Correct answer: A. External environment and resources
Explanation: The direct answer is A: strategy relates to goals as well as the external environment and available resources. A strategy is not merely a wish or target. It studies what the organisation wants to achieve, what is happening outside it, and what resources or capabilities it possesses. External factors may include customers, competitors, technology, government policy and the economy. Resources may include money, people, skills, equipment and information. A sound strategy tries to create a fit between these factors and the organisation’s goals. Option A is correct because it expresses this broad strategic view. Option B is wrong because the height of a wall is not normally a strategic factor unless it has a special business connection, which the question does not give. Option C is wrong because the number of chairs is a minor operational detail, not a general basis of strategy. Option D is wrong because the colour of a cup is also irrelevant in the stated context. Strategy means choosing a direction after considering opportunities, threats, strengths and limitations. Memory cue: strategy asks ‘where do we want to go, what is outside, and what do we have?’