Tips from your Butler Business Librarian for the Organizational Analysis paper:
Read the assignment guidelines carefully before starting your research. The guidelines will identify the elements or sections to be included in the paper and provide advice on information sources.
Note the requirement to cite information from business textbooks. Look through the assignment guidelines for suggestions on the type of textbook (accounting, marketing, etc.) to consult for the various sections of the paper. The Business Books Guide(linked in the eBooks/Textbooks menu on this guide) will direct you to free online textbooks.
When you find a textbook,review the table of contents and index for topics that are relevant for your paper (ex: form of organization, marketing strategy). You may need to review several textbooks; for example, you may find information on "organizational structure" in management textbooks and also in organizational behavior textbooks.
In addition to textbooks, you will find helpful information in the business databases. Key databases to use: IBISWorld for industry reports and Business Source Complete for scholarly articles. If your organization is a non-profit, use the GuideStar database. These and other helpful databases are linked under the tabs at the top of this box.
The Business Librarian receives more questions related to "Financials"than any other section of the Organizational Analysis paper. One reason is because detailed financials are typically not available for private companies. Consider examining the financial performance of the overall industry in which the company operates. An excellent source for that is the BizMiner database, which you can use to find financial norms and benchmarks for industries of a specific size and in a targeted location.
Another common question is "Where can I get a copy of my company's organizational chart?" Most companies do not make this publicly available for you to find on a website. Ask your supervisor to direct you to the person at the organization who can share a chart or provide the information needed for you to create the chart.
First Research provides comprehensive research reports on over 200 industries. Search by keyword, SIC, or NAICS codes to find industry studies that cover trends and opportunities, the competitive environment, financials, and executive profiles. NOTE: To get to First Research, click on the First Research link below the search bar on the Mergent Intellect home page.
Provides industry research, industry risk rating reports, and business environment reports. Industry research reports provide key statistics, market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecasted performance, major industry participants, and other information.
Mintel Reports offers product and industry market research reports covering US marketplaces. Each report combines data and analysis of the competitive landscape, supply chain, market-share size and trends, and consumer profiles.
Statista.com provides companies, business customers, research institutions, and the academic community with direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.
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