Business Environment
The term ‘business environment’ means the sum total of all individuals, institutions and other forces that are outside the control of a business enterprise but that may affect its performance. As one writer has put it– “Just take the universe, subtract from it the subset that represents the organisation, and the remainder is environment”. Thus, the economic, social, political, technological and other forces which operate outside a business enterprise are part of its environment. So also, the individual consumers or competing enterprises as well as the governments, consumer groups, competitors, courts, media and other institutions working outside an enterprise constitute its environment. The important point is that these individuals, institutions and forces are likely to influence the performance of a business enterprise although they happen to exist outside its boundaries. For example, changes in government’s economic policies, rapid technological developments, political uncertainty, changes in fashions and tastes of consumers and increased competition in the market — all influence the working of a business enterprise in important ways. Increase in taxes by government can make things expensive to buy. Technological improvements may render existing products obsolete. Political uncertainty may create fear in the minds of investors. Changes in fashions and tastes of consumers may shift demand in the market from existing products to new ones. Increased competition in the market may reduce profit margins of firms.
The Business plan on Small Business Enterprises
Introduction: This assignment is based on Small Business Enterprise in which the case study is Premier Group Recruitment. Another small business Leap 29 is chosen for the comparison. These small businesses are service sector organisations providing recruitment services in IT, Media and Engineering. They are small businesses because their employees are less than 50 and their turnover is low as ...
On the basis of the foregoing discussion, it can be said business environment, has the following features:
(i) Totality of external forces: business environment is the sum total of all things external to business firms and, as such, is aggregative in nature.
(ii) Specific and general forces: Business environment includes both specific and general forces. Specific forces (such as investors, customers, competitors and suppliers) affect individual enterprises directly and immediately in their day-to-day working. General forces (such as social, political, legal and technological conditions) have impact on all business enterprises and thus may affect an individual firm only indirvectly.
(iii) Inter-relatedness: Different elements or parts of business
Business Studies
74
environment are closely inter-related. For example, increased life expectancy of people and increased awareness for health care have increased the demand for many health products and services like diet Coke, fat-free cooking oil, and health resorts. New health products and services have, in turn, changed people’s life styles.
(iv) Dynamic nature: Business environment is dynamic in that it keeps on changing whether in terms of technological improvement, shifts in consumer preferences or entry of new competition in the market.
(v) Uncertainty: Business environment is largely uncertain as it is very difficult to predict future happenings, especially when environment changes are taking place too frequently as in the case of information technology or fashion industries.
(vi) Complexity: Since business environment consists of numerous interrelated and dynamic cond-itions or forces which arise from different sources, it becomes difficult to comprehend at once what exactly constitutes a given environment. In other words, environment is a complex pheno-menon that is relatively easier to understand in parts but difficult to grasp in its totality. For example, it may be difficult to know the extent of the relative impact of the social, economic, political, technological or legal factors on change in demand of a product in the market.
The Research paper on Internal and External Forces and Change
Within the business world, there are different theories of effective change implementation. The corporation this research focuses on is Duke University Children’s Hospital, which is highlighted in the textbook. The topic of the research paper will focus on the process of implementing change within the hospital. Implementing change within organizations is very relevant to this course. Not only is ...
(vii) Relativity: Business environment is a relative concept since it differs from country to country and even region to region. Political conditions in the USA, for instance, differ from those in China or Pakistan. Similarly, demand for sarees may be fairly high in India whereas it may be almost non-existent in France.
Importance of Business Environment
Just like human beings, business enterprises do not exist in isolation. Each business firm is not an island unto itself; it exists, survives and grows within the context of the element and forces of its environment. While an individual firm is able to do little to change or control these forces, it has no alternative to responding or adapting according to them. A good understanding of environment by business managers enables them not only to identify and evaluate, but also to react to the forces external to their firms. The importance of business environment and its understanding by managers can be appreciated if we consider the following facts:Business Environment 75
(i) It enables the firm to identify opportunities and getting the first mover advantage: Opportunities refer to the positive external trends or changes that will help a firm to improve its performance. Environment provides numerous opportunities for business success. Early identification of opportunities helps an enterprise to be the first to exploit them instead of losing them to competitors. For example, Maruti Udyog became the leader in the small car market because it was the first to recognise the need for small cars in an environment of rising petroleum prices and a large middle class population in India.
(ii) It helps the firm to identify threats and early warning signals: Threats refer to the external environment trends and changes that will hinder a firm’s performance. Besides opportunities, environment happens to be the source of many threats. Environmental awareness can help managers to identify various threats on time and serve as an early warning signal. For example, if an Indian firm finds that a foreign multinational is entering the Indian market with new substitutes, it should act as a warning signal. On the basis of this information, the Indian firms can prepare themselves to meet the threat by adopting such measures as improving the quality of the product, reducing cost of the production, engaging in aggressive advertising, and so on.
The Report on Types of Business Enterprises
Date: October 1, 2008 Assignment 1 Describe and explain the recognised types of business enterprises. What are some of their advantages and disadvantages when seen from the viewpoint of a proprietor or manager? Introduction In English Law, a business enterprise may be described as having the status of a “sole trader”, a “partnership” or a “company or corporation”. The type of legal structure ...
(iii) It helps in tapping useful resources: Environment is a source of various resources for running a business. To engage in any type of activity, a business enterprise assembles various resources called inputs like finance, machines, raw materials, power and water, labour, etc., from its environment including financiers, government and suppliers. They decide to provide these resources with their own expectations to get something in return from the enterprise. The business enterprise supplies the environment with its outputs such as goods and services for customers, payment of taxes to government, return on financial investment to investors and so on. Because the enterprise depends on the environment as a source of inputs or resources and as an outlet for outputs, it only makes sense that the enterprise designs policies that allow it to get the resources that it needs so that it can convert those resources into outputs that the environment desires. This can be done better by understanding what the environment has to offer.76 Business Studies
(iv) It helps in coping with rapid changes: Today’s business environment is getting increasingly dynamic where changes are taking place at a fast pace. It is not the fact of change itself that is so important as the pace of change. Turbulent market conditions, less brand loyalty, divisions and sub-divisions (fragmentation) of markets, more demanding customers, rapid changes in technology and intense global competition are just a few of the images used to describe today’s business environment. All sizes and all types of enterprises are facing increasingly dynamic environment. In order to effectively cope with these significant changes, managers must understand and examine the environment and develop suitable courses of action.
(v) It helps in assisting in planning and policy formulation: Since environment is a source of both opportunities and threats for a business enterprise, its understanding and analysis can be the basis for deciding the future course of action (planning) or training guidelines for decision making (policy).
The Essay on Legal, Social, and Economic Environments of Business
There are several categories that a small business can fall into. Within these businesses there are legal, social and economic environments that effect how the business is run and whether the business is a success or failure. From the cost to run to how the tax return is filed; all three have their advantages and disadvantages. All three also can produce a lucrative income for the right person or ...
For instance, entry of new players in the market, which means more competition may make an enterprise think afresh about how to deal with the situation.
(vi) It helps in improving performance: The final reason for understanding business environment relates to whether or not it really makes a difference in the performance of an enterprise. The answer is that it does appear to make a difference. Many studies reveal that the future of an enterprise is closely bound up with what is happening in the environment. And, the enterprises that continuously monitor their environment and adopt suitable business practices are the ones which not only improve their present performance but also continue to succeed in the market for a longer period
