*STEEP ANALYSIS: An approach to scanning the societal environment that examines sociocultural, technological, economic, ecological, and political- legal forces. Also called PESTEL analysis.
-Trends in the Economic part of the societal environment can have an obvious impact on business activity.
-BRIC countries (The rapid economic development of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is having a major impact on the rest of the world)
Economic: GDP trends, Interest rates, Money supply, Inflation rates, Unemployment levels, Wage/ price controls, Devaluation/ revaluation, Energy alternatives, Energy availability and cost, Disposable and discretionary income, Currency markets, Global financial system.
Technological: Total government spending for R&D, Total industry spending for R&D, Focus of technological efforts, Patent protection, New products, New developments in technology transfer from lab to marketplace, Productivity improvements through automation, Internet availability, Telecommunication infrastructure, Computer hacking activity.
Political- Legal: Antitrust regulations, Environmental protection laws, Global warning legislation, Immigration laws, Tax laws, Special incentives, Foreign trade regulations, Attitudes toward foreign companies, Laws on hiring and promotion, Stability of government, Outsourcing regulation, Foreign” sweat shops”
Sociocultural: Lifestyle changes, Career expectations, Consumer activism, Rate of family formation, Growth rate of population, Age distribution of population, Regional shifts in population, Life expectances, Birthrates, Pension plans, Health care, Level of education, Living wage, Unionization.
*Threat of New Entrants: New Entrants (Business entering an industry that typically bring new capacity to an industry, a desire to gain market share, and substantial resources).
Entry barrier ( An obstruction that makes it