The purpose of this assignment is to conduct an environmental scan and industry analysis on ” Southwest Airlines” and identify how external and industry environmental factors impact the operational and competitive landscapes of  ” Southwest Airlines”

Perform an external environmental scan and industry environmental analysis on this publicly traded company from the perspective of a business unit. Begin your analysis with the seven segments of the general environment (Figure 2.1) and the five forces of competition model (Figure 2.2). Then complete a detailed outline of the meaningful trends, issues, and factors that impact or are likely to impact the overall competitive landscape for your company in the future. The purpose of this multilevel analytical approach is to break down macro trends and issues until you identify how exactly they affect your company and business unit.

Your analysis should answer the following components:

1) Sectors of the external environment and the five forces of competition?
2) Concepts to research in each category?

you could begin your research by consulting online NAICS databases, SEC filing databases (such as EDGAR), or sources like business and industry periodicals.