For introductory business courses. The recent events in domestic and global economies are presenting unprecedented challenges, excitement, and disappointments for businesses - and a need for change in introduction to business courses and texts. Business Essentials captures the widespread significance of these developments and presents their implications on companies today. The 12th Edition includes new real-world examples and research findings, helping students to see how entrepreneurs are putting into practice the concepts that they are learning about, and making this text the most current and relevant one available on the market. Features: Discussions on the emerging new relationship between the United States and Cuba. Coverage of the likely impact of Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States, the looming withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union, the increasing diversity of the labor force, the continuing impact of social media, and the slow but steady growth of the United States economy. Chapter Openers present real-world cases that introduce a variety of topics and highlight organisations like Netflix and Wegman’s, that students can easily relate to. End-of-chapter features help students review and apply concepts and build skills Exercising Your Ethics ask students to examine an ethical dilemma and think critically about how they would approach and resolve it. Applied learning opportunities to enhance student leadership skills Table of Contents: PART I: THE CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS WORLD 1. The US Business Environment 2. Understanding Business Ethics and Social Responsibility 3. Entrepreneurship, New Ventures, and Business Ownership 4. Understanding the Global Context of Business PART II: MANAGING THE BUSINESS 5. Managing the Business 6. Organizing the Business 7. Operations Management and Quality PART III: PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS 8. Employee Behavior and Motivation 9. Leadership and Decision Making 10. Human Resource Management and Labor Relations PART IV: PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 11. Marketing Processes and Consumer Behavior 12. Developing and Pricing Products 13. Distributing and Promoting Products PART V: MANAGING INFORMATION FOR BETTER BUSINESS DECISIONS 14. Information Technology (IT) for Business 15. The Role of Accountants and Accounting Information PART VI: THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND ISSUES IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 16. Understanding Money and the Role of Banking 17. Managing Business Finances Appendix I: Risk Management Appendix II: The Legal Context of Business Appendix III: Managing Your Personal Finances Appendix IV: Unions and Labor Management