The Factors That Shape Strategy Economic Forces

Economic forces refer to the nature and direction of the economy in which business operates. Economic factors have a tremendous impact on business firms. The general state of the economy (e.g., depression, recession, recovery, or prosperity), interest rate, stage of the economic cycle, balance of payments, monetary policy, fiscal policy, are key variables in corporate investment, employment, and pricing decisions.

The impact of growth or decline in gross national product and increases or decreases in interest rates, inflation, and the value of the dollar are considered as prime examples of significant impact on business operations.

To asses the local situation, an organization might seek information concerning the economic base and future of the region and the effects of this outlook on wage rates, disposable income, unemployment, and the transportation and commercial base. The state of world economy is most critical for organizations operating in such areas.

Political And Regulatory Forces

Political-legal forces include the outcomes of elections, legislation, and court judgments, as well as the decisions rendered by various commissions and agencies. The political sector of the environment presents actual and potential restriction on the way an organization operates.

Among the most important government actions are: regulation, taxation, expenditure, takeover (creating a crown corporation, and privatization. The differences among local, national, and international subsectors of the political environment are often quite dramatic. Political instability in some areas makes the very form of government subject to revolutionary change.

In addition the basic system of government and the laws the system promulgates, the political environment might include such issues as monitoring government policy toward income tax, relative influence of unions, and policies concerning utilization of natural resources.

Technological Forces

Technological forces influence organizations in several ways. A technological innovation can have a sudden and dramatic effect on the environment of a firm. First, technological developments can significantly alter the demand for an organization's or industry's products or services.

Technological change can decimate existing businesses and even entire industries, since its shifts demand from one product to another. Moreover, changes in technology can affect a firm's operations as well its products and services.

Social Forces

Social forces include traditions, values, societal trends, consumer psychology, and a society's expectations of business.

Moreover, social issues can quickly become political and even legal issues. Social forces are often most important because of their effect on people's behaviour. For an organization to survive, the product or service must be wanted, thus consumer behaviour is considered as a separate environmental behaviour. Behaviour factors also affect organisations internally, that is, the employees and management.A society's expectations of business present other opportunities and constraints. These expectations emanate from diverse groups referred to as stakeholders. Stakeholders include a firm's owners (stockholders), members of the board of directors, managers and operating employees, suppliers, creditors, distributors, customers, and other interest groups - at the broadest level, stakeholders include the general public.