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LESSON : 1 MEANING, CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES OF A COMPANY
STRUCTURE 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.0 Objective Introduction Meaning of Company Characteristics of a Company Distinction between Company and Partnership Types of Company Summary Keywords Self Assessment Questions Suggested Readings OBJECTIVE

After reading this lesson, you should be able to: (a) (b) (c) 1.1 Define a company and explain its features. Make a distribution between company and partnership firm. Explain the various types of companies. INTRODUCTION Industrial has revolution led to the emergence of large scale business organizations. These organization require big investments and the risk involved is very high. Limited resources and unlimited liability of partners are two important limitations of partnerships of partnerships in undertaking big business. Joint Stock Company form of business organization has become extremely popular as it provides a solution to (1)

overcome the limitations of partnership business. The Multinational companies like Coca-Cola and, General Motors have their investors and customers spread throughout the world. The giant Indian Companies may include the names like Reliance, Talco Bajaj Auto, Infosys Technologies, Hindustan Lever Ltd., Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., and Larsen and Tubro etc. 1.2 MEANING OF COMPANY Section 3 (1) (i) of the Companies Act, 1956 defines a company as “a company formed and registered under this Act or an existing company”. Section 3(1) (ii) Of the act states that “an existing company means a company formed and registered under any of the previous companies laws”. This definition does not reveal the distinctive characteristics of a company . According to Chief Justice Marshall of USA, “A company is a person, artificial, invisible, intangible, and existing only in the contemplation of the law. Being a mere creature of law, it

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