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Week 1 Assessment Prep: Organization Selection and Research
Equland Parker
University of Phoenix
MGT/526
Professor Trisha Lockard
May 20, 2025
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Week 1 Assessment Prep: Organization Selection and Research
Name of the organization Unilever
Industry Consumer Packaged Goods
Brief history of the organization Unilever was formed in 1930 through the merger of the
British soap maker Lever Brothers and the Dutch
margarine producer Margarine Unie. The company grew
rapidly through acquisitions and innovation, becoming
one of the largest global suppliers of consumer goods.
With a strong commitment to sustainability and social
impact, Unilever has positioned itself as a leader in both
market presence and corporate responsibility.
3 milestones from their history 1930 – Formation of Unilever: The merger of Lever
Brothers and Margarine Unie created Unilever, setting
the stage for a multinational business empire.
2000 – Acquisition of Best foods: Unilever acquired
Best foods for $20.3 billion, bringing popular brands
like Hellmann’s and Knorr into its portfolio.
2010 – Launch of the Unilever Sustainable Living
Plan: A major commitment to reduce the company’s
environmental footprint and increase positive social
impact.
In addition to the databases from
the Week 1 University Library,
include 3 resources where you can
locate the following company
information in future weeks:
Employee demographic
information
SWOT analysis
Annual report
Employee demographic information
Unilever Global Careers Website
(https://www.unilever.com/careers)
Bloomberg Company Overview
Statista: Unilever Workforce Data
SWOT analysis
Gale Business: Insights – SWOT Reports
Business Source Complete
MarketLine Advantage
Annual report
Unilever Investor Relations Page
(https://www.unilever.com/investors/)
SEC EDGAR Database
Explore other companies or
organizations in this industry.
Define 1 new unique business
opportunity your organization can
take to increase its competitive
Unilever can develop a direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-
commerce platform that bundles products into
customized, sustainable home-care and personal-care
kits. This approach can capture customer data, enhance
personalization, and increase customer retention,
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advantage. helping Unilever compete more directly with nimble
startups and tech-forward brands.
Identify a function of management
(as discussed in the Week 1
readings and discussion) that is
needed for this new business
opportunity.
Planning. This function will be essential to analyze
market trends, define digital strategies, coordinate cross-
functional teams, and allocate resources effectively for
launching the DTC initiative.
References in APA format
(5 points):
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References
Unilever. (2024). Annual report and accounts 2023. https://www.unilever.com/investors/annual-
report-and-accounts/
MarketLine. (2024). Unilever SWOT Analysis. Gale Business: Insights.
Statista. (2024). Number of people employed by Unilever worldwide from 2007 to 2023.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/269581/number-of-employees-at-unilever-worldwide-
since-2007/
