Additional external influences
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| external influence/ekˈstɜːnl ˈɪnfluːəns/ | 外部影响 | wài bù yǐng xiǎng |
| regulation/ˌreɡjʊˈleɪʃn/ | 监管 | jiān guǎn |
| compliance/kəmˈplaɪəns/ | 合规 | hé guī |
| infrastructure/ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃə/ | 基础设施 | jī chǔ shè shī |
The environment does not stay still
- An external influence 外部影响 is a force outside the firm that can change its costs, demand, risks, or choices.
- International firms must watch political stability, laws, social expectations, technology, environmental conditions, and competition in each market.
- The same change can be an opportunity for one business and a threat for another.
The outside world has never agreed to follow a firm’s calendar.
Rules travel with the product
- Regulation 监管 is a rule made or enforced by an authority. It can cover product safety, data, labour, advertising, imports, or the environment.
- Compliance 合规 means meeting applicable rules and standards. It may cost time and money, but failures can damage customers and the business.
- A responsible firm checks local requirements before launch, rather than fixing a breach after customers are affected.
What does compliance mean?
Compliance is a planned responsibility, not a task after a breach.
Technology changes expectations
- New technology can lower costs, improve service, or create new competitors. It can also make an existing process or product less useful.
- Infrastructure 基础设施 includes systems such as roads, ports, electricity, and internet access. It affects whether a product can reach customers reliably.
- A market-entry decision should connect an external fact to an operational or marketing response.
Infrastructure such as reliable internet can affect whether a digital service reaches customers.
The service may need a different design or a more limited launch area.
Match the condition to a sensible response.
A response turns an external fact into an operational decision.
A cycling-app company plans to enter a market with unreliable mobile coverage outside major cities. Its normal app needs a constant connection, so it creates an offline booking option and limits its first launch to cities with dependable service.
The technology environment did not decide the business plan alone; it changed what a workable plan needed.
Which external influences should an international firm monitor? Choose all that apply.
The external environment includes conditions outside the firm’s direct control.
Write one English external-condition-effect-response sentence about weak mobile coverage.
Example: “Weak coverage may stop rural users booking, so the company adds offline access before expanding.”
External condition → business effect → response. “Weak coverage may stop customers booking, so the firm adds offline access” turns a fact into analysis.
Do not list PEST-style factors without an effect. A country having a law or a road network earns no analysis until you explain what it changes for this business.