The Importance and Challenge of

Evaluating the External Environment

Prepared By:SHARMIN RAHMAN
Abstract:
To understand the insights of a company it’s important to analyze the environment both in external and
internal level. This gives the ability to find the strength and weakness to understand the relation with the
competitors.
In Malaysia the educational institutes have a very competitive market which requires effective strategy.
In this research, the evaluation of Malvern International Academy (formerly known as Kasturi College
International) are described.
Based on SWOT analysis among the admin officers and research about the strategies obtained to evaluate
the external environment techniques.

Introduction:
Two fundamental ways are there to deal with environmental analysis of an educational institute’s external
environment:
1) the Inside Out approach where top levels inspect a set number of particular patterns or outer elements
and their impact on an arrangement of key activities as of now observed as vital to the Universities future;
and
2) The Outside In approach where top levels initially distinguish primary trends and factors developing
over the environment and after that figure out which of them might be basic to the establishment's future.
Malvern International Academy analyzed both methods to review the external possibilities or risks that
could impact the organization.
Information were gathered from administration and departments about the environmental factors and the
steps taken by the authorities to improve the external environment. To have the crlear picture the
initiatives taken by the authorities were observed and analyzed.
The main elements of receive the resources External Environment is combination of:

 E- Media
 Publications
 Reports
 Human Resources

The main factors are:

 Social Environment
 Technological Environment
 Economic Environment
 Political Environment
This research will provide a wide outlook to provide the ideas and opportunities of
improvements of external environment by evaluating its importance.

Evaluating External Environment:

The evaluation of the external environment was performed by utilizing the reviewing the information
from Human Recourses, E- Media, Internet Research and Print Materials.
STEP Model was used to categorize the evaluation.
STEP Models sections are as follows:

Social Environment

Technological Environment

Economic Environment

Political Environment

FIGURE: SOURCES OF EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

Analyzing these four external sources will provide the possibilities and threats that may affect Malvern
International Academy.

1. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Faculty, Curriculum and Students in Malvern International Academy
Malvern International Academy never followed the usual trends, that’s why they introduces different
trends including corporation and vocational programming. There are online courses that provides the
opportunity to professionals to study without attending classes.
As per a research led by analysts at Regis University and the University of Missouri at Kansas, non-
conventional students who leave school before graduating refer to "time" and "fees" as their most
compelling motivations for quitting the study. if the universities offered more weekend classes and
enhanced their prompting forms, more grown-up understudies could finish their degrees. (Notebook, The
Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A53).
Malvern International Academy choses skilled and industrial experienced lecturers who will provide the
exclusive educational experience.

The academic module in Malvern International Academy have a number of variation that focused on the
social environment.
The Programmes of the Academy are:

BA Business
MBA Diploma Vocational
Administration

English
Foundation in Certificate in Professional
Language
Business Business Programmes
Program

Corporate
Online
Training
Programmes
Programmes

FIGURES: PROGRAMMED IN MALVERN INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

After reviewing the curriculums it’s clear that Malvern International Academy doesn’t follow the regular
trends of the colleges. The authorization follows the social environment mostly and creates the program
based on that.
As per a current report by the Association of Malaysian Colleges and Universities, curricular changes are
required. Beside access to post-secondary education, the affirmation of a "quality training" is required.
Suggestions include: helping students to continue their education; expecting students to apply their
knowledge to this present reality.
However, there are so many steps could be taken to improve the external social environment:
 There are many athletes and players in Malaysia who are quitting their studies for their
profession. New curriculums could be taken for them to provide a hand to complete the
graduation or other certification.
For higher studies mostly there is no Ph.D. in Malvern International Academy. Mostly, the
corporate
For media workers including journalists, models and actresses, it’s hard to continue regular
studies and their interests are also different. The increased interest in these areas could be focused
by the academy.
College students are feeling such a great amount of weight from guardians, companions, teachers,
and even themselves about universities and applications, that they are forming themselves into the
'ideal school candidate' at an early age. By attending in "extracurriculars" that don't interest them
or by volunteering for some social exercises since they would look great on the school
application, energy and love for learning are losing all sense of direction all the while. As
indicated by an overview discharged by the Higher Education Research Institute, many students
arrive on college campuses comes up with mental-or passionate medical issues, yet even the
individuals who see themselves as balanced can lose control in the very first year. After
reviewing the comments from the students in Malvern International Academy, the requirement is
to include practical experiences in the study, which will really enlighten them.

“Once Hispanic students arrive at college, the obstacles they face fall into three types – financial,
academic, and social. Programs need to be made available to help students overcome academic and
social barriers. (Williams, October 2002, p. 30-34)
Therefore, external environment certainly depends on the social environment and if any organization
especially the educational institutes improves it they have to understand the importance of it.
WORKSHEET FOR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION:

Factors 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Number of
Faculty
Number of
Lecturers
(Approx)
Number of
Curriculums

Higher Study MBA

Variation in YES
Courses

Follow the YES YES YES YES YES

Trend
2. TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
With the development of the technology the development of external environment depends on it now.
Malvern International Academy has the program to study online. This academy includes suitable
timing with affordable fees to cope us with the speedy development of technology especially in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
To provide the education from city to rural areas, there are lots of scope to develop the technological
environment in Malvern International Academy. Using internal has the huge impacts among the
students. This can actually change the college experience. Malvern Academy follow the technological
trend by understanding the value of it.
The class notes and other necessary details are available in their student profile. And assignment
details also they can find out there.
However, there are a lot of scopes in this area that can create a drastic change in the organization.
Youngsters in this era are advanced with their advanced requirements. That actually push the external
environment to a certain level, if the organization avoids it. After discussing with around 20 students,
some of them are as follows:
1. Allow online-education instructors to use excerpts from recordings of dramatic literary and
musical works – like plays, musicals, and opera to avoid the traditional classrooms. (Carnevale,
October 13, 2002, p. A36)
2. Lectures could be available online with video, so that students can have the important points with
them for better understanding.
3. Online courses can have the verities with the higher education programs to offer a minimum of 12
hours of coursework a week if their students were eligible for financial aid, which impacted the
development of innovative online programs. The rule is being replaced with a regulation that says
institutions must offer at least one day of instruction a week to qualify for aid.
4. The fund for online systems might increase for administration and ecommerce. This is one of the
strong pillar for external environment. The payment could be online, some of the universities
already utilizing this. That can ease the system of payment. Credit card payment is one
revolutionary change in education sector. By that students will have the facility to pay by
instalment. Which increases the number of students.
5. The CEO and author of Capella University gives an interview regarding the achievement of the
locally licensed online organization's degree programs and the suggestions toward the eventual
fate of online training. This sort of learning serves an "imperative and exceedingly various
populace" who might somehow or another not have the capacity to go to a run of the regular
school for different reasons. There is a developing tide of students of this write and subsequently
web based learning "may turn into the classroom without bounds." According to an overview by
e-Brain, 73 percent of online grown-ups would think about taking an online class. Different
investigations demonstrate upwards of 80 percent of the country's 1,000 biggest enterprises have
 actualized web based program. He designates "e-learning is setting down deep roots and will
enhance impressively through the coming decades." (Shank, October 2002, p. 24)

One of the important part of the external environment is technological environment. This is important
to understand the evaluation of this environment to cope up with the competition.
WORKSHEET FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION:

Factors 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Utilizing Facebook,
Social Media Twitter
Email YES
Marketing

Online NO NO NO NO NO
Lecture Video

Online Available
Courses
Online NO NO
Payment
Online YES
Registration

Updated YES
Website

3. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

Higher education opportunity depends on the region particularly for geographical areas. Especially to
experience the result of population growth, distance from other educational resources, and various
other factors.
In some countries there are platforms where education community can work together. In Malaysia
that has been started, in some level.
By understanding the importance of economic environment, Malvern International Academy rethinks
and expands their services. They maintained the class space in spite of the fund problem.
For higher studies the economic problem is one of the biggest issue. The quality programs in Malvern
International Academy with the modern campus in convenient location.

There has been a proceeded with lessening in State bolster for advanced education and, thus, a
developing dependence on educational cost and expenses. (Abbott, January 24, 2003)
Students can have the education loan to study in the academy, and the courses are also HRDF
Claimable.
 However, there is not much financing option for foreign students, which is one of the biggest market
in Malaysia.
Malvern gives the working opportunity in the college so that student can reduce their expenses, which
is also a biggest way to develop economic environment.
WORKSHEET FOR ECONOMICAL ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION:

Factors 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Budget for
Improvement
The College
Compound

HRDF YES
Claimable

Minimum 3.5
Result to
receive
scholarship
Education
Loan/
Scholarship
by College

4. POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

The recent political change in the country can have a huge impact on higher education. New government
promised to provide funds to colleges to develop the programs as well as developing the education of the
country.
Malvern International Academy was formed in 1988 to give a better learning knowledge and sustain
students for their better future. Malvern has worldwide tasks in UK and Singapore also. In Malaysia,
Malvern offers projects in different fields of Business Management, Accounting, Finance, Information
Technology, Hotel Management, abilities based preparing projects, and English dialect ponders. We are
additionally a main focus which offers proficient projects. In terms of political environment in Malaysia
Malvern has the accreditation.
The accreditation policy in Malaysia is a bit back dated in terms of accountability and tuition and college
costs. However, the winning party in 2018 much more focused on the education cause their believe is the
quality of education being the main thrust behind social mobility and improved socio-economic status, the
Malaysian Government has continued to invest in this field.
From the previous Government education sector has received a good budget as well. Under Budget 2018
tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in October, RM61.6bil had been set
aside for education, including RM2.2bil for scholarship grants under the Public Service Department,
RM90mil for My Brain Programme for 10,600 people to further their studies at the Masters and Doctorate
level, RM400mil in research grants and development in public universities and book vouchers worth
RM250 for some 1.2 million students.
In fact, since 2009, the Government had given RM44bil worth of scholarships.
Also announced during the Budget was some RM250mil allocation for the “education of the future”, with
RM190mil for 2,000 classes to be transformed into Smart Classrooms to increase creative and innovative
learning for students.

Malvern follows the government rules and policies to avoid any political issues.
All the students in the university will have the official ID card which is a mandatory for them to get
inside. They will receive discount cards as one way of reducing transportation, government services and
education costs, while a one-off RM 1,500 handouts will be given to 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M)
recipients whose children are enrolled in higher education institutions.
With the direction of the Government Malvern International Academy provide admission to local students
as well as the foreign students. The international students has to follow the EMGS rules to get admission.
There are certain amount of classes they have to attend to continue their visa in Malaysia. They can only
take leave if there is any particular reason. They need to show the proof with proper documents. They will
lose the ability to renew their visa if they failed to do so.
Malaysia Immigration will track the foreign students regularly, because a number of students come to
Malaysia to work rather than to study. To control the situation immigration gives the strict notices to the
college. To avoid any unwanted circumstances Malvern follows the strict class schedule.
All students need to attend the classes, if they are unable for sickness or any major issues have to show
the documents to the faculty. The results also has to be good for them. If they fail continuously then
department has the right to cancel their visa. Government in Malaysia always encourages the digital
education. That’s why the new courses included in the curriculum. With the political stability Malaysia
has the target to create a new path and example in education sector.
WORKSHEET FOR POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION:

Factors 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Number of
foreign
Students
(APPROX)
Number of
Local
Students
EMGS YES YES YES YES YES
Regulation
Followed
 New
Scholarship
Facilities by
the Govt.
Max Class 3 Per Sems
Absence
Allowed by
the College
Warning 5 class 5 class
After absence absence
Absence
Termination After Continuing
of Visa missing
classes after
warning three
times

SWOT Analysis:
Here is the SWOT Analysis of Malvern International Academy.

STRENGTH WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

• Have a brilliant staff for • Less Combination of
taking care of sales courses.
section with solid • Limited options of online
information of current resources
market demands
• Lack in record
maintenance system.
• Strong client connections • Limited Market
in terms of students and Research
guardians. • Limited internal
communication system.
• Strong geographical • Lackings in social media
location framework marketing
• Unique options of • Lots of Competittors
programs. with same type of
• Slightly lower fees program.
• Strong marketing
compares to others.
program using facebook
• Good reputation in by differenct institutes.
market. • Several course outline in
• High depand in online by jobstreet
vocational, corporate education.
and professional • Downtown in economy.
training.

• Well-outlined and
effective advertising
techniques

FIGURE: SWOT ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

CONCLUSION
The external environment impact factors includes demographical variations. It can have a great impact
from major local, regional, state to national level. Not only that the international students is one of the
major source of the students which depends on the external environment.
The decision making is the main strength to choose among the several path. As after analyzing there will
be several options, and there will be budget issues too. To work on the right one its important to find out
the priorities too.
After this research, the organization can find out the strong and weak point from inside out. If they work
with the plan then one day Malvern International Academy will be on the top Malaysian College and
University’s List.
 Environmental Impact Factors
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