Internet Exercises

Chapter 2

1. Advocacy Groups. Go to the web site of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Answer the following questions: 1) What are PETA’s goals? 2) What types of companies might PETA affect politically? 3) Do you believe in PETA’s actions? Why or why not? 4) How far should advocacy groups go in promoting their causes? How should business organizations react to these groups?

2. Environmental Scanning. Find a “company sucks” web site such as www.homedepotsucks.com or www.cibcsucks.com. Is there any information that would be useful to the company? How could a company use this information as part of its regular environmental scanning?

3. Organizational Culture. Go to the web site of Mountain Equipment Co-op. Identify their social and environmental initiatives. How do these initiatives reflect the culture of the organization?

4. Political Environment. Go to the web site of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. What are the goals of the Canadian Human Rights Commission? How does the Canadian Human Rights Commission regulate the workplace and protect workers? Describe at least one current case the Canadian Human Rights Commission has investigated. How would the FTC affect you if you ran a telemarketing company? A tobacco company?

5. External Environment. Select a well-known corporation and go to its web site. Download (or read on-line) its latest annual report. What external factors have affected the company in the past year? How have these factors affected the company financially? How has the company responded to these factors?

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