CBSE CLASS 12 BUSINESS STUDIES

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

MEANING OF 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 effect its performance.
• The economic, social, political, technological and other forces, which operate outside a
business enterprise, also form part of the business environment.
• The organisation must be aware of the external forces and institutions and must be
dynamic to adapt itself to the changing external environment.
• The organisation must set goals and formulate plans and procedures based on the
changing external business environment.

FEATURES OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1. Totality of external forces: Business environment is the sum total of all the forces and
factors external to a business firm.
 2. Specific and general forces: Business environment includes both specific and general
forces. Specific forces include investors, competitors, customers etc. who influence
business firm directly while general forces include social, political, economic, legal and
technological conditions, which affect a business, firm indirectly.

3. Inter-relatedness: Different elements or parts of a business environment are closely

interrelated. For example, increased awareness for health care has raised the demand for
healthy oil free food and healthy lifestyle.

4. Dynamic: Business environment is dynamic in which it keeps on changing with the

change in technology, shift in consumer preferences etc.

5. Uncertainty: Business environment is largely uncertain, as it is difficult to predict the

future happenings. Such as, frequent environmental changes in the field of technology
and fashion industry.

6. Complexity: Business environment is complex phenomenon, which is easier to

understand in parts, but it is difficult to understand in totality. Since the business
environment consists of various interrelated and dynamic forces, it is difficult to
understand the constituents of a given environment.

7. Relativity: Business environment is a relative concept whose impact differs from country
to country, region to region and firm to firm.

IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1. Business environment enables the firm to Identify opportunities to get the first
mover advantage: Environment provide various opportunities for business success.
Understanding it helps an organization in identifying advantageous opportunities and
exploiting benefits prior to competitors.

2. It helps the firm to Identify threats and early warning signal: Environmental
awareness can help managers of an organization to identify various threats on time and
serve as an early warning signal. For example, Bajaj Auto made considerable
improvements in its two wheelers when other companies entered the auto industry.
 3. It helps in tapping useful resources: Business Environment is a source of various
resources such as man, machine, money, raw material, power etc. to a business firm. By
understanding the business environment an enterprise can design policies to acquire the
required resources and convert them into output that environment desires.

4. It helps in coping with rapid changes: Business environment is very dynamic were
changes are taking place at a fast pace. Changes such as turbulent market conditions, less
brand loyalty etc. In order to cope with significant changes managers must understand,
examine, and develop a suitable course of action.

5. It helps in assisting in planning and policy formulation: Understanding and analysis of

business environment can be the basis for planning & policy formulation in an
organisation.

6. It helps in improving performance: The enterprise that continuously monitor the

environment and adopt suitable business practices are the ones, which not only improve
their performance but also continue to succeed in the market for a long period.

DIMENSIONS OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1. Economic Environment: It has immediate and direct impact on a business. Rate of
interest, inflation rate, change in disposable income of people, monetary policy, stock
market indices etc. are some economic factors, which could affect business firms.
Increase or decrease of the economic factors result in opportunities or constraints on a
business enterprise.

2. Social Environment: Business environment includes various social forces such as

customs, beliefs, literacy rate, educational levels, lifestyle, values etc. Social trends
present various opportunities and threats to business enterprise.
Example the celebration of Diwali, Eid and Christmas in India provide financial
opportunities for confectionery manufacturers, garments businesses and many other
related businesses.

3. Technological Environment: It includes forces relating to scientific improvements and

innovations, which provide new ways of producing goods and services and new methods
and techniques of operating business. A businessman must closely monitor the
technological changes taking place in the industry as it helps in facing competition and
improving quality of the product.
Example, demand for LED smart HD tv’s instead of LCD tv’s, Use of artificial
intelligence in various companies etc.

4. Political Environment: It includes political conditions such as general stability and

peace in the country and the attitude of the elected government representatives hold
towards businesses. Political stability builds confidence among business community
while political instability and bad law & order situation may bring uncertainty in business
activities.
Example: Bangalore is called the Silicon Valley of India due to the favourable political
conditions provided by the state government to the IT industries.

5. Legal Environment: It includes various laws and legislations passed by the Government,
administrative orders, court judgements, decisions of various commissions and agencies
at every level of the government centre, state or local. Businessmen have to act according
to various legislations and their knowledge is very necessary.
Example: Advertisement of alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA
As per the economic planning the government gave lead role to the public sector for
infrastructure industries whereas the private sector was broadly given the responsibility of
developing consumer goods industry. At the same time, the government imposed several
restrictions, regulations and controls on the working of private sector enterprises. India’s
experience with economic planning has delivered mixed results. In 1991 the economy faced a
serious foreign exchange crisis, high government deficit and a rising trend of prices despite
bumper crops.
As a part of economic reforms, the Government of India announced New Economic Policy in
July 1991 for taking out the country out of economic difficulty and for the development of the
country.

The features of economic policy 1991 are as follows:

1. Reduced number of industries to six, under compulsory licensing scheme.

2. The role of public sector was limited to four industries of strategic importance.

3. Disinvestment was carried out in case of many public sector enterprises.

4. Policy towards foreign capital was liberalized and, in many sectors, 100% direct foreign
investment was allowed.

5. Automatic permission was granted for signing technology agreements with foreign
companies.

6. Foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) was setup to promote & channelize foreign
investment in India.
The main strategies of new economic policy of 1991:

1. LIBERALISATION:

The economic reforms that were introduced aimed at liberalizing the Indian business and
industry from all unnecessary controls and restrictions. It relaxed the rules and regulations which
restricted the growth of the private sector and also allowed the private sector to take part in the
economic activities that were exclusively reserved for the government sector.

Liberalisation of the Indian industry has taken place with respect to:
a. Abolishing licensing requirement in most of the industries except a short list,

b. Freedom in deciding the scale of business activities i.e., no restrictions on expansion or

contraction of business activities,

c. Removal of restrictions on the movement of goods and services

d. Freedom in fixing the prices of goods services

e. Reduction in tax rates and lifting of unnecessary controls over the economy,

f. Simplifying procedures for imports and experts, and

g. Making it easier to attract foreign capital and technology to India.

2. PRIVATISATION:
The new set of economic reforms aimed at giving greater role to the private sector in the
nation building process and a reduced role to the public sector. The government adopted the
policy of divestment and transfer of ownership.
• To achieve privatization in India, the government redefined the role of the public sector in
the new industrial policy of 1991, adopted the policy of planned disinvestments of the
public sector, and decided to refer the loss making and sick enterprises to the Board of
Industrial and Financial Reconstruction.

• Divestment means transfer of ownership of a public sector enterprise to a private

enterprise.

• If there were dilution of Government ownership beyond 51 percent, it would result in

transfer of ownership and management of the enterprise to the private sector.

3. GLOBALISATION:
Integration of the various economies of the world leading towards the emergence of a cohesive
global economy. In simple words globalization means interaction and interdependence of a
country with the economies of other countries to facilitate free flow of goods and services,
capital and technology across borders.
Till 1991, the Government of India had followed a policy of strictly regulating imports in value
and volume terms. These regulations were with respect to (a) licensing of imports, (b) tariff
restrictions and (c) quantitative restrictions.
A truly global economy implies a boundary less world where there is:
a. Free flow of goods and services across nations;
b. Free flow of capital across nations;
c. Free flow of information and technology;
d. Free movement of people across borders;
e. A common acceptable mechanism for the settlement of disputes;
f. A global governance perspective.