A study for an expanded conceptual scanning framework and the impact on current business environment scanning : a systems thinking approach

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study addresses the question of whether there is a need for an expanded conceptual scanning framework that could benefit present-day business organisations. It addresses this question through the conceptualisation of such a framework, based on findings from the literature review executed during the secondary research phase of the study. Through the primary research phase, an attempt is made to reach conclusions pertaining to the research question. The extent to which businesses perform scanning and related activities as per the findings of the literature review is investigated by means of a Likert scale questionnaire presented to a sample of respondents.The study acknowledges that the imperative of environmental scanning for business organisations also holds true for non-business organisations, but focuses on business organisations that specifically drive sustainable competitiveness and increased business success.The study involves the conceptualisation of an expanded scanning framework through combining aspects and components of the ontological and epistemological dimensions prevalent in scanning and its derived activities. These derived activities include information gathering, scenario planning and strategy selection, and their impact on business performance. Furthermore, the conceptualisation of an expanded framework involves the application of a systems thinking approach in executing business environmental scanning. The inclusion of the ontological and epistemological dimensions are proposed as part of the a-priori design of an expanded conceptual scanning framework, offering the opportunity to present-day scanners to deal with matters of environmental dynamism more effectively through increased levels of understanding of the environment.The study aims to move beyond the empiricist mode of scanning and merely levels of knowledge that scanners have about the environment, to how they should approach, view, understand and manage it.The study expands on current conceptual scanning frameworks, methodologies and approaches applied by business organisations when scanning the business environment. It proposes an expanded conceptual scanning framework, which could increase the depth and width of current conceptual scanning frameworks. The aim is to provide a tool with which business organisations can increase the compound whole of information gleaned from the environment, and its integrity. The expanded framework includes a conceptualisation of the construct content of an emerging newness between two or more systems in the scanned environment. It is based on the analysis of the inter-relatedness, inter-dependence and relation between the co-contributing systems of the emerging newness and the interplay of the co-contributing systems' aspects, characteristics, dimensions and qualities. This conceptualised inclusion of emergent newness is based on the methodological analysis of system complexities through the application of a systems thinking approach to create the expanded conceptual scanning framework.Strategy, as the juncture between environmental scanning and an organisation's capacity, has an environment-strategy interface and an organisation-strategy interface. The proposed expanded conceptual scanning framework incorporates both the ontological environment-strategy interface and the epistemological organisation-strategy interface, which concerns a particular worldview. This worldview underpins their approach when business organisations scan the environment. The expanded conceptual scanning framework aims to enhance the understanding of environmental complexity in order to enhance the management thereof. In this regard, it deviates from the notion that enhanced management of the environment would depend on a more accurate prediction of future environmental changes. Rather, it highlights the notion of increasing the understanding of the environment, in order to manage the opportunities and threats embedded in the environment and its future dynamism better.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University