Identify five environmental factors that affect business and explain the way in which each factor influences the marketing mix of an organization.

Identify five environmental factors that affect business and explain the way in which each factor influences the marketing mix of an organization.

i) Political/Legal Constraints:
Laws regulate every dimension of human existence. They are about to prevent or stop the abuse of power. In exercising their power over resource, managers increasingly come into conflict with societal expectations and objectives. Business managers therefore face multitude of law as that limit their various powers. Examples of these laws include:
-Laws that regulate working conditions, minimum wages, safety of workers, competitive practices, etc. With regard to political legal constraints, managers can make inputs at the local/national levels. Managers may lobby with influential personalities so as to influence government decisions. In the final analysis, an organization usually cannot control what the government does.

ii) Economic Constraints:
These include availability of capital, inflation, interest rates on deposits and loans and similar factors that affect management practice. Business firms are increasingly influenced by government/donor imposed economic policies e.g. Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs)

iii) Socio-Cultural Constraints:
These consist of the value system, socio-demographic characteristics and other basic characteristics of people comprising the society Such characteristics include attitudes, desires, expectations, level of education, beliefs, religion, traditions, habits and customs of people in a society. The population structure, for example, would influence decisions on what products to produce by a business concern. Demographic patterns would also dictate the availability of workforce for a business entity. If a firm ignores society’s social concern, the society will impose legal restrictions.

iv) Technological Constraints:
Technology refers to the sum total of the knowledge we have of ways of doing things, inventions and techniques in areas of processes, machines and tools.
Technology is the key to an organizations transformation processes affecting processing speed as well as quality of the final output.
Technology can offer organizations a competitive edge.

v) Ethical Constraints:
Ethics refers to the code of morals of a person or groups that set standards as to what is good or bad, right or wrong in one’s conduct.
Management ethics are standards and principles that guide the actions and decisions of managers and determine if their actions and decisions are good or bad.
Ethical behaviour is fair conduct that goes beyond laws and regulations.

vi) Ecological Constraints:
This refers to the protection of the ecosystem. This is currently becoming more critical as environmental awareness increases globally.

vii) Constraints imposed by labour unions:
Through contracts negotiated with management, labour/trade unions may restrict what management may want to do about wages, retirement plans, working conditions and employment policies.

viii) Constraints imposed by competitors action:
A competitor through his actions places restrictions on what an organization can do. Pricing decisions in many firms often reflect the pricing decisions of a leading competitor. Also, if a competitor holds patent rights, he may restrict other organizations actions.

---

Kavungya answered the question on April 28, 2021 at 09:35

Exams With Marking Schemes

• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5
• Grade 6
• Grade 7
• Grade 8
• Grade 9
• PP1
• PP2
• Playgroup
• Form 1
• Form 2
• Form 3
• Form 4

Related Questions

• What factors may limit the effectiveness of a performance appraisal system (Solved)
  

  What factors may limit the effectiveness of a performance appraisal system

  Date posted: April 28, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• Explain the external and internal forces that may trigger change in an organization. (Solved)
  

  Explain the external and internal forces that may trigger change in an organization.

  Date posted: April 28, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• What factors are considered when selecting a method of forecasting? (Solved)
  

  What factors are considered when selecting a method of forecasting?

  Date posted: April 28, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• To what extent are Henri Fayol’s principles of management relevant to the management of organizations today? (Solved)
  

  To what extent are Henri Fayol’s principles of management relevant to the management of organizations today?

  Date posted: April 28, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• The principal of Management by Objectives was first coined by Peter F. Druker in the 1950’s. Describe the principle and its merits and demerits in... (Solved)
  

  The principal of Management by Objectives was first coined by Peter F. Druker in the 1950’s. Describe the principle and its merits and demerits in the organizations.

  Date posted: April 26, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• For successful management, managers must come up with objectives before commencing operations. Explain what is meant by the term ‘objectives’ and describe the characteristics that... (Solved)
  

  For successful management, managers must come up with objectives before commencing operations. Explain what is meant by the term ‘objectives’ and describe the characteristics that good objectives should have.

  Date posted: April 26, 2021 .    Answers (1)

• “Some management experts feel that control (that is, setting standards, measuring performance against them and taking corrective action when needed) hinders creativity. Others take the... (Solved)
  

  “Some management experts feel that control (that is, setting standards, measuring performance against them and taking corrective action when needed) hinders creativity. Others take the opposite view”.
  With the help of examples give arguments in support of each view.

  Date posted: April 24, 2021 .    Answers (1)