Business Environment

Week 1 Basics of Business Environment

• Business: Concept of Business, Scope and Characteristics of Business, Types of Business Organisations, Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation
• Business Environment: Levels of Business Environment- External- Macro, Micro, Internal.
• Competitive Structure of Industries, PESTLE, SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces Model
• Environment Analysis, Changing dimensions of Business Environment

Week 2 Socio Cultural Environment

• Demographic Environment

Week 3 Culture: Elements

• Nature and Impact of Culture on Business
• Cultural Elements- Language, Religion, Family, Aesthetics, Education, etc.

Week 4 Economic Environment

• Nature of Economy, Elements of Economic Environment
• Economic Systems and Business Environment
• Economic planning in India, Economic Policies and Conditions

Week 5 Polito-Legal Environment

• Political Environment: Political Environment and Economic System
• Types of Political Systems, Risks posed by Political Systems
• Political Institutions- Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, Role of Government in business
• Legal Environment: Major regulations pertaining to Business, Intellectual Property Rights.

Week 6 Financial Environment

• Financial System and its components
• Financial Institutions in India and their role
• Foreign Investments, Foreign Direct Investments
• Need for FDI in developing countries, Factors influencing FDI

Week 7 Natural and Technological Environment

• Natural resources and sustainability, Renewable and Non-renewable resources
• Environmental issues related to Business Global Warming, Carbon credits, Industries and Pollution.
• Technology and Competitive Advantage, Innovation, Technological Leadership, sources of technological dynamics, impact of technology on globalisation, Technology transfer, technology adaption, Digitalisation of Business

Week 8 Corporate Social Responsibility

• CSR concept, Need for social responsibility of business, Social Responsibility of Business towards different groups
• Barriers to social responsibility, Business Ethics, Corporate Governance
• Social Audit

Week 9 Economic Integration

• Economic Integration: Levels of Economic Integration, Effects of Economic Integration, Major Regional Trading Blocs
• WTO- Objective and Evolution of GATT, Uruguay Round, GATT vs WTO, Organisation of WTO, Functions of WTO, TRIPS, TRIMS, GATS, Dispute Settlement Mechanism, Dumping and anti-dumping measures.