What you’ll learn to do: identify the external forces that shape the business environment

You are probably aware that businesses do not operate in a vacuum, immune to the forces that shape our everyday life. Just like people, businesses interact with their surroundings, and just like people, businesses react differently to their environment. Later in the course, you will explore these external forces in greater depth when you complete modules covering topics such as the global business environment, business ethics, and marketing. For the time being, this section will introduce the external forces that have an impact on business operations and decisions and serve as a foundation for things to come.

The specific things you’ll learn in this section include:

• List the external forces that affect businesses
• Give examples of how various external forces affect the participants in a business and its functional areas