Research Paper

12 font size and single space.

You MUST include an extensive bibliography indicating which sources (primary and secondary) you have consulted.

Define the industry and the key firms/competitors in the industry. Make sure to include the SIC or NAICS code for your industry in the report. Be sure to clearly identify the characteristics of focal firm chosen for your project in that industry space.

Five Forces Analysis: Apply the five forces model to your industry. What does this model tell you about the nature of competition in the industry?

General Environmental framework: Examine the external environment of the focal firm. Are any changes taking place in the macro-environment that might have a positive or negative impact on the industry in which your company is based? Apply the General Environmental framework to identify which factors may be the most important in your industry. What will be the effect on your industry?

How dynamic is the industry in which your company is based? Is there evidence that industry structure is reshaping competition, or has done so in the recent past?

Research. Good assignments will demonstrate that they have gone beyond a perfunctory examination of the industry/company. I strongly recommend consulting our research librarians and looking up analysts’ reports. You must convince me that you have done the legwork and really understand the business. Make sure to provide a bibliography citing all the sources you’ve looked at.