Final answer:
The creation of time zones was driven by the need for standardized timing in the railroad industry, allowing for precise scheduling and coordination across different regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The business directly responsible for the creation of time zones was the railroad industry. During the expansion of the national railway network in America, the need for a standardized time system became evident to facilitate scheduling and coordination among various regions. In 1870, Charles F. Dowd proposed four standard time zones, and these were later aligned with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The establishment of time zones was essential for improving the efficiency of interstate business and transportation.
Railroads had to schedule departures and arrivals accurately across vast distances, and disparate local times made this task nearly impossible. With the implementation of time zones based on GMT, a universal sense of timing was established across countries and continents, which was critical in optimizing railroad operations and subsequently affecting various social and commercial aspects of life.