管理學(xué)百科全書（下）encyclopedia of management, 6th ed

1、EncyclopediaofManagementSixthEdition–Finals217200907:24Page489MMMACROECONOMICSSEEEconomicsMACROENVIRONMENTALFCESAnganization’smacroenvironmentconsistsofnonspecificaspectsintheganization’ssurroundingsthathavethepotentialt

2、oaffecttheganization’sstrategies.Whencomparedtoafirm’staskenvironmenttheimpactofmacroenvironmentalvariablesislessdirecttheganizationhasamelimitedimpactontheseelementsoftheenvironment.Macroenvironmentalvariablesincludesoc

3、ioculturaltechnologicalpoliticallegaleconomicinternationalvariables.Afirmconsidersthesevariablesaspartofitsenvironmentalscanningtobetterunderstthethreatsopptunitiescreatedbythevariableshowstrategicplansneedtobeadjustedso

4、thefirmcanobtainretaincompetitiveadvantage.Themacroenvironmentconsistsoffcesthatiginateoutsideofanganizationgenerallycannotbealteredbyactionsoftheganization.Inotherwdsafirmmaybeinfluencedbychangeswithinthiselementofitsen

5、vironmentbutcannotitselfinfluencetheenvironment.ThecurvedlinesinFigure1indicatetheindirectinfluenceoftheenvironmentontheganization.SOCIOCULTURALFACTSThesocioculturaldimensionsoftheenvironmentconsistofcustomslifestylesval

6、uesthatacterizethesocietyinwhichthefirmoperates.Socioculturalcomponentsoftheenvironmentinfluencetheabilityofthefirmtoobtainresourcesmakeitsgoodsservicesfunctionwithinthesociety.Socioculturalfactsincludeanythingwithinthec

7、ontextofsocietythathasthepotentialtoaffectanganization.Populationdemographicsrisingeducationallevelsnmsvaluesattitudestowardsocialresponsibilityareexamplesofsocioculturalvariables.PopulationChanges.Changesinpopulationdem

8、ographicshavemanypotentialconsequencesfganizations.Asthetotalpopulationchangesthedemfproductsservicesalsochanges.Finstancethedeclineinthebirthrateimprovementinhealthcarehavecontributedtoanincreaseintheaverageageofthepopu

9、lationintheUnitedStates.Manyfirmsthattraditionallymarketedtheirproductstowardyoutharedevelopingproductlinesthatappealtoanoldermarket.ClothingfromLeviStraussfurthernewproductiontechnologymayalterproductionprocesses.Roboti

10、csrepresentsoneofthemostvisiblechallengestoexistingproductionmethods.Robotsmaybeusedinpositionsconsideredhazardousfpeoplethatrequirerepetitivedetailedactivities.Theconsequencesfotherjobscurrentlyoccupiedbypeoplearenotcle

11、ar.Whenproductionwasfirstautomatedalthoughsomewkersweredisplacednewjobswerecreatedtoproducemaintaintheautomatedequipment.Theimpactofroboticsonjobsisinlargepartafunctionoftheusesmadeofthetechnologythewillingnessofwkerstol

12、earntousenewtechnology.Insomeindustriesuseofrobotsduringtheearly2000sincreasedproductionefficiencybutresultedinsignificantnumbersofjoblosses.Howevertechnologicalinnovationcanalsoresultinincreasedjobgrowth.FexampleFdMotCo

13、mpany’s$375milliontechnologyupdatetoitsNfolkassemblyplanttobuildits2004F150resultedintheabilitytobuildmemodelsonitsassemblylineconsequentlycreatedabout270newjobsan11percentincrease.EvaluatingTechnologicalChanges.Thereisl

14、ittledoubtthattechnologyrepresentsbothpotentialthreatspotentialopptunitiesfestablishedproducts.Productswithrelativelycomplexnewtechnologyareoftenintroducedwhilethetechnologyisbeingrefinedmakingithardffirmstoassesstheirma

15、rketpotential.Whenballpointpenswerefirstintroducedtheyleakedskippedleftlargeblotchesofinkonthewritingsurface.Fountainpenmanufacturersbelievedthatthenewtechnologywasnotathreattoexistingproductsdidnotattempttoproduceballpo

16、intpensuntilsubstantialmarketsharehadbeenlost.Anothertechnologytheelectricrazhasyettototallyreplacethebladefshavingpurposes.Perhapsthedifferenceisthatthemanufacturersofbladeshaveinnovatedbyaddingnewfeaturestoretaincustom

17、ers.Manufacturersoffountainpensdidnotattempttoinnovateuntiltheballpointpenwaswellestablished.Itisquitedifficulttopredicttheimpactofanewtechnologyonanexistingproduct.Stilltheneedtomonittheenvironmentfnewtechnologicaldevel

18、opmentsisobvious.Attentionmustalsobegiventodevelopmentsinindustriesthatarenotdirectcompetitssincenewtechnologydevelopedinoneindustrymayimpactcompaniesganizationsinothers.POLITICALLEGALFACTSThepoliticallegaldimensionofthe

19、generalenvironmentalsoaffectsbusinessactivity.Thephilosophyofthepoliticalpartiesinpowerinfluencesbusinesspractices.Thelegalenvironmentservestodefinewhatganizationscancannotdoataparticularpointintime.ATTITUDESTOWARDBUSINE

20、SSAprobusinessattitudeonthepartofgovernmentenablesfirmstoenterintoarrangementsthatwouldnotbeallowedunderameantibusinessphilosophy.ThenumerousjointventuresbetweenU.S.Japaneseautomobilemanufacturerscouldhavebeentermedantic

21、ompetitivebyalessprobusinessadministration.Thereleaseofmanyacresofgovernmentlfbusinessuse(loggingmining)angeredmanyenvironmentalistswhohadbeenabletorestrictbusinessuseofthelunderpreviousadministrations.Changesinsentiment

22、stowardsmokingitsrelatedhealthriskshavealteredthepublic’sattitudetowardthetobaccoindustry.Thesechangeshavebeenreflectedinmanyganizationsbylimitingsmokingtodesignatedareascompletelyprohibitingitatwk.Thetransfmationinattit

23、udehasalsocausedfirmswithinthetobaccoindustrytomodifymarketingstrategiesencouragingmanytoseekexpansionopptunitiesabroad.Legislation.Thelegalenvironmentfacingganizationsisbecomingmecomplexaffectingbusinessesmedirectly.Ith

24、asbecomeincreasinglydifficultfbusinessestotakeactionwithoutencounteringalawregulationlegalproblem.Averybrieflistingofsignificantlawsthataffectbusinesswouldincludelegislationintheareasofconsumerismemployeerelationstheenvi

25、ronmentcompetitivepractices.Manyofthelawsalsohaveanassociatedregulatyagency.PowerfulU.S.regulatyagenciesincludetheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)theOccupationalSafetyHealthAdministration(OSHA)theEqualEmploymentOpptuni

26、tyCommission(EEOC)theSecuritiesExchangeCommission(SEC).Estimatesofthecostofcompliancevarywidelybutcouldwellexceed$100billionannually.Manyofthesecostsarepassedtoconsumers.Howevercostsoflegalexpensessettlementsmaynotbeincu

27、rredfyearsarenotlikelytobepaidbyconsumersoftheproductownersofthecompanywhentheviolationoccurred.Stillpotentiallegalactionoftenresultsinhigherpricesfconsumersameconservativeattitudebybusinessexecutives.MacroenvironmentalF