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alliances 
(d)
 
Changing 
customer values
and behaviour 
(e) Increased 
scrutiny of business decisions
by government and the public 
(f) Increased 
liberalisation 
of trade, and 
deregulation
and co-operation between business and 
government easing access to foreign markets 
(g) Changes 
in 
business practices
– downsizing, outsourcing and re-engineering 
(h) 
Changes in the 
social and business relationships
between companies and their employees, 
customers and other stakeholders 
As companies have become exposed to more international competition, at the same time as having 
greater access to international markets, their preferred choice of 
organisational structure
has been 
affected. This has been evident, as discussed earlier, in the shift away from mechanistic and 
bureaucratic organisations towards flatter structures with more flexible operating arrangements. Network 
forms of organisation and 'virtual' organisations are another manifestation of this trend. The need for 
strategic 
international alliances
has increased with the need to understand and access foreign markets. 
The development of 
communications technology
(email, the internet) is the key factor that has made 
such relationships possible. 
Some firms have been changing the structure of their workforces for the sake of greater flexibility in 
responding to competitor activity or customer needs. This so-called '
flexible firm
' comprises a 
core
of 
full-time permanent staff who possess the key skills, and 
peripheral
part-timers and temporary or 
contract workers. This workforce can be flexed in a number of ways to meet changes in the market. 
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