Unit 1: The Contemporary Business Environment

Assignment Brief
Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 1: The Contemporary Business Environment

Academic Year 2024 – 2025
Unit Tutor Mehr Bilal Khan

Assignment Title Business and Environmental Analysis Report

Issue Date 12th November 2024

Submission Date 9th December 2024

Submission Format

The submission will be in the form of a written Report (preferably using 1.5 line spacing,
font style Arial/Times New Roman/Calibri and font size 12). You are required to make use
of headings, paragraphs, and sub-sections where appropriate and use business jargon
learnt throughout the unit.

A bibliography must be provided as all work must be supported by research and

referenced using the Harvard Referencing system (or an alternative referencing system).
Inaccurate use of referencing may lead to issues of plagiarism if not applied correctly.

The recommended word limit is 3000-3500 words, although you will not be penalized for
exceeding the total word limit.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Explain the different types, size, and scope of organisations.

LO2 Demonstrate the interrelationship of the various functions within an organization
and how they link to organisational structure.
LO3 Use contemporary examples to demonstrate both the positive and negative
influence/impact the macro environment has on business operations.
LO4 Determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of specific businesses and their
interrelationship with external macro factors.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

• Analytical skills to conduct own analysis to draw conclusions.
• The ability to provide information based on collation, analysis and
interpretation of data.

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 • Creative thinking for presenting information and data in a simplified
and informative manner.
• Communicating effectively for operating efficiently in the international
business environment.

Vocational scenario

Zong is one of Pakistan's largest telecommunications companies, offering mobile services,

internet connectivity, and digital solutions to millions of customers nationwide. Zong is one of
the fastest growing telecom operators providing cutting edge digital technology to over 49
million subscribers nationwide. Zong is the first telecom operator to offer 3G and 4G services
in Pakistan and continues to provide data services to its large customer base across both the
urban and rural areas of the country. The company prides itself on its commitment to ground
breaking communication and customer services along with seamless connectivity.

Recently, Zong has expanded into digital financial services in Pakistan with the introduction of
its own mobile wallet and payment platform, PayMax. This digital payment solution aims to
make financial management easier for its customers through money transfers, bill payments
and online transactions through their smartphones. This initiative furthers the company’s
vision of a more digitally and financially inclusive Pakistan through cashless payments.

However, with this new product, Zong is entering a highly competitive market already
dominated by established platforms such as JazzCash and Easypaisa, which are trusted names
in the digital payments space. Additionally, regulatory challenges, digital literacy issues and
security concerns among potential users pose significant risks. Despite these challenges, the
rapid growth of Pakistan’s fintech sector and increasing popularity of e-commerce and mobile
banking services provide a significant growth opportunity for Zong.

You are a junior strategy officer at Zong tasked with conducting the business and
environmental analysis of this new business vertical that has been launched.

Your report will provide an understanding to the core management about the feasibility of
this step guided by your assessment of the internal functions within the organization, the
industry structure, and the dynamic macro environment of Pakistan.

Based on the analysis, your task would be to recommend a strategic course of action to the
management of this telecommunications company as it expands its product offering with a
step into digital financial services, so it can gain a competitive advantage in the industry.

Assignment activity and guidance

LO1 and LO2

Task 1:
a) Critically analyze for the business (Zong), the following:
 Type of business on the basis of objectives and size
 Legal structure
 Size and scope of operations
 Key stakeholders

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b) Select any two organisations from the same industry and analyze how their structure,
size and scope compares with the business objectives and the services offered by Zong.

c) Evaluate the various functions within Zong and their interrelationships. Analyze Zong’s
organisational structure. For this, use an organisational chart to show how functions are
interrelated and an explanation of how they relate to organisational structure and
objectives. Further, explain how this is different in the other two competing organisations.

d) Critically analyze the digital financial services industry and its structure using Porter’s 5
Forces framework.

LO3 and LO4

Task 2:

a) Using PESTLE analysis, identify and critically analyze the various macro environmental
factors that impact Zong, highlighting the positive and negative impacts on the
organisation.

b) Conduct a comprehensive external analysis of macro factors (such as globalization,

emerging technologies, transformation of the market and workplace post pandemic,
sustainable practices etc) and assess the organisation’s response to them. Details can be
gathered by visiting the organisation and asking about their salient features from the
perspective of employees.

c) Using SWOT/TOWS analysis, justify how these features influence decision-making in

Zong and how its strengths and weaknesses interrelate with external macro factors.
Support your work with instances from the organisation’s real-life situations. Industry
examples can be added where deemed necessary.

d) Based on your analysis of the internal and external factors, recommend a strategic
course of action to the management of this telecommunications company as it expands
its product offering with a step into the digital financial services industry.

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Recommended Resources

Please note that the resources listed are examples for you to use as a starting point in
your research – the list is not definitive.

Textbooks
BURNS, J. and NEEDLE, D. (2019) Business in Context: An Introduction to Business and its
Environment. 7th Ed. Cengage Learning.
MORRISON, J. (2020) The Global Business Environment: Towards Sustainability? 5th Ed.
Red Globe Press.
WETHERLEY, P. (Editor) and OTTER, D. (2018) The Business Environment: Themes and
Issues in a Globalised World. 4th Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
WORTHINGTON, I. and BRITTON. C. (2018) The Business Environment. 8th Ed. Harlow:
Pearson.

Weblinks
HubSpot (2021) 9 Types of Organizational Structure Every Company Should Consider.
Available at: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/team-structure-diagrams
BPlan How to Do a SWOT Analysis for Better Strategic Planning. Available at:
https://articles.bplans.com/how-to-perform-swot-analysis
Business Balls Swot Analysis Templates. Available at:
https://www.businessballs.com/strategy-innovation/swot-analysis/
Pestle Analysis.com What is PESTLE Analysis? Available at:
https://pestleanalysis.com/what-is-pestle-analysis/
Business Case Studies. Available at: www.businesscasestudies.co.uk
Forbes. Available at: www.forbes.com
TedTalks. Available at: www.ted.com
Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org
Bloomberg. Available at: www.bloomberg.com

HN Global
HN Global (2021) Reading Lists. Available at:
https://hnglobal.highernationals.com/learningzone/reading-lists

HN Global (2021) Student Resource Library. Available at:

https://hnglobal.highernationals.com/subjects/resource-libraries

HN Global (2021) Textbooks. Available at:

https://hnglobal.highernationals.com/textbooks

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Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
Pass Merit Distinction
LO1 Explain the different types, size and scope of organisations LO1 and LO2
P1 Explain different M1 Analyze how the structure, D1 Provide critical
types and purposes of size and scope of different analysis of the
organisations; public, organisations link to the business complexities
objectives and product and
private and voluntary services of different
sectors and legal offered by the organisation. organisations and
structures. structures.
P2 Explain the size
and scope of a range
of different types of
organisations.
LO2 Demonstrate the interrelationship of the various functions
within an organisation and how they link to organisational
structure
P3 Explain the relationship M2 Analyze the interrelationships
between different between organisational functions
and the impact that can have
organisational functions upon
and how they link to organisational structure.
organisational objectives
and structure.

LO3 Use contemporary examples to demonstrate both the

positive LO3 and LO4
and negative influence/impact the macro environment has on D2 Critically
business operations evaluate the
P4 Identify the positive M3 Apply appropriately the PESTLE impacts that both
and negative impacts the model to support a detailed macro- and micro
macro environment has analysis of the macro environment factors have on
business
on business operations, in an organisation. objectives
supported by specific and decision
examples. making.
LO4 Determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of
specific
businesses and their interrelationship with external macro
factors
P5 Conduct internal and M4 Apply appropriately SWOT/
external analysis of TOWS analysis and justify how
specific they
organisations in order to influence decision making.
identify strengths and
weaknesses.
P6 Explain how strengths
and weaknesses
interrelate
with external macro
factors.
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