Discuss about Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues.
Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues – Assessment Briefing
Title: Portfolio of P.E.S.T. Issues
Due Date: Friday in Week 6 of semester before 5pm Melbourne time. Late submission
penalties will apply.
Weight: 30%
Length: 2,000 words (+/-10%). the word limit does not include references, appendices, and
illustrations. This assignment follows the University requirements as outlined in the Q
Manual.
Type: Individual assessment.
Learning Outcomes assessed: 1, 2 and 4.
This document must to be read in conjunction with the requirements detailed in
BEX5601 Semester 1, 2020 Unit Guide.
Task Outline: This assessment task requires you to prepare a simplified report (as shown
on Moodle) on the current and emerging nature of the business environment. This report be
based on three (3) Portfolio of P.E.S.T. issues that you have identified as influencing shaping
the business (macro) environment. The Portfolio will be your collection of articles that have
been reported in reputable newspapers, business and trade publications, or similar
reputable and respected publications. Journal articles must not be used as a current business
environment issue for analysis. No duplications of topic are allowed, i.e., no two (2) articles
on the same issue can be analysed. The articles in this portfolio must have been published in
the mainstream news media from 1st January, 2020 until 31st March 2020. *** Analysis of
articles not published between 1st January 2020 until 31st March 2020 range will not be
graded. ***
The business news articles selected do not have to be related to each other, and therefore,
should be analysed as individual (i.e. independent) issues. The news articles are part of your
reference list for this assignment, along with any additional resources you cite in your
analysis.
The articles sources for analysis must have originally been published in English.
Your report is an analysis of the macro business environment issues you have identified and
how these issues, are changing the business (or industry) environment Therefore, you are
analyzing the impact of the issue on the industry/ies or business environment, not the
company or institution affected by the issue.
Your analysis must demonstrate your understanding of why it is essential for business to
monitor and adapt to the business (macro) environment(s) they operate in. Your report will
compliment your conceptual understanding with an in-depth analysis of the implications
your Portfolio of PEST issues may have in terms of future strategy development and/or the
operational and investment decisions that business will make into the future – both the
short-term and the long-term. Therefore, the focus of this assessment, is a demonstration
that you have understood how to apply the PEST framework to an issue impacting the
broader business environment, rather than your opinion on the issue being analysed.
Your Portfolio of PEST Issues report must include your own meaningful insights
that are based on your own synthesis of the important macro/industry level issues,
and your own analysis not purely descriptions. Simply agreeing with an author’s
opinion on the issue is not original thought, nor is it your own original analysis. In
simple terms, your report must address a ‘so-what’ question to what you have identified
and analysed is happening in the wider business environment. In other words – the
report is designed to help you to understand the impact of the issue on the broader
(macro) business environment. Accordingly, not all PEST factors are necessarily relevant
for every one of the five issues identified for analysis in this report. For example, if there is
no political impact related to the business issue you have identified, do not analyze the
political impact. As importantly, the PEST framework is not a predictive tool. Do not apply
the PEST framework to analyse how the focal news issue will affect the future of the
business environment.
Industry (macro) Level
Organisation/Company (micro)
Level
The impact of your PEST
analysis takes place at
this level.
Takes place it this level
Submission Requirements: You must submit this assessment via the dedicated assignment
drop box on Moodle on or before the due submission date. You MUST upload your report to
Moodle in PDF format.
Please Note: ALL CARE must be taken when submitting this report onto Moodle. Draft
submissions are not permitted. Multiple upload attempts are also not permitted. Therefore, it
is imperative that the report uploaded onto the Moodle site, is the final version of that report.
Your report submission must be uploaded onto Moodle in .pdf file format.
A signed, accurately completed assignment coversheet must accompany your submission.
The coversheet must be uploaded to Moodle as a separate document to the assessment task.
You are required to use the Turnitin function on Moodle for this submission.
Referencing and Citation:
• A minimum of 15 relevant references must be cited. Excellent PEST portfolios will
exceed this minimum. All references sources cited, must be read and thoroughly
understood before being included in this report.
• Appropriate use of APA style for in text citations and bibliography (Refer to
Monash University’s “Q Manual (2016)” available on the Moodle, for
guidelines)
• References from appropriate current sources (i.e. not textbooks, but recently
published journal articles are acceptable).
• There is an appropriate mix of sources (e.g., trade press, newspapers,
specialist product category publications, and other reputable and reliable
news sources).
• A list of the references used in your report MUST appear at the end of
each issue being analysed within the report, i.e. do not put all your
references at the end of the report.
Feedback: Feedback for this assessment will be provided via the Moodie site for this unit
within three (3) weeks of submission. More information and guidance will be provided
during workshops devoted to assessment and posted to the Moodle site
word limit: 680