Discussion 3-1

I have to respond to the following statements of my classmates (NOT analyze them). Please provide 75-100 words to each statement with a reference to each if applicable. Please make sure the references are less than 10 years old.

 

Re: Environmental scan

posted by BRITTANY MAYO at Mar 12, 2015, 12:44 PM

Last updated Mar 12, 2015, 12:44 PM 

 

Environmental scans (ESs) originated in a business context as a tool for retrieving and organizing data for decision making. Environmental scans have been mainly used to investigate external factors that are interpreted as keys to success and affect the future of an organization. These scans are used to provide decision makers with knowledge about current social, economic, technological, and political contexts, and to identify any potential short- and long-term shifts. ESs also provide an opportunity for an organization to envision and plan for its future, given these contexts and shifts (Graham, 2008).

 

 

Re: Environmental scan

posted by TENISHA RIVERS-HILL at Mar 10, 2015, 6:34 AM

Last updated Mar 10, 2015, 6:34 AM 

 

Environmental scanning occurs when health care organizations gain and use information from the organization’s external sources.  Scanning helps healthcare managers look into the future and has two ultimate goals.  Environmental scans help healthcare organizations understand any external forces and identify opportunities and threats to avoid any surprises (“Environmental Scanning: Looking ‘Outside’ For Strategic Intelligence “, 2015).

 

If health care managers use the goals of environmental scanning collectively , planning efforts will be more accurate and it will help course future actions of the organization.  Environmental scanning is important to the development of an organizational strategic plan because the scanning will identify issues and trends that will affect the organizations for five or ten years.  Environmental scanning will help to determine if the company has a strategic plan that is long term, effective, and aligned with future organizational conditions.  Environmental scanning will help identify new ideas that were undetected in the past, that could solve the organization’s recurring issues.

 

I work for a public health agency and my organization conducts a environmental scan of the local community/population annually.  The environmental scan help the organization is the strategic planning process because we look for health trends such as underage and adult substance abuse, children testing positive for high levels of lead, and STD rates etc.  Once trends have been identified, my organization will use the information to create new programs and services, change current programs and services, and to advocate for funding for new or continuing services/programs.

 

 

Re: Environmental scan

posted by Jasmine W. at Mar 11, 2015, 7:35 AM

Last updatedMar 11, 2015, 7:35 AM 

 

An environmental scan is when the information about competitors, customers, and trends as well as the organization itself are monitored, evaluated, and spread out to key persons in the corporation (Hunger and Wheelen, 2011). This means scanning the external environment for opportunities and threats as well as the internal environment for strengths and weaknesses. Environmental scanning is basically the S.W.O.T. analysis.

 

In a strategic plan there are several steps needed. One of those steps is environmental scanning. The information gathered in the scan is used to form a strategy. By having this information, the organization will not be blindly making decisions on services and other operations. Keep in mind that these decisions must stir the organization in the right path to accomplishing its strategic goals.

 

An example of environmental scanning is if a healthcare clinic wants to know the trends in a certain service. The external environmental scan consists of finding the opportunities and threats. The opportunity can be the high growth in the economy as well as there being a desire by the people for this specific healthcare service. The threat is when competitors get the same service established in their facility. This could be existing competitors or new entrants in the industry (Hunger and Wheelen, 2011). Another opportunity and threat is the success or failure of the industry.   The internal environmental scan consists of finding the strengths and weaknesses. The strength in implement the proposed service in the healthcare clinic is that there are enough persons staffed to work in this service or new people can be brought in to work in the new service without the organization paying a hefty cost. The weakness would be either the number of people available to work in the new service, the amount of training needed, or the space needed to place the service.

 

 

Re: Environmental scan

posted by CLEO WILLIAMS at Mar 10, 2015, 2:00 AM

Last updatedMar 10, 2015, 2:00 AM 

 

Prior to the passing and implementation of the governmental funded programs Medicare and Medicaid the health care industry had minimal external influence with the delivery of care.  Today, the industry is faced with a multitude of external influences that have a direct or indirect impact on the way services are rendered.   External factors such as the government, social, technological and competitive changes have shape the health care industry.  As a result, health care organizations must continue to strive for a competitive advantage to survive in such a dynamic and competitive health care market.  Therefore, to outperform competitors and be successful organizations must employ strategic thinking, planning, and strategic approaches in which to best position the entity for changes.  Preparing an organization for changes and being able to adapt or adjust to such changes is the reason environmental scanning in the development of a strategic plan is critical.   The survival of a health care organization is determined by how well the organization is able to adapt to change.  For this reason, health care leaders must effectively lead the organization by making decisions that reduces risks, and eliminates costly mistakes through scanning the environment.  Leaders must have the ability to strategically think outside the box to develop new ideas to drive the company forward thus, sustaining the organization.    According to Swayne, Duncan, & Ginter (2008, p. 6).  “successful health care organizations have leaders who understand the nature and implications of external change, the ability to develop effective strategies that account for change, and the will as well as the ability to actively manage the momentum  of the organization.” 

 

 

Re: Environmental scan

posted by ALESHA FLOYD at Mar 11, 2015, 8:24 AM

Last updated Mar 11, 2015, 8:24 AM 

 

 

In the first chapter of this week’s reading, it gives a good reason for why an environmental scan is important to the development of a strategic plan. It is a tool that a corporation uses to avoid strategic surprise and to ensure long-term health (Hunger, & Wheelen, 2011, p. 33). Knowing what the environment is like around the facility or business is important to knowing what the current needs and trends are, but with business it is also important to know what the other competitors are doing to attract business so that they are able to find new ways to actively compete. “In his ground-breaking work on environmental scanning, Aguilar (1967) defined the concept as the way in which management gathers relevant information about events occurring outside the company in order to guide the company’s future course of action” (McEwin, 2008, p.2). Having an idea of how competitors are obtaining business and any new items they are developing can keep the business in the loop of what they need to do to stay in the market. Yesterday in the car my mother was telling my son and I about a new watch that will link with the IPAD and be a mini computer that is wearable. The cost she stated it was going to sell for was shocking and my son said what I was thinking, to wait a few months or a year after it is available and another company will have something similar for a lot less. I think this is a great example of how a leading company can start the competition of other companies by them knowing what is new and exciting and creating a similar product. The information helps the organization learn the influences from the environment and how to respond strategically to ensure success (McEwin, 2008, p. 3). If the competing companies did not act and make something similar, than Apple would have the entire market. History of how less expensive competitive options become available show this is true. It is seen in fast food chains as well, with chicken snack wraps at McDonald’s and the Burger King offering something very similar. Knowing what competitors are doing is important to keep offering something of similar interest so they do not take all of your customers.

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