Answer:
external threat
Step-by-step explanation:
This decision was likely based on an external threat. Which in this scenario is the economy. Economy is considered as an external threat because it is not in the control of the company itself but still directly affects the everyday business operations of the company as well as it's profit and costs. All of this equates to how well the company performs, therefore in a situation where the economy poses a threat decisions need to be made such as the one in this scenario.