Indirect impact on the organization. Environmental factors of direct and indirect impact, their characteristics

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Indirect environmental factors generally do not affect the operations of organizations as noticeably as direct environmental factors. However, it is important for management to take them into account. The indirect impact environment is usually more complex than the direct impact environment. Management is often forced to make assumptions about such an environment, based on incomplete information, in attempting to predict possible consequences for the organization. We will dwell on this issue in more detail when considering the planning function. However, first we should briefly consider the main environmental factors of indirect influence.

These include technology, the state of the economy, sociocultural and political factors, as well as relationships with the local population.

Political factors.

Certain aspects of the political environment are of particular importance to leaders. One of them is the attitude of the administration, legislative bodies and courts towards business. Closely linked to sociocultural trends, in a democracy these sentiments influence government actions such as the taxation of corporate income, the establishment of tax breaks or preferential trade tariffs, requirements for hiring and promotion practices for minorities, consumer protection legislation, safety standards, standards for environmental cleanliness, control of prices and wages, the balance of power between workers and company managers.

Political stability is of great importance for companies with operations or markets in other countries. In the host country of a foreign investor or for product exports, political changes may result in the restriction of property rights for foreigners (even the nationalization of foreign property) or the imposition of special duties on imports. Balance of payments or problems servicing foreign debt may make it difficult to obtain dollars exported as profits. On the other hand, policy may change in a direction favorable to investors when there is a need for an influx of capital from abroad. Establishing diplomatic relations can open the door to new markets, as has been the case in China, but in other countries business usually continues despite formal diplomatic confrontation with local communities.

Technology.

Technology is both an internal variable and an external factor of great importance. Technological innovations affect the efficiency with which products can be manufactured and sold, the rate at which a product becomes obsolete, how information can be collected, stored, and distributed, and the kinds of services and new products customers expect from an organization.

It is obvious that organizations that deal directly with high-level technologies, knowledge-intensive enterprises, must be able to quickly respond to new developments and propose innovations themselves. However, today, in order to remain competitive, all organizations are forced to keep up with at least those developments on which the effectiveness of their activities depends.

State of the economy.

Management must also be able to assess how the organization's operations will be affected by general changes in the economy. The state of the global economy affects the cost of all inputs and the ability of consumers to purchase certain goods and services. Management may also decide to make a loan because when payments become due, the money will be worth less and thereby partially offset losses from interest payments. If an economic downturn is predicted, the organization may prefer to reduce inventories of finished products, since there may be difficulties in selling them, lay off some employees, or postpone plans to expand production until better times.

The state of the economy can greatly affect an organization's ability to obtain capital for its needs. This is mainly due to the fact that the federal government often tries to smooth out the consequences of a deteriorating economic situation by regulating taxes, the money supply and the interest rate set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. If this bank tightens loan conditions and raises interest rates, commercial banks must do the same to avoid being left out of the game. As a result, loans become more difficult to obtain and cost the organization more. Likewise, tax cuts increase the amount of money people can spend on non-essential purposes and thereby help stimulate business.

It is important to understand that a particular change in the state of the economy can have a positive impact on some organizations and a negative impact on others. From history, for example, we know that the film industry flourished when the economy was in a deplorable state. Local variations also occur. While retail stores in general may be hit hard in an economic downturn, stores located in affluent suburbs, for example, are likely to feel nothing at all. Organizations that do business in many countries often consider the state of the economy to be a particularly challenging and important aspect to them. Fluctuations in the exchange rate of the dollar relative to the currencies of other countries caused large firms to instantly gain or lose millions of dollars.

Sociocultural factors.

Every organization operates in at least one cultural environment. Therefore, sociocultural factors, including prevailing attitudes, life values ​​and traditions, influence the organization. For example, the American public holds certain expectations and beliefs about the value of what constitutes ethical business practices. Giving a bribe to obtain a lucrative contract or political benefits, favoritism instead of supporting competence, spreading rumors discrediting a competitor are considered unethical and immoral actions, even when they cannot be considered essentially illegal. In some other countries, however, this practice is considered normal and adopted by enterprises, since the sociocultural environment there is different.

Another example of sociocultural influence on business practice is the traditional and unfortunate stereotype that women are risk averse and incompetent as leaders. This attitude is implemented in discriminatory hiring and promotion practices against women, and although it is illegal, it is difficult to get rid of such attitudes.

Sociocultural factors also influence the products or services that result from a company's activities. A good example is the clothing industry. People are often willing to pay more for a piece of clothing that bears the name of a prestigious fashion designer like Ralph Lauren or Gloria Vanderbilt because they feel it gives them extra social standing. Another example is the passion over nuclear power plants, which had a sharply negative impact on the companies concerned. Another example is the demand by some groups to reduce the sugar content of breakfast cereals and to carefully control advertising to children. The growing awareness of the importance of sports and good nutrition has led to the proliferation of, for example, sports sneakers, vitamin supplements and sports centers, figure skating.

The way organizations conduct their business also depends on sociocultural factors. The result of the sociocultural impact on organizations is a growing attention to the social responsibility of business.

Relations with the local population.

For almost any organization, the prevailing attitude towards it of the local community in which this or that organization operates is of paramount importance as a factor in the environment of indirect influence, not to mention the factor of the actions of the federal authorities. Almost every community has specific laws and regulations regarding business that determine where a particular enterprise can operate. Some cities, for example, go to great lengths to create incentives to attract industry to the city.

Others, on the contrary, have been fighting in court for years to prevent industrial enterprises from entering the city. In some communities, the political climate is favorable to business, which forms the basis of the influx of local budget funds from taxes. In other places, property owners choose to take on a larger share of municipal revenues, either to attract new businesses to the community or to help businesses prevent pollution and other problems that can come with business and the new jobs it creates.

Therefore, many organizations make a concerted effort to maintain good relationships with the communities in which they operate. These efforts may take the form of funding local schools, philanthropic activities, or supporting young talent in governance rather than giving cash to the community.

International environment.

While the environmental factors described above affect all organizations to some extent, the environment of organizations operating internationally is more complex. The latter is due to a unique set of factors characterizing each country. Economy, culture, quantity and quality of labor and material resources, laws, government institutions, political stability, and level of technological development vary from country to country.

When an organization begins to conduct its business outside the domestic market, the corresponding procedures are subject to modification to suit certain specific environmental factors.

Managers may incorrectly assume that business practices at home and abroad are similar. For example, Max Factor, Revlon or Avon failed in their attempts to penetrate the cosmetics market in Japan. Among the factors that have limited the sales of the company's products in Japan are the following: the consumption of perfumes here is insignificant, it is believed that creams for simulating tanning, like tanning itself, disfigure a person, extracts for adding to baths in hotels and bathhouses are not used. Campbell Soup Co. faced similar problems after investing $8 million to promote instant soups in the Brazilian market. When it became clear that actual sales differed significantly from what was forecast, additional information was collected to understand why this happened. In-depth interviews revealed that Brazilian housewives lose their sense of being homemakers if all they have to do when cooking soup is pour water into a pan.

The environment is a set of objective conditions in which the company operates.

External environment - factors that are outside the organization and influence the results of its activities. The influence of external environmental factors on the stability of a company’s position in the market was recognized only in the 50s. twentieth century, when a number of countries embarked on the path of post-industrial development.

Direct impact environment - factors directly affecting the organization’s activities:

Factors of direct impact:

1. Suppliers – the organization receives all types of resources through suppliers; The fulfillment of their obligations has a direct impact on the rhythm of the trade and technological process, the volume of trade turnover, profit, and improvement of positions in competition. Suppliers: material, financial and labor resources, technologies, equipment.

Material resources. It is necessary to constantly analyze prices, delivery conditions and use this technology when making decisions about suppliers.

Labor resources. Know the labor market.

Equipment and technology. Lack of finance does not allow purchasing advanced equipment.

2. Consumers (clients) - the organization exists to meet their needs. In market conditions, tastes and demands are changing rapidly. The company must know its consumers, analyze the reasons for changes (in income, marital status, number, and so on). It is important to form, create a buyer, manage his tastes and needs. Often new products come into contact with unprepared buyers.

3. Competitors.

4. Laws and government bodies. They formulate a regulatory framework for the creation and operation of enterprises and tax policy.

5. Trade unions - issues of reducing working hours, increasing wages, working conditions. Strikes can lead to a plant shutdown.

Indirect impact environment:

1. State of the economy (includes the level of prices and tariffs, inflation, effective demand, banking policy, etc.). If income falls, the buyer postpones the purchase of many goods that are not essential items.

2. Politics - political stability is the most important condition for the activities of entrepreneurs.

3. NTP – (in successful retail companies, accounting information systems, the latest equipment and technologies).

4. Social factors - (traditions accepted in the country, aging people - a new approach to goods, changing values, customs and tastes of consumers).

5. International events – (customs, tax policy, currency, etc.).

Questions for consolidation:

1. Define the external environment of the organization.

2. Give concepts of direct and indirect impact factors.

3. Describe the factors of direct impact.

4. Describe the factors of indirect impact.

Please indicate one correct answer:

1. What are the names of the factors that directly affect the activities of the organization:

A) Direct impact factors

B) Indirect impact factors

2. Which of the factors does not relate to the environment of indirect influence:

A) Politics

B) Social factors

B) Competitors

D) International events

3. Which factor forms the regulatory framework for the creation and operation of enterprises, tax policy:

A) Competitors

B) Trade unions

B) Consumers

4. Which of the factors does not relate to the direct impact environment:

A) State of the economy

B) Consumers

B) Trade unions

D) Laws and government bodies

5. Thanks to what direct impact factor does the organization receive all types of resources:

A) Competitors

B) Trade unions

B) Suppliers

D) Consumers

More on topic 7. External environment of the organization, factors of direct and indirect impact, characteristics and relationships:

  1. 9. The internal environment of the organization, its main variables, their characteristics and relationships
  2. General characteristics of the organization. Internal and external environment of the organization
  3. 10. The environment of international relations and its main characteristics. Interdependence between the external and internal environment.

Any organization resides and functions in the environment. IN management under organization environment understand the presence of conditions and factors that affect the functioning of the company and require management decisions aimed at managing or adapting to them. Every action of all organizations without exception is possible only if the environment allows its existence.

Under internal environment of the organization understand an economic organism, which includes a management mechanism aimed at optimizing scientific, technical and production and marketing activities. The internal environment of an organization is the source of its lifeblood. It contains the potential that enables an organization to function, and therefore to exist and survive in a certain period of time. When we talk about the internal environment of a company, we mean its global structure, covering all production enterprises, financial, insurance, transport and other divisions that are part of the company, regardless of their location and field of activity. However, the internal environment can also be a source of problems and even the death of an organization if it does not ensure its necessary functioning.

Under external environment of the organization understand all the conditions and factors that arise in the environment, regardless of the activities of a particular company, but which have or can have an impact on its functioning and therefore require management decisions.

The set of these factors and the assessment of their impact on economic activity are different. Usually, in the management process, the organization itself determines which factors and to what extent can affect the results of its activities in the present period and in the future; ongoing research or current events are accompanied by the development of specific tools and methods for making appropriate management decisions. Moreover, first of all, external environmental factors that influence the state of the company’s internal environment are identified and taken into account.



The external environment is a source that supplies the organization with the resources that are necessary to maintain its internal potential at the proper level. The organization is in a state of constant exchange with the external environment, thereby providing itself with the opportunity to survive. However, the resources of the external environment are not unlimited, and they are claimed by many other organizations located in the same environment, so there is always the possibility that the organization will not be able to obtain the necessary resources from the external environment. This can weaken its potential and lead to many negative consequences. The task of strategic management is to ensure that the organization interacts with its environment in a way that would allow it to maintain its potential at the level necessary to achieve its goals, and thereby enable it to survive in the long term.

The influence of the external environment is manifested through the impact of its factors on the results of the organization's activities. This effect has a number of specific features.

1. Complexity. Characterized by the number and variety of influencing factors. The greater the number of variables, the greater the complexity and ambiguity of the environment in which the organization exists. In particular, the following elements determine the complexity of the environment:

the number of different suppliers of one category of materials in a specific market niche;

the level of geographic dispersion or concentration of suppliers, labor, industry sales, and competing companies in the designated market sector;

the level of product differentiation by industry segment within a certain market sector;

the degree of sociocultural diversification in the market niche;

the level of diversification of all forms of business in the market niche;

an indicator of technological diversification within an industry.

2. Interdependence. Determined by the degree of interconnectedness of interacting factors. Thus, for enterprises that work using components received from external partners, dependence on external factors will be higher than when producing these parts in their own enterprise.

3. Uncertainty. It assumes the unpredictable, random nature of many processes accompanying business and management, and dynamism, showing the rate of change in factors in the organization’s external environment. The following general variables are intended to measure environmental uncertainty or dynamism:

· degree of change in supplier prices;

· degree of price changes of competitors;

· degree of change in labor supply;

· degree of change in the demand curve for a product;

· degree of change in the price of capital;

· degree of change in funding opportunities;

· degree of change in methods of competition;

· degree of changes in market regulation policy;

· level of sales in the industry based on the results of entering the market with new products;

· level of activity due to new competitors entering the market;

· degree of change as a result of deviations from the norm of the product life cycle;

· the degree of change resulting from the influences of new technology introduced into the industry.

A careful analysis of these variables reveals that they determine the degree of change in categories such as customers, suppliers and competitors. In turn, variables can also change as changes occur in the business, so they need to be taken into account in the environmental analysis process when attempting to influence the dynamics of the external environment.

All factors of the organization’s external environment can be divided into two large groups: direct impact factors (microenvironment) and indirect impact factors (macroenvironment) .

The components of the external environment that influence the efficiency and sustainability of the firm’s functioning include those that the firm cannot influence and which it does not manage. These components influence the company directly (tax system, policies of suppliers, consumers, etc.) or indirectly (political, economic and other areas).

Factors of direct impact are: suppliers, consumers, competitors, legislation and state and municipal authorities.

Suppliers have a direct impact on the activities of any organization. From the perspective systematic approach organization is a mechanism for transforming inputs into outputs. The main types of inputs of an organization are receipts of all types of resources to support its economic activities. The dependence of an organization on suppliers of resources from the external environment is one of the most striking examples of the direct impact of the environment on the operating activities of the organization and the success of these activities.

This is most obvious in relation to raw materials And materials , capital And labor resources .

Raw materials¾ the most important component entrepreneurial activity , and therefore management . Firstly, high quality raw materials and materials must be ensured in the required volumes. Secondly, guarantees of supply of raw materials and supplies within the required time frame are necessary. Both are achieved by creating a system of incoming quality control of supplies, careful preparation and development of the enterprise’s supply system, transportation of relevant goods, warehousing, as well as by duplicating supplies from several independent sources.

Capital, necessary for the functioning of the organization, comes from various sources and on certain conditions through banks, therefore the tasks of management are to study and make a reasonable choice of sources of capital, carry out calculations of financing and lending to the organization, establish relationships and qualified work with banks.

From labor resources and their sources largely determine the success of management. Particular attention is paid to the selection and training of specialists in new areas of activity related to the implementation of the latest achievements of science, engineering and technology, including specialists in advertising, public relations, sales agents and other areas of activity, as well as the selection and training of managers various levels.

Consumers largely determine the success of an organization. The consumers of the organization's products are citizens who need to satisfy their needs, and enterprises whose needs are related to the business they carry out. Satisfying the requirements and specific demand of customers determines the purpose and content of the business.

Competitors are an external factor whose influence cannot be disputed. If you do not satisfy the needs of consumers as effectively as competitors do, the company will not last long in the market. In many cases, it is competitors who determine what kind of output can be sold and what price can be charged. They may also compete for capital ( investments ), labor resources, raw materials and materials and the right to use certain technical innovations. Competition also affects working conditions and wages within the organization, and the nature of relationships between managers and subordinates. There are five main forces of competition that determine the level of profit in an industry:

1) the threat of new competitors appearing in the industry;

2) the ability of buyers to achieve price reductions;

3) the ability of suppliers to achieve higher prices for their products;

4) the possibility of substitutes for the organization’s products and services appearing on the market;

5) the degree of fierceness of the struggle between competitors existing in the industry.

Legislation and state and municipal authorities also influence organizations. Labor legislation directly affects the activities of the organization and must be taken into account in management. The greatest influence is exerted by tax legislation, regulation of foreign trade (export, import), customs regulation, ensuring environmental safety, etc. The number and complexity of laws related to business have now greatly increased. The state of legislation is characterized by:

the degree of favorable legislation for the organization’s activities, business encouragement and the creation of appropriate regulatory support;

equality of operating conditions for all organizations in this industry, regardless of their form of ownership;

the ability to quickly and fairly resolve emerging contradictions and conflicts with suppliers, consumers, competitors, business partners in administrative and judicial proceedings;

durability, stability and certainty of legal norms.

14. The essence of planning and its importance in the activities of the organization.

Planning- a continuous process of establishing or clarifying and concretizing the development goals of the entire organization and its structural divisions, determining the means of achieving them, the timing and sequence of implementation, and the distribution (identification) of resources.

Planning the company's activities– this is a documentary recording of upcoming actions or the results of specific actions of the company in the future.

Characteristics of effective planning:

feasibility and adequacy; realism; completeness; formality; comparability of indicators; systematic; cyclicality; certainty and specificity; professionalism.

Very often, enterprises lack systematic and effective planning for a number of reasons.

Here is a list of myths about the ineffectiveness of the planning system:

· There is not enough information to create a holistic picture of the development of the market situation. Ideally, the planner should have a full range of industry and market knowledge;

· high uncertainty in the development of the Russian economic situation.
Firstly, the Russian economy has long ceased to exhibit the properties of a turbulent environment. Secondly, such an attitude is a consequence of a misunderstanding of the very nature of forecasting, which is the basis for making plans, and it is mistakenly compared with fortune telling;

· rigidity (inflexibility) of plans that have already been approved, but the situation has changed. This situation is most likely associated with an authoritarian planning style or the lack of well-developed planning mechanisms, or rather, adjustments to plans. Adherents of this myth should understand that one of the main tasks of planning is not to prescribe optimistic options, but also to take into account the possibility of a “worst-case scenario.” Well, if the situation has changed radically (a very rare case), the normal procedure for adjusting planned indicators is carried out.

· The effective functioning of the planning system requires a large staff, disproportionate amounts of time and resources. Here you need to look at: a) who is planning; b) using what technical means; c) for what purpose does he plan (more precisely, why?).

· The internal situation of the company (receipt and distribution of resources, production issues, etc.) does not allow planning ahead.

· Planning tasks:

· Ensuring the targeted development of the organization as a whole and
all its structural divisions.

· Perspective orientation and early recognition of developmental problems. The plan outlines the desired future state of the property and provides specific measures aimed at supporting favorable trends or curbing negative ones.

· Coordination of the activities of structural units and employees of the organization. Coordination is carried out as preliminary coordination of actions in the preparation of plans and as a coordinated response to emerging obstacles and problems in the implementation of plans.

· Creation of an objective basis for effective control. The presence of plans allows for an objective assessment of the enterprise’s activities by comparing the actual values ​​of parameters with the planned values ​​according to the “fact-plan” principle.

· Stimulus (motivation) of labor activity of workers. Successful implementation of planned tasks, as a rule, is the object of special incentives and the basis for mutual settlements, which creates effective motives for productive and coordinated activities of all participants.

· Information support for employees of the organization. Plans contain important information for each participant about goals, forecasts, alternatives, timing, resource and administrative conditions for carrying out work.

15. Types and principles of planning. System of plans and their interrelation.

Planning principles

Principle a brief description of
Unity of scientific, technical, social and economic objectives of the organization’s development This principle is expressed in the composition of the target parameters for planning the organization’s activities, the types of plans developed, and in the criteria for evaluating planning decisions
Scientific validity and optimality of solutions Ensured by the use of modern information technologies, progressive procedures and methods for implementing production processes, the use of methods of optimal planning, experiments, optimization of planning decisions, construction of integrated systems for data preparation and processing
Dominance of strategic aspects in planning Focus on long-term results requires the mandatory use of specific forms of strategic planning at the enterprise and the subordination of all other types of operational planning to it.
Comprehensive planning It means the systematic linking of all plans developed at the enterprise
Resource balance of plans It is implemented by compiling material, labor, financial, energy and other types of balances in all areas and at all levels of the enterprise
Flexibility and elasticity of planning This means the requirement for plans to respond dynamically to deviations in the course of work or changes in internal or external factors, as well as the ability to maintain the necessary reserves and provide for planning alternatives
Continuity of planning The implementation of the principle finds its most complete expression in the concept of rolling planning, in which, thanks to the periodic extension of plans, long-term aggregated calculations are combined with short-term detailed planning

When developing marketing plans, domestic enterprises should be guided by certain principles:

· systematic approach to planning, i.e. marketing plan is an integral part of the enterprise plan;

· diversity of approaches to organizing planning of marketing activities, which is associated with the diversity of types of enterprises, their goals and objectives, and products;

· multivariate situational nature of planning;

· dynamism, continuity of planning;

· presence of a unified concept.

· Strategic planning is of great importance for the success of a company:

· Firstly, the plan sets the direction of the enterprise’s activities and allows you to better understand the structure of marketing research, the processes of studying consumers, product planning, its promotion and sales, and pricing.

· Secondly, it provides each department with clear goals that are linked to the overall objectives of the entire enterprise.

· Thirdly, it stimulates the coordination of efforts of various functional areas.

· Fourth, strategic planning forces an enterprise to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses in terms of opportunities and threats from the environment.

· Fifth, the plan identifies alternative actions that the firm can take.

· Sixth, it provides a basis for resource allocation.

Consequently, planning encourages managers to constantly think about the future, coordinate the efforts of the company, helps to interconnect the activities of all services of the enterprise and make it more prepared for sudden changes.

Types of plans

The result of the planning process in an organization is a system of interconnected planning documents - plans .

Plan- the basis of the activities of an organization of any form of ownership and size. It contains instructions to whom, what task and in what time decide and also what resources need to be allocated to solve each problem.

In medium and large diversified companies and holdings, the planning system is distributed over several levels.

For example, in regional-scale companies, the planning system is usually represented by three levels:

1. Level of direct executors of the Plans.

Main functions of this level:

· preparation of draft plans and analytical justifications for planned indicators;

· implementation of plans;

· preparation of planned reporting (on the implementation of plans), incl. analytical.

2. The "central office" or control level.

· Main functions of this level:

· coordination (primarily information flows);

· analysis (having a wider range of information received from performers in various directions, and, accordingly, greater opportunities to create a holistic picture of the situation on the market;

· aggregation of planned indicators, their grouping and preparation of consolidated plans for the next level, where these plans will be approved;

· control (mainly over the preparation and implementation of plans). The objectivity and reality of plans prepared at the previous level are subject to verification.

3. The level of general management, which is the “ultimate authority” in the planning process. Being the end user of the drawn up Plans (if there is no obligation to present them to the owners of the company), the management of the enterprise approves the presented planned indicators in an aggregated form, naturally after a brief study of them.

In fact, approval of management plans is a formality in a modern, efficient company. If necessary, the manager may request clarifications, comments and other materials on plan positions of interest from managers at the previous planning level.

Types of plans differ according to the following characteristics:

subject;

· level;

· planning periods (Fig. 2.3.)

Regarding target orientation, a distinction is made between strategic and operational planning, which have certain characteristics.

Strategic planning consists in defining the mission of the organization at each stage of its life cycle, forming a system of activity goals and behavioral strategies. Strategic planning is usually focused on a period of 5 years or more.

Operational planning consists in finding and agreeing on the most effective ways and means of implementing the adopted development strategy of the organization. Operational planning has as its task the realization of the organization's potential in the form of achieved profit, income, sales volumes, etc. These two types of plans differ in a number of ways (Table 2.2)

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TOPIC 7. ORGANIZATION AND ITS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

General concept of the external environment

Environmental factors

Direct exposure environment

Indirect Impact Environment

Any organization is located and operates in the external environment, which is a source of resources for the organization. In turn, the organization itself directs the results of its activities to the external environment. The organization and the external environment are in constant relationship and interaction.

1. General concept of the external environment

External environment includes those elements of the economic system that affect the organization, its functioning, results and consequences of activities, but are not classified as internal variables

External factors influence all elements and processes within organizations. They can be divided into two groups: factors of the general external environment (macroenvironment factors) and factors of the immediate (business) environment of organizations.

Macroenvironmental factors that create the conditions for the organization’s environment:

1. economic, characterizing the state of the country’s economy (GDP value, inflation rate, unemployment rate, natural resources, climate, level of education of the workforce, wages);

2. legal, a set of laws and other regulations that establish legal norms and the framework of relations, as well as their practical implementation (allows us to determine the acceptable boundaries of actions and relationships with other entities);

3. political, determining the direction and methods of development of society (the dominant political ideology, the stability of the government, the strength of the opposition);

4. social phenomena and processes (people’s attitude to work and quality of life, values, traditions and national characteristics, demographic structure of society, level of education);

5. technological, determined by the development of scientific and technological progress (scientific and technical developments, innovations, modernization of production).

The degree of influence of individual factors on different organizations is not equal (due to the size of organizations, territorial location, industry), therefore it is necessary to rank factors according to the degree of their influence on the organization and monitor them accordingly.

Factors in the immediate environment of the organization:

1. buyers. Studying buyers allows the organization to find out which product, in what volume, will be most in demand, how wide the circle of buyers is and whether there is a possibility of expanding production and sales of products, the competitiveness of products;

2. suppliers. Studying the activities and potential of suppliers allows the organization to ensure the efficiency of its work, reduce the likelihood of dependence on unscrupulous suppliers, and ensure the required level of cost and product quality;

3. competitors. The organization fights with them for resources and markets. It is important to consider the successes of both intra-industry competitors and competitors producing substitute products. An organization can ensure growth of its own competitiveness by deepening specialization, reducing costs, using the features of products and production, etc.;

4. The labor market provides the organization with personnel of the necessary specialty and qualifications, level of education, etc.

Environmental factors

Environmental factors are characterized by complexity and dynamism.

Complexity The external environment is determined by how many factors influence the functioning of the organization and how similar these factors are to each other.

Dynamism external environment is characterized by how quickly the factors influencing the functioning of the organization change.

Currently, managers need to take into account the influence of factors outside the organization, since the organization, as an open system, depends on the external world in relation to supply of products, energy, personnel, consumers. A manager must be able to identify significant factors in the environment that will affect his organization, select methods and ways of responding to external influences. Organizations are forced to adapt to their environment in order to survive and remain effective.

The following main characteristics of the external environment are distinguished:

· interconnectedness of external environmental factors- the level of force with which a change in one factor affects other factors. A change in any environmental factor may cause changes in others;

· complexity of the external environment- the number of factors to which the organization is obliged to respond, as well as the level of variability of each factor;

· mobility of the environment- the speed at which changes occur in the environment of the organization. The environment of modern organizations is changing at an ever-increasing speed. The mobility of the external environment may be higher for some parts of the organization and lower for others. In a highly mobile environment, an organization or department must rely on more diverse information to make effective decisions;

· uncertainty of the external environment- the relationship between the amount of information about the environment that the organization has and the confidence in the accuracy of this information. The more uncertain the external environment, the more difficult it is to make effective decisions.

In accordance with the systems approach, the organization is viewed as an open system that actively interacts with the external environment.

The main characteristics of the external environment are its complexity, dynamism and uncertainty.

Complexity The external environment as a system is characterized by the presence of many elements, each of which is a subsystem, as well as the relationships between these elements. The complexity of the external environment manifests itself in a number of ways.

In a specific situation, the functioning of an organization is influenced by a large number of conditions and factors. They are of different nature. TO technical Factors include available technologies and materials. Social conditions and factors include social norms, values, preferences, etc. Organizational factors are the organizational structures used, the types of economic relations. Economic, legal, political, cultural and historical factors and conditions can also be distinguished.

The activities of an organization are also influenced by the international environment, especially if the organization has international operations. For example, it is necessary to take into account the customs and tax laws of the exporting or importing country, quality requirements, certification rules, etc.

Based on the nature of the impact on the organization, the environment of direct impact and the environment of indirect impact are distinguished.

Medium direct impacts include suppliers, customers and competitors, as well as government agencies and legal regulations that directly affect the organization's activities.

Medium indirect influences include environmental factors that influence the organization indirectly. They are taken into account when developing the organization's strategy. This is the general economic situation, for example, the phase of the cycle (recession or expansion), unemployment rate, inflation rate, technological progress, political climate, etc.

Complexity external environment is manifested not only in the large number and diversity of its elements, but also in their interrelation. Here we can distinguish two levels of relationships. Firstly, this relationships between elements of one factor. An example could be the relationships between specific suppliers, between competitors, between elements of the legislative framework, and between government bodies regulating the activities of the organization.

Secondly, this relationships between various factors external environment. For example, political instability impedes the inflow of investment, and consequently, technological renewal slows down, the supply of resources becomes difficult, etc.

The complexity of the external environment has different effects on various internal variables of the organization, which is especially evident in the complex structure of the organization.

The second important characteristic of the external environment is its dynamism, which manifests itself in a number of ways.

In accordance with the process approach to management, the influence of the external environment on the organization is a process. Its content becomes changes in the external environment itself.

Changes in the external environment are characterized by the speed of these transformations. They affect the legislative framework of economic activity, resource markets, and the state of the competitive environment.

The external environment of modern organizations is characterized by an acceleration of the pace of change under the influence of science and increased internationalization of economic activity. The economy is becoming a sphere of technological application of scientific achievements.

The unevenness of changes in the external environment is manifested in different rates of change in this environment in specific industries and in individual elements of the external environment. For example, for organizations operating in knowledge-intensive industries (production of computer systems, biotechnology, telecommunications development, etc.) the external environment changes faster than in the furniture industry; for example, the legislative framework and the structure of government bodies regulating the activities of the organization change more quickly.

The dynamism of the external environment leads to an increase in its influence on the activities of organizations, especially those of an international nature (carrying out operations in foreign markets, including foreign branches, etc.). The unevenness of changes in individual internal variables of the organization under the influence of the external environment is increasing.

The third characteristic of the external environment is its uncertainty.

To take into account the complexity and dynamism of the external environment when developing management decisions, information is needed. However, the reliability of such information at the time of decision-making is always limited. The organization's ability to obtain and clarify information for a specific situation is also limited. Under the influence of the growing complexity of the external environment and its dynamism, the need for information increases, and the possibility of obtaining it for a specific, rapidly changing situation is reduced. This leads to increased uncertainty in the external environment.

Direct exposure environment

The main factors in the direct impact environment are resource suppliers; consumers of products and services; competitors; government bodies and regulations that directly affect the activities of the organization.

Analysis of the direct impact environment involves consideration of individual factors and their interactions.

Suppliers ensure satisfaction of the organization's needs for various resources. Main types of resources: material, labor, financial, information.

Providing material resources includes the supply of raw materials and semi-finished products, components and assemblies, equipment, energy in accordance with the volumes and structure of needs within a specified time frame, subject to other conditions being met.

Providing financial resources includes justification of the volume and structure of the necessary resources, relationships with investors, financial and commercial structures, the budget, and individuals.

For a modern organization, the importance of providing management with quality information is increasing. This may be information about sales markets, competitors' plans, government policy priorities, new product developments, etc.

A special place is occupied by providing the organization with labor resources that correspond to it in quantity, structure, level of general and professional training, and age. The most significant here is the attraction of highly qualified senior managers, as well as the training of capable managers, including within the organization.

Consumers purchase manufactured goods or services. Depending on the volume of demand, small and large consumers are distinguished. Taking into account the requests of the latter is a necessary condition for the successful operation of the organization. Depending on the attitude towards consumers, we can talk about different strategies of the organization: sell already produced products; produce products that the consumer needs; form your consumer, convincing him of the need to purchase the products that will be produced.

State and municipal bodies also directly impact the organization, and therefore belong to the environment of direct impact. These are tax and sanitary inspections, statistical authorities, etc.

As a result of the organization’s interaction with suppliers and consumers, a system of economic relations- one of the most important characteristics of the direct impact environment.

Another characteristic is state of the market environment. Here, first of all, the nature of the environment is determined - monopoly (pure, natural), oligopoly or monopolistic competition.

Competitors can fight for various objects. Traditionally - for product sales markets. Currently, it is also a struggle with manufacturers of substitute products for consumer money.

Resources can also be objects of competition: labor, material and financial, scientific and technical developments, etc.

Is it worth helping a competitor? During the crisis of the Chrysler Corporation, help came from a more powerful competitor, General Motors. What was the reason? Chrysler has a developed dealer network, primarily in the United States. And in the event of the collapse of the company, this network could be acquired by dynamically developing foreign competitors of General Motors.

Government influence carried out through legislation and the activities of government bodies. Labor relations between employees and employers, tax and customs relations, labor protection, production conditions for certain types of products, consumer protection, environmental load on the environment, etc. are regulated by law.

State bodies, according to the nature of the functions they perform, can be divided into supervisory and regulating ones. In this case, various ways and methods of influencing organizations are used - issuing licenses, setting tax rates and quotas, regulating price levels and tariffs, determining construction sites, etc.

Indirect Impact Environment

Environmental factors of indirect influence have a more complex structure and multifaceted nature. They are influenced by the organization to a lesser extent than direct environmental factors. Information about the indirect impact environment is often incomplete. As the impact of this environment on the competitiveness of an organization increases, it is necessary to rely on subjective assessments rather than on analytical data.

Technologies as an environmental factor of indirect influence, they characterize the general level of productive forces. This is the most dynamic factor in this environment. The level and pace of technology change varies significantly across industries. However, the most knowledge-intensive industries and industries - computer technologies, telecommunications systems, production of synthetic materials - have a significant and growing impact on other organizations and the efficiency of their activities. The labor-intensive and capital-intensive stages of production development have been replaced by high-tech technologies that allow saving traditional resources.

Inflation rates, unemployment, tax rates and bank loans, forms and extent of government support business, etc. directly affect the organization’s relationships with suppliers and consumers, and the behavior of competitors. For example, the establishment of tax benefits contributes to the influx of capital, and therefore facilitates the satisfaction of the need for financial resources. The forecast of rising inflation encourages increasing inventories and obtaining loans. The increasing demand for material and financial resources also makes their acquisition more difficult.

State of the economy as an environmental factor of indirect influence includes a number of characteristics.

Firstly, these are the most general characteristics of the economic system - population size, availability and use of resources, type of government, monetary system, currency position, sectoral structure of the economy, parameters of the domestic market, volume, structure and geography of exports and imports, etc.

Secondly, this is an analysis of the general conditions for the development of entrepreneurship: the characteristics of economic stability, the presence of market and technical infrastructure, the legislative framework, the investment climate, the conditions for the formation of new market entities, the forms and scale of state regulation of the economy.

Thirdly, this is a specific state, stage of economic development, including an assessment of the economic situation, the level and rate of inflation, and the phase of the economic cycle.

Sociocultural factors are manifested in social values ​​and attitudes, priorities, national traditions that influence the activities of the organization. Every country has ideas about ethical business practices, required service quality standards, and acceptable levels of environmental impact. Typical examples of such factors that must be taken into account by the organization are the Japanese tradition of lifetime employment, the green movement and the demand for natural fur products; perceptions that women are risk averse and their promotion to senior management positions.

Some social attitudes change with age. Relatively young workers strive for independence at work and willingly accept responsibility. At an older age, the desire to maintain one’s status, the desire for social security, etc. come to the fore. This influence of environmental factors must be taken into account in motivation systems.

Political factors determine the general political situation in the country, its level of stability and predictability. A high level of political risk leads to a slowdown in scientific and technical renewal of production, obsolescence of the structure, and a decrease in the competitiveness of national enterprises in the competition.

However, even in a relatively stable situation, clashes occur between various economic entities and political forces and lobbying groups representing their interests. In the transitional economy of Russia, this is a clash of three complexes - military-industrial, fuel and energy and agricultural. Currently, the struggle is in the area of ​​privatization of former state property, as well as over the distribution of budget funds. It is clear that the solution to these problems, on the one hand, is determined by political factors, and on the other, influences them.

The policies of local authorities have a significant impact on employment in the region and the location of enterprises, their impact on the environment, the extraction and use of natural resources, and the creation of industrial, technical and social infrastructure.

For example, the number of development sites is always limited. Currently, local authorities are more interested in allocating them for the construction of production facilities rather than housing. The reason for this is that employees pay income tax at their place of work.

Indirect environmental factors vary significantly across countries. This must be taken into account by organizations involved in international business.

It is clear that the degree of influence of environmental factors of indirect influence on the organization's implementation of various types of international business will differ significantly. This influence will be most significant when creating joint ventures, less when making capital investments, especially portfolio investments, and even less when issuing licenses.

The influence of specific environmental factors of indirect influence will also be different. A general prerequisite for effective international business is the political situation in the country where the organization operates. International business is significantly influenced by the state of the economy and the development of technology. In some cases, for example, when exporting certain consumer goods, sociocultural factors can play a decisive role. When locating new production facilities, it is necessary to seek support from local authorities.


An important external environmental factor that has an increasing impact on the international operations of enterprises is activities of international organizations. The structures of the European Union have the most multifaceted impact on the economic activities of organizations. An example here would be the Single Harmonized Competition Policy. The main directions of such a policy, competition rules within the EU have been determined, legislative regulation of the procedures for creating and registering companies, their activities, accounting and financial reporting, etc. has been agreed upon. An important result of this work was the adoption of the Charter of the European Company.

Another example of international regulation of the activities of organizations is the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), concluded in 1947 between 23 states (including the United States). Each of these states agreed to provide the others with equal and non-discriminatory trade treatment, reduce tariffs through multilateral agreements, and eventually eliminate import quotas.


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