FDY3002 Exploring the Business Environment Assignment Brief 2026

FDY3002 Assignment Brief

Learning Outcomes (LO)

By completing this assessment, you will have shown and be assessed on all four of the learning outcomes:

LO1 Discuss the importance of organisations’ understanding of their internal and external environment

LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of key business functions, with reference to academic sources of information

LO3 Explain business ethics and state how and why ethical issues may influence how a business operates

LO4 Graduate Attribute: Professionally knowledgeable in the subject area.
Provide effective written communication addressing real-world issues.

Assignment Instructions:

Key information about this module’s assessment

There are two separate assessment tasks for this module:

Assessment 1 Week 6: Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ Examination) worth 20% of your final grade for the module.

For further information about Assessment 1 MCQ, please view the assessment instructions on iLearn, on the ‘MCQ Examination’ tab here:
Topic: MCQ Examination | Exploring the Business Environment | iLearn Home

Assessment 2 Week 10: The VIDEO CASE STUDY is worth 80% of your final grade for the module.

You need to complete both tasks to achieve the full range of marks available.

This assessment brief explains what you need to do for Assessment 2.

Task Summary

You are required to watch and listen to an animated video and write a problem-solution statement based on the problem discussed in the video.
The video is available on the link provided below and in ilearn “My Assessment” Tab.

In this task, you are taking the role of a business analyst from a management company.
Your role is to give expert advice to a business that is facing difficulties in the current economic climate.
The business wants you to determine how its internal and external environments are affecting its ability to generate a profit.
It also wants suggestions on how to improve its day-to-day operations.

For this task, you must produce a written Problem-Solution Statement (1600 words)
following the structure below based on the case study video.
Use the structure provided below to support your answers with academic sources where required.

Watch the animated video reporting of StyleX before answering the questions.

Link to the video:
FDY3002 Exploring the Business Environment – StyleX News Report on Vimeo
The video and transcript are also available on iLearn too.

1. Introduce the Problem Clearly (500 words)

• Identify and discuss two internal and two external environmental factors that are causing problems for StyleX.
• Why is it important for a business like StyleX to understand its internal and external environment?
• Who are the main stakeholders affected by these problems (e.g., owners, employees, customers, suppliers)?

(Note: Provide any real-world examples or data from the IBIS world report and Statista that show the impact of these problems on the fashion industry.)

2. Explain the Impact of the Problem (500 words)

• How are the problems impacting StyleX’s key business functions such as finance, operations, marketing, and HR?
  Choose any two functional areas.
• What risks or consequences might StyleX face if these problems remain unresolved?

3. Present the Proposed Solution(s) (400 words)

• Based on the problem and impact discussed above in section 1 and 2, now provide
  two solutions (one for internal issues and one for external) that could help StyleX to solve the issues.
• How should StyleX handle ethical concerns to maintain consumer trust and brand reputation?
• What benefits will these solutions bring to StyleX’s overall business performance and ethical behaviour?

4. Conclude with a Strong Closing Paragraph (200 words)

• Why is it critical for StyleX to act on these problems and solutions now?
• What are the recommended next steps for StyleX’s leadership to secure its future success and ethical operation?

References

• Use AU Harvard referencing style
• Include a reference list at the end of your report (not part of the word count)
• You must use a minimum of 3 academic sources (e.g., books, journal articles, industry reports such as IBIS world and Statista)

Essential Assignment Resources

The problem-solution statement document should demonstrate that you understand key business concepts and can apply them to a real-world business situation.
You should discuss the business concepts you have learned in this module and use the information sources available on iLearn.
You may also use external sources such as IBISWorld and Statista to support your analysis.

• Animated video found under “My assessment” tab in iLearn module page
• To help you understand the case study and write your assessment, you may find it helpful to conduct a PESTEL and SWOT analysis for the business.
  Please note. You do not need to include a PESTEL and SWOT in your assessment.
• To support your investigation and analysis, refer to the IBIS World Industry Report.
  The industry report will give useful background information about the industry.
• You can access the report by visiting the IBIS World database on the library website
  (https://library.arden.ac.uk/z-list-databases-0).
  There will also be a PDF of the report on iLearn.
  Don’t forget to reference any information from IBIS World that you refer to in your assessment.