BA 411: Analyzing Business & Industry

I. Choose a Company 

II. Research the Company
Company Releases | Business Press | Industry Sources
Government Data | Corporate Responsibility

III.  Seven Revolutions

I. CHOOSE A COMPANY

Fortune 500 2009 / CNNMoney.com - the definitive list

Company websites:

1. See Fortune 500 list, above
2. Select a company and go to its website
3. Find links to investor relations information (exact label may vary)

. . . Example:  Southwest Airlines Investor Relations

II. RESEARCH THE COMPANY AND IT’S INDUSTRY

COMPANY RELEASED INFORMATION

• Company website
• Hoovers Online
• ProQuest

• Company website
• ProQuest
• Company sponsored blogs

• Company website
• ProQuest

• Company website
• EDGAR (U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission)

BUSINESS NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS 

*Podcast

• Barrons
• Business Week
• The Economist
• Financial Times
• Forbes
• Fortune
• Inc.
• Wall Street Journal

INDUSTRY SOURCES

• IBISWorld   
• Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage (Industry Surveys)  

• ProQuest (Do a keyword search, then in results list, click the “Trade Publications” tab.)
• Lexis-Nexis Academic

• Associations Unlimited
• Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage (Industry Surveys – see “References)

GOVERNMENT DATA

*Podcast

• Statistical Abstract of the United States
• FEDSTATS – portal to statistics compiled by various U.S. federal agencies
• See also Statistics for Business & Economics (Schreyer Business Library)

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

• 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2009 / The Corporate Responsibility Officer

• CorpWatch
• Greenpeace
• PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
• Grassroots Global Justice - Please note the "Members" list of participating organizations.
• Other organizations

• You explore: What are people saying about the company on YouTube, Twitter, independent blogs, etc.? What are they saying about the industry?

III. SEVEN REVOLUTIONS / Center for Strategic & International Studies

Go to the Global Stragety Institute Seven Revolutions web site

• Learn about the Global Strategy Institute’s vision for long-term strategic thinking
• Read about the challenges of each revolutionary area of change
• Expand your research using posted bibliographies and works cited.

BA411 Team Librarian: Kevin Harwell
Schreyer Business Library
309 Paterno Library
Phone: 814-865-6369
Email: krh7@psulias.psu.edu

Smeal Atrium Hours

• Monday: 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Office Hours

• Tues - 9:30 a.m.–Noon
• Wed – 2-5 p.m.
• Thurs - 9-11:30 a.m.
• Or by appointment (generously available)