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BUSA 4980: Strategic Management Case Analysis: Home

Case Resources

Getting Started

1. Determine Case Time Frame

Time frame is a critical consideration of your case analysis, and your information must be relevant to the time frame of the case. Read the case and identify the time frame before starting to collect the background information and secondary data for your assigned case.

2. Learn About the  Company & Industry (Section I : Case Profile)

The following list of resources will help you find most of the information you will need for section I. Case Profile.

Mergent provides company profiles that provide a company history, business description (SIC & NAICS codes), business segments (sales by geography, sales by business line), and access to the company annual report and 10-K (strategy information and other information).

To find the company financial statements, click on Company Financials tab to access a sub-menu that provides subheadings for Segments and Ratios. Expand the data range of the financials shown and download into Excel.

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As a subscription to Mergent Online, Mergent Investext (Formerly Thompson One) is located on the last tab to right when you open Mergent. Mergent Investext is used to find analyst reports, financial information, current and historical filings and more.

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3. Describe Issues Impacting the Firm, Industry, & External Environment

Changes in technology, demographics, legislation, etc impact the firm, the industry of your firm, and companies outside your industry (external environment). In this section you must identify some of these trends and explain the impact on the firm, industry, and external environment.

The best sources for finding this information are:

  • Firm's Annual Report, 10-K, or 20-F (available in Mergent Online)
  • S&P Industry Surveys (available in NetAdvantage - Click on Archives under the S&P Industry Survey section to access older reports)
  • World Almanac (available on Library North, 5th Floor - AY67.N5 W7 )
  • IBISWorld- A collection of Industry Market Research and Industry Risk Ratings
  • Business Source Complete - journal articles, industry profiles, company information, SWOT analyses
  • ABI Inform Complete journal articles and industry reports

4. Industry Ratios

Most of the company ratios may be found online in Mergent Online or Mergent Investext. Industry ratios, however, require the use of multiple sources. 

Online Sources

          Print Sources (current editions are at the User Services Desk on the first floor of Library North)

Find Competitor Ratios