When a company performs environmental scanning, it looks for a range of things that can affect future operations. These fall under broad categories that can include:
- Demographics – locally, regionally, nationally, and increasingly internationally (e.g., population, racial/ethnic mix, immigration status, education levels, etc.)
- Politics and public policy – changes in governmental regulation, federal financial aid policies, and public attitudes toward institutions of higher education
- Economies – local, regional, national and international
- Labor market – the demand in relevant fields and the associated skills desired by employers
- Academic interests – popular fields and the employment interests of prospective students and their families
- Technology – the increasingly rapid changes in which bear on nearly every aspect of higher education
- Research – changes in interests and funding from governmental, private and foundation sources
- Philanthropy – changes in available funding and in the attitudes, interests, and approaches of donors
Consider industry-specific Forces
The automobile industry:
• gas price
• new technologies
• environmental concerns
• changes in consumer preferences
• infrastructures
• industry/government incentives
• global/foreign competitions
Consider broader forces
• economy and disposable income
• social media
• mobile technology
• consumer health
• globalization
• population change (e.g., immigration, aging)
from Portland State Library, Business Strategy: Environmental Plan