Situation: Situational factors and Event

Hi, welcome to the thirteenth day of The Leads Intellectual challenge: a 30-day challenge with Fatai Kareem. If you would like to know what a situation means and its factors, read the twelfth day challenge here.

Today, he will be discussing situational factors and event. Why is that some things are considered to be appropriate at some places, but inappropriate at other places? How do signs and symbols affect what we do? Why are different places and people treated differently? Why does business conduct feasibility study 

Well, understanding these situational factors and the event around them can provide answers.

As explained in the previous challenge, situational factors are those things that make a situation to occur. They are those things that are responsible for the condition in which people find themselves, which affect them in some ways. What shows what happens between people and the situation is regarded as " an event". This is what explains how people react to or interact with what had happened (past event), what is happening (present event), or what is going to happen (future event).

The kind of situation that can occur can be predicted by understanding situational factors that are present or absent. Hence, the event that can follow such occurrence. For example, if the break of a car fails while running with high speed, it is likely for an accident to occur. Likewise, if a teacher goes to the bank, you are likely to believe that the teacher goes there to either save or withdraw money, not to teach because that is not a school. Also, if a red tape is put around a place, you might not go to the place because you may assume that the red tape means that there is a danger at the place.

The features, functions, effects and meaning given to these situational factors are important in understanding the kind of situation people can find themselves, and the kind of event that can follow such occurrence. This can be explained with the following instances:

• Culture shows the kind of value, belief, norms, tradition and lifestyle a group of people share. This group of people attribute meaning to some things which in turn influence how they interact with those things. For example, if the culture forbids eating snail, such that whoever eats snail must be punished. What do you think will happen when a member of the group eats snail? What kind of event will take place? Assuming that it is the son of their leader that eats snail, will the event be the same as a member of the group? If someone comes to them to sell snail, are they going to buy it?

Therefore, understanding what is acceptable and forbidden in a society based on their culture is important. Doing things that conform with the culture, or that can be integrated into the culture, is a means of being accepted in the society. People do not easily give up their culture; they fight back when being attacked. Instead, when they are made to re-evaluate their culture to see its flaws, they tend to think of alternative that will help the culture seems more appropriate. And this can involve being de-socialised in order to be re-socialised. Therefore, bringing up another event around the situational factor since its condition and context have changed.

• Constitution governs the affairs of all residents of a country. It sets the condition for things considered to be acceptable, punishable or minor. The laws, regulations, policies and code of conduct are made with respect to the constitution. And anybody that violates it is prosecuted. For instance, if someone kills another person while the law says he who kills must be killed. What kind of event do think will take place if the murderer is prosecuted? 

Therefore, it is important to understand the legal implications of what you are about to do in order to know and get prepared for the possible event that could follow your actions. This will enable you to act better.

• There are different indicators and metrics for measuring how well an economy is performing. GDP, unemployment rate, inflation rate, etc., are important in understanding the economic condition. They serve as pointers for the kind of economic situation the economy is likely to find itself. Therefore, economists can advise the government and corporate bodies on important economic issues affecting the economy and business operations, and actions to be taken in order to prevent eventuality of adverse economic situation such as recession, stagflation, etc., and take advantage of economic opportunities such as expansion of local industries, increase in exports, etc. 

In addition, the functions, features or purpose attributed to something also determines the kind of event expected to take place due to the presence or absence of that thing. For instance, if it rains, it is expected that a place will be wet, not dry. Financial services are expected to take place at the bank, not healthcare services. A teacher is expected to teach students, not fly airplane. That is, what is expected of something determines how people are likely to treat that thing. Therefore, this can be used to determine the kind of event that can occur.

Past events are also important as they may serve as the basis of forecasting or predicting what could happen in the future. When situational factors led to a particular situation with a particular effect in the past, the pattern and effect of its occurrence could be recorded. This past event could be determined to occur again if similar pattern of occurrence is observed. Therefore, proper action can be taken either to prevent it or take advantage of its opportunity. 

In instances above, the possibility of an event occuring based on the feature, functions, effect, or meaning given to something or someone (situational factor), or past event, is known as "Eventuality". This eventuality shows the likelihood of an event taking place when factors that have the potential to cause the situation that can lead to the event are present. This follows cause and effect relationship. The cause leads to the effect. The  situational factors bring up the situation, which leads to the event.

Case study

1. A and BCD company is planning to launch synthetic hair product in an area where it is believed to be a taboo. What is the situational factor that can affect the success of the product in the area? What kind of event is likely to occur?

2. Joy, a business management student, presents herself as a business management expert to her client. This makes her client to give her complex job beyond her level of knowledge. What is the situational factor that could have made the client to give her that kind of job? What kind of event is likely to take place between Joy and her client?

3. GHIJK PLC does not put necessary things in place to keep records of its activities, hence does not measure its data. Some problems are coming up affecting its productivity and revenue. The manager of the company is confused because he does not what is causing the problem. Can GHIJK PLC be having problems without a cause? Can this cause be discerned? What benefit will the company get from keeping the records of its activities and measuring its data?

Disclaimer: All names used are for illustration purpose.

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