Environmental factors for a company or an industry refer to variables and conditions around that company and industry that affect its working and performance, but which cannot be controlled. For example, the weather conditions in a city may affect the sale of Ice cream in a city, but the company selling or manufacturing ice creams has Little control over the weather.
We can differentiate environmental factors from the internal variables of factors, that are under reasonable control of a company or industry. A company cannot change or influence the environmental factors, but it does have fair amount of control over impact of environmental factors on its performance. This control is achieved by, understanding, anticipating, and responding wisely to environmental factors by management of internal factors. For example, a company cannot change the weather condition, but it can manage its production and stocks of ice cream in a way that minimizes the ill effect of uncertainty and fluctuations created by changing weather condition.
To understand, analyze and deal with environmental factors, we can use the "PESTEL" framework that classifies all environmental faators in the following six groups.
Political
Economical
Sociocultural
Technological
(Physical/Geographic) Environmental
Legal.
Some of the major environmental factors affecting automobile industry in each of these group are described below.
Political
Political climate in a different countries producing an buying automobiles regarding policies on import, export and manufacture of automobiles and automobile components. This will also include policies on allowing setting up of manufacturing plants by foreign companies.
Stability of governments. This may affect the future conditions in a country.
Taxation policies.
Economical
The population figures and automobile buying capacity of people.
Level of economic activity that affects need for commercial use of automobiles
Sociocultural
Lifestyle and preferences of people, that impact their choice of types of automobiles.
Social norms that impact the decision to own and use automobiles versus other means of transport.
Technological
Technology relating to automobile designs
Technology of automobile manufacture
Technological developments that may increase or decrease use of automobiles. For example, Internet increase number of people working from home and thus reduce automobile use for commuting?
(Physical/Geographic) Environmental
Physical conditions effecting ability to use automobiles of different types. This will also include state infrastructure such as roads for driving vehicles.
Legal
Legal provision relating to environmental population by automobiles.
Legal provisions relating to safety measures.
For more information on environmental factors refer to:
Johnson, G. and Scholes,2002, K., Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, U.K.