The incorporation of an interactive external environment: an extended model of marketing relationships

Traditional marketing theory has largely considered the external environment as an uncontrollable fixed constraint. This deterministic approach fails to consider the often interdependent nature of the firm and its external environment. It is suggested that there are many components of the business environment that can be influenced, to the overall benefit of the firm, yet traditional models tend to suggest that the external environment is mainly an uncontrollable force. The incorporation of stakeholder theory into a model of marketing interactions can be used to integrate a wider set of relationships into a firm’s activities and, by incorporating this more explicitly into the planning process, can create greater value for the firm. This paper examines how stakeholder theory can be incorporated into a model of marketing so as to promote the inclusion of an interactive business environment into strategy formation.