MQM 385 - Organizational Strategy

 Related Milner Library Guides

Printed Guides to Library Resources:
    Industry and Competitor Analysis
    Research a Company   

Web Pages:
    Company Information
    Industry Analysis

Industry Analysis

Identify the industry – if not obvious, use a directory, like the Million Dollar Directory (Reference HC 102 .D801), the S&P Register of Corporations (Desk Reference HG 4057 .A401), or the online Lexis-Nexis Academic Business component to identify and get NAICS/SIC codes

Identify the NAICS and SIC codes
For an explanation, see the NAICS and SIC Codes Web page.  NAICS codes are used to arrange data in the Economic Census.

Gather industry data - good starting points:
     S&P Industry Surveys - in NetAdvantage
    IBISWorld - Provides in-depth industry data and analysis.
    Economic Census
    Sources listed on the Industry AnalysisWeb page

For Import/Export data try GMID and/or SourceOECD.  Scripts for searching both of these databases are located at Finding Foreign Direct Investment and Import/Export Data.

Analytic Tools

Porter's Five Forces - Web sites that explain this analytic tool:
    Porters Five Forces by Themanager.org
    Porter's Five Forces - A Model for Industry Analysis by QuickMBA
    strategy - analysing competitive industry structure by tutor2u

PEST Analysis - Web sites that explain this analytic tool:
    PEST Analysis by marketingteacher.com
    PEST Analysis by NetMBA
    strategy - introduction to PEST analysis by tutor2u

SWOT Analysis - Web sites that explan this analytic tool:
    strategy - SWOT analysis -- Brief overview from tutor2u.com.
    SWOT Analysis -- Overview from MindTools.
    SWOT Analysis -- Overview from NetMBA.
    SWOT Analysis -- From QuickMBA.com.
    SWOT Analysis: Lesson -- Lesson from Marketingteacher.com with samples.
    SWOT analysis method and examples -- Good overview, with comparison to PEST analysis.   

Company/Competitor Analysis

Print Resources

Mergent Handbook of Common Stocks (Reference HG 4905 .M81501)

For company history, use International Directory of Company Histories (Reference HD 2721 .I58)

Good concise overview:  Company Profiles for Students (Reference HG 4057 .A15644)

Extend your search to the  Mergent Manuals and other sources listed in the Research a Company guide.

Online Resources

Company Information Web page

S&P Stock Reports in NetAdvantage

10-K Reports - Search the EDGAR Database
Tips for searching are listed in  the Searching EDGAR and Using 10-K Reports guide.

Company profiles in Business Source Elite

Company financial information in Lexis-Nexis Academic:  Hoover’s access, Worldscope, Thomson

Company’s own web page

Business Ratios
Use ratio analysis to compare your firm to competitors and the industry as a whole.

For articles consult one of the following indexes:
     ABI/INFORM Global
     Academic Universe - Business component
     Business Source Elite
     Regional Business News

To find full-text online, use the Citation Linker or FIND IT (from within an index)

Questions?

For help finding information and using the library's resources, use one of our reference services:

• Ask at the general reference desk on floor 2; or
  
• Use our e-mail reference service; or
  
• Use our IM reference service to contact a Milner librarian live online - limited hours; or
  
• E-mail a business subject librarian: Kay Weir, (kmweir@ilstu.edu)