 until 31 August 2019. The business news articles selected do not have to be related
to each other, and therefore should be analysed as individual (i.e. independent) issues. The
news articles are part of your reference list for this assignment, along with any additional
resources you cite in your analysis.
The articles sources for analysis must have originally been published in English.
You are required to collect 5 articles from quality news sources, such as those outlined below,
that identify changes in the business (macro) environment that have affected the way an
industry operates. The changes identified in the business environment must be related to one
or more of the P.E.S.T. factors. Students should draw on current, credible, local, and
international business sources, such as:
www.forbes.com
www.inc.com
www.economist.com
www.fortune.com
www.bloomberg.com/businessweek
www.entrepreneur.com/magazine
www.fastcompany.com/
www.afr.com.au
www.bmmagazine.co.uk
https://www.africanbusinesscentral.com/
Referencing and Citation:
• A minimum of 15 relevant references must be cited. Excellent PEST portfolios will
exceed this minimum.
• 2.Appropriate use of APA style for in text citations and bibliography
• References from appropriate current sources (i.e. not textbooks, but recently
published journal articles are acceptable).
There is an appropriate mix of sources (e.g., trade press, newspapers,
specialist product category publications, and other reputable and reliable
news sources)