VRC is a family owned business which has been manufacturing racing cycles for over a century. Over the years, the company has been relatively successful, although its growth has tended to happen in what can only be explained as an unplanned, ad hoc, and opportunistic way. To some extent the developments have been as a result of the personal interests of F, the owner and Managing Director, who was a former road racing cyclist.  

Discuss the strategic management models\frameworks that R could use in undertaking his analysis of the strategic position of VRC Company.

In external appraisal will include scanning the external environment for factors relevant to the Company's current and future activities. A number of strategic management tools could be used to assist in this process. For example the PESTEL framework could be used to examine factors in the general environment for cycle manufacturing. This framework is used to categorise the environmental powers into headings, political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal. This will assist in the assessment of the external factors that may be impact on VRC's future strategic development and can help in identifying key trends and drivers for alter in the industry for cycles.