EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AS A DETERMINANT OF STRATEGIC DECISIONS OF AN ENTERPRISE IN CONDITIONS OF INSTABILITY

Abstract

The article substantiates the role of the external environment as a key determinant of enterprise strategic management under contemporary turbulence and high uncertainty. It argues that strategic decisions can no longer be designed as a one-time long-term plan because rapid changes in political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal parameters continuously reshape the boundaries of strategic maneuvering. Treating the enterprise as an open adaptive system, the paper shows that the quality of strategizing depends on managerial capability not only to identify external impact factors but also to interpret their intensity, direction of change, and interdependencies across different analytical levels. A multi-level logic of external environment assessment is proposed by integrating macro-, meso-, and micro-contours: the macro-environment sets general operating frameworks, the meso-environment reflects sectoral and regional regulatory mechanisms and infrastructural conditions, while the micro-environment manifests in the immediate market context. The article highlights that for transport, infrastructure, and industrial enterprises, multi-level impacts are critical because strategic priorities are shaped simultaneously by geopolitical and financial parameters, industry rules, regional constraints, competition from digital platforms, and supply chain disruptions. PESTEL analysis is interpreted not as a mere list of factors but as a structured map of influences that enables alignment between strategic decisions and environmental context, supporting strategic monitoring based on weak signals, scenario logic, and feedback loops. The practical value of the findings lies in forming a logical foundation for designing mechanisms of strategic flexibility, controlling, and enterprise resilience through systemic consideration of external impacts.