the environment around an organization

7/29/2019 the environment around an organization

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It is not easy to conceal management of any organization from the impact of

external and internal environment and its various forces. Therefore, those aspects

are considered as vital facts for survival of an organization. I chose police

department as the relevant organization for the environment analysis purpose.

The Sri Lanka Police Service (commonly known to as the Sri Lanka Police) is thecivilian national police department of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The police department has manpower of approximately 88,000. It is responsible for

enforcing criminal and traffic law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and

keeping the peace throughout Sri Lanka. The professional head of the police is the

Inspector General of Police who reports to the minister of defence, when the Police

service in under the Ministry of Defence as it is currently. This is what I can analysis

and I go ahead with it.

The formula for the success of an organization requires two elements - the

individual and the environment. Removing both values cause success impossible.

The environment consists of all those factors that have a bearing on the productionor the service. For the benefit of analyse, organization environment is divided in to

two parts, termed as external environment and internal environment. As a huge

organization of the Sri Lanka, the external and internal environment of the

organization is inextricably linked. Therefore, a reciprocal relation, including

immense

sensitivity can

also be observed

between them


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External environment

External environment refers to the environment that has an indirect influence on

the business. The factors are uncontrollable by the business or the operation. Thus,

the external environment would be defined as all those conditions and departments,

which are external to the organization and are beyond the police department, but itoperates within it. An organization has little or no control over its external

environment but needs to constantly monitor and adapt to these external changes,

because a proactive or a reactive response leads to significantly different outcome.

The environment influences the functioning of the organization system. Usually in a

business organization, these external factors are customer, creditors, competitors,

government, socio-cultural organisations, political parties, national and international

organisations etc. However, here factors are rather different because police

department is not a business unit because it acts as a service provider to public. We

can find several personnel and institution with which the police department deal,

such as attorney general department, cabinet, judicial institutions, government

analysis department provincial and urban councils, human right commission,

government administrative commission, political parties, political leaders, defence

ministry, government administrative commission, national treasury, public including

pedestrians, drivers, Island reconvicted criminals, suspects and passengers and so

on.

The external environment of the police department can be divided in to two

categories i.e. task environment and general environment.

Task environment (micro environment)

The micro environment consists of the actors in the companys immediateenvironment that affect the performance of the company. These include the

suppliers, marketing intermediaries, competitors, customers and the public. The

micro environmental factors are more intimately linked with the organization than

the macro factors. The micro departments need not necessarily affect all the similar

organization in a particular industry in the same way. Some of the micro factors

may be particular to a police department. When the competing organizations in the

field have the same micro elements, the relative success of the firms depends on

their relative effectiveness in dealing with these element.

Since the police department is a service providing governmental body, we can

observe unique features of their environments.

Suppliers

An important department in the micro environment of an organization is the

suppliers, i.e., those, individuals and organizations that provide an organization with

the input resources that it needs to produce goods and services. E.g. Raw materials,

spare parts, labor (employees).


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Individuals and organizations relationships with suppliers can be difficult due to

materials shortages, unions, and lack of substitutes. Suppliers that are the sole

source of a critical item are in a strong bargaining position to raise their prices.

Managers can reduce supplier effects by increasing the number of suppliers of an

input. The importance of reliable sources of supply to the smooth functioning of the

service is obvious. For the police department, most of those resources are providedby the government and its procuring agencies. e.g. computer equipment, vehicles,

building, telecommunication and telecommunication equipment, various printed

formats. To perform duties of the police officers, it is essential to procure those

resource in time and adequately. In this case, the failure of those supplies will cause

a tremendous effects because the police department is none profitable organization

they cannot procure themselves. Therefore, police department has to completely

dependent on the government for this factor. Always, we can observe a substantial

discrepancy between the demand and the supply of the police department. To my

surprise, notwithstanding the supply gap, public and government ask the efficient

and effective service. Hence, I am of the opinion that there should be in depth

analysis of the supply factors of the task environment of the police department.

Customer

Customer means individuals and groups that buy goods and services that an

organization produces. Generally, the major task of a business is to create and

sustain customers. A business exists only because of its customers. The choice of

customer segments should be made by considering a number of factors including

the relative profitability, dependability, and stability of demand, growth prospects

and the extent of competition. Nevertheless, here the case is different, because the

consumer of the service of police is unpredictable. Anyone, from various levels of

society at any time could be a customer. Therefore, providing unprecedentedservice is very difficult to police department. Identifying an organizations main

customers and producing the services they want is crucial to organizational and

managerial success. Some customers are in dilemma whether or not to go to police

station. Still, the police department is the unique solution provider for the legal

implications relating to the crimes, up keeping the peace. To build up the

confidence of the customers and work for their satisfaction is essential part of the

duty of police officers.

Competition

Earlier, there was not a threat of competition to the police department, with thefailure of the efficiency and productivity of the performance of the police

department we can observe the government tend to bestow the some volume of

power to act as police. E.g. specially STF, three departments and private security

firms to fill the vacuum of the performance of police. Apparently, similar institutions

involved in similar task tend to highlight themselves to attract the glory, which

leads to enhance the public trust. Empirically rivalry between similar institutions will


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help to generate better service. However, the fruitfulness and the legitimacy of

competition are not known up to now.

Distributors

In the police department, we cannot observe specific service distributers. In fact,

every police officer has to play the role of distributor. This is the most active part ofthe police service. In term of role, we can identify police stations and various

branches are working as distributors. This is similar to the marketing but here

mostly the service is provided at the request of the customer. The image build up

through distributors may help to increase the confidence of public towards police

department and to build secure environment. To succeed as an organization it is

essential acquire and increase customer satisfaction. Really there should not be

repent of customers that they are tax money is not in vain. Nationwide distribution

system of police department is considered as opportunity. Because they can collect

information or share out reliably those before other organizations do.

General environment (Macro environment)

General environment is also known as Macro environment and remote environment.

Macro factors are generally more uncontrollable than micro environment factors.

When the macro factors become uncontrollable, the success of company depends

upon its adaptability to the environment.

Economic Environment

Economic environment refers to the aggregate of the nature of economic system ofthe country, business cycles, the socio-economic infrastructure etc. i.e. Interest

rates, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, and other factors that affect the

general health and well-being of a nation or the regional economy of an

organization. The successful management visualizes the external factors affecting

the service; anticipating prospective situations and makes suitable to get the

maximum with minimize cost. When the economic environment affect the police

department badly this will negatively curb the productivity. As an example, current

oil price hike has a tremendous impact on the day-to-day expenditure of police

officers lower level salary. They do not have any means to cope with issue and

automatically interest of working along with efficiency and effectiveness comedown. On the other hand, higher cost of living, inflation, and unemployment may

affect the rate of crimes. Really, this is a big challenge for not only police but also

every one of the country. Actually, these outcomes of economic environment may

create situations for various crimes and public unrest. Managers usually cannot

affect or control these but departments have profound impact on the entity.

Socio-cultural Environment


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The social dimension or environment of a nation determines the value system of the

society, which, in turn affects the functioning of the police department. Sociological

factors such as costs structure, customs and conventions, mobility of labour etc.

have far-reaching impact on the service of police department. These factors

determine the work culture and mobility of labour, work groups within the police

department. Therefore, we can observe unique culture confined to policedepartment. On the other hands these factors directly involving in the crimes of the

country. Mostly someones perceptions of moral value may discourage the

Political Environment

The political environment of a country is influenced by the political organisations

such as philosophy of political parties, ideology of government or party in power,

nature and extent of bureaucracy influence of primary groups etc. The political

environment of the country influences police department largely. Because always

governing party have perception that they must control their hegemony through the

police force. Therefore, most of appointing processes in the police department areinfluenced by political forces overriding standard procedures of the department.

This has hampered most of process, which should be done impartially. If the people

start to think that, the investigations procedures and judicial processes seem

partial, very soon public may attempt to get the all the things in to their control. In

general, political force of the country is not an opportunity police department but a

threat.

Legal Environment

Legal environment includes flexibility and adaptability of law and other legal rules

governing the policing processes. It may include the exact rulings and decision ofthe courts. Most of service of police department is supposed to end at the court.

Therefore, each member has legal binding commitments. There are many

provisions of law in relation to protect human rights and control arbitrary action

done by police officers. Act according to stipulated law is very vital fact for the

building and securing the image of the police force.

Technical Environment

By police department is greatly influenced by the technological development. The

technology adopted by the organization determines the type and quality of goods

and services to be produced and the type and quality of equipment to be used.Technological environment influences activities of police department in terms of

investment in technology, consistent application of technology and the effects of

technology on police procedures. Especially it is very conducive to harness crimes

rate by using a comprehensive database of criminals with their fingerprints and

gene profiles. Therefore, it is noteworthy to say that police department cannot

survive without the technological support.


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In order to survive and prosper, the police department has to adapt itself to the

ecological system that surrounds itself. It is important to utilize the environmental

intelligence to determine the uncertainty and take appropriate actions for the well-

being of the organization

Internal environment

The internal environment is the environment that has a direct impact on the Police

Department or any business. Here there are some internal factors, which are

generally controllable because the Police department has control over these factors.

It can alter or modify such factors as its personnel, physical facilities, and

organization and functional means, like community policing, to suit the

environment.

Internal factor, these involve (5M's) Management, Manpower, Machine, Material and

Money.

VALUE SYSTEM

The value system of the founders and those at the helm of affairs has important

bearing on the choice of business, the mission and the objectives of the

organization, business policies and practices.

B)MISSION,VISION AND OBJECTIVES

Vision means the ability to think about the future with imagination and wisdom.

Vision is an important factor in achieving the objectives of the organization. The

mission is the medium through which the objectives are achieved.

C) MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND NATURE

The structure of the organization also influences the business decisions. The

organizational structure like the composition of board of directors influences the

decisions of business, as they are internal factors. The structure and style of the

organization may delay a decision-making or some other helps in making quick

decisions.

the environment around an organization

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