A SWOT analysis is a technique that companies use to assess whether they are achieving their missions and goals (SWOT Analysis, 2009, p. 915). It looks at four criteria:

• The company’s strengths
• The company’s weaknesses
• Opportunities in the company’s competitive environment
• Threats to the company’s competitive environment

One of the MSU libraries’ databases, Business Source Complete, has SWOT analyses from a variety of companies for you to review. To find them*:

1. Open Business Source Complete.
2. Click on Company Information in the blue bar in the top left corner.
3. Enter your company name, e.g., Disney, into the search box and hit Search.
4. Select your company from the list by clicking on its name.
5. On the left-hand side, find the menu with Related Information. SWOT analyses should be an option. Click on this link to bring up any analyses available for your company.

Research Tip: Don’t forget to search for analyses of your company’s top competitors, too!

*Because the libraries subscribe to these databases, you must be a student, faculty or staff to access them. Use your MSUNET2K username and password to gain access.

Source: BusinessTeacher.org.uk

References

SWOT Analysis. (2009). In Encyclopedia of Management (6th ed., pp. 915-918). Detroit: Gale.