Internal and External Factors in SWOT Analysis

Internal and External Factors in SWOT Analysis

🔥NEW Does it make sense to classify and distinguish internal and external Factors?
In practice, such distinctions are difficult. An arbitrary classification of external factors into opportunities and threats, and internal factors into strengths and weaknesses, is less important than a careful identification of these external and internal factors followed by an appraisal of their implications.
So I recommend to distinguish all internal and external factors and weigh them, don't necessarily classify them.

		Comments Rating
		4 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Internal and External Factors in SWOT Good point, the classification into internal factors (S+W) and external factors (O+T) in SWOT is merely helpful to break all of these factors up in workable "chunks" and to understand the difference between factors a company can control (S+W) and the ones it can't (O+T). Useful at first sight, but in reality things are not so back and white. Some S+Ws can be controlled only to a certain extent. Some O+Ts can be influenced by the company in some way. So be careful with this distinction. Here you can find other reasons to be careful with SWOT Analysis.