Final answer:
An environmental scanning worksheet is used by firms to gather information on economic, competitive, and political trends that could influence their operations. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The simple guide used to compile relevant information about economic, competitive, and political trends that may affect a firm is the environmental scanning worksheet. This tool helps businesses assess external factors that can impact their operations. It enables the identification of opportunities and threats in the wider environment that the company operates in. The process of environmental scanning often involves gathering data about trends, events, and relationships in a company's outside environment, which could affect its future.