Challenges Facing Contemporary Organizations

Contemporary organizations exist in an environment that presents both opportunities and threats to their success, and at times challenges their very existence. Astute, visionary organizational leaders recognize and embrace the crucial importance of understanding environmental opportunities and threats in light of the current strengths and weaknesses of their organizations. They develop this understanding through the environmental scanning process that will be discussed in later chapters. They utilize the resulting insights as they formulate and implement strategic plans designed to properly position their organizations to build on organizational strengths and to address organizational weaknesses, while pursuing environmental opportunities and avoiding environmental threats.