Social Factor
Social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. M&S has business not only in the UK but also worldwide which places it a diverse socio-cultural ground. M&S needs to address social factors such as consumers tastes and preferences, attitudes to foreign products and services. Taking these factors into consideration will equip the organization to accordingly cater the needs of the consumers. It can also affect the success in meeting goals by societal attitudes and behaviors over which we have little direct influence on. A customer buying behavior is also influences by social factors such as credit card acceptance; M&S has allowed its customers to pay by credit card from since April 18th 2000 to contend with its competitors who have accepted credit card from a long time, because the requirements of consumers are changeable. People want to feel special, modern and convenient. I.e. people purchase fashionable clothing and use credit cards to satisfy their needs. Another important social factor for organizations is race, religion and age. This can cause conflicts at and therefore racism will take place, to prevent this everyone should accept each other for who they are and what they are capable of doing rather they are young or older they all should be treated equally as it should be, it is stated in the law. All the department of M&S needs to work together due to the globalization and the technology all types of people working together if you take a look at M&S it’s a multicultural business. They let you see that everyone has the ability to work their regardless of your race and your age. Once they all work together they can help the organization strive and reach their goals.
War Child Economical Factor
War Child is an organization that is not competing with others. The economy plays a big role which has an impact of some of the war affected areas they are busy working with, for example Sierra Leone is still recovering from a decade of civil war, which lasted from 1991 till 2002. The conflict between government forces and RUF rebels (Revolutionary United Front) pivoted around the control of diamond mines and affected most of the country and its civilian population. Tens of thousands of people were killed, mutilated or subjected to sexual violence. About half of the population fled their homes. Much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed and the economy collapsed. The nature of armed conflict has changed since the rise of globalization and the end of the cold war. There is one of the three ways in which globalizations drives armed conflict: The “new economy of war”, recent growth in the world economy has led to an increase in violent conflicts over natural resources: diamonds in Sierra Leone and Angola and oil in Sudan. None of these “economies of war” would flourish without the demand or markets in more developed countries. Global businesses in their quest for profit have helped to facilitate these wars. All War Child international network organizations carry the name War Child and use the logo because they share the same objectives: to provide humanitarian assistance to children in war affected areas. How every each organization is financially, legally and operationally independent and has its own board of directors. There are currently two War Child organizations that make up the War Child network and are engaged in field programming in war torn communities: War Child Canada, and War Child Holland. They have a variety of needs filled by boards members, so the qualifications vary according to need, they generally replaces boards members who step down after serving one or more three years, so if anyone wants to apply and become a member of the boards of directors for war child they can just send in their CV and a cover letter with their statement of interest. War Child has gained enormous support from the public, schools and business communities. Company sponsor programs, products and co-promotion activities have been set up and many concerts, art expositions and special events have been organized to support the War Child cause. Thousands of schools around the world have participated in raising funds and awareness for children in war zones, by doing all this to keep the funds going donations will be made to help the cause of War Child organization.
Social Factor
War Child is a network of independent organization, working across the world to help children affected by war. They’re a social organization to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horror of war, which is mainly their number one aim. Employees of War child has a big influence in the organization, because their all there for the same reason to help the organization reach their aims. What is also a social factor of War child is that anyone can volunteer and take part of the important events to save those kids. Employees can move to different countries where they can set up camps to build programs for war affected kids, the only thing that can go wrong is if an employee doesn’t want to go or even work together as a group, this can both cause conflict and also can become public to donators and cause a downfall in the organization. But of course they would only send qualified employees to do to go into post conflict areas for their safety and health. War Child believes that interplay between physiological and social factors is consisting of healthy emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual development, which includes social integration. As a social factor they implement either or together with their partners, progress to protect and empower children and young people. War Child is a right-based organization committed to the fulfillments of children rights!
Comparing the organizations
As you can see that both companies are not that far from each other, they all can perform well so long the economy is going good and positive. The only difference really with the both organization is that for M&S aims for profit and War child for a good cause by helping war affected children. But both of this company can get into to problems with the economy for example if there’s an economic crisis, people will not spend as much money, .sales will go down and even have to fire people from their jobs and with War child is the economy is still being greedy by wanting more diamonds and causing war in places such as Angola and Sierra Leone. One the social part there are not too far from each other nearly the same, they all needs to work together to achieve their organizational aim. So long there is the right communications and respect amongst each other, then conflicts can be avoided. Because of the globalization, the economy changes and the society, there will always be changes if there can. For example government regulations and the standard of living the people has paid a price for. The external factors do have a lot of influences on these companies. If the economical crises arise can cause the company to close some stores or even come to debts and could case war not only from war affected kids but the whole society in general.
Leticia Grinuva
IBS 3
Unit 1 Exploring business activity
M2
Dhr Huizinga
