Environmental Scanning

Concept of environment scanning

Technique of SWOT analysis

Setting the objectives of the organization or its unit

Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats
Asking four questions

How do we maximise our strengths?

How do we minimise our weaknesses?

How do we capitalise on the opportunities in our

external environment?

How do we protect ourselves from threats in our

external environment?
Recommending strategies that will optimise the
answers from the four questions

Factors in Environmental Scanning

Events are important and specific

occurrences taking place in different
environmental sectors.
Trends are the general tendencies or the
courses of action along which events take
place.
Issues are the current concerns that arise
in response to events and trends.
Expectations are the demands made by
interested groups in the light of their
concern for issues.

Approaches to environmental
scanning

Systematic approach
Ad hoc approach
Processed-form approach

Sources of information for

environmental scanning

Documentary or secondary sources

Mass media
Internal sources
External agencies
Formal studies
Spying and surveillance (observation)