New themes in the changing policy‐planning environment

In the last quarter century, business planners have increasingly had to expand their grasp of economic and social issues and to deepen their knowledge of the various forces affecting their organizations. While economic, demographic, and political information have long been important ingredients in a successful organization's bag of tricks, the ability to read and interpret the social climate, and to understand the impact that change can have on that climate, are increasingly important skills as well.