Assignment will give you the opportunity to demonstrate a rigorous approach to some basic research.In last week’s Assignment, you looked at TOMS® Shoes as our company of focus. This week, you are c

Assignment will give you the opportunity to demonstrate a rigorous approach to some basic research.

In last week’s Assignment, you looked at TOMS® Shoes as our company of focus. This week, you are continuing this look and will build upon this by completing some unique “secondary” research using academic research sources, such as the Library, Google Scholar and similar sources. “Unqualified” sources such as Wikipedia, blogs, about.com or ezines.com are unacceptable.

In completing your Unit 2 Assignment, please do the following:

1. Evaluate primary and secondary resources for research by answering the following: 
   1. Define primary research and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of primary research. 
   2. Define secondary research and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of secondary research. 
2. Conduct your own “secondary” research on TOMS® Shoes, to determine how the following micro environmental factors influence TOMS® Shoes’ strategy and decision making and how these same groups have their strategy and decision-making influenced by TOMS® Shoes. Be sure to include at least one or two strong paragraphs to Unit 2 communicate and defend your conclusions for each of the following micro environmental factors: 
   • TOMS® Shoes company employees and managers 
   • Suppliers who provide the products that TOMS® Shoes sells 
   • Marketing intermediaries who sell TOMS® Shoes’ products 
   • Competitors of TOMS® Shoes 
   • Customers of TOMS® Shoes 
   • The Public and other Stakeholders 

Please Note: The sources you use should be credible, which means the sources are suitable for inclusion in a serious college-level paper. Examples of these “qualified” sources can include a company website, an academic journal, a newspaper (online and traditional), a periodical (online and traditional) and an online video report from a recognized news source. Sources that would not be permissible are blogs, sources that do not go through an editing overview process (like Wikipedia or about.com) or sources that can’t be verified by your instructor. If you have any questions regarding what is permissible, please contact your instructor.

APA Requirements & Suggestions

• APA format writing has very specific writing requirements that need to be met and are graded. A few of these major requirements include:
• Microsoft Office programs only: Word, PowerPoint, or Excel (versions 2007 or higher)
• A Title Page should be the first page of your Assignment,
• Each page should be double-spaced (no spaces between paragraphs)
• You will indent each new paragraph
• Font should be Times New Roman and 12 pt. font only
• 1” margins all around for your page setup
• APA formatted Reference Page is the last page of your Assignment
• Your Reference Page should include at least two “qualified” research sources on it
• You should include at least two Citations in your response section (each instance should be just a sentence or two or support your writing)
• Bullet Points and Numbered Lists should not be used
• Qualified Research Sources should only be used (i.e. no resources exemplified by Wikipedia and about.com will be accepted) and typically these are found by using resources like the Library and Google Scholar

The paper should be a minimum of two pages long, double-spaced. The minimum length does not include the cover page and the reference page. All sources should be referenced as sources cited. Check for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage. Citations should use APA style.

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