Table of Contents:-
- Nature of business environment
- Business Environment Meaning
- What is Business Environment?
- Business Environment Meaning
- Define Business Environment
- scope of business environment
- Features of business environment
The business environment encompasses various factors that influence the operations and success of an organization. Understanding the nature of business environment is important for businesses to adapt and succeed in a dynamic marketplace.
Nature of business environment
The nature of business environment is explained as follows:
1) Dynamic
It is difficult for a business environment to remain the same for a long period. Thus, the environment is considered dynamic. The environmental factors change according to the tastes and preferences of the customer, amendments made in the government policies, up-gradation in technology, etc. All these factors affect the business in their decision making process. Hence, the ability to adapt the changes and implement them into action leads to the success and growth of the business.
2) Internal and External Factors
There are several internal and external factors which influence the business environment. The factors such as business objectives, policies, staff members, etc., combine to form the internal environment. Whereas, the external environment comprises micro and macro factors. The micro factors involve competitors, consumers, society, suppliers, etc. Macro factors include economic and legal, political, technological, cultural, and other external factors.
3) Multifaceted
Changes in the environment can have both positive and negative outcomes. Different people perceive differently upon the changes differently. For example, changes can be an opportunity for some people and it may be a threat to others.
4) Unpredictable
The business environment keeps on changing continuously. Businesses can influence the internal environment, not the external environment. Therefore, it may be considered that the internal environment is controllable and the external environment is uncontrollable.
5) Interlinked
The ‘environment’ is the most important element of any business. No business can function without its environment – legal, social, cultural, economic and political environment. Business and the environment have a mutual relationship. Therefore, the success and failure of business is influenced by the changes in the environment. The enterprise comprises an interactive process which collects inputs like raw materials, capital, manpower, energy, etc, from the environment converts them into finished goods and returns them to the environment.
6) Opportunities and Obstacles
The business environment is adaptable. Therefore, the business may act as an opportunity or an obstacle to the organisation depending on the situation. Opportunity provides scope for expansion whereas obstacle curbs the growth of the organisation.
7) Uncertain
In the dynamic world of business, frequent changes in the environment are always possible. These changes are highly uncertain. Thus, it becomes difficult for the business to forecast its future events. The business must constantly monitor environmental changes to improve both its current and future performance.
8) Complex
There are several difficult situations in the business environment which the enterprise must be aware of and must make the best use of. In comparison with the traditional form. The modern business is more complex and unstable. The scope and size of modern business are as wide as its environment. The changes like increasing government interference and social awareness unfavourably affect the business enterprise.
9) Defines Business’s Boundaries
The business organisation functions within an environmental framework. This can be in the form of social, political, economic, and legal structures, within which all business activities are carried out. To ensure a business organization’s growth and survival, it’s important to carefully analyze and efficiently adapt to changing structures.
10) Long-Lasting Impact
Businesses can be affected by the environment either positively or negatively. This can have a long-lasting impact on the conduct of business activities. Therefore, business analysis and diagnosis of the strengths and opportunities and formulate strategies and policies to avoid risks and threats to the environment.
Business Environment Meaning
The business environment means all those external factors which affect the functioning of the business. It is a combination of social, economic, legal, and technical factors. The business environment includes all those external and internal factors that create opportunities and also those that threaten the business.
The entrepreneur rarely has control over the external environment of the business, but the external environment can exert many controls on the entrepreneur. It can greatly influence the scope and direction of business activities. Therefore, the basic function of an entrepreneur is to identify the environment in which he has to operate.
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Entrepreneurs need to adapt their policies according to the environment. Every business organization has to face its internal and external environment opportunities and threats. The internal environment reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the business, while the external environment represents challenges and opportunities of organisational behaviour.
A single business cannot influence the environment through its unique activities. However, different companies can influence the environment through their collective conduct. The analysis of the company environment assumes that it is external to the organisation. The organisation tries to adjust its internal environment in light of the external environment.
External factors and internal factors can affect each other and work together to influence a business.
What is business environment?
It refers to all those external forces or factors such as economic, political, social, and natural forces that affect the functioning of a business and its operation. All these powers are beyond the control of the business, which means the business has no control over all of these but they affect the business. Hence, enterprises operate within an environment comprising diverse components beyond our control; our scope lies in studying and adapting to them at best.
The company environment is the sum of various social, economic, political environment, and legal conditions under which the business has to function.
Business Environment Meaning
The term Business Environment comprises two different words Business (Business) + Environment (Environment). People engage in various activities to earn money, which collectively falls under the realm of business. These activities aim to address the diverse needs of society.
Environment means the conditions around us, where we live, work, etc. When discussing the environment for business, we refer to all the elements surrounding the business. Combining these elements results in what we term business activity.
Like human beings have their environment, in the form of weather? Whether it is winter or summer season we wear clothes accordingly, if we want to survive then we have to understand our environment and in the same way, we adjust ourselves. Similarly, the business also has its environment surrounding it. It includes – different policies of the government, customers’ wants, knowing about the suppliers, etc.
Define Business Environment
According to William Gluck and Jock, “Business environment is the total of all those outside business firms and industries that affect their organization and operation.”
As per Arthur M. Weimer – “Business environment includes the climate or set of conditions such as, economical, social, political or institutional, in which business activities and operations take place.”
According to Davis, “The business environment is the total of all the circumstances, events, and factors that affect the business.”
As per Renki and Shawl – “Business environment includes the total of all those external factors to which the business exposes itself and is directly or indirectly affected”
According to Urwick and Hunt – “The environment includes external factors that create opportunities and threats to the business; This includes socio-economic status, technology, and political conditions. “
From the above definitions, we can deduce the business context which includes internal and external factors that pose threats to a business or provide opportunities for exploitation.
Introduction to Business
In business, all the activities are organized and conducted by the people to satisfy the needs of the consumers. So, it is an activity done by the people for the people which means that the people occupy a central place around which all the activities revolve. This means that business is a dynamic entity that believes in change and it may be right to say that today’s only certainty is change.
It is a great challenge for today’s and especially tomorrow’s traders and managers to stay abreast of the specific changes, to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest developments in the business field to maintain their existence and stability in the market. Therefore, the study of the business_envronment is of utmost importance to managers and practitioners.
Two more factors are not included in the definition and have a considerable impact on the business. They are the physical or natural environment and the global environment.
Challenges of Working World
Businesses are challenged today to develop creative ways to make profits without harming the existing environment. Considering the diversity of these sources of change in the environment, global managers are challenged to restrain themselves and adjust as needed.
A few companies in India like Daewoo, Hyundai, Maruti, Tata, and Hero-Honda are going ahead with their pollution-reducing programs.
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Indeed, cleaning up the environment promises to create whole new classes of jobs in the future. Gone are the days when trade was heavily protected and subsidies, licenses, quotas, and restrictions were the order of the day. Now the competition is in the name of modern business.
Traders always stand on the verge of being wiped out of the market. They stand on their own feet to cut costs and eliminate deficiencies and continual quality improvement is the order of the day. However by competition, the consumer benefits from the various openings of various competitors.
It is about changing, what a competitor is going to bring in the future, it is all part of the interaction environment. If we understand all these in advance, we can increase our business by taking some steps.
Environment for Business
We can say that business_envronment simply means understanding everything around us completely and keeping information about it, like –
- What do customers want?
- Who are our competitors?
- What are the policies of the government?
All these things which directly or indirectly impact a business, come in the business environment.
The trading environment has to pay attention to the environment around it in which it exists, a business can achieve success only when it pays full attention to the prevailing situation, and environment and makes adjustments in its work accordingly.
The business environment is very complex and detailed, it is affected by various factors. The trading environment is constantly changing because many factors affect it. It is affected by economic, geographical, political, social, cultural, technical, legal, and international factors.
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Scope of business environment
1. Identifies Business Opportunities And Threats
The entrepreneurial environment helps businesses in the identification of different opportunities and threats. When business is capable of detecting market opportunities timely, then they can easily take advantage of such opportunity at the earliest.
They can earn maximum returns and profits by availing of such opportunities before the competitors. Through proper interaction between an enterprise and its environment, all threats can be easily detected. It will enable businesses to take corrective measures timely.
2. Helps In Planning And Policy Formulation
A proper understanding of the trade environment helps in preparing better policies and strategies. It conveys all existing information regarding market conditions to businesses. All opportunities and threats of an organisation are scanned through the study of the company environment.
Businessmen are appropriately aware of the environment and thereby take all decisions according to it. Their whole plan can be changed effectively and efficiently through environmental awareness.
3. Provides Useful Resources
Business depends on the environment in which it functions for several resources. The commercial environment supplies several inputs like capital, raw materials, and labour which are used by the business for its operations.
These inputs are converted into goods and services to fulfil the needs of the market. Without a fair supply of inputs, a business cannot continue its operations. It is completely dependent upon the environment for taking inputs and delivering the required goods or services.
4. Improves Performance
The company environment has an effective role in accelerating the performance of the business world. Through constant environmental awareness, managers update their knowledge and skills. The environmental study acts as the medium of educating management.
Environmental monitoring provides qualitative information which helps in developing strategic thinking. It enables managers to adopt appropriate management practices to control and improve the performance of the business.
5. Helps In Coping With Rapid Changes
Factors which constitute the trade environment are dynamic. They keep on changing regularly from time to time. These changes include changes in customers’ preferences, fashion, technology, economic conditions etc.
A proper understanding of the company environment helps businesses in detecting all these frequently occurring changes easily. It enables them to deal with these changes efficiently by taking proper actions at the right time. Managers through continuous monitoring of the environment are sensitive to such changes and respond effectively.
6. Enhances Business Image
Businesses through a proper understanding of their environment can improve their public image. They are more responsive and sensitive to environmental needs through proper knowledge of the corporate environment. The study of the environment provides them with information for making realistic plans and implementing them effectively. Businesses can provide better service and serve the interests of the entire society. People are happy with the business and develop confidence in it. This enables in development of a better image in the market.
7. Assist In Facing the Competition
The commercial environment communicates all details about competitors in the market to the business. Awareness regarding the actions and strategies of competitors is important for every business to meet competition effectively. It helps businesses in formulating plans and policies on the competitor’s actions. Businesses can face challenges and competition in the market through systematic planning efficient way.
The Features of business environment
The features of a business environment include various factors that affect how a company works. Businesses need to know about these features so they can do well in the fast-changing world of business. These features include elements such as money, rules, new technology, and how the market behaves. They are like puzzle pieces that help a company figure out what they should do and how to be successful.
The following are the salient features of business environment:
Features of business environment are explained below:
1. The totality of External Forces
The entrepreneurial environment encompasses all external factors and forces that are beyond the control of a business. It is a complex amalgamation of various elements that collectively shape its overall nature.
2. Specific and General Forces
The forces outside the business can be divided into two parts; specific and general.
i) Specific – These forces affect different parts of an industry in different ways. This includes things like customers, suppliers, other companies, and investors.
ii) General – These forces impact all companies in an industry, covering aspects like social, political, legal, and technical conditions.
3. Interrelated
The connection between factors inside a business and the outside world is clear. For example, when a new government changes import-export rules, it shows how politics and money are linked. Understanding this link is essential for businesses to thrive in a changing world. This way, they can make smart choices, adjust their plans, and, in the end, grow steadily.
4. Dynamic Nature
The business environment is made up of many factors, and a good number of them keep changing all the time. This means that the business environment is always evolving.
5. Relativity
The business environment differs from one country to another because it’s closely linked to local conditions.
6. Complexity
Many factors are closely connected in the environment, making it hard to see how each one affects businesses on its own. This complexity can make it tough for businesses to manage these factors effectively.
7. Uncertainty
Uncertainty is a key feature of the business environment, and it’s one of the toughest challenges. The business environment is always changing, so there’s no way to be completely sure about what will happen. Professionals who create business plans have to think about the changes that are already in motion, but it’s a risky task. Take technology, for example – it’s evolving so fast that we can’t predict exactly when or how big changes will occur. In this field, surprises can pop up at any time. The fashion industry isn’t an exception to this.
Approaches of business environment
The business environment is simpler and better explained by the following approaches;
1. System Approach
Trade is a system by which it produces goods and services for the satisfaction of desired goods, using multiple inputs from the environment, such as raw materials, capital, labour, etc.
2. Social Responsibility Approach
In this approach, the business should fulfil its responsibility towards several categories of society like consumers, stockholders, employees, government, etc.
3. Creative approach
According to this view, business shapes the environment by facing challenges and taking advantage of opportunities in time; Business brings a change in society by paying attention to the needs of the people.
FAQ
1. What do you understand by business environment?
Business environment is the sum or collection of all internal and external factors that impact a business and its operations. These factors include employees, customers’ needs and expectations, management, clients, supply and demand, owners, suppliers, activities by government, economic changes, social trends, innovation in technology, market trends, etc.
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