Overview
To prepare:
- Review the Learning Resource on research and competitive analysis.
- Review the Learning Resources on external SWOT analysis.
- Review the Learning Resource on ethical organizational culture.
- Review the research you already conducted on your HSO and competitor organizations in Module 1, and then spend some additional time conducting research on your HSO’s external environment. Continue to use the research resources, listed in Chapter 3 of your textbook, to guide you in your information gathering. You will want to gather information from organizational leadership, published literature, conference proceedings, and professional associations. Keep in mind the various approaches for collecting information may vary depending on your specific HSO type. As mentioned in Module 1, some examples of sources that can assist with a strategic analysis include:
- Websites of your HSO and competitor HSOs
- Research tools listed in the textbook for this course
- Organizational leaders that you can contact about the organization
- Members of a professional association that students can contact for an interview
- Published literature
- Professional associations (white papers, newsletters, conferences, webinars, etc.)
- Regulatory agencies (Joint Commission, HHS, Medicare, and Medicaid, etc.)
- Trade journals
- Use this research of your selected HSO and competitor organizations to begin to brainstorm external factors that could positively or negatively affect your selected HSO.
- As you develop this list of opportunities and threats, add details to describe exactly how the opportunity or threat could impact your selected HSO. For example, if a policy change poses an opportunity, be certain to explain what the policy is and how the policy might positively impact your HSO.
- Chapter 9 of your textbook explains how to create an external SWOT analysis and provides an example. Be sure to review the textbook guidance closely, and then use the Module 2 External SWOT Analysis Template to complete the analysis and associated interpretation questions.
The Assignment: External SWOT Analysis—Opportunities and Threats
Use the Module 2 External SWOT Analysis Template to complete the External SWOT Table and answer the accompanying interpretation questions.