1. Environmental Forces Firm/ Organization: Structure Culture Competencies Resources Industry Trade Association Government Union/ employees Competitors Creditors Suppliers Customers Communities Stockholders Sociocultural Forces Political/Legal Forces Technological Forces Economic Forces Macroenvironment

2. PEST Analysis

3. Driving Forces In the Economy: l Socio - cultural l Political / legal l Economic l Technological l Ecological

4. POLITICAL-LEGAL Antitrust regulations Environmental protection laws Tax laws Special incentives Foreign trade regulations Attitudes toward foreign companies Laws on hiring and promotion Stability of government Environmental Forces Indicators

5. ECONOMIC GDP trends Interest rates Money supply Inflation rates Unemployment levels Wage/price controls Devaluation/revaluation Energy availability & cost Disposable & discretionary income

6. Socio - cultural factors l Population demographics l Income distribution l Social mobility l Life-style changes l Attitudes l Consumerism l Levels of education Career expectations Rate of family formation Growth rate of population Age distribution of population Regional shifts in population Life expectancies Birth rates

7. Technological Factors New discoveries & innovations Speed of technology transfer Rates of obsolescence Internet Social media Information technology

8. Natural / ecological factors l Pollution l Seismic activity l Global warming l Desertification / erosion