Case: C3 | DESTEP Analysis

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Understanding the bigger picture

29-07-2025 1035 views 0

C3 | DESTEP Analysis

Before a company enters a new international market, it needs to understand what’s happening in the country as a whole.

Are there trends or conditions that could help your business succeed — or block your way? This is where a DESTEPDESTEP – What it is and how it works DESTEP is a framework used to analyse the external environment of a country or region. It helps businesses, governments, researchers or students understand the lar… Read more analysis is useful.

DESTEP stands for six external factors that influence business on a national level: Demographic, Economic, Social-cultural, Technological, Ecological and Political.

In this assignment, you will analyse the macro-environment of the export country you’ve chosen. Your goal is to identify relevant developments in that country and explain how they might affect your business case.

This is part of your role as junior export manager: exploring external conditions that can impact your export decisions. By doing this, you practise how to look beyond your product or company, and how to think in terms of external influences — both positive and negative.

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Assignments for students

How do you start?

You already know your company and your export country. Now it’s time to look at the world around your market. These questions can help you make good choices per category:

Demographic – Who lives there? What age groups or income levels are growing?
Economic – Is the economy growing? What about inflation, income, or import duties?
Social-cultural – What habits, values or lifestyles might influence your product?
Technological – Is innovation important? How digital is this market?
Ecological – Are there environmental rules or climate concerns to consider?
Political – What is the government’s role in trade, regulation or stability?

Use trusted sources like the World Factbook, RVO.nl, or national statistics websites. You can also use OEC.world to explore trade flows, export structure, and the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) of your chosen country.

Focus on the most relevant points for your business case.

What to do?

Make a DESTEPDESTEP – What it is and how it works DESTEP is a framework used to analyse the external environment of a country or region. It helps businesses, governments, researchers or students understand the lar… Read more analysis for your chosen export country. Follow these steps:

Look at each of the six DESTEP categories. Use sources to find relevant factsBeing able to know whether something is fact or opinion, is very important when reading news or watching an advert for example.
• A fact is something that can be proved to be correct.
• An op… Read more about the country.
Select the most important factor(s) per category for your business case.
Write a short explanation for each factor: why does this matter for your product or company?

What to hand in?

One completed DESTEP overview (PDF, JPG, DOCX or similar)
Short answers to the questions below

Which standards apply?

All mandatory questions are answered
All necessary attachments are uploaded
The selected macro factors are relevant to the business case

Core assignments for students

Discover whether you master the essence of this case by completing the corresponding core assignments. If necessary, you can share your answers with your teacher or supervisor.

Case: C3 | CO23 | DESTEP

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Students are divided into small groups (6 to 12 students) and are presented with a problem. The problem is analysed in the group: what do we already know; what do we not yet know; and what do we still have to find out? (= formulation of learning goals).
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One comment to “C3 | DESTEP Analysis”

Edvard Spaapen says:

July 29, 2025 at 11:03 am

C3 – DESTEP Analysis

– Opdracht herzien met een toegankelijkere en activerende toon. Tevens hernummerd in deze bundel CO23.
– DESTEP uitgewerkt in glossary term + met concrete hulpvragen per categorie.
– Bronnengebruik gespecificeerd en dringend advies voorgeschreven (OEC, net als eerdere opdracht!).
– Instructies voor inleveren vereenvoudigd en verduidelijkt.

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Edvard Spaapen

Editor of content during development stage