lecture 2 context

Question 1

What is the external environment

Answer 1

The issues, trends and events outside the boundaries of the organisation which influence internal decisions and behaviours Buchanan D & Hucynski (2007: 35).

Question 2

What is environmental scanning

Answer 2

a term for a number of techniques for identifying and predicting the potential impact of external trends and developments on the internal functioning of an organisation.

Question 3

Political

Answer 3

government policy, war, terrorism and trade union polices and activities

Question 4

Economic

Answer 4

economic growth patterns, competitor or supplier behavior, raw material prices, wage rates

Question 5

Social

Answer 5

demographic trends, lifestyle preferences, labour mobility

Question 6

Technology

Answer 6

new products, new facilities, new materials, new production methods & processes

Question 7

Legal

Answer 7

European harmonization of legislation & taxation, international law, human rights concern.

Question 8

Environmental

Answer 8

environmental concerns, protecting countryside & shoreline, reducing toxic emissions, pollution, spills.

Question 9

Strengths of PESTLE

Answer 9

All things considered, Structured framework, Platform for ‘scenario building’, It identifies trends, It can be a trigger for change

Question 10

Weaknesses of PESTLE

Answer 10

What’s relevant and What’s not?, Cannot predict the future, Time consuming, expensive, Inhibits rapid response, A matter of interpretation

Question 11

Postmodern thinking

Answer 11

a mode of thinking which focuses on the way in which language is used symbolically and selectively to construct versions of ‘truth’ and ‘reality’ to serve the interests of particular social groupings