Skip to Main Content

BUS 495 & MG 495: Team Project Research Guide

a guide for MG 495 students working on their Capstone project

SWOT Analysis

Overview

If you have already located a company report for your business, it is likely that you've run into a SWOT analysis or equivalent. A SWOT is a strategy framework used to analyze a company's internal capabilities (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external factors (Opportunities and Threats).

For the internal assessment portion of your assignment, you'll want to focus on the Strengths and Weaknesses section of a SWOT analysis. Examining a company's internal capabilities helps to create strategies that can proactively contend with organizational challenges.

SWOT quadrant showing a section for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat. The strengths and weaknesses sections are circled in black.

Please note: You can find many ready-made SWOT analyses within the library collection, either on its own or part of a larger company report. For this strategic plan, it is recommended that you consult a number of SWOT analyses conducted by third party brokers in order to get a complete picture. It is important that you use a variety of resources in order to conduct your own internal audit. It is not appropriate to use a single, ready-made SWOT and pass it off as your own analysis. 

Pro-Tip: The Opportunities and Threats section can be utilized for your external assessment, which is covered later in this guide.

You can learn more about the SWOT analysis here:  

Find a SWOT

Many of our databases carry SWOT analyses on publicly traded companies. Learn how to find a SWOT analysis in each of the below databases:

  1. From the Advanced Search page, type your company name into the search bar 
  2. Scroll down to “Publication Type” and choose “SWOT Analysis” 
  3. Click search 
  1. Search for company name or by ticker symbol 
  2. From the company page, choose the “Company Reports” tab 
  3. Click “Broker Research Reports” (located just under tabs) 
  4. View reports (Tip: GlobalData reports generally include SWOTs) 

SWOT FAQ

Should I use a SWOT I found through Google/Bing/Firefox/etc.?

While you can run a general internet search for a company SWOT, free web-sourced SWOTs can often be dated and unreliable. Pay close attention to the date and who is behind the information. Of course, you can use the open web to research your company in order to create your own SWOT, just be sure to use current company information or news. If you have any questions about the reliability of information you find online, please ask a librarian. 

Can I use AI (like Chat GPT) to generate a SWOT for me?

No.

As noted above, free web-sourced SWOTs can often be dated and unreliable. AI chat bots, like Chat GPT, can only generate answers based on the data it has been trained on, which includes inaccurate or dated information like that found in low-quality, online SWOTs. ChatGPT does not have the ability to fact-check or verify the accuracy of the information it generates. As such, it often generates false or dated information. It also regularly makes up citations or references that do no exist. ChatGPT is just replicating patterns, so it may not be able to understand complex topics, questions that require critical thinking, or the process of attribution.