External Analysis

March 5, 2008 by Ed Adkins

Definition: The External Analysis examines opportunities and threats that exist in the environment. Both opportunities and threats exist independently of the firm. The way to differentiate between a strength or weakness from an opportunity or threat is to ask: Would this issue exist if the company did not exist? If the answer is yes, it should be considered external to the firm. Opportunities refer to favorable conditions in the environment that could produce rewards for the organization if acted upon properly. That is, opportunities are situations that exist but must be acted on if the firm is to benefit from them. Threats refer to conditions or barriers that may prevent the firms from reaching its objectives.

You may also be interested in:

• Internal and External Analysis
• Dilbert Again – This Time on External Analysis
• Internal Analysis

Topics in this post: SWOT Analysis |