Question

1.Identify one trend or force in each of the specified microenvironments (the company, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, competitors, publics, and customers) and describe how it would affect 'your' company. Example: Current CEO is retiring and the new CEO that has been selected as the replacement has a different management style; what is the effect on the company? (Identify the company -- "Your company" can be current or previous work, or the project company) 2. Identify one trend or force in each specified macroenvironment (demographic, economic, natural, techniclogical, political/legal, and cultural) and describe how it would affect 'your' company. Example: In the natural environment, forest fires have destroyed hundreds of acres of timber/lumber; the result would be reduced supply of lumber or paper pulp - results in higher cost of materials/supply - results in higher cost of goods sold - results in higher price to charge customer in order to maintain profit level. (Identify the company -- "Your company" can be current or previous work, or the project company)

Answer 1

1. The microenvironment that I have chosen is the company itself. I worked for a multinational publishing company which was headquartered in Amsterdam. The company had its presence globally. The Head of Department for the journals department was a Spanish Manager. After a couple of years of my joining, her contract was over and she had to leave to a different country. The position ‘Head of Department’ was taken over by a new HOD. I saw drastic difference in the leadership style of both the mangers. The Spanish Manager gave importance to people’s concerns and every Tuesday she had a ‘Open Door’ policy. Anyone can just walk-in and discuss their grievances with her. This option was completely ruled out when the new HOD took over the department. The new HOD had a highly micro managerial style of supervising the employees. It did affect the employees’ morale greatly thus reducing the productivity in the department. To increase the productivity, hard and fast rules were passed on which resulted in high turnover rate and many left the company.

2. The trend in macro environment for the same company described above is natural. Due to the company’s strict policies and regulations to save and protect the environment, the company’s strategy was ‘Go Green’. Role plays and values were added based on the ‘go green’ strategy. Since it was a huge publishing company, the main aim was to save paper. Hence, trays for recycling the papers were placed near printers and fax machines. Each employees’ signature line content in emails was ‘Save the Trees- Go paperless’ which was made mandatory. There were several plants placed in the 12^th floor office area. Each employee contributed to buy a plant and they grew the plant on their desk or cabin. Everyone was competitive in growing their plants and this resulted in a positive environment for the company. All of these had a great positive influence in the workplace and the company.