Name Course number Instructor`s name Date McDonald`s: Company`s External Environment Analysis Introduction McDonald`s is a widely recognized fast food company. It has international presence with over thirty thousand stores in different parts of the world including Asia and thousands of McDonald`s franchises. The company registered a profit of $ 5.46 billion in 2012 (Strategic Management Insight, 2013). An analysis of the company`s external environment is important in determining strategies that the company requires taking to increase profitability. Political, governmental and legal McDonald`s operates in different countries making it necessary to comply with the specific regulatory requirements of the respective countries. The different political systems and government structures in the different countries enact legal requirements as they relate to a number of issues. Some of the regulatory issues include minimum wage regulations, hygiene and quality regulations, and labeling and packaging regulations. The regulations have an impact on cost of the products as well as the quality. In some countries like the UK, the labeling and packaging regulations have been imposed to promote healthy eating habits. McDonalds and other fast food companies are required to provide information about the calorie count on the labels so that customers are aware of how much calories they are taking. This is in an effort to reduce the number of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes and ...