Provide relevant background information on Samsung and LG, current forces affecting its operations, and its expectations for future years. The management discussion and analysis (MD&A) section of the companys annual report will be a useful source for this type of information. In addition to the companies annual report, the teams may look at pulling current articles about the companies from the databases available through the University Library. There are a number of credible sources where this type of information can be obtained through the Internet.

Caution: It is dangerous to rely solely on the opinions and perceptions expressed by agents of a firm, since they may have a tendency to present an overly optimistic picture of the current state and future of their companies. After all, they have shareholders that pay close attention to their words and actions. It would be prudent to verify information through non-agents of the companies, such as financial and investment analysts who closely track the industry as well as media outlets that closely monitor and report on companies within the U. S. economy. It is understood that the opinions expressed by these sources are subject to bias regardless of how objective they attempt to be. The objective is to validate the information you obtain through more than a single source. This is a practice that all management officials should make a habit.

The teams will be expected to qualitatively analyze the content within the companies most recent independent audit of its financials and records. In performing this analysis, the teams should focus on the audit findings and opinions.