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PULL-OUT SECTION
i
October/November 2007
An environmental analysis should identify any key external factors
that require some form of organizational action. Several frameworks
exist to support an environmental analysis; however, Johnson et. al.
(2006, p. 65) prefer the PESTEL framework, which categorizes factors
into: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and
legal (refer to Figure 1).
HELLO and welcome once again to Student Advisor. In this issue we feature the second article in Carl Evans’
and Mark Richardson’s series on applying strategic tools of management.
Organizations operate in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment, where increasing legislation,
technological innovation, globalisation and the sustainability agenda represent just some of the many
possible drivers of change. As a consequence, the objective evaluation of a range of environmental
factors, which influence business environment, must be used to inform strategic planning. The approach
taken to environmental scanning, and its influence on the strategic plan, will ultimately influence the
success of an organization.
This article initially identifies a framework to carry out an environmental analysis, applies this framework
to the case organization, and then challenges readers to conduct an environmental assessment of their
own business.
Don’t forget. If you have any thoughts or feedback, or if you would like to make any contributions to Student Advisor, please contact
me through Roy Bass on [email protected]
A message fromSteve Peet
Strategy in ActionAssessing the Environmentby Carl Evans and Mark Richardson
About the AuthorsMark Richardson is Head of
Univers i ty of Worcester
Business School. Before
entering academia, Mark was
a marketing manager for Bass
Taverns, with significant
managerial experience of key
marketing functions: market
analys is , merchandis ing
o p e r a t i o n s a n d r e t a i l
promotions.
Carl Evans is a Senior Lecturer
in the Business School of
University of Worcester. Carl has
a long association with the IAM.
Having completed the Diploma
(now Advanced Diploma) in
1986, he then became a
Member of the IAM Council
and a Chief Examiner. He now
sits on the IAM Quality Board.
>> Continued on page ii
The PESTEL Framework• Political: could include changes in government, such as a
new Prime Minister, and resultant policy changes.
• Economic: includes changes in public spending, interest
or exchange rates, and the climate for business investment.
• Social: includes changes in lifestyles, attitudes, buying
habits or demographic changes, such as extended life
expectancy and the growth of the “grey” market.
• Technological: may include new products and services,
or new approaches to research and development activity.
• Environmental: the impact of green policies to minimise
the effects of climate change.
• Legal: includes new legislation, such as the introduction
of the minimum wage or changes in Health & Safety legislation.
In addition to the PESTEL framework, organizations will need
to examine competitors (current and potential), in order to
determine their capabilities and strategies before evaluating
their likely actions or responses.
Figure 1
student advisor.indd 1 5/10/07 10:42:52
ii
Political• The Business School operates in a partially controlled market. The
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocates
student numbers, and their attendant funding, to Higher Education
Institutions on an annual basis. Significantly, the University of
Worcester has secured a substantial increase in funding to support
a 50% increase in student numbers by 2010. A proportion of these
additional student numbers will have to be attracted to the
University by courses offered by Worcester Business School. It is this
requirement to deliver growth that led to the strategies for growth
discussed in the Summer issue of Student Advisor article (Richardson
& Evans, 2007).
• The UK Government’s now re-stated intention to move to
40% participation in Higher Education by 2020 (Tysome, 2007)
indicates significant and sustainable medium term growth potential
for our core offer – undergraduate business courses.
• The introduction of a £3,000 top-up fee made these additional
student numbers more attractive to the Business School and,
alongside HEFCE funding, made UK students more-or-less as
profitable to the Business School as the traditionally more lucrative
international student market. Whilst UK student numbers are
regulated, international student numbers are not, and therefore
continue to represent a valuable opportunity for growth.
Economic• The introduction of the £3,000 top-up fee appears to be having
limited impact upon the total number of students wishing to study
at University. Demand amongst our core 18 to 21 year old target
audience is therefore forecast to remain stable.
• Top-up fees do appear to be having some impact upon the market.
Firstly, the trend for students to study closer to home appears to be
accelerating. Secondly, there appears to be an increasing tendency
for students to consider vocational courses, such as Business and
Management, which may benefit their future employability.
• Economic growth in key international markets, notably India and
China, offers significant revenue potential, with numbers intending
to study in the UK anticipated to grow significantly over the
medium-term.
Social• The proposed growth of the University of Worcester is largely
predicated upon the fact that its local geography, centred on
Herefordshire and Worcestershire, is under-provided for in Higher
Education – a helpful factor, bearing in mind students’ increasing
propensity to study from home.
• The demographic trends – a growth in the 18-21 age group – also
support growth in the short term.
Technological• The strategic direction of the University of Worcester is based around
“inspirational teaching & learning” in a face-to-face context. Potential
growth in distance learning, facilitated by new web-based technologies,
is therefore not core to the strategic development of Worcester
Business School.
Environmental• Whilst the University is determined to champion environmental
sustainability, this is not driving the course portfolio or affecting the
nature of the student population.
Legal• Whilst legislative changes do not solely have an effect on the Business
School, we have to be mindful of general legal requirements affecting
staff and students, such as health and safety legislation, employment
law and equality and diversity policies.
Facing the CompetitionThe market environment is becoming increasingly competitive.
University Business Schools are enhancing their market offer
through a combination of product proliferation (and increasing
the range and diversity of attractively titled courses) and enhanced
marketing communications activities.
Put together, the political, economic and social trends outlined above
highlight a relatively benign market environment in which to operate,
with growth in both UK and overseas markets. Furthermore, the
University has secured a substantial proportion of the available growth
in UK student numbers.
Despite this relatively settled environment, an attractive market
proposition will clearly be important if Worcester Business School is to
thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Senior managers within
Worcester Business School will need to constantly monitor the
environment in which we operate and develop increasingly sophisticated
responses to changes which are, in some cases unpredictable, and, in
many cases, uncontrollable.
Johnson et. al. (2006, p. 69) are keen to emphasize that managers
should not merely list the environmental factors, but more importantly
recognize the key drivers of change that could structurally affect the
industry or market. For this, David (2003) recommends some form of
ranking or scoring system, which could entail managers simply scoring
each factor (out of 10), with a high score indicating a key driver of change
or most important factor.
Managers can obtain data on environmental factors from a variety
of sources (refer to Figure 2). The important thing is to gather as much
as possible – it can be filtered down and evaluated by management
teams afterwards.
A Case History Applying the PESTEL Framework to the University of Worcester Business School
student advisor.indd 2 3/10/07 15:11:27
iii
October/November 2007
Sources for Data on Environmental Factors• The Internet (for competitors’ annual reports), • On-line databases, • Government documents, • Economic reports,• Business periodicals, • Trade magazines, • University research centres, • Newspapers, • TV and • Networking with others, particularly marketing and sales
staff.
Figure 2 A Continuous ProcessGiven the increasingly complex and dynamic environment within
which most organisations operate, the assessment of the environment
and subsequent strategic actions will ultimately affect corporate
success. Consequently, the importance of scanning the environment
cannot be underestimated. Nor should it occur once a year as part
of the business planning/budget planning process, but be a
continuous process of gathering and evaluating environmental data.
The PESTEL framework, when combined with a competitor analysis,
provides a useful structure to assess the environment.
Assessing the environment should naturally lead on to the
identification of potential opportunities and threats. Here, Johnson
et al. (2006) highlight the importance of recognising opportunities
and threats, especially when considering strategic choice.
Consequently the challenge to readers is to apply the PESTEL
framework in order to identify the environmental factors that are
affecting, or could affect, your organization. Consider the implications
of these factors and what actions you need to take in order to seize
opportunities or nullify threats.
Also consider where you are going to get this environmental data
from; how effective and reliable are your existing sources? Who will
you involve in the assessment of the gathered data? How will the
subsequent actions be rolled out to teams? Be aware – the process
of assessing the environment now becomes a substantial
undertaking!
ReferencesDavid, F. (2003) Strategic Management: Concepts & Cases, 9th Ed. Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall.
Johnson, G. Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2006) Exploring Corporate Strategy, Text and Cases. Harlow, FT Prentice Hall.
Richardson, J. M. and Evans, C. (2007) Strategy in Action – Applying Ansoff’s Matrix. Manager, The British Journal of Administrative Management, July/August.
Tysome, T. (2007), Embrace Leitch or lose out to FE, sector warned. Times Higher Educational Supplement, 20th July.
student advisor.indd 3 3/10/07 15:11:48