Environmental Factors Influencing Global and National Marketing Decisions Every global or domestic business has external factors that ultimately have an effect on the company's operations. Some of these external factors can be controlled, but a larger portion is uncontrollable and yet can be managed and/or influenced by the company. These specific factors constitute the marketing environment in which a company has environmental factors that influence the company's decisions. In this article, the author will explore domestic and global environmental factors that could impact FedEx's marketing decisions. The five environmental factors the author will discuss are social, economic, technological, competitive and regulatory. These five environmental factors are discussed at length in the book titled Marketing 8th Edition written by Roger A. Kerin, Steven W. Hartley, Eric N. Berkowitz and William Rudelius. The authors define social forces as “the demographic characteristics of the population and its values” (Kerin & Berkowitz, Hartley & Rudelius, 2006, p. 74). Some of these demographic characteristics may include gender differences, consumer purchasing patterns, culture, attitudes, and diversity. Economic factors are defined by the authors as everything that "concerns income, expenses and resources that influence the cost of running a business and a family" (Kerin & Berkowitz, Hartley & Rudelius, 2006, p. 80 ). The authors also discussed technological factors as “inventions or innovations arising from applied science or engineering research” (Kerin & Berkowitz, Hartley & Rudelius, 2006, p. 83). The fourth environmental factor discussed by the authors is competition, which… halfway through the article… is a social, technological, and environmental consideration to distinguish them from competitors. FedEx has developed a three-pronged strategy centered on a socially conscious marketing plan that limits its footprint in the environment. ReferencesGoldbach, Justin. (2008). A closer look at corporate education: ethical globalization. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from http://www.aspencbe.org/documents/Ethical%20Globalization%202008%20FINAL.pdfFedEx Corporate (2009) Mission Statement. Retrieved February 27, 2009, from URL: http://about.fedex.designcdt.com/our_company Kerin, R. & Berkowitz, E, Hartley, S, & Rudelius, W. (2006). Marketing (eighth edition). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Retrieved February 27, 2009, from URL: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary/content/eReader.h