Environmental Scanning and Strategic Decision-Making in Manufacturing Firms in Rivers State

This study investigates the role of environmental scanning in strategic decision-making among manufacturing firms in Rivers State, Nigeria. Rivers State, located in the South South geopolitical zone, hosts a significant concentration of industrial and manufacturing activity, making it a relevant context for examining how firms respond to environmental dynamics. The research adopts a descriptive survey design, targeting production managers, strategy officers, and chief executives of twenty manufacturing firms in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor. A questionnaire instrument was administered to 120 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Findings reveal that firms engaged in systematic environmental scanning are better positioned to adapt their production and marketing strategies in response to policy changes, raw material price fluctuations, and competitor activities. The study also identifies a significant gap between environmental information availability and its integration into formal decision-making processes. Only 38 percent of sampled firms had dedicated units for competitive intelligence gathering. The study concludes that manufacturing firms in Rivers State must institutionalize environmental scanning as a core strategic management function to improve decision quality and resilience. Recommendations include the adoption of PESTEL analysis frameworks and quarterly strategic review meetings. Keywords: environmental scanning, strategic decision-making, manufacturing firms, Rivers State, competitive intelligence.