Skip to Main Content

BADM 485: Strategic Management

Find resources related to completing case work in BADM 485.

Use Library Databases

Search for Company Information Using Business Source Premier

Option 1: Search Broadly and then Refine
  1. Navigate to Business Source Premier (click link or click on "Databases A-Z" on the library's homepage).
  2. Use the search boxes and AND, OR, and NOT to begin your search. AND brings the different ideas from your research question/what you want to find out together, while OR lets you search multiple similar words in one search. You can search just by company name, or company name and a certain piece of information, including geographical area or certain time. For example: (walmart) AND (e-commerce OR online shopping)
  3. Refine your search on the left hand side of the page. You can refine by date, source type (magazines/periodicals, newspapers, etc.), or even by company. Using my search from #2, I could choose to refine to only 2020-2024, and check "Amazon.inc" as a company to only get sources related to both Walmart and Amazon's e-commerce.
  4. Click on a title to view a source's record. Read it by clicking one of the full text links on the left hand side of the record.
Option 2: Search for Company Reports
  1. Navigate to Business Source Premier (click link or click on "Databases A-Z" on the library's homepage).
  2. Scroll down on the page that opens, and find "Document Type" on the left hand side. Click on "Company Report." 
  3. Scroll back up to the search boxes, and type in a company's name. I recommend just searching by company, and not adding another keyword. For example: (walmart)
  4. Any company reports or MarketLine Profiles that are available will appear. You can choose to refine by date on the left hand side of the page if needed.

Search for Company Information on Statista

Option 1: Search for a Company Report
  1. Navigate to Statista (click link or click on "Databases A-Z" on the library's homepage).
  2. Look toward the top left of the page. Hover over "Reports," and click on "Companies & Products."
  3. Search in the search box for your desired company. If you are working with a very large/multinational company, you may want to add which country you are interested in as well, for example (walmart in the united states).
  4. Click on a report. You can download it by clicking "Download" on the right hand side of the page.
Option 2: Search for a Specific Statistic
  1. Navigate to Statista (click link or click on "Databases A-Z" on the library's homepage).
  2. Search for a statistic or some needed data using the search box. Start your search broadly with only a few keywords, for example (pharmacy revenue). 
  3. Click on a result. You may see statistics, topics (collections of statistics), or reports (collections of statistics with analysis).
  4. You can get the raw data for a statistic by clicking on the statistic in the search, and then clicking "XLS" on the right hand side.
Option 3: Search by Market
  1. Navigate to Statista (click link or click on "Databases A-Z" on the library's homepage).
  2. Look toward the top left of the page. Hover over "Insights," then click "Explore Market Insights."
  3. Search for your relevant market--for example, "electric vehicles." 
  4. Change the geographic range (click on "Worldwide") if needed, and look at what is considered in and out of scope for the market.

Search for Company Information (Legal) on Westlaw

Option One: Search Broadly for Information
  1. Navigate to Westlaw (click link or find it on the library's A-Z Databases list).
  2. Search your company name in the search box.
  3. The search will take you to an "overview." To look for a specific type of information, like cases or regulations, click on one of the options on the left hand side of the search page.
Option Two: Search for a Specific Case or Regulation
  1. Navigate to Westlaw (click link or find it on the library's A-Z Databases list).
  2. Search for a specific case, regulation, or other document--for example, "walmart v. Dukes."
  3. Click on a title to be taken to a page with more information. If you are looking up a case, you will see the verdict, information about filings, and much more.

Use EDGAR/SEC

Use Company Websites

Publicly traded companies almost always have an "investor relations" page where they give updates, link to annual reports, and house other information meant for their shareholders. Locate an investor relations page by Googling the company name AND "investor relations," or use a Google site search: investor relations site:walmart.com. You may have to click on sub-pages (look for anything that says "Financials," "Presentations," or "Updates") to find exactly what you need.

Here are some examples of company investor relations pages:

 

Other Strategies

Transcripts of quarterly earnings calls, if they happen, are made available via investor relations pages or on the web. They can be a valuable source of both current and past financial information about a company. Try Googling a specific quarter, year, and company to see their call transcript; for example, "walmart q2 2022 earnings call transcript" You can also utilize Google's site search: "q2 2022 earnings transcript site:walmart.com."

Here are a few articles that cover what kind of information you can find out by listening to or reading an earnings call:

LibGuides Footer; South Dakota State University; Brookings, SD 57007; 1-800-952-3541