Reference no: EM132307605

Purpose of the assessment

Students are required to work in groups to choose an industry then apply their knowledge in the unit to write an industry report (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5).

See Assignment Specifications for detailed requirements

Assignment Specifications

Purpose:

This assignment aims to enhance students' research and analytical ability through the application of their economic knowledge in the unit to compose a company report.

The recommended assignment structure is as follows:
Table of content
Executive Summary (Optional) Introduction
Introduction to the company Industry background
The market structure of the industry
Factors that influence demand for the company's product(s) Factors that influence supply of the company's product(s) Elasticity
Impacts of an event on the industry/company Conclusion
List of References.
Detailed requirements of the assignment

Organize yourselves into groups of 4 or 5 students and give your group details to your lecturer(s) no later than Week 6 (for Normal Mode) or Week 4 (For Block Mode 1) and Week 8 (for Block Mode 2). Late submission of group member list may result in your being unable to submit the group assignment.

You are a group of advisors to the Management Board in your company.

In determining the company's strategy in the next 5 years, your managers have required you to prepare a 2,500 word market report. The market report should, as a minimum, address the following key issues:

1. A description of your company and the industry your company is in, including:
• An overview of the company.
• An overview of the industry (including some key statistics such as revenue, employment, the industry's contribution to national GDP, and industry growth rate).

2. An analysis of the market structure the industry is in, including:
• The type of market structure it is in and why (based on the characteristics of the industry).
• The market leaders in the industry and some statistics about them.

3. A discussion about (i) two determinants of demand, and (ii) two determinants of supply for your product(s) or service(s) that you consider to be the most influential.

4. A discussion about the demand elasticity for your product(s) or service(s) which answers the following questions:
• Is your product(s) or service(s) elastic or inelastic? Why?

• What are two factors that you consider affect the elasticity of demand for your product (or line of products) the most? Why so? (You can research for evidence to justify your argument(s)).

5. An analysis of a recent event that has (or is likely to have) substantial impacts on your industry. The analysis may include:
• A brief description about that event.
• How has that event affected (or is likely to affect) the market demand and/or supply?
• What is the likely effect of that event on the market price and quantity?

Note that relevant empirical evidence can be researched and provided to support your arguments.

You may choose to do your research in one of the following industries: construction/housing/ property development, education, or mining.

Note: if your company has many products and/or services, you can select a representative product/service to discuss for points (2); (3); (4); and (5).

This report should provide useful information for your company's Management Board. It should use a variety of resources, including the textbook, newspapers, industry reports, the ABS website, and other sources. A list of several websites that may be useful to you is attached.

Your report should include a table of contents, an executive summary, and sub-headings. It needs to be properly referenced using the Harvard style and at least 5 references.