External environmental factors or threats may shape the way an organization deals with conflict or reaches consensus in decision making. This may have a direct impact on the strategic management of the business, Economic and Financial influences may seriously impact the decision making process and as such determines the manner in which the business will operate and allocate funding to projects. Social external influences may impact public opinion, marketing strategy and Human Resource goals and objectives. One common area impacted is often training. External technological influences normally impact such areas as Research and Development, Communications, aspects of automation and impact outsourcing decisions. External legal influences may impact Health & Safety policies, Employment Law and legal considerations in the operational goals and objectives of the business.

External Government agencies adopting performance monitoring audits may focus upon controversial areas like resource expenditure, specific cost cutting or cost reduction programs, quality of service provision or policies that may include recommendations for potential outsourcing arrangements. This can result in either consensus or conflict situations; most conflict situations coming from the late presentation of results or findings. (Hatry, 1992).

Many nurses are less prepared to deal with external business influences and how these may impact their clinical duties. Nursing executives are being increasingly called upon to expand leadership training in order to deal with conflict situations from external input. A great deal of development in this arena has changed the role of the modern nursing professional and nurses now require a more substantive grounding in business acumen and skillsets. We are likely to see a lot more Executive Nurses attending business schools and completing MBA programs. (Kleinman, 2003).

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