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Business Environment: Themes and Issues [Pehme köide]

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  • Formaat: Paperback / softback, 528 pages, kõrgus x laius x paksus: 264x194x20 mm, kaal: 1146 g, numerous colour photographs, tables, and line drawings
  • Ilmumisaeg: 06-Dec-2007
  • Kirjastus: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN-10: 0199203059
  • ISBN-13: 9780199203055
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  • Formaat: Paperback / softback, 528 pages, kõrgus x laius x paksus: 264x194x20 mm, kaal: 1146 g, numerous colour photographs, tables, and line drawings
  • Ilmumisaeg: 06-Dec-2007
  • Kirjastus: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN-10: 0199203059
  • ISBN-13: 9780199203055
Teised raamatud teemal:
Designed specifically for students new to the study of business, this book gives context to the subject, exploring the range of environments in which business operates. Part One introduces core political, economic, socio-cultural and technological environments of business, and their inter-relationships Part Two goes beyond these topics and focuses on a range of contemporary issues relevant to each environment; this enables the reader to access the theory through lively current debates. These include the changing public sector, corporate social responsibility and ethics, globalization, and work-life balance. A range of themes is clearly presented in each chapter to avoid over-simplifying the presentation of the business environment. These themes are designed to demonstrate to the reader that business is diverse and complex and there are many inter-relationships between the environments. There are interesting short cases and examples throughout, as well as a longer case study at the end of every chapter; cases include the Nintendo Wii, BlackBerry, Nike, eBay, Nokia, EasyJet and Toyota.The analytical approach the text takes, showing different opinions and perspectives and challenging key issues, will stimulate lively discussion and debate. Online Resource Centre A comprehensive Online Resource Centre provides all the teaching and learning materials needed to support each chapter, removing the need for lecturers to look for additional seminar and test materials, and giving students the resources they need to check and build upon their understanding. Lecturers can track students' progress and understanding using an online test bank of 300 questions offering immediate answers that can be customised and loaded on to the university's VLE. Seminar activities can be based around the additional online case studies, whilst lecturer's notes with outline answers and discussion points to accompany the review questions in the text provide a framework for class debate. Students can test themselves using online multiple choice questions with feedback or the online flashcard glossary.Weblinks to useful sites provide a quick resource for further research, and web exercises guide the student to specific articles on the web, accompanied by questions to stimulate critical thinking.

Arvustused

This is an excellent book that provides students with the right framework to study the business environment. It is written in a light engaging style and covers well all the necessary areas. An accessible book that fills an essential gap in the market for business studies students. Nick Perdikis, University of Aberystwyth

List of cases
xvii
About the authors xix
About the book xxii
How to use this book xxiv
How to use the Online Resource Centre xxvii
Acknowledgements xxix
Introduction: `business' and its `environment'
1(30)
Paul Wetherly
Dorron Otter
The approach of this book---themes and issues
2(2)
What is business?
4(1)
Business and the problem of scarcity
4(1)
The private sector of business
5(2)
The private sector---on closer inspection
7(3)
Free market vs. regulation?
7(2)
Competition vs. market power?
9(1)
Profit vs. social responsibility?
9(1)
Other sectors of business---the public sector and the third sector
10(3)
Differences between the private and public sectors
10(3)
A simple model of business in its environment---transforming inputs into outputs
13(2)
Porter's `five forces' model
14(1)
Conceptualizing the environment of business
15(2)
Spatial level---local to global
15(1)
External and internal environments
16(1)
Immediate and general environments
17(1)
Environmental uniqueness
17(1)
Interaction between business and the environment---responding, influencing and choosing
17(3)
Responsiveness
17(1)
Influence
18(1)
Choice of environment
18(2)
The nature of the internal environment
20(1)
What is an organization?
20(1)
Types of organization structure
21(3)
Functional structure
21(1)
Matrix structure
22(1)
Divisions and operational units
23(1)
Hierarchical structure
23(1)
Delayering---flat structure
23(1)
Environmental analysis
24(3)
Uncertainty and `bounded rationality'
24(1)
PEST (and its variants)
24(1)
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats)
25(1)
Alternative scenarios
25(1)
Trend extrapolation
25(1)
Expert opinion
26(1)
Stakeholder analysis
26(1)
Summary
27(1)
Case study: `UK plc'
28(1)
Review and discussion questions
29(1)
Assignments
30(1)
Further reading
30(1)
Online resources
30(1)
References
30(1)
PART ONE Environments
31(124)
The economic environment
33(30)
Dorron Otter
Introduction
35(1)
Describing the economic environment
35(1)
Labour
36(1)
Land
36(1)
Capital
36(1)
Enterprise
36(1)
Developing the economic problem
36(4)
Commodities
36(3)
Efficiency
39(1)
Three important concepts
39(1)
Perspectives on the economic environment
40(3)
The price mechanism
42(1)
Neoclassical economics
43(1)
The case for government intervention
43(4)
Disadvantages of the market system
43(1)
Competing critiques---the need to acknowledge the modern nature of capitalism
44(3)
Markets and how they operate
47(11)
Demand and supply
47(2)
Demand and price
49(1)
Demand curves
49(1)
Supply and price
50(1)
Surplus in the market
51(1)
Shortages in the market
52(1)
Analysing market changes: the significance of equilibrium
52(1)
Equilibrium analysis explained
53(1)
Equilibrium analysis---guidelines for use
53(2)
Market power
55(2)
Income elasticity of demand
57(1)
Looking ahead
58(1)
Summary
59(1)
Case study: the food business
59(1)
Review and discussion questions
60(1)
Assignments
61(1)
Further reading
61(1)
Online resources
62(1)
The technological environment
63(27)
Dorron Otter
Introduction: what is technology?
65(2)
How does technology foster business growth and development?
67(3)
Total output/total amount of labour
67(3)
Technology and national competitive advantage
70(2)
Perspectives on creating a national environment to promote technology
72(2)
Technology and business competitive advantage
74(3)
The technology debate
77(7)
Industrialization
78(1)
Military technology
79(1)
Energy technologies
79(1)
New technologies
80(4)
Appropriate technology
84(1)
Looking ahead
84(1)
Summary
85(1)
Case study: containerization
86(2)
Review and discussion questions
88(1)
Assignments
88(1)
Further reading
88(1)
Online resources
89(1)
References
89(1)
The political-legal environment
90(31)
Paul Wetherly
Introduction: what is politics? Why is politics necessary?
92(2)
Free market versus regulation
92(1)
Constraints and opportunities
93(1)
Compliance
93(1)
Narrow and broad conceptions of politics
93(1)
What has politics got to do with business?
94(2)
The state and the market
96(1)
The interdependence of business and government
96(3)
Regulation
97(1)
Taxation
97(1)
Public services
98(1)
Government as customer
98(1)
Managing the economy
98(1)
The international dimension
99(1)
The UK political system
99(10)
The modern state
99(2)
Liberal democracy and the constitution
101(6)
Multi-level governance
107(2)
Political values and ideologies
109(3)
Left versus right
109(3)
Ideology and political parties
112(1)
The main political parties
113(3)
The Conservative party
113(2)
The Labour party
115(1)
The Liberal Democrats
116(1)
Looking ahead
116(1)
Summary
117(1)
Case study: politics after Thatcherism
117(2)
Review and discussion questions
119(1)
Assignments
119(1)
Further reading
119(1)
Online resources
120(1)
References
120(1)
The social and cultural environment
121(34)
Paul Wetherly
Introduction: what is the social and cultural environment?
123(2)
What has it got to do with business? Society, culture and business
125(3)
Examples of social-cultural impacts on business
125(2)
Examples of business impacts on culture and society
127(1)
Organization culture
127(1)
Demographic trends---an ageing population
128(4)
An ageing population
128(1)
Implications of ageing for business
129(3)
Immigration and multiculturalism
132(3)
Implications of immigration for business and society
133(2)
Class structure
135(4)
The meaning of class
135(1)
Capitalism and class
135(1)
The occupational order
136(2)
Social mobility
138(1)
Relevance of the class structure to business
139(1)
Inequality
139(6)
Equality of opportunity versus equality of outcome
140(1)
The tax/benefit system
140(1)
Public services
140(1)
The earnings distribution
141(1)
Executive pay
141(1)
Household income
141(2)
What has inequality got to do with business?
143(2)
A woman's place?
145(4)
Occupational segregation
145(1)
Flexible work
146(1)
Low pay
146(1)
Is business responsible?
147(1)
Does it matter?
148(1)
Looking ahead
149(1)
Summary
149(1)
Case study: decline of the working class?
150(2)
Review and discussion questions
152(1)
Assignments
152(1)
Further reading
153(1)
Online resources
153(1)
References
153(2)
PART TWO Issues
155(312)
Keeping the economy stable
157(30)
Chris Mulhearn
Howard R. Vane
Introduction: the macroeconomy and macroeconomic policy
159(1)
The objectives of macroeconomic policy
160(11)
A stable and satisfactory rate of economic growth
161(2)
Long-term growth
163(1)
Short-term growth
164(2)
A high and stable level of employment, and a consistently low level of unemployment
166(3)
A low and stable rate of inflation
169(2)
The case for stabilizing the economy
171(5)
Stabilization policy in question
176(3)
From stabilization policy to controlling inflation
179(2)
Contemporary macroeconomic policy---an eclectic macroeconomics
181(1)
Looking ahead
182(1)
Summary
183(1)
Case study: what does an independent central bank do?
183(2)
Review and discussion questions
185(1)
Assignments
185(1)
Further reading
186(1)
Online resources
186(1)
References
186(1)
Can the marketplace be ethical? Corporate social responsibility
187(26)
Simon Robinson
Introduction
189(1)
The emergence of the CSR agenda
190(1)
Key terms in the discussion of corporate responsibility
191(2)
Corporate social responsibility
192(1)
Corporate citizenship
192(1)
Business ethics
192(1)
Justifying CSR
193(5)
The free market view of CSR
193(2)
Stakeholder theory and CSR
195(3)
The motivations for pursing a CSR policy
198(2)
Self-interest
198(1)
Mutual interest
199(1)
Shared responsibility
199(1)
An overview of CSR policy and process using Aviva as a case study
200(1)
The process and practice of CSR
201(7)
Data gathering
201(1)
Value clarification and management
201(4)
Responsibility negotiation and planning
205(1)
Audit
206(2)
Looking ahead
208(1)
Summary
209(1)
Case study: Nestle and infant formula
209(2)
Review and discussion questions
211(1)
Assignments
211(1)
Further reading
211(1)
Online resources
212(1)
References
212(1)
Achieving a better work--life balance
213(26)
David Chesley
Stephen Taylor
Introduction
215(3)
What is work--life balance?
218(1)
Why work--life balance is moving up the agenda
218(5)
The intensification of work
219(1)
Labour market trends
220(2)
Social trends
222(1)
Government initiatives
223(6)
Working time regulations
224(1)
Part-time workers regulations
225(1)
Time off for family emergencies
226(1)
Paternity leave
226(1)
Adoption leave
226(1)
Parental leave
226(1)
The right to request flexible working
227(1)
Maternity pay and leave
227(1)
Stress checks
228(1)
Employer initiatives
229(1)
Balancing work and retirement---the `pensions crisis'
230(4)
The state versus the market
232(1)
The proposals of the Turner report
233(1)
Looking ahead
234(1)
Summary
235(1)
Case study: work-life balance in practice
235(2)
Review and discussion questions
237(1)
Assignments
237(1)
Further reading
237(1)
Online resources
238(1)
References
238(1)
Europe: an ever-closer union of member states?
239(34)
Roger Henderson
Stratis Koutsoukos
Introduction: the EU and its members
241(2)
Members and treaties
241(2)
Institutions and decision-making
243(2)
Council of Ministers of the European Union
243(1)
European Parliament
243(1)
European Commission
244(1)
Integration, trade and cultural considerations
245(3)
Restricted free trade: customs union to single market
245(2)
Higher level integration
247(1)
EU trade in a global business context
247(1)
Cultural diversity and business implications
247(1)
The euro and business
248(5)
Exchange rates and the euro
248(2)
Euro performance
250(1)
UK and the euro
251(1)
Euro business strategy and operations
252(1)
Financing the EU: budget issues and challenges from enlargement
253(7)
Budget objectives and composition
253(1)
Key budget issues and challenges
254(2)
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
256(1)
Budget reforms
256(2)
Regional policy
258(1)
Enlargement
258(2)
Doing business in the new Europe
260(5)
Industry policy
261(2)
Competition policy
263(2)
Europe and the future: ever-closer union or . . .?
265(2)
The Sapir Report
265(1)
Scenarios for 2010
265(2)
Looking ahead
267(2)
Summary
269(1)
Case study: the knowledge economy: Finland and Nokia
269(2)
Review and discussion questions
271(1)
Assignments
271(1)
Further reading
271(1)
Online resources
272(1)
References
272(1)
Business and the changing public sector
273(27)
Richard Rooke
Introduction
275(1)
The public and the private sectors
275(1)
The present era
276(1)
The political environment and public sector management
276(5)
Politics and policy-making
277(1)
Central government and local authorities
278(1)
Political systems
279(1)
Public sector effectiveness
280(1)
The shift in emphasis since 1979 in Britain and across Europe from the 1980s and 1990s
281(4)
Privatization
281(1)
New public management
282(1)
Pressure for reform
283(1)
Approaches to reform in the context of public service management
283(1)
An outline of the reform strategy and implementation in Great Britain
284(1)
Public--Private partnerships
285(6)
`Private finance initiative' (PFI)
287(1)
Data and the auditing
287(2)
Data, measurement, statistics, performance indicators
289(1)
Auditing regimes
290(1)
Auditing organizations
290(1)
The political and policy organizations
291(2)
The voluntary sector
291(1)
Agencies, NGPBs
292(1)
Looking ahead
293(1)
Summary
293(1)
Case study: fire safety provision
294(3)
Review and discussion questions
297(1)
Assignments
298(1)
Further reading
298(1)
Online resources
298(1)
References
299(1)
Business in the political arena
300(31)
Paul Wetherly
Introduction
302(1)
The complexity of the political arena
302(1)
The play of interests and power in the political process
303(3)
The representation of business interests
306(1)
Understanding the influence of business in the political process
307(1)
The democratic ideal
307(1)
The pluralist approach
308(10)
The Lessons of Sunday trading
311(1)
Classification of groups
312(6)
Neocorporatism---the importance of economic interests
318(2)
The neocorporatist phase in the UK
319(1)
Making agreements stick
319(1)
Social partners
319(1)
The privileged position of business
320(1)
Control without trying
320(1)
Business as a political actor
321(1)
The consequences of globalization
321(1)
The ups and downs of business influence over policy-making
322(1)
Business influence---'nothing special' or `unique'?
323(1)
Pressure on business from CSOs
323(1)
Ethical consumerism
324(1)
Is business influence in the political process a good thing?
325(1)
Looking ahead
326(1)
Summary
326(1)
Case study: the political influence of the car industry
327(2)
Review and discussion questions
329(1)
Assignments
329(1)
Further reading
329(1)
Online resources
330(1)
References
330(1)
Globalization of business
331(26)
Dorron Otter
Introduction: the impact of globalization on the business environment
333(3)
Globalization: from local to global?
334(2)
What is globalization?
336(2)
International trade and the creation of the global marketplace
336(1)
Globally organized production and investment flows
337(1)
Migration
337(1)
Communication flows
337(1)
Cultural flows
338(1)
Rapid technological change
338(1)
The growth of globalization
338(1)
Perspectives on globalization
339(8)
Classical and neoclassical views
339(1)
Ricardo and comparative advantage
340(1)
Radical/Marxist views: globalization is bad---the dependency tradition
341(1)
Structuralist writers---globalization could be good if . . .
342(4)
Evidence
346(1)
The global challenge: international business strategy and the global environment
347(1)
International business strategy
347(1)
Global ethics for the global business?
348(4)
Global CSR
349(1)
Global citizenship
349(1)
Employment practices
350(1)
Human rights
351(1)
Environment
351(1)
Abuse of market power
351(1)
Attitudes to graft and corruption
351(1)
Looking ahead
352(1)
Summary
352(1)
Case study: coffee
353(1)
Review and discussion questions
354(1)
Assignments
355(1)
Further reading
355(1)
Online resources
355(1)
References
356(1)
Balancing business freedom and the authority of the law
357(29)
David Amos
Introduction
359(1)
What is law?
360(1)
Categories of the law
361(1)
Sources of the law
362(3)
Case law/precedent
362(1)
Legislation
363(1)
Structure of the courts
363(1)
Criminal cases
364(1)
Civil claims
364(1)
The European Court of Justice
364(1)
Tribunals
365(1)
Alternative dispute resolution
365(1)
The European Union
365(3)
Sources of European law
366(1)
Who makes European law?
366(1)
Who enforces European law?
367(1)
Business organizations
368(9)
Sole traders
368(1)
Partnership
369(1)
Limited liability partnerships
370(1)
Companies
371(5)
Values and the law
376(1)
How far should the law intervene---regulation vs. deregulation
377(4)
Deregulation?
377(1)
Regulation?
378(1)
Self-regulation?
379(2)
Looking ahead
381(1)
Summary
381(1)
Case study: the working time directive
382(1)
Review and discussion questions
383(1)
Assignments
383(1)
Further reading
383(1)
Online resources
384(1)
References
384(2)
Entrepreneurship and enterprise
386(30)
Alison Price
Martyn Robertson
Introduction
388(1)
Understanding enterprise and entrepreneurship
388(7)
What is enterprise?
389(1)
What is `an enterprise' or SME?
389(1)
Who is the small-business manager?
390(1)
Who is an entrepreneur?
390(1)
Defining the entrepreneur as social, serial, or an intrapreneur
390(3)
What makes an entrepreneur?
393(2)
Key dimensions in the development of small business
395(7)
Stage of growth
395(3)
Sector
398(2)
Values of enterprise
400(2)
The importance of new businesses and SMEs
402(3)
Strengths and weaknesses of small business
405(2)
Widening participation in enterprise
407(2)
Female entrepreneurs
407(1)
Black and minority ethnic (BME) entrepreneurs
408(1)
Entrepreneurs from the `baby boom' generation
409(1)
Looking ahead
409(1)
Summary
410(1)
Case study: the female entrepreneur
411(2)
Review and discussion questions
413(1)
Assignments
413(1)
Further reading
413(1)
Online resources
414(1)
References
414(2)
Business and sustainable development
416(29)
Eamonn Judge
Introduction: the impact of sustainable development issues on the business environment
418(3)
Historical context
418(1)
Moving from history to the present day
419(2)
The current global environmental problem and business, and the international response
421(5)
The current global environmental problem
421(3)
International responses: the `Earth Summit' and after
424(2)
The application of sustainable development frameworks to environmental issues
426(6)
Conventional frameworks for dealing with environmental issues
426(1)
The concept of sustainable development (SD)
427(3)
Types of approaches for dealing with environmental problems
430(2)
Sustainable development and business
432(7)
Defining sustainability in relation to business
432(6)
The significance of sustainable development for business
438(1)
Looking ahead
439(1)
Summary
439(1)
Case study: sustainable transport for a large business
440(2)
Review and discussion questions
442(1)
Assignments
443(1)
Further reading
443(1)
Online resources
443(1)
References
444(1)
Conclusion: themes and issues---looking ahead
445(22)
Dorron Otter
Paul Wetherly
Introduction
447(1)
Looking back to the future
448(4)
The global business environment post-1945
449(1)
Domestic business environment in the first world
450(1)
Lessons to be learned?
451(1)
Looking ahead: the political environment
452(3)
A new approach to combining the state and the market?
452(1)
Challenges for the future political environment
453(2)
Looking ahead: the economic environment
455(3)
Economic stability and growth
456(1)
The China effect
456(1)
Threats to economic stability and growth
457(1)
Looking ahead: the social environment
458(4)
Affluent societies
458(1)
Social problems
458(2)
The business response
460(2)
Looking ahead: the technological environment
462(2)
Creating the knowledge economy---opportunities
462(1)
Th reats of technology
463(1)
Summary
464(1)
Case study: the football business
464(2)
Review and discussion questions
466(1)
Assignments
466(1)
Online resources
466(1)
Glossary 467(10)
Index 477