Predictive Environmental Planning

Environmental scanning is defined as “the acquisition and use of information about events, trends, and relationships in an organization’s external environment, the knowledge of which would assist management in planning the organization’s future course of action” (Choo, 2002, p. 84). The external environment plays an important role in the robustness of an organization because outside factors also have a huge influence in the performance of an organization and even when it comes to its survival.

In line with this, predictive environmental planning allows organizations to gather, analyze, interpret, and use the data about their external environment, which will help in the strategic decision making of the organization (Pride and Ferrell, 2008). The results that can be gained from predictive environmental scanning is beneficial for organizations because it will help them to properly focus their strategies and tactics on the aspects of the environment that can possibly threaten the stability of an organization (Albright, 2004).

Environmental scanning assist the management of organizations, especially those in the higher level of the authority in their decision-making processes wherein there can enhance their decisions by means of attending to emerging circumstances and possible hazards. In relation to this, the scanning process carefully studies the strengths and weaknesses of an organization in relation to the opportunities and dangers of its external environment (Albright, 2004).

The management of organization can also strategically use the predictive environmental scanning in order to identify the required value that is needed in order to inflict changes within the company. In cases wherein an organization may benchmark another when it comes to the scanning process, the emphasis should be within the organization because the main objective of predictive environmental scanning is to look for clues that will also help in suggesting definite changes in the internal strategy and processes of the organization (Alkhafaji, 2003).

Lastly, top managers can effectively conduct a predictive environmental scanning by delegating an individual or a small group in accomplishing the active environmental scanning, which includes working with different groups in the organization in order to gather and analyze the necessary data in assessing the external environment of the organization (Alkhafaji, 2003). References Albright, K. S. (2004). Environmental Scanning: Radar for Success.

Information Management Journal, 38(3), 38-45. Alkhafaji, A. F. (2003). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implmentation, and Control in a Dynamic Environment. New York: Routledge. Choo, C. W. (2002). Information management for the intelligent organization: The art of scanning the environment. New Jersey: Information Today, Inc. Pride, W. M. , and Ferrell, O. C. (2008). Marketing. New York: Cengage Learning.

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