When most people think about human resource planning, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the internal environment of the organization. There is however; the external environment which is just as important. The external environment includes government policies, the state of the economy, demographics, technology, international influences, competitors, and a changing workforce (Greer, Peters, & Youngblood, 1998). Neglecting the external environment can have devastating effects on an organization. Entire civilizations have disappeared because they failed to take into account external environmental factors and the need to adapt to a constantly changing environment. You may be wondering what disappearing cultures have to do with human resource planning and the external environment? Well, the answer is: everything. Easter Island is a good example. Mismanagement of their natural resources, forests in this case, has left the island unable to sustain life. No one knows exactly what happened to the inhabitants, but we do know why their culture disappeared. The same thing can happen to any organization that neglects the external environment. Environmental Scanning The most important part of HR planning regarding the external environment is environmental scanning, a means of studying the environmental climate to identify potential opportunities or dangers for an organization (Jackson & Mathis, 2008). As we enter the next century, the need to adapt, change and update will be greater than in the past. Being able to adapt while remaining flexible is essential if an organization is to successfully manage and be able to predict changes in the organizational landscape. In order to effectively predict changes, an organization must identify and address the middle of paper ......ern Books.Burke, RJ (2006). The changing nature of work and organizations: implications for human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 16(2),86-94. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from MasterFile Premier Database. Scarpello, V. (1994). New paradigmatic approaches in strategic human resources management: a commentary. Group and Organization Management, 19(2),160-165. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from Expanded Academic ASAP database. Leffakis, ZM and Waldeck, NE (2007). HR perceptions and workforce training provision in an AMT environment: an empirical study. Omega, 35(2), 161-173. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from Academic OneFile database. Ramlall, S. J. (2003). Measure the effectiveness of human resources management to improve performance. Human Resource Planning, 26(1), 51-63. Retrieved March 7, 2008 from Academic OneFile database