International Business

International Environment

Introduction

It is important for business to comprehend the environment in which they are operating. It is because the environment significantly influences the operations of a business. The environmental factors influence diverse areas of businesses. The political, legal, social, and economic environment is likely to influence the operations, products, prices, and human resource system of businesses. Therefore, it is important to analyze these environmental components for the successful operations of a business. In our days society is influenced and altered by the process of globalization (Brittin, 2009).

United Kingdom is a country that is located northwest of Europe Continental and its capital London. Its territory consists of the island Britain, and northeast of the island of Ireland and several neighboring islands. During the nineteenth century the country was the first world power, but early twentieth century due to the cost of two wars and the decline of its Empire declined its international relations. Despite this, maintained a double alliance: he did not forget its relations with Europe and the reinforced while the United States. Currently, the UK is one of the largest global centers trade and finance and is one of the major economies of Europe. Its economy is mainly capitalist, and because the government conservative in recent years, many public companies have been eliminated, reducing social assistance programs. It should be noted a curious fact, and that despite having a strong agricultural activity, which produces about 60% of its food, this sector employs only 1% of the population due in part mechanization and high efficiency of agriculture. It also has large reserves of coal, oil and natural gas, using the highest percentage of GNP to primary energy production.

As for services, banking, insurance and trade are the main contributors to GDP, while industry continues to lose use and importance. Thus, broadly speaking, the engine of economic growth in Great Britain have been exports and manufactured goods.

It should be noted the profound labor reform that the Labour Government Tony Blair had already begun over 10 years ago when he came to power. In order to this reform was to reduce the number of unemployed people in those years was about three million and is now able to reduce to the about half. This reform has ensured that the unemployed can not live exclusively of the provision without seeking work. Thus, the recipients of unemployment benefits should go every two weeks the various employment offices to show that they are looking actively working, meaning that documentation must show on job applications or interviews sent as if the State not to withdraw unemployment benefits. To verify the data provided by the unemployed, a body of Custom officials track all those who receiving benefits, and if not prove that the aid job seekers removed. By this measure, jobless claims have declined considerably in recent years, so that in February 2005 number of applications fell by 9,000 compared to 6,000 expected by the Government, with a total of 824,800 ...