Environmental Scanning and Its Perception by the Managers of the Tunisian Companies

Raja Mejri, Mahmoud Zouaoui
2013 IBIMA Business Review  
Within the framework of the fast and deep change facing global economy, environmental scanning becomes a main driver for competitiveness. It's an information system directed to the outside environment of the company which plays the role of an intelligent observer who continuously seeks to supply the managers with useful information for their strategic actions. The creation of a device dedicated to this end becomes nowadays an urgent need; however it is far from being easy to realize. It is a
more » ... vy process which can only develop within the framework of a collective learning, registered in a process of knowledge management. The survey has shown that in spite of the awareness of the importance of this practice, this activity remains punctual, unstructured, and especially related to the person of the manager who is essentially based on his own relational network. Accustomed to quazi-monopoly of power, the manager remains unmotivated for the idea of making his subordinates participate. This would lead us to deduct that the main obstacle facing the development of this practice is cultural, related to the values and the convictions which the manager shares with his employees. Indeed, environmental scanning is primarily a state of mind and an attitude before being a means and it is up to managers to know how to mobilize the staff so that they adhere to this behaviour.
doi:10.5171/2013.365159 fatcat:y4cjxs3lrff63h633vmh4k7phy