Environmental Scanning...On & Off the Track

As the Daytona 500 and the true start of the racing season grow closer, Joe Gibbs Team Racing has much to do. In addition to all of the preparation for racing and discussions with sponsors and team members, it is necessary to prepare for potential problems in the future.

According to our class textbook, environmental scanning is a technique used by many organizations to help prepare for or prevent crises caused by external sources. According to the authors of the book, "A systematic environmental scanning process reduces uncertainty and organizes the flow of current information relevant to organizational decisions" (Crandell 71).

Environmental scanning for Joe Gibbs Team Racing can include many potential situations. One recent regulatory situation was NASCAR's decision to allow bump-drafting on restrictor-plate tracks. Because of this rule, one could have foreseen more wrecks than usual for many reasons. For example, it's a new rule that needs to be tested. Also, bump-drafting is considered an aggressive move. From a crisis management perspective, it was necessary to plan for the possibility of more crashing, and prepare the back up car in the event that the regular car can't race.

This is a crisis that 7 NASCAR drivers are indeed facing now, because of this problem. Last Thursday night during practice, Hamlin got into the back of Martin's car, causing a wreck (see article for full story and interviews). Because of experimenting with this new rule, most of the drivers involved will be using their backup cars this weekend.

With continued environmental scanning, Joe Gibbs Team Racing, can prepare for the negative repercussions because of this crash. Already, negative blogs and comments on articles are appearing. They need to be proactive and show Hamlin in a positive light as much as possible. Although negative blogs do not directly affect the outcome of a race, they do affect a team's reputation.