Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 1 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

Touchstone 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations

SCENARIO: Select an organization you are familiar with or have worked for (currently or in

the past). You are tasked with analyzing the organization both internally and externally using

some of the tools and frameworks you have learned in this course. You are also tasked with

recommending changes to the organization’s strategy and structure, in addition to

considering associated ethical implications. This assignment requires you to apply SWOT

analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces of Industry Analysis, Porter’s Generic

Strategies, and organization design concepts related to strategy-structure fit. You will

prepare a slide deck containing your analysis and recommendations that could be

presented to the organization’s Board.

ASSIGNMENT: Your presentation will be 11-14 slides long, not including the title and

references slides. It must include the following slides:

Title

Executive Summary

Organization Background

Internal Strengths

Internal Weaknesses

External Opportunities

� Ready

� Submitted

� Graded

When you’re ready to upload your document, click

here. SUBMIT TOUCHSTONE

� Touchstones are currently being graded within 2-4 business days.

UNIT 4 — TOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations

-/150

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 2 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

External Threats

Macro Environment Analysis: PESTEL

Micro Industry Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces

Generic Strategy Recommendations

Organization Design Recommendations

Ethical Considerations

References

If you’ve never used a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides before, don’t

worry! The assignment template below will help you create slides for a basic slide

presentation. Then you’ll be able to practice using the presentation technology as you put

the finishing touches on your presentation.

� Touchstone 4 Template

� Touchstone 4 Sample

Before you get started, let’s look at how you’ll be building the presentation, step by step.

Helpful Links:

Citation Help

Academic Integrity Guidelines

Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI

Share your feedback on Touchstones

A. Directions

Step 1: Choose an Organization

Select an organization that you are familiar with.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 3 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

The most successful learners select an organization that is a public company with readily available information to meet the analysis requirements of the rubric. These successful learners do not rely solely on their personal knowledge but instead use evidence from references to support points in the touchstone.

Learners that struggle with this touchstone are those who select an organization that is small, hyper-local, non-profit, or governmental; this includes municipalities or the company they work for. We suggest you avoid organizations in these categories.

Organizations that should NOT be used include:

Amazon

Amnesty International

US Bank

Walmart

Tesla

Step 2: Create Presentation Slides

Use a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides to outline and organize your presentation. Your presentation must include the following:

Slide Component

Title Slide Your title slide will be the first slide and should include your name, the

date, and the name of the organization you selected.

Executive Summary

An executive summary should include the main points of your

presentation in 1-2 slides (no more than 2). It should also include your

recommendations in 1-3 bullet points. As a general rule, it is usually

best (and easiest) to write the executive summary last—after the rest of

your presentation is completed.

The organization background should be brief—no more than 1-2 slides.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 4 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

Organization

Background

It should include a brief history of the organization, in addition to the

major products or services offered and the markets that are served.

Other possible categories include the founding date, mission

statement, annual profits, sales regions, etc.

Internal Strengths

Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, identify 4-6

strengths internally within the organization. You may have to make

some inferences based on what you know or perceive about the

organization.

Internal Weaknesses

Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, identify 4-6

weaknesses internally within the organization. You may have to make

some inferences based on what you know or perceive about the

organization.

External Opportunities

Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, list 4-6

opportunities facing the organization externally. Opportunities and

threats are generally easier to identify than internal strengths and

weaknesses, and are typically shared across the same industry.

External Threats

Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, list 4-6 threats

facing the organization externally. Opportunities and threats are

generally easier to identify than internal strengths and weaknesses,

and are typically shared across the same industry.

Macro Environment

Analysis: PESTEL

Applying the PESTEL framework to the organization, identify 1-3 factors

for each of the following: Political Factors, Economic Factors,

Sociocultural Factors, Technological Factors, Environmental Factors,

Legal Factors.

Micro Industry

Analysis: Porter’s Five

Forces

Analyze the industry the organization competes in by applying what

you have learned about Porter’s Five Forces of industry analysis. You

should list 2-3 observations for each of the following factors: Threat of

New Entrants, Threat of Substitutes, Supplier Power, Buyer Power, and

Industry Rivalry.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 5 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

Generic Strategy

Recommendations

Given what you have learned from your internal and external analysis

of the organization, are they pursuing the right strategy? If so, why? If

not, what might you recommend? Is the recommended (or current)

strategy the right “fit” for the environment in which the organization

competes? Be sure to select one of Porter’s three generic strategies

and provide your rationale: Cost Leadership, Differentiation, or Focus.

Organization Design

Recommendations

Is the organization optimally designed (structured) for either your

recommended or their current strategy? For example, if they are

pursuing a Cost Leadership strategy, do they have a low-cost

operating model? The objective here is to determine and demonstrate

the degree of “fit” between strategy and structure.

Ethical Considerations

What are some of the ethical considerations for your recommended (or

current) strategy? Is the organization positioned for long-term

sustainability? Are there issues which may ultimately affect the

organization’s ability to attract and retain talented employees or

maintain the credibility of their brand? Are there potential ethical

dilemmas in executing any recommended changes? The need to

potentially layoff thousands of workers or stop paying for benefits such

as healthcare to lower operating expenses, for example?

References

This touchstone requires you to use at least four sources, including the

course tutorials. Ideas for outside sources include (but are not limited

to) organization websites, annual reports, or news articles from

reputable magazines or newspapers. Following APA formatting, your

sources should appear in alphabetical order. Visit the APA Style:

Citation Help resource for assistance.

Step 3: Add Speaker Notes

For this assignment, you are not actually giving a presentation, but rather just preparing a slide deck that summarizes your findings and recommendations.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 6 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

An important step in the preparation of a speech is writing speaker notes. Speaker notes are notes added to a slide presentation as a reference for the presenter and can be found below each slide. For this touchstone, add your speaker notes to explain your analysis using information from your sources. If you were giving an oral presentation, these notes wouldn't be visible to your audience when you’re in Presenter View. But you would be able to see them, and they would guide you through your presentation.

Your speaker notes will be used to evaluate your project, so make sure you write in complete sentences and pay attention to spelling and grammar. Also, make sure you’re citing the information from your sources using in-text citations in APA style. These citations should include the author's last name and the year of publication for the source, for example, (Mitchell, 2014).

Most presentation software will automatically display a field for speaker notes. If using Keynote, you can access the speaker notes by clicking on View, then Show Presenter Notes.

Step 4: Submit Presentation

Once you have completed your slides and corresponding speaker notes, it is time to submit your

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 7 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

presentation. If you are using PowerPoint, you simply need to save your presentation and upload this file to Sophia. If you are using another slide presentation technology, download the slide deck as a Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) and upload this version to Sophia.

B. Rubric

  Advanced (100%)

Proficient (85%)

Acceptable (75%)

Needs Improvement (50%)

Depth and Comprehensiveness of Organization Background A researched discussion of the organization’s history and background is provided. (10%)

Background slide(s) demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the organization’s history, major products or services, and markets, and reference relevant external sources.

Background slide(s) demonstrate ample knowledge of the organization’s history, major products or services, and markets, and reference relevant external sources.

Background slide(s) demonstrate basic knowledge of the organization’s history, major products or services, and markets, and reference relevant external sources.

Background slide(s) demonstrate some knowledge of the organization’s history, major products or services, and markets, but may be unclear, confusing, or make no reference to external sources.

Application of SWOT Framework A SWOT analysis of the organization is conducted. (17%)

At least 4 strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities are each identified. SWOT analysis is specific and evidence-based (makes reference to sources).

At least 3 of each factor are identified at the advanced level. Or, at least 4 of each are identified but analysis is less specific and may not be evidence-based.

At least 3 of each factor are identified, but analysis is vague and may not be evidence- based.

At least 2 of each factor are identified, but analysis is vague and may not be evidence- based.

Application of PESTEL Framework A macro environmental analysis of the organization is conducted. (17%)

At least 3 macro environmental factors for each PESTEL category are identified. Analysis demonstrates a thorough understanding of the PESTEL framework and the macro environment of the organization.

At least 2 macro environmental factors for each PESTEL category are identified. Analysis demonstrates a moderate understanding of the PESTEL framework and the macro environment of the organization.

At least 1 macro environmental factor for each PESTEL category is identified.. Analysis demonstrates a limited understanding of the PESTEL framework and the macro environment of the organization.

Macro environmental factors for most or all PESTEL categories are identified, but analysis demonstrates confusion about the PESTEL framework and the macro environment of the organization.

Application of Porter’s Five Forces Framework A micro environmental

At least 2-3 observations for each of Porter’s Five Forces are made.

At least 2-3 observations for each of Porter’s Five Forces are made.

At least 1 observation for each of Porter’s Five Forces is made. Observations

Micro environmental observations for some, but not all, of Porter’s Five Forces are made.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 8 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

analysis of the organization is conducted. (17%)

Observations demonstrate a thorough understanding of Porter’s Five Forces and the micro environment of the organization.

Observations demonstrate a moderate understanding of Porter’s Five Forces and the micro environment of the organization.

demonstrate a limited understanding of Porter’s Five Forces and the micro environment of the organization.

Observations demonstrate confusion about Porter’s Five Forces and the micro environment of the organization.

Strategy Recommendations Strategy recommendations are made and supported with evidence. (17%)

Organization’s current strategy is identified and defended, or one of Porter’s three generic strategies is recommended with rationale. Strategy recommendations are highly specific and supported by SWOT and environmental analyses.

Organization’s current strategy is identified and defended, or one of Porter’s three generic strategies is recommended with rationale. Strategy recommendations are moderately specific and supported by SWOT and environmental analyses.

Organization’s current strategy is identified and defended, or one of Porter’s three generic strategies is recommended. Strategy recommendations are somewhat vague or unsupported by SWOT and environmental analyses.

Organization’s current strategy is identified and defended, or one of Porter’s three generic strategies is recommended. Strategy recommendations may be very unclear or unsupported by SWOT and environmental analyses.

Organization Design Recommendations Organization design recommendations are made and supported with evidence. (10%)

Analysis of “fit” between the current organizational structure and strategy is comprehensive, and any recommendations for or against design changes are explained with evidence.

Analysis of “fit” between the current organizational structure and strategy is present but abbreviated. Recommendations for or against design changes are explained with evidence.

Analysis of “fit” between the current organizational structure and strategy is present but abbreviated. Recommendations for or against design changes may be unclear or unexplained.

Analysis of “fit” between the current organizational structure and strategy may be missing. Recommendations for or against design changes may be unclear or unexplained.

Ethical Considerations Ethical considerations for strategy recommendations are analyzed. (6%)

Analysis of ethical considerations for current or recommended organizational strategy is relevant and insightful. Awareness of issues related to business ethics is strong.

Analysis of ethical considerations for current or recommended organizational strategy is present but less well- developed. Awareness of issues related to business ethics is moderate.

Analysis of ethical considerations for current or recommended organizational strategy is present but limited. Awareness of issues related to business ethics is somewhat weak.

Analysis of ethical considerations for current or recommended organizational strategy is present but unclear or irrelevant to strategy. Awareness of issues related to business ethics is very weak.

Formatting and Mechanics Conventions for standard written English are followed and sources are included. (6%)

Presentation is polished and professional, and contains one or no grammar, spelling, or formatting errors. At least four sources are provided in the reference slide.

Presentation is mostly professional, but may contain a few grammar, spelling, or formatting errors. Three sources are provided in the reference slide.

Frequent grammar, spelling, or formatting errors detract from the overall professionalism of the presentation. Two sources are provided in the reference slide.

Presentation is unprofessional and/or contains a large number of grammar, spelling, or formatting errors. One source is provided in the reference slide.

10/5/26, 10:57 AMTOUCHSTONE 4: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations | Principles of Management | Sophia Learning

Page 9 of 9https://app.sophia.org/spcc/principles-of-management-2-touchstone-4-1

C. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission:

All content must be appropriate for an academic context.

Composition must be original and written for this assignment.

Reference slide must include at least four sources.

Presentation must include speaker notes for every slide.

Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Submission must include your name and the date.

File format must be .pptx.

About Contact Us Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms of Use

Your Privacy Choices

© 2026 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC.