Match the following examples with their related general forces.

 Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

 A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I

* Technological Environment: Technological environment includes forces relating to scientific improvements and innovations which provide new ways of producing goods and services and new methods and techniques of operating a business. For example, recent technological, advances in computers and electronics have modified the ways in which companies advertise their products. It is common now to see computerised information kiosks, and World Wide Web multimedia pages highlighting the virtues of products. Similarly, retailers have direct links with suppliers who replenish stocks when needed. Manufacturers have flexible manufacturing systems. Airline companies have Internet and World Wide Web pages where customers can look for flight times, destinations and fares and book their tickets online. In addition, continuing innovations in different scientific and engineering fields such as lasers, robotics, biotechnology, food preservatives, medicine, telecommunication and synthetic fuels have provided numerous opportunities and threats for many different enterprises. Shifts in demand from vaccum tubes to transistors, from steam locomotives to dieseland electric engines, from fountain pens to ballpoint, from propeller airplanes to jets, and from typewriters to computer based word processors,have all been responsible and creating new business.

* Social Environment: The social environment of business include the social forces like customs and traditions, values, social trends, society’s expectations from business, etc. Traditions define social practices that have lasted for decades or even centuries. For example, the celebration of Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and GuruParv in India provides significant financial opportunities for greetings card companies, sweets or confectionery manufacturers, tailoring outlets and many other related business. Values refer to concepts that a society holds in high esteem. In India, individual freedom, social justice, equality of opportunity and national integration are examples of major values cherished by all of us. In business terms, these values translate into freedom of choice in the market, business’s responsibility towards the society and non-discriminatory employment practices. Social trends present various opportunities and threats to business enterprises. For example, the health-and-fitness trend has become popular among large number of urban dwellers. This has created a demand for products like organic food, gyms, bottled (mineral) water and food supplements.

* Economic Environment: Interest rates, inflation rates, changes in disposable income of people, stock market indices and the value of rupee are some of the economic factors that can affect management practices in a business enterprise. Short and long term interest rates significantly affect the demand for product and services. For example, in case of construction companies and automobile manufacturers, low longer-term rates are beneficial because they result in increased spending by consumers for buying homes and cars on borrowed money. Similarly, a rise in the disposable income of people due to increase in the gross domestic product of a country creates increasing demand for products. High inflation rates generally result in constraints on business enterprises as they increase the various costs of business such as the purchase of raw materials or machinery and payment of wages and salaries to employees.

* Legal Environment: Legal environment includes various legislations passed by the Government administrative orders issued by government authorities, court judgments as well as the decisions rendered by various commissions and agencies at every level of the government— centre, state or local. It is imperative for the management of every enterprise to obey the law of the land. Therefore, an adequate knowledge of rules and regulations framed by the Government is a pre-requisite for better business performance. Non-compliance of laws can land the business enterprise into legal problems. In India, Constitutional Provisions; Companies Act 2013; Industries (Development and Regulations) Act 1951; Foreign Exchange Management Act and the Imports and Exports (Control) Act 1947; Factories Act, 1948; Trade Union Act; 1926; Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923; Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, Consumer Protection Act, 1986, Competition Act, 2002 and host of such other legal enactments as amended from time to time by the Parliament, is important for doing business. Impact of legal environment can be illustrated with the help of government regulations to protect consumer’s interests. For example, the advertisement of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Advertisements, including packets of cigarettes carry the statutory warning ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’. Similarly, advertisements of baby food must necessarily inform the potential buyer that mothers milk is the best. All these regulations are required to be followed by advertisers.