external anal;political and legal fac

• External analysis factors

  • Political and legal factors
  • Economic factors
  • Social/demographic factors
  • Technological factors
  • Environmental factors
• Political system

  • A set of institutions, political organisations and interest groups
  • The relationship between them
  • The rules and norms that govern their functions (Constitution, etc)
• Levels of political systems

  • Global (World Trade Organisation, European Union)
  • National (National government policy)
  • Local (Local government departments, councils)
• Sources of legal authority

  • Supranational (UN resolutions, International Court of Justice, European Parliament, European Courts)
  • National (Acts of Parliament, Senior Courts)
  • Regional (Regional/Federal Government, Local councils)
• Government policy

  How governments can affect organisations (e.g. housing, crime, education, defense, healthcare, environmental)
• Direct legislation

  Organisations must comply with appropriate legislation or face consequences
• Legislation that applies to most organisations

  • Employee protection
  • Data protection
  • Health and safety
  • Consumer protection
• Employee protection legislation

  • Protects employees from unfair treatment by their employers
  • Often designed to cover termination of employment
• Different types of termination

  • Retirement
  • Resignation
  • Dismissal
  • Redundancy
• Constructive dismissal

  Employees may resign because their employer has breached the terms of their contract of employment
• Unfair dismissal


  When an organisation is unable to prove that a dismissal was fair
• Wrongful dismissal

  When an employer breaks the terms of the employee's contract during the dismissal
• Redundancy

  • Legislation gives employees rights such as the right to consultation, notice period, redundancy pay, and fair selection
• Principles of data protection

  • Used fairly, lawfully and transparently
  • Used for specified, explicit purposes
  • Used in a way that is adequate, relevant and limited
  • Accurate and kept up to date
  • Kept for no longer than necessary
  • Handled with appropriate security
• Data subject rights

  Be informed, access data, update incorrect data, have data erased, stop/restrict processing, data portability, object to processing
• Potential data security threats

  • Physical risks (fire, flooding, etc.)
  • Human risks (unauthorised access, hacking, fraud)
  • Operational problems (bugs, user errors, data corruption)
• Data security countermeasures

  • Fire procedures, staff training, environmental controls
  • Access restrictions, security guards, tagging
  • Testing, procedures, training, anti-virus, encryption, backups
• Health and safety legislation

  • Puts responsibility on both employer and employee

  Employer responsibilities: provide safe environment, prevent risks, inform staff, provide first aid, ensure right equipment

  Employee responsibilities: take reasonable care, cooperate with employer, report injuries
• Breaches of health and safety

  Employers may be in breach of common law or guilty of a criminal offence
• Consumer protection legislation


  • Protects consumers from unscrupulous or unethical businesses

  Covers principles for goods (title, quality, description) and services (skill, timeliness, price)
• Simple contracts


  Legally enforceable agreements between two or more parties, not required to be in any particular form
• Features of a valid simple contract

  • Agreement
  • Consideration
  • Intention to create legal relations
  • Capacity and legality
• By creating legislation surrounding simple contracts, the government can protect consumers from being taken advantage of by businesses or other individuals