Bus499

Assignment 1: Great Lakes: Great decisions

Katrina Salahub

Professor Wendy White

Business Administration Capstone

04/16/2012

1. Perform an analysis of the social / demographic, technological, economic, environmental / geographic, and political / legal / governmental segments to understand the general environment facing Great Lakes. Describe how Great Lakes will be affected by each of these external factors.

2. Analyze the lead additives industry in the U.S. using the Five Forces of Competition Model. Describe the impact of each of the five (5) forces on the industry and based on this analysis, determine if the industry is attractive or unattractive.

3. Describe who Great Lakes’ immediate, impending, and invisible competitors are and how Great Lakes measures up against these competitors.

4. Describe the main capabilities of Great Lakes.

Thinking about the demographics of the “Great Lakes” one word comes to my mind – Danger. While great lakes can sell their chemicals anywhere it is too dangerous to sell it to people, who don’t know how to use. It will be nice if after sales “Great Lakes” were able to prepare their customers on how to use the chemicals and what are the consequences if using it wrong. If the chemicals will be sold to some of the underdeveloped countries it might really raise a very serious concern regarding the safety of those people.

Technological side has improved since Mark Burliss became a CEO in 1998. That is when he started getting company back on track as far as technology issue. The company of that size and magnitude will never be as efficient as some internet companies can be, but that is due the nature of the business. A lot of man power has to be involved in this.

Environmental and geographic side of this business is very questionable. Their vision is to make world safer place, but due to their nature it will not be happening.

Legally this company has to obey to all the laws government...