This assessment task requires you to prepare a simplified report on the current and emerging nature of the business environment. This report will contain a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 individual items (see Unit guide) and be based on a portfolio of PEST issues that you have identified as having an effect on shaping the business environment. The ‘portfolio’ will be your collection of items and articles that have been reported in newspaper, business and trade publications or similar ‘reputable’ and ‘respected ‘publications and sources. No duplications of topic are allowed e.g. Not 2 articles on Brexit. The time frame for this article’s in this portfolio is from 1 January 2019 until 31 March 2019 – the first quarter of 2019. This portfolio is therefore part of your reference list for this assignment, along with any additional resources you cite in your analysis.
Your report is an analysis of the issues you have identified and how these issues, when taken together, are changing the environment that businesses are finding themselves in and include your understanding of why it is essential for business to monitor and adapt to the business environment. Your report will compliment your conceptual understanding with an in-depth discussion 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 short term and the long-term.
Your PEST issues report must provide meaningful insights that are based on synthesis and analysis not purely descriptions and draw conclusions and recommendations. In simple terms, it must address a ‘so-what’ question to what you have identified is happening in the wider business environment. Or put another way – it is designed to help bring the ‘outside, inside’.
Referencing and Citation: • A minimum of 20 references must be cited. Excellent PEST portfolios will exceed this minimum.
• References from appropriate current sources (Not textbooks or Journal Articles)
•There is an appropriate mix of sources (e.g., trade press, newspapers, specialist product category publications, and other reputable and reliable sources from Quarter 1, 2019).
For the PEST, P is political, E is economic, S is social, T is technologic
Most important point: You must have at least 20 reference form 01/01/2019 to know. You should not mention company, it is not company report, just PEST, do all PEST factor.
Table of Contents (TOC)
PEST Issues
10 issues
1-2 page per issue = total 2000+ 10% words
No Executive Summary, or Introduction, or Conclusions or Recommendations.
Sample Mention each of the 5 arrows
1: Reproduce from the articl
2. Publication date and source
3. URL
4. Short description in your own words
5. The key part – what is the (potential) impact on businesses (THIS IS NOT A DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT) using PEST (so we expect them to talk to P, E, S & T. In this eg, it is 253 words.