30 mins, 2009        [password required] Key Topics Types Of Business Globalisation External Factors Business Change This film looks at businesses, what they are and how they work. And how are they changing under social and environmental pressures? TYPES OF BUSINESSES: Key to the development of businesses is the idea of limited liability. There are two main types of limited companies - public and private, but there are many other kinds of organisations, too - from sole traders to co-ops. The film examines how businesses are divided into functional departments and the divide between private ownership and the public sector. EXTERNAL FACTORS: Almost as important as what happens inside a business is what happens outside - external factors. These include the state of the economy, exchange rates, and the European Union. Much of what we buy is produced by people working in poor conditions in the developing world. This has led to the concept of corporate social responsibility - the idea that companies have a responsibility to a wider group than just their shareholders: their "stakeholders". NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS? Capitalism is supposed to be all about competition - but it's also about cartels and price-fixing. Recent years have seen a growth in "social enterprises", companies who claim their main aim is to improve society. But what about the need to protect the environment? Some companies are taking steps to be greener - but is this enough for the health of the planet? DVD EXTRA: Richard Sharpe, Visiting Fellow of the University of East, offers provocative views on key topics raised in the film, including free enterprise, limited liability and "Europe: the democratic deficit."