Business Strategies and Sustainability

The assignment delves into the relationship between business strategies and online sustainability disclosures. It examines how different business strategies influence a company's approach to communicating its sustainability efforts online. The analysis draws upon Porter's Five Forces, Diamond, PESTEL, SWOT, and stakeholder marketing frameworks to understand this complex interplay.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
ESSAY.............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
For compete with rival in the competitive business environment it is very important for
the company to adopt such effective business strategy through which it can sustain within the
market for long time. In this manner business strategy is one of the significant technique that
assist to organisation in running its business I the business environment excellently. In addition
to this, with assistance of strategic management corporation can also easily carry out its business
activities and function in effective manner (Houdet, Trommetter and Weber, 2012). In a simple
word it can be said that strategic management is a procedure of planning, controlling, evaluating
and monitoring the business strategy for achieve its determined goal. The current report provides
the detail knowledge about the internal and external environment and its associated factors that
affect the organisation activities and functions.
ESSAY
Business environment is a mixture of external and internal components that affect
organisation ad its business activities in large manner. Thee is great significance of external and
internal factors on the business activities and functions of organisation (Jaber and et.al., 2015).
Therefore, company should effectively analyse the impact of these component on the
organisation activities, performance and practices.
John Lewis is a one of the most popular chain of high end department store operating
throughout the UK. It has more than 38100 numbers of employees and 49 stores throughout
England Scotland and wales including 12 at home stores and flexible format stores in Exeter and
york. John Lewis have major mission is to produce the high quality of product and services and
effectively satisfy the needs and wants if customers. Another aim of John Lewis is to make its
staff satisfied so as its staff can become happy with organisation. While staff is satisfied then its
business can be successful. John Lewis wanted to become number one retailer in the UK that is
why it produces high quality of appeals through which it can meet need of customer. However
due to the technological innovation, retail industry has been drastic changed as compare to
previous (Grünig and Kühn 2015). Recently John Lewis have developed its online mobile
application through which it will sell its product and services by online manner. Its online
application development have major aim is to provide flexibility to John Lewis customer so as
they can purchase the product and services by online. With help of this online shopping
application it wanted to become number one online dealer of appeal in the world. All functional

department of the John Lewis have affected by the innovation and creativity in the technology
(Kernbach, Eppler and Bresciani, 2015). In order to attain its determined goal and objective,
John Lewis have to focus on the several factors of thee internal and external business
environment. Analysis of this environment with respect of John Lewis are as follows- Political- Political factor includes the governmental interference by its imposed policies,
practices, code of conduct, rules, regulation, legislation etc. This is very significant factor
that affect the business operation and activities in large manner. John Lewis have to
follow the each and every legislation and regulation which is imposed by the government.
In the UK government is deciding to decrease the corporation tax from 30% to 28% that
assists to John Lewis in increasing its profit in the future (Gonzalez-Padron, Hult and
Ferrell, 2016). The innovation regarding online shopping application of John Lewis can
largely effect the political factor as cited venture have to follow all regulation, legislation,
code of conduct and norms which imposed by UK government with respect of online
selling, taxation policies etc. The positive impact of this factor on the innovation within
John Lewis is that company can securely conduct business on online after registration
and fulfilment of all required documentation of business. On the other hand negative
impact of this factor on the innovation of John Lewis is that company have make
necessary changes according to changing norms, policies, legislation and regulation
within the country Economical- This factor is related to the country economical condition which included
recession, inflation, interest rate etc. This factor directly affect the prices of product and
services within the John Lewis. While within the country recession occurs then it directly
affects prices of commodity (Doeksen and Symes, 2015). The positive impact of this
factor on the John Lewis is that it assists to organisation in setting pricing strategy of
product and services. The negative impact of this factor is that recession may affect the
business in negative manner as it directly affect the profitability.
 Social and cultural- This factor is directly related to the customer taste, preferences,
culture, region, background etc. While any organisation comes in the market then it has
to understand the actual taste, preferences, culture and background of the customers so as
it can meet their requirement regarding product and services (Bull and et.al., 2016).
Changing customer preferences, taste and choice is direct affect sales and profitability of

organisation. This factor affects the innovation of the John Lewis in positive as well as
negative manner. With help of this factor, John Lewis corporation can understand the
actual demand, taste, preferences, life style, background of the customers so as it can
meet their requirement accordingly. On the other side negative impact of this factor is
that due to regular changing customer taste and choice firm have to modify its business
practices, product and services.
 Technological- This factor hugely affect the John Lewis innovation and changes
regarding business practices and working. As corporation is going to launch online
shopping application for enhance sales and profitability (Bahadir, Bharadwaj and
Srivastava, 2015) The positive impact of this technological change is that with help of
regular changing technology, John Lewis can able to improve its working speed and
innovation in the product and services. On the other hand due to regular changes in the
technology, company have to invest large amount of capital to purchase new technology.
 Environmental: There are several environment factors which can affect John Lewis
business effectively. Each big business faces many of competitive challenges and
external factors which affect the business negatively. In case of John Lewis company,
there are several environment factors presented here which is making big effect on the
business (David, 2011). There are several activities doing in this business and as John
Lewis, it is recently launched a new application of IT technology by which they want to
sell their product on online ways. As IT technology is rapidly growing in the UK market
Illustration 1: Pestle Analysis

so that these technologies are consuming high voltages of electricity at the workplace and
making new negative impact on the business as well. There are various day to day
activities are being done through this innovative software in the business. And people are
using it and through this application, wide range of electricity needed for operating this
application which makes negative impact on the business. Innovation also affect the
business positively because of there are several activities has been reduced by this
application. Through this application John Lewis Company's customer can directly
contact with distributor at anytime and make a proper deal via internal process. So it
saves the time of the business and customer as well. It reduces the transportation
activities of the business so that environment can be less polluted with the help of this
new technology.
 Legal: There are multiple numbers of legislative provision presented here in the UK
which is giving the rights to effective protect corporation rights towards implementation
of their innovation in the business efficiently. In case of John Lewis business. It has
launched innovative application in order to make it's sales process easy and more
effective. There are various legal regulations here, which can make positive and negative
effect John Lewis business (Hill, Jones and Schilling, 2014). Legal factor are those in
which, different kinds of legislation policies and regulations provide information and
guideline about to how to operate business efficiently while implementation of
innovation in the business. The government policies and regulative norms provide the
way by which John Lewis business must follow in order to operate their business
sufficiently in the market. Apart from this, there are other some regulations also
presented here which provide limitation to strictly less use of innovative application
within the country at the set criteria of using application. There are several norms have
been formulated by the UK government which provide guideline which must be followed
by the company in order to effective use of innovation in the John Lewis firm. Legal
factor of the business operation also provide protection of negative use and unauthorised
use of application of John Lewis firm and if they find any kind of the defect and misuses
of application then, the company can take legal action against the party who is using
misuse of these new application in the business. These kinds of several legal provision
can effect John Lewis corporation positively and negatively on the business.

Internal environment analysis of John Lewis
Porter Five force is one of the model that help in analysing the internal strength,
capability and ability of the organisation (Anton, 2015). In order to analyse the internal
environmental impact upon the innovation within the John Lewis, this model will help.
Following are systematic internal analysis of John Lewis-
 Level of Competition- As John Lewis is one of the most popular organisation in the retail
sector so it has large numbers of competitors in the market. It level of competition of
John Lewis is high so it should focus on the effective strategy and differentiation along
with its product and services.
 Threat of substitution- The threat of substitute is also high because there are lots of
competitors available in the market of John Lewis so customer have lots of option to
purchase the product and services from the other organisation (Amran, Ooi and Devi,
2015). As John Lewis deals with customer good like appeal so there are lots of option
available to customer for purchase the product and services.
 Threats of new Entrants- The threats of new entrants is relatively low because John Lewis
is one of the famous organisation in the market which have developed its impressive
goodwill. It is quite difficult for the other new start up to develop such image and
goodwill in the market as John Lewis have (Adar and et.al.,2016). While any new start up
enter in the market then they have to invest large amount of capital within the business.
Thus, it can be said that threats of new entrants is relatively low.
 Assess your competitors: the John Lewis company need to develop some of their
strategies in which they can easily find out the business opportunities as well as find out
new player in the industry as well (Freeman, 2010). There are several internal factors
which may affect the John Lewis business positively and negatively both side. There are
numbers of competitors of John Lewis corporation presented in the industry and they
have potential to compete their business in more effective manner. They need to apply
some of their effective strategies in order to effective assessment of their competitors in
the market and according to assessment information, they can formulate innovative plain
in terms of enhancement of their business effectively. John Lewis corporation can assess
the market to know the condition of our business after using innovative application in the
business by this they would be able to know the actual position of their business in the

market and also the strategic succession of their corporation in the market as well. They
need to apply some of their new strategy to effective compete their competitors in the
market. Use of innovation can increase the level of competition in the market because of
there are several retail companies in the UK is implementing innovative application to
enhance their business more efficiently in the market. Use of application could make
negative and positive effect on the John Lewis business efficiently.
 Assess your market: Various kinds of market being creating in the world. So that there is
also need to market assessment of the John Lewis business to effectively know about to
their position in the market and their succession of their strategies in the market
effectively. They need to apply some strategy and approaches on the business by which
they would be able to attend all the activities in which they can easily find out their
internal strength and weakness in the business effectively and according to that effective
action could be taken by company's professionals (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). Utilisation
of innovative application in the business can increase the market share of John Lewis
corporation because of its sales process will be easy in the market and they would be able
to sell their product in more effective manner in the market. The John Lewis company
need to analyse of market positioning effectively and then they can make more effective
way in which they can get more profitability and productivity in the business sufficiently.
There are several things which can be used by John Lewis corporation in order to
maximise the use of their new application in the market and these activities will create an
environment in which the John Lewis company would be able to gain more competitive
advantages effectively in the industry. They can also take swot analysis approach in order
to find out their internal strength and weakness effectively and according to them they
can make their decision of use of new application in more effective manner so that
company would be able to generate more revenue from the market.

CONCLUSION
From this entire report it has been concluded that in an organisation it is great
responsibility to management to analyse the business environment and condition in such manner
as it can design the practices and strategy accordingly. Company should develop such effective
business strategy that help to company in surviving in the market for long time. Management
should focus on the strategic management process so as it can plan, organise, evaluate and
monitor the business strategy for achieve business objective in an effective and efficient manner.
Apart from that effective analysis of business environment is also very important for company so
as it can assess the impact of several factors of business environment. It has been also concluded
that It is quite difficult to cope up with certain changes and innovation in the business.

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