Business Organizations Grade 8: Private Sector
Business Organizations Grade 8: Private Sector
Business Organizations Grade 8: Private Sector
Business organisation is a person or a group of people organized to produce goods and services to accomplish a specific goal or some specific goals (It can be profit motive or welfare motive). In addition to the entrepreneur, the production of goods and services requires the factors of production land, labour and capital. These resources need to be organized for production to satisfy our wants. It is the responsibility of the entrepreneur to organize resources in a business or a firm. Business organizations are classified into public sector and private sector.
Private sector
The private sector consists of business activities and organizations owned, financed and run by private individuals. The main objective of private sector is to maximize profit.
Public sector
The public sector consists of business activities and organizations owned, financed and run by government. The main objective of public sector is to maximize public welfare.
Sole trade
Private Limited Companies Public Limited Companies Worker Coopratives Consumer Co-operativies
Business organizations
Multinational Companies
Firm
A firm is a unit of management. It is an organization which trades under a particular name, and which controls the way in which land, labour and capital are employed.
Industry
An industry consists of a group of firms producing similar goods and services.
Sole Trade
Sole trade is defined as a business organization which is owned and controlled by only one person. A sole trader may employ more than one employee. It is the oldest and the simplest form of business organisation. Sole trade is common in retailing, farming, personal services (like hair dressing), craft works and repair worksetc.
Partnership
Partnership is defined as a business organization owned and controlled by two to twenty partners with a view to make profit. But, the number of partners can exceed in professional partnership. The business relationship between the partners, details of the business and terms & conditions of running the business are stated in the partnership deed. Partnership deed is a written agreement between partners. The two types of partnership are ordinary partnership and limited partnership.
Features of partnership
1) Formation It is easy and inexpensive to establish a partnership. There are few legal formalities to undergo. A partnership is formed by a mutual agreement between partners. But, limited partnership should be registered with the registrar of companies. 2) Capital The capital of partnership is contributed by Partners. Capital contribution is done according to the partnership deed. 3) Ownership Partnership is owned by partners. There is a fixed limit of owners from 2 to 20 partners except in professional partnership. In professional partnership, the maximum number of partners can exceed. 4) Management and control A Partnership business is managed and controlled by the active partners. In ordinary partnership all partners are active partners. These partners may be awarded with salaries in addition to the profit share. The salaries paid should be stated in partnership agreement. 5) Liability for debts Ordinary partnership has unlimited liability while the limited partnership has limited liability. But in limited partnership also there must be at least one partner with unlimited liability. 6) Profit or loss The profit or loss of the partnership is shared between partners equally or according to an agreed ratio.
Advantages of partnership
1) Easy formation Partnership is generally easy to establish since, there are fewer legal formalities compare to limited companies. 2) Larger capital than sole trade Partnership enjoys a larger capital than the sole trade. There are more owners to contribute capital. Financial institutions are also more willing to lend money to partnership compare to sole trade. The advantage of Limited liability of limited partnership can even attract more capital. 3) Easy to manage As there are more partners to manage the business, management of partnership is easier and more efficient compare to sole trade. 4) Minimum risk for individual partners Risks and losses of the business are shared among the partners. Hence, this minimizes the risk for individual partners. 5) Better decisions Discussion and negotiation between partners regarding the business matters lead for better decisions.
Disadvantages of partnership
1) Disadvantage of unlimited liability In ordinary partnership, partners are liable for the debts of the firm. In limited partnership also, at least one partner should be personally liable for the business debts. 2) Lack of continuity Anything happens to a partners or partners will affect the business. Death, insolvency or retirementetc of a partner or partners could affect the continuity of the business. 3) Lack of harmony Disputes and disagreements between partners may create conflicts between partners and affect the success of the business. 4) No separate Legal entity Since, both ordinary partnership and limited partnership have no separate legal existence, any acts of a partner or partners will affect the business. 5) Difficult to maintain business secrets The discussions and negotiations between more owners may lead for the exposure of business secrets. 4|LH.A.S/ Econ/ Gr8/2011
Information box Differences between ordinary partnership (general partnership) and limited partnership
Although both ordinary partnership and limited partnership have got many similarities in common there are few differences as well. Ordinary Partnership Formation Formation requires a partnership deed and should be registered with relevant government department or authority. All partners have unlimited liability and all of them are liable for the debts of the business personally. Limited Partnership Formation requires a partnership deed and partnership should be registered with registrar of companies. There should be at least one partner (general partner) with unlimited liability and there should be at least one partner (limited partner) with limited liability. General partners are personally liable for the debts of the business while limited partners are not personally liable for the debts of the business. The business is managed by general partners.
Management
All partners should take an active role in the management of the business.
Do you know? Active partners are the partners who contribute the capital and take part in the management of partnership business. Sleeping partners are the partners who contribute the capital but, do not take part in the management of partnership business.
Information box
Memorandum of Association It is a document which regulates a firm's external activities. This contains companys name, the address of registered office, objectives of company, amount of capital company wishes to raise, names of the people who have agreed to buy shares and number of shares by each shareholderetc. 6|LH.A.S/ Econ/ Gr8/2011 Articles of Association The internal rule book which contains, rights of share holders, procedure for electing board of directors, rights and duties of board of directors, borrowing power of company, procedure for calling annual general meeting, employer employee relationshipetc. Statutory declaration It is a signed statement from each director of limited companies, signifying willingness to serve.
Do you know? Transferability of shares explains the possibility of transferring the ownership of a business possessed by a person. It can be sold, transferred or given away to another person. The shares of private limited companies are transferrable but not freely transferrable. The shares of public limited companies are freely transferrable.
Shares
Shares of Limited Companies are divided into preference shares and ordinary shares. Ordinary shares They are the risk bearing shareholders as they have no guaranteed income and they are at the end of the queue for a share in the profits. But during a very high profit, they can enjoy high dividend. The percentage of dividend paid varies according to the profit of the business. Ordinary share holders normally have voting rights. They are eligible to become the Board of Directors. Preference shares The holders of these shares get preferential treatment and this type of shares carries a fixed rate of dividend. They dont normally have the voting right and cannot take part in the management. Types of preference shares a) Cumulative preference share: - It carries a right to any arrears of dividend which have accumulated during a year when the company did not earn enough profit to pay the dividend. b) Participating preference share: - It not only carries the right to a fixed rate of dividend but also additional payments out of profits when the company has a particularly good year.
Debentures
It is a loan capital to limited companies. A person who owns a debenture is a debenture holder. A debenture holder is not an owner. They get a fixed rate of interest irrespective of the success of the business. Secured debentures: - If the company defaults on its payments to them, the debenture holders can seize certain assets of the company and sell them in order to obtain the money owed to them. Such debentures are described as secured debentures.
Multinational Companies
A Multinational Company or corporation is defined as a firm which operates in more than one country, although its headquarters is located in one particular country. Multinational Company (MNC) is also known as Transnational Corporation (TNC) or Multinational Enterprise (MNE). It is also referred as International Corporation. There are numerous examples of such organizations, like Ford, Toyota, Shell, British Petroleum, Dell, Microsoft, Coca Cola and McDonaldsetc. Advantages of being a multinational company A multinational can enjoy and secure a greater market size as they have branches in different countries. It can reduce transport costs by operating branches in target countries rather than exporting its products to those countries. Exporting goods require a high cost on transport. It can enjoy cheap labour and reduce costs by investing in countries with low wage rates. A multinational company can secure the supply of raw materials and obtain cheap raw materials by investing in countries, rich in the required resources. It can get rid off the restrictions on international trade such as custom duties as they produce in the host countries similar to the domestic firms. A multinational can enjoy economies of scale by expanding and diversifying globally and this enable the firm to spend highly on Research& Development (R&D). Advantages of multinational companies to host country Multinational companies provide employment opportunities to host economies and foster economic growth. These firms bring new technology and efficient management approaches into the host nations. Thus, the domestic firms, labour force and consumers can benefit. The multinationals provide quality products to domestic consumers at convenient prices. The presence of multinationals give wide variety of products to domestic consumers as the domestic population dont have to only depend on domestic producers. These firms help to improve the efficiency of the labour force by providing training, education and valuable experiences to their employees from the host countries. These companies provide revenue to the government as the government impose tax on their profits. These firms assist in the infrastructure development of the host country. Disadvantages of multinational companies to host country Multinationals move their factories to wherever it is profitable to produce. If one country is not profitable, they may shift to another country. Sometimes, the governments of host countries fail to collect the tax revenue from strong established multinational companies. Some large multinationals are efficient enough to drive out the small domestic competitors. Thus, creating so many economic problems like unemployment...etc. These foreign firms may overexploit the resources of the host country and cause environmental problems. Some Multinational Companies may interfere with the government decisions of the host country. These companies take their profits back to their home countries. This leads for outflow of foreign currency and may worsen the exchange rate. 10 | L H . A . S / E c o n / G r 8 / 2 0 1 1
Co-operatives
A co-operative is defined as a firm which exists for the mutual benefits of its members in addition to the profit motive. A co-operative is jointly owned by its members and managed collectively by the members or by the managers elected by the members. Co-operatives can bring a number of benefits to members including the benefit of size and give important decision making power to those who involved. A co-operative is a legal entity and the members have limited liability. There are two main types of co-operative society, worker co-operatives (producer co-operatives) and consumer co-operatives (retail co-operatives).
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Public corporations
A public corporation is defined as a business organization owned and controlled by the government which is designed to act in the public interest. These firms also produce and sell goods and services. Public corporations are also known as nationalized industries or state-owned enterprises. The chairman and board of directors of a public corporation are appointed by government. The main aim of public corporations is maximizing public welfare. In most countries, post office, electricity, water supply, rail network, public transport...etc are owned and run by public corporations.
Municipal enterprises
Local authorities are also involved in running trading enterprises. Probably the most familiar of these are the local bus services operated by local authorities in the larger towns. But facilities such as swimming baths, golf courses, restaurants, seaside piers etc are examples of the services produced and sold by local authorities.
Aim
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Nationalization
Nationalization is defined as the process of transferring a private owned asset, enterprise or industry to public ownership. There are so many arguments for and against nationalization.
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Privatization
Privatization is defined as the process of transferring a public owned asset, enterprise or industry to private ownership. Privatisation is the opposite of nationalization.
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