Impact of Environment on Business Activities

The assignment examines how various environmental factors, such as the general business landscape, technological advancements, and organizational culture (specifically task and role culture), impact a company's overall performance. It emphasizes the importance of aligning functional activities with organizational goals and highlights the need for management to adapt to changing technological landscapes. The assignment also touches upon the role of corporate social responsibility in shaping brand image and consumer trust.

BUSINESS REPORT 1.3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Telstra is a leading telecommunication service provider company of Australia that provides
superior quality services to consumers. Present report describes about purpose of the
organization and company is working to deliver bright future for its stakeholders. In addition to
that concepts on organization's general environment are described. Technological changes affects
the business functions and management of firm can make investments for adopting the new
technology in their business practices. There are many CSR activities that have been initiated by
the firm and financial investments have been made to make positive changes in lives of
community people and surrounding environment. Report also describes about organization
culture and task and role culture are most appropriate cultures that could be followed in the
company. In regard of these organization culture will support for allocating specific
responsibilities and task to the employees.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 1...................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 2 ..................................................................................................................................4
QUESTION 3...................................................................................................................................5
QUESTION 4 ..................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Telstra Corporation limited is a leading telecommunication and media company of
Australia that serves millions of consumers across UK. Company operates wide communication
networks and market voice, internet access, entertainment products and services and pay
television divisions. It offers diverse range of communication services and it aids the firm for
competing in UK market area. It provides 17.4 Million mobile services and 6.8 million fixed
voice services for its buyers. Other than this 3.5 Million retail services are also offered to the
consumers. Present report describes about concepts on purpose of organization and profit and no
profit orientation of the firm has been mentioned in the report. Other than this academic theory
and concepts on an organizations general environment has been mentioned. Along with this
organizations corporate social responsibility has been described in the report. Organization
culture has also been described in the report.
QUESTION 1
Telstra organization is known for delivering superior quality telecommunication services
to its business consumers. Combination of innovation, integrity and inspiration is used for
rendering superior quality services for the business consumers. Company is aspiring for
delivering value to their consumers so that their satisfaction can be gained and through this
profitability of the firm can be enhanced. It has aided for enhancing international presence of the
firm. Along with this Telstra has options for taking advantage of the opportunity for belonging to
connected business by involving positive support of stakeholders such as local community
people, individuals and governments. Major purpose of the firm is as follows :-
Purpose of Telstra :- Company is working with the purpose to create a brilliant future for every
stakeholder that is connected with the business. Management of Telstar is aspiring for delivering
the required values by adopting innovative and strategic approaches. Aspiration of firm is to
make a brilliant connected future for consumers. Company undertakes it as their responsibility
and every activity of the nation is designed for meeting this objective (Buller, P.F. & McEvoy,
G.M., 2012, p. 346). Each and every individual that is connected with the firm is considered
crucial and every action of the firm is performed for serving people that are associated with the
firm. Company works for adopting transformations by indulging more number of people to get
the technologies that can create social, economic and cultural changes.

QUESTION 2
Telstra is a leading firm that works with the mission for delivering superior quality
products for its business consumers. There are diverse range of factors that gives impact on the
overall functional activities that are performed by the firm and it supports for making positive
improvements in the existing performance of the business. Various factors that affects the
functional activities of the business includes political, economical, environmental, social,
technological and legal factors. All the functional activities that are performed in the firm gets
influenced due to these factors.
It is critical that impact of these factors should be considered so that growth and long
term success for the company can be ensured (DuBrin, AJ, 2013, pp.76). Traditional concepts of
business gets affected when new technological changes are observed and due to that overall
performance of the entity gets influenced. Telstra is one of the leading firm that offers
communication services. Advancements happening in technical sector gives impact on the
overall functioning of the business and due to that it becomes vital that necessary changes should
be made in the existing working procedures of the firm. It will aid for gaining competitive
advantage for the business and success for the enterprise can be ensured through this.
Telstra is supporting the consumers to improve their ways in which they are living and
working through connections. Consumers are offered choice of digital connections and digital
content and it aids for making the company as Australia's fastest and largest leading
telecommunication network. Company is working with the vision to building value for clients so
that their satisfaction level can be gained. Communication sector gets influence due to the
technological changes that occur in this industry and due to that overall functioning of entity gets
affected (Williams, GJS, 2016, p. 358). Diverse range of services that are offered by the
organization comprise of operating telecommunication network and rendering market voice
services for buyers. Similarly internet access and other entertainment services are also offered by
the firm.
It is imperative that modern technological changes should be adopted so that existence of
firm in the market can be ensured. New technology supports for reducing the business cost for
carrying out the necessary operations (Alfes, K, 2013, pp.330-351). It will also help for offering
lower priced services for the consumers and offering lower differentiation to the buyers.
Advancement in modern technology has also helped for automating the office functions so that

time and cost for performing the functions can be saved. Along with this, new technology also
supports for developing secure and protective working environment where monitoring of work
performed by staff members can be ensured. Telecommunication industry is observing intense
and fierce competition and due to that it has become critical that strategic approaches should be
adopted by organizations so that challenges should be faced in impelling manner.
Making use of new technology supports Telstra to reach in new economic markets so that
large number of buyers can be offered goods and services. Online platform is also supporting the
firm for selling the telecommunication services to large base of buyers in regional, national and
international markets. Low cost option is rendered by the online platform and it helps for doing
internet advertising to reach in new market areas. In accordance to this, making use of new
technology also expedites the firm for outsourcing their business functions. It assist for reducing
the investment cost of the firm for offering telecommunication services for consumers (Druskat,
VU, Mount, G & Sala, 2013, p. 349).
However there are some negative aspects that are associated with this factor. It requires
huge cost for adopting new technology and Telstra needs to allocate funds so that advancements
in technology should be adopted. This factor affects the business and it is critical that approaches
should be taken. Company can organize training program for the staff members so that they can
be made aware about the methods on how to make use of technically smart improvement.
Advertisement and promotional schemes of the firm can also be improved so that consumers can
be informed about the changes in communication services (Cummings, TG, & Worley, CG,
2014, p. 149). Other than this assistance from a consultancy firm can also be taken so that
guidance can be taken for requirement of adopting changes in the company.
QUESTION 3
Corporate social responsibility :- It is defined as responsibility of firm towards
environment and society (Weber, M, 2008, pp.247-261). It becomes responsibility or
organization to share some part of their profit to make positive improvement in lives of local
community people and environment. CSR activities that are performed by a firm helps to build
image of the company and it also helps for ensuring delivering safe and protective environment
for future generations (Peters, SC, 2015, p. 456). All the business activities that are performed in
the organization are carried out in Eco friendly manner and it aids for ensuring safety for the
business environment.

At Telstra every one work with the objective to create a brilliant and connected future for
every one that is involved with the business. Growth and success of the company depends upon
the objectives set by the firm. Management has adopted sustainability agenda to achieve this
objective. Various practices are followed by the firm for meeting this objective and CSR related
activities are performed for achieving this objective (Popoli, P, 2011, pp.419-433). Organization
is working in partnership with the government and wider community so that environmental,
economic and social impacts should be reduced. Company is working for striving to be a world
class leader in technology area and it becomes responsibility of the firm to facilitate low carbon
growth so that community resilience should be improved.
Technological innovations are major enabler of low carbon growth and it is critical that
effective measures should be taken for reducing the negative impact of these elements on
environment. Other than this, company is striving hard for reducing their energy consumption so
that negative impact on the environment can be reduced (Druskat, VU, Mount, G & Sala, 2013,
p. 456). Company conducts climate risk assessment so that actions can be identified for
enhancing the positive performance of the business. Along with this measures are also taken by
company for implementing energy reduction and efficiency initiatives. Firms has reduced its
greenhouse emission intensity by 56% in the financial year 2015. With this, investments have
been made for reducing the energy consumption in the projects (Lai, CS, 2010, pp.457-469).
Timely climate risk assessment are conducted so that challenges and difficulties that are created
for business can be mitigated. Climate change adaptation plan has been made by the company
and it has supported for changing position statement of the company.
Other than this company has invested $175 million in the social and community
investment programs and it has helped for making positive improvements in lives of community
people. Employees and other stakeholders of the business have contributed more than 8186 days
in the community work (Lai, KK, 2014, pp.249-263). Money has also been donated for charity
through payroll giving and assistance has been provided to more than 100,000 customers in the
natural disasters.
Daily meal has also been provided to 150 school kids through Telstra Foundation in
Philippines. Management of firm is focussing towards making social and community
development for developing the lives of local community people. Company has also worked in
the areas of human rights and assessment of compliance of training requirement for human

resource policy has also been done. Regular updation in code of conducts is done and it is
indication of efforts made by the firm towards its commitment for human rights. Other
approaches that are being followed by the firm in its CSR initiatives is to work towards
management of sustainability risk and opportunities in the supply chain activities that are part of
core activities that are performed in the firm (Pivato, S, 2008, pp.3-12).
Rapid advancements that are happening in the technical sector is making increments in
electronic wastes at global level. It has created threat for the natural environment and it is
creating health and environment related issues for the organization. Emphasis is given by the
organization for recognising the significance of electronic reuse and recycling the electronic
products. Company is also part of mobile phone recycling scheme in the Australia. All the
practices are followed by the firm towards the CSR initiatives and it has helped for
accomplishing the goals of the firm.
QUESTION 4
Organization culture is defined existence of beliefs, norms, values and that gives impact
on the attitude and behaviour of individuals at the work place. It is a system in which share
assumptions gives influence on the manner in which people behave in the organization. Overall
performance of the staff members gets affected due to it and also influence the operational
activities that are being performed in the organization. Along with this the ways through which
organization carry out its required business activities are depicted in the organization culture.
It also mentioned about ways through which management of a firm treat their employees
(Buller, P.F. & McEvoy, G.M., 2012, pp.43-56). Organization culture also gives influence on the
extent to which freedom is allowed to staff members in the decision making process of the firm.
Distribution of power and authority is also mentioned under the organization culture.
Organization culture of a firm also determine about commitment of staff members towards the
objectives that are required to be achieved by the firm. There are major four types of
organisation culture that are followed in the company and it comprise of role culture, power
culture, task culture and person culture. Different assumptions are followed in all the cultures
and it is critical that best suitable culture should be adopted by the organization.
Suggestions :- Telstra is a leading business organization that is working in telecommunication
sector and offering wide range of services for its business consumers. It is critical that
management of the firm should select most appropriate culture so that long term success and

growth of the company can be ensured by making positive involvement of staff members. Role
culture is most suitable culture that can be adopted by organization.
Every individual is allocated specific job roles and they are directed to complete their
assigned task and job responsibilities in effective manner. Role culture enables an organization
for dividing tasks and responsibilities among employees (Williams, GJS, 2016, 764-776). It aid
for ensuring that all the functional activities in the enterprise should be successfully completed so
that required objectives of the firm should be achieved. Role culture assist for allocating specific
job responsibilities to the employees so that all the functional department should perform their
work in effective manner. This culture is most suitable for a company which has large number of
employees. It enables the company for performing their assigned work and responsibilities in
effective manner.
In regard of this one more approach that could be used by the organization is to adopt
task culture in which teams are made and all the team members are directed to work towards
accomplishment of goals. Initially it is required that project aims should be determined and
objectives are made for achieving those plans (Alfes, K, 2013, pp.330-351). With this, it is
required that management should take approaches for adopting task culture in the firm. In this
method employees needs to be empowered so that they can participate in the decision making
process and it will aid for taking valuable suggestions and recommendation from the staff
members for making positive improvements in the performance of the business. Employees feel
valued when they are given authority to take part in the decision making process.
CONCLUSION
Summing up the present report it can be concluded that it is critical that all the functional
activities of the business should be directed towards accomplishment of goals. General
environment of a company affects its overall performance and due to that impact is being
observed on the all the functional activities that are carried out in the business. Technological
factors also affects the overall performance and due to that it becomes vital that management
should take steps for adopting technology. Task and role culture can be performed in the
company so that behaviour of staff members can be regulated.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alfes, K, 2013, 'The link between perceived human resource management practices, engagement
and employee behaviour: a moderated mediation model', The international journal of human
resource management, 24(2), pp.330-351.
Buller, P.F. & McEvoy, G.M., 2012, 'Strategy, human resource management and performance:
Sharpening line of sight. Human resource management review', 22(1), pp.43-56.
Cummings, TG, & Worley, CG, 2014, Organization development and change, Cengage
learning. London.
Druskat, VU, Mount, G & Sala, 2013, Linking emotional intelligence and performance at work:
Current research evidence with individuals and groups. Psychology Press. UK.
DuBrin, AJ, 2013, Fundamentals of organizational behavior: An applied perspective, Elsevier.
UK
Lai, CS, 2010, 'The effects of corporate social responsibility on brand performance: The
mediating effect of industrial brand equity and corporate reputation', Journal of business
ethics, 95(3), pp.457-469.
Lai, KK, 2014, 'The effect of corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty: the mediating role
of brand image', Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(3-4), pp.249-263.
Peters, SC, 2015, 'Social Work Leadership Theory As Social Justice', In Society for Social Work
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Longevity, Sswr.
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organic food. Business ethics: A European review', 17(1), pp.3-12.
Popoli, P, 2011, 'Linking CSR strategy and brand image Different approaches in local and global
markets', Marketing Theory, 11(4), pp.419-433.
Weber, M, 2008, 'The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company-level
measurement approach for CSR', European Management Journal, 26(4), pp.247-261.
Williams, GJS, 2016, 'Managers’ motives for investing in HR practices and their implications for
public service motivation: a theoretical perspective', International Journal of Manpower,
37(5), pp.764-776.