Anything that appears challenging or threatening in the external environment needs to be taken seriously and this is where management plays a key role.
Internal factors or forces on the other hand are more concerned with organizational culture, mission and values and human resource. While all managers are required to remain true to organization's culture and uphold its values at all times, a real manager is the one who knows when to mould the culture in such a way that it would remain close to its original values while at the same time also become more accepting of external changes. A manager who is blinded by his organization's culture and beliefs is likely to miss signs of external change. Management needs to understand that internal forces are within its control and thus can be used constructively for the benefit of the entire organization instead of allowing...
A culture is a guide but often this guide can be highly misleading, making the management believe that there is only one way of doing things or one road to ultimate success. The truth however can be best expressed in the words of Sun Tzu who wrote in the Art of War, some 2,500 years ago that "there is no invariable strategic advantage (shih), no invariable position (hsing), which can be relied upon at all times." (Anamnesis, 1996) For this reason, management must understand that while the culture influences it, it can also be influenced with correct vision and proper planning.
References
Lawton, P. (1995, September). Initiating and managing change in your organization. CMA Magazine, 69 28-32.
Anamnesis, A. (1996). The root ideas in dealing with change. Physician Executive, 22 41-45.
