Environmental scanning is most effective when;

Environmental scanning is most effective when;
A . It emphasizes forecasting and anticipates the future rather than describing current conditions
B . It engages purely in data collection and statistics of demographic, economic and political indicators that affect operations
C . It is a one-time activity carried out at the initial stage of strategic planning to gather information on internal, external trends and events that impact an organization’s competitiveness
D . It obtains and analyzes the interaction of events, trends and costs that impact human capital and deployment

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

One of the key elements of the strategic planning process in an organization is environmental scanning (ES). ES is most effective when participants focus on forecasting the future, and identifying signals that impact an organization’s strategy through data collection and analysis from various sources; internal and external. ES is not purely data collection, neither does it focus on operations. ES is also not a one-time activity but an ongoing process. ES does not focus on human capital alone but is a strategic activity that obtains information in all areas that can impact an organization’s strategy.