External and Internal Environmental Analysis

 






External and Internal Environmental Analysis
Shari Arthurton
STR 581
12-19-11
Sidney Morse

























Introduction
      Environmental analysis is the study of all internal and external factors that may affect a company’s operating environments. Businesses will look at the economy, social conditions, competitors, legal, and ecological factors when assessing an environmental analysis. “A host of external factors influence a firm’s choice of direction and action and, ultimately, its organizational structure and internal processes. These factors, which constitute the external environment, can be divided into three interrelated subcategories: factors in the remote environment, factors in the industry environment, and factors in the operating environment” (Pearce & Robinson, 2011).   My target firm is Cablevision Systems Corporation. Cablevision Systems Corporation is a leading telecommunications and media company with a portfolio of operations that includes a full suite of advanced digital television, voice and high-speed Internet services, valuable local media and programming properties, and movie theatres. Cablevision is a cable company that operates in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and their recent expansion in Montana.   In this paper, I will assess the environment in which Cablevision operates. I will discuss their SWOT analysis, external environmental analysis, competitive position analysis, and enterprise resource analysis.
SWOT Analysis
      Managers can create a quick overview of a company’s strategic situation by creating a SWOT analysis. “It is based on the assumption that, an effective strategy derives from a sound “fit” between a firm’s internal resources (strengths and weaknesses) and its external situation (opportunities and threats). A good fit maximizes a firm’s strengths and opportunities and minimizes its weaknesses and threats” (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). For Cablevision, the strengths...