专业英语(内部资料).docVIP

Unit 1 Part A Introduction to Business The Nature of Business There are a numbers of definitions of the English word business. Each of them carries a related but different meaning. There are primarily two that bear upon our discussion. The first is any activity engaged in as a means of livelihood . The second sees business as the principal activity of one’s life . For America , business is both a means of livelihood and the focus of one’s life, at one and the same time. Individuals and groups pursue business for both monetary gain and for personal identification and recognition. This double focus of business carries an understanding that business provides for the sustenance of an individual or groups while at the same time providing each with a sense of identity. The two concepts are so intertwined as to be nearly impossible to separate from one another . However , for our purposes, we shall focus on business as a means of livelihood by viewing it as the process of taking the assets of one or more individuals and making them available to others in the form of goods and services to produce a profit. We will attempt to identify and define the components of this definition. Business is a process Business is a process . As such, it is a series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result. Many seek to divide the process into many processes in order to better understand and manage the process (really sub-processes) so that they can impact and control the outcome . For now, we only need to understand that it is a process or processes and that they can be understand both individually and as a whole. In our consideration, business is a process that returns a profit to those involved in it in order to sustain their livelihood . Business is primarily the production of goods and services to produce a profit. The nature of the profit will vary by the character of the business undertaken. While each business will define profit somewhat differently, they al