Reference no: EM133203146 , Length: Word count: 300 words

Assignment Task: Please respond to at least two peers in approximately 150-200 words.

POST 1: Relevant Strategic Factors for Amazon Company in its Macro-environment. The strategic factors relevant to the company's industry are the company's competitive position, the company's competitive advantage, the company's strategic direction, and the company's strategic objectives. The company's competitive position is determined by the company's competitive advantage and the company's competitive strategy. The company's competitive advantage is its ability to create superior value for its customers compared to its competitors (Kellett et al., 2022). The company's competitive strategy is its plan to achieve its competitive advantage. The company's strategic direction is determined by the company's vision, mission, and values. The company's strategic objectives are the company's goals that contribute to the company's vision. The macro-environmental factors relevant to the industry and company are the following:

The global economic environment - includes factors such as interest rates, inflation, and currency exchange rates. The political and legal environment - includes factors such as government regulations, tax laws, and trade agreements (Kellett et al., 2022). The social and cultural environment - includes factors such as demographics, social trends, and consumer preferences. The technological environment - this includes factors such as research and development, the diffusion of technology, and the availability of resources

Rival Company Movements, Change Factors, and the Essential External Data

The company's rivals are likely to make moves that will improve their competitive position relative to the company. The factors that are driving changes in the company's industry are the company's competitive advantage, the company's competitive strategy, and the company's strategic objectives. The most important external data that the company would need in any strategic planning process is data on the company's competitors, data on the company's customers, data on the company's industry, and data on the company's macro-environment (Thompson et al., 2022). Market research data is the most important external data that this organization should have in any strategic planning process. This is because market research data can provide insights into customer needs and preferences, which can help the industry, develop new products and services that are better suited to the needs of its customers. Additionally, market research data can provide insights into the competitive landscape, which can help the industry, develop strategies to gain market share. Lastly, every discussion board is essential for knowledge-sharing. In this context, this board is beneficial as it provides an insight into essential strategies adopted by various industries to thrive well in competitive markets. This knowledge helps in proper planning for operational excellence in an organization.

POST 2: The macro environment has a lot of factors that might impact the industry and each company operating in it. PepsiCo is one the companies within the food and beverage industry that needs to make strategic decisions, while facing external factors. To analyze the macro-environment of PepsiCo, the PESTEL analysis shows the following factors:

Political: stability is a requirement for the growth of PepsiCo, which is mainly present in large economies like the US. Besides, some governments offer improved cooperation which represents an opportunity to the company. While the threat would be when the governments initiate some rules against the carbonated drinks.

Economic: the economy has a huge impact on the performance of PepsiCo. As a matter of fact, the strength of the economy is a requirement to flourish, add to that the fast growth of some economies. On the other hand, the slowdown of the economy represents a threat for this industry, since the consumption will decrease.

Social: the trends can have an important role in the way the consumers behave, and which products they will buy. In fact, if consumers are having a busier lifestyle, then they would tend more to consume PepsiCo's products. If the buyers are health conscious, they will consume less products and look for a higher quality product.

Technology: The R&D investments help to develop the food and beverage industry, besides the improvement of the technological systems. The production systems are also improving thanks to the technology, which helps to cut the costs.

Ecological: the environment is an important area for this industry. Indeed, sustainability is a crucial opportunity for PepsiCo, along with high performance disposal systems. Climate change might be a serious threat to the food and beverage industry.

Legal: the food and beverage industry is subject to different regulations, like the ones on the GMO ingredients, which guarantee the quality of the products and attract the consumers. Safety regulations are also an opportunity for PepsiCo (Meyer, 2017)I believe that the most important data that PepsiCo needs to take into consideration when planning is the consumer behavior. Indeed, a food and beverage company will need to keep track of the products bought mainly by the target consumers, as the rivals, like Coca Cola, will make different moves such as intensive marketing strategies, or develop new products line to gain market shares (Ltd, 2021).