PEOPLE FORM THE CORE OF BUSINESS The human element is the core of business. Business needs people as owners, managers, employees, and consumers. People need business for the production of goods and services and the creation of jobs. Whether business is transacted in Mexico, Canada, or Nigeria does not matter. Businesses may be operated differently and the objectives of businesses may differ, but the universal element in all business activities is people.5 Owners People who own a business, as well as those who invest money in one, do so because they expect to earn a profit. Most of the giant corporations, such as General Motors, Eastman Kodak, Dow Chemical, Du Pont. and Exxon, are owned by large numbers of people. General Motors has over 1.2 million shareholders (owners) and 820,000 employees. When making decisions, the professional managers in business organizations need to consider the owners and what they expect from the business. (未完待续)