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CIMA E3 · Strategic Level

B. Analysing the organisational ecosystem

This section examines the organisational ecosystem and external forces that shape strategic positioning, including stakeholder analysis, governance frameworks, and environmental scanning through tools such as PESTEL analysis and Porter's national diamond.

  • 26 lessons
  • 3 modules
  • 4.1h of video
  • ~20% of the exam
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What you'll learn

By the end of B. Analysing the organisational ecosystem.

  • Explain the role of stakeholders, governance frameworks, and ethics in defining organisational purpose, vision and values
  • Analyse the external organisational ecosystem using PESTEL analysis to identify political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors
  • Apply Porter's national diamond framework to evaluate the competitive advantages and constraints within an organisation's national context
  • Identify key drivers for change within business ecosystems and assess their impact on organisational strategy
  • Evaluate how organisational ecosystems influence strategic positioning and competitive advantage
  • Describe the relationship between stakeholder interests, governance structures and strategic decision-making

The lessons

26 lessons, module by module.

Stakeholders, governance and ethics

8 lessons
  1. 1 Stakeholders, governance and ethics - introduction 4m
  2. 2 Purpose, vision and values - part 1 8m
  3. 3 Purpose, vision and values - part 2 7m
  4. 4 Stakeholders and corporate governance - part 1 9m
  5. 5 Stakeholders and corporate governance - part 2 9m
  6. 6 Corporate social responsibility - part 1 8m
  7. 7 Corporate social responsibility - part 2 8m
  8. 8 Ethics 18m

Analysing the organisational ecosystem (*with 2026 updates)

10 lessons
  1. 1 Analysing the organisational ecosystem - introduction 5m
  2. 2 PESTEL analysis - part 1 9m
  3. 3 PESTEL analysis - part 2 9m
  4. 4 Porter's national diamond - part 1 10m
  5. 5 Porter's national diamond - part 2 4m
  6. 6 Porter's five forces 16m
  7. 7 Competitor analysis 13m
  8. 8 SWOT analysis 11m
  9. 9 Generative AI as a strategic force (2026 syllabus) - part 1 13m
  10. 10 Generative AI as a strategic force (2026 syllabus) - part 2 20m

Impact of the ecosystem on organisations and strategy

8 lessons
  1. 1 Impact of ecosystems - introduction 7m
  2. 2 Drivers for change - part 1 8m
  3. 3 Drivers for change - part 2 11m
  4. 4 Business ecosystems - part 1 10m
  5. 5 Business ecosystems - part 2 9m
  6. 6 Mutuality and orchestration 7m
  7. 7 Networks and platforms - part 1 6m
  8. 8 Networks and platforms - part 2 8m

Questions

About B. Analysing the organisational ecosystem.

What does the Analysing the organisational ecosystem section cover?

This section covers the external forces and frameworks that influence strategic positioning, including stakeholder analysis, corporate governance, and ethics. It introduces key analytical tools such as PESTEL analysis for environmental scanning and Porter's national diamond for understanding competitive context. The section also explores business ecosystems and drivers for change that shape organisational strategy.

Is this section important for the E3 exam?

Yes, this section is fundamental to E3 (Strategic Level) and comprises a significant portion of the syllabus. The exam extensively tests your ability to analyse organisational ecosystems, apply PESTEL and Porter's frameworks, and evaluate how external factors influence strategic positioning. Strong understanding of these concepts is essential for success in the E3 objective test.

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