New Zealand Business Environment Analysis

New Zealand Business Environment Analysis

Scenario: You are a team of consultants hired to undertake and provide an industry analysis of the business environment in New Zealand, and, where relevant, the wider world. You are to report back to the client on whether you would recommend this industry as one to invest/enter in.

You may choose the industry but you MUST seek and obtain approval from your lecturer before beginning your assignment.  Your industry analysis will provide the basis for your individual company strategy (see Assessment 3 requirements).

You need to:

  • Define the industry, market and key competitors, together with a strategic group map. (Note the industry can be broad or narrow, e.g. hospitality> restaurants> fast food> pizza.)
  • Identify key industry forces influencing the industry (Porter’s Five Forces analysis), including the competitive environment and strategic group map(s).
  • Identify key aspects of the macro-environment that are likely to influence the broad industry or narrower sector (PEST+ analysis).
  • Identify key trends in the industry (e.g. over the past 5 years) and their implications for the future of the industry.
  • Identify key strategic issues/problems/opportunities/threats for the industry.
  • Assess the attractiveness of the industry (or a sector of it) for investment.

In researching and presenting your analysis:

  • Use relevant market intelligence databases (e.g. Marketline), media reports, industry and trade publications (see Library website).
  • Use relevant strategic frameworks, models (e.g. PEST+, Porter’s Five Forces, Strategic Group Maps) and concepts (e.g. above average returns, profitability, industry attractiveness, competitive advantage, etc.).

ASSESSMENT 1: PRESENTATION (5%)

This is your group’s opportunity to present a summary of your industry analysis, and get feedback for writing the report.

The presentation should be shared by all members and comprise a maximum of 8 PowerPoint slides. A suggested format for the slides:

  • Slides 1-2: Brief description of the industry
  • Slides 3-5: Summary of industry analysis and key insights (macro-environment, industry parameters, competitive environment, bases of competition, key trends, threats/challenges facing the industry)
  • Slides 6-8: Recommendations and reasons for these (linked to key issues)

ASSESSMENT 2: WRITTEN REPORT (20%)

Structure:

  • Cover sheet signed (See AUTonline, Business Undergraduate Programme information, forms and handbooks, assessment cover sheet)
  • Title page (group members’ ID numbers, names, industry, assessment title, date, etc.)
  • Contents page (can be built within Word, so that it auto-updates)
  • Executive summary (containing key aspects of every section of the report)
  • Introduction (explanation of what the report is and who it is for)
  • Definition of the industry (and the sector of it that you are focusing on)
  • Competitive environment (Porter’s 5 forces, strategic map[s])
  • Industry parameters (size, composition, trends, etc.)
  • Macro-environment (using PEST+ analysis)
  • Conclusions (summary of your key insights about the industry from your use of the analytical models and frameworks)
  • Recommendations (whether you believe the industry, or a specific sector of the industry, is attractive for growth/profit/ investment) and reasons why.
  • References (12 minimum, including textbook, using APA 6th edition)

Appendices (supporting information showing breadth and depth of your research, i.e. detailed application of analytical models, relevant industry financial, demographic, statistical, trend data, etc. Detailed analyses, e.g. PEST, Porters, should be in the appendices – the key issues should be in the main report.