Great Lakes

The Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is the dominant provider of leaded additives to underdeveloped countries. However, because of the damaging effects their product has on its users, the corporation is looking to transfer out of this industry in order to appease the developed countries and environmentalists that are protesting their production of lead additives. By doing this, however, the Great Lakes Corporation will force those underdeveloped countries that rely on this product to find this source from another company or by transferring over to unleaded additives; possibly slowing down their overall economic growth. Certain research and analysis must be completed in order for the corporation to transfer from this market into a more respectable one.
 
Perform an analysis of the social / demographic, technological, economic, environmental / geographic, and political / legal / governmental segments to understand the general environment facing Great Lakes. Describe how Great Lakes will be affected by each of these external factors.

The first step in performing a STEEP analysis is to find out how the social/demographic factors play a role in a business or organization. The socio-cultural aspect of this analysis looks at a businesses’ age range, income brackets, gender, ethnicity, life-style, leisure, social trends, and any shopping trends that their prospective customers/clients might enjoy.
In the Great Lakes case, the socio-cultural aspects determine how Ellie Shannon makes decisions that shape her company’s appeal to their clients. The Great Lakes Chemical Corporation became a bromine and chemical business and became the largest provider of tetraethyl lead (TEL) to underdeveloped countries. These countries that are being provided the leaded gasoline cannot afford the high costs associated with safer, unleaded gasoline. Therefore, the ethical dilemma Ellie has to solve can determine whether or not their company continues to receive their 59% ($259 million)...