Chapter 4 Companies ’ Operation Environments in a Global Economy

During the current period, the world economy is characterised by a process of globalisation, which implies that the national economy is part of the global economy, which it influences, but the latter also determines a certain trend of developing a national economy. In this context, industrial companies are part of the globalised economy, which determines a certain complexity in the development of any industrial company. This chapter is a systemic approach of the industrial company under the conditions of a globalised economic market. It deals with aspects relating to competitions and competitors, elements of companies’ external environments, companies’ internal environments and components, companies’ ambiguous operating environments, etc. The end of the chapter analyses the decision-making process in industrial companies under the conditions given for them, namely in an ambiguous development environment. COMPETITION AND COMPETITORS, ELEMENTS OF COMPANIES’ EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Approaching the environment and interdependencies between them and the company is an issue of maximum importance, the development of which the strategic management has a decisive role. The evolution of the modern company is currently marked by the amplification of the interdependencies with the environment where it operates. The expression of this evolution is the “emphasis of the company’s open character, designed as a system, reflected both on the “inputs” – production and information factors – and on the “outputs” – material goods, information and services”. Formulating a strategy requires the analysis of the elements that can currently influence it or Sebastian Kot Technology University of Czestochowa, Poland Maria Măcriş University of Petroşani, Romania DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6481-4.ch004