Final answer:
The pressures on retail owners are influenced by consumer shopping patterns and the ability to innovate in operations. Technology and globalization have intensified competition by allowing consumers to purchase goods worldwide and have transformed business supply markets. These shifts in market dynamics put considerable pressure on retail owners to adapt.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pressures on retail owners are influenced both by consumers' shopping patterns and by the owners' or managers' ability to automate operations or delegate activities to others. The influence of technology and globalization has drastically changed the landscape of the market.
This has been particularly evident with the rise of the internet and the ability for consumers to purchase goods from anywhere in the world, which intensifies competition for local retailers. Similarly, the advent of business-to-business websites has transformed markets for business supplies by connecting buyers and suppliers globally.
The aforementioned 'McDonaldization' highlights these pressures in the context of routinized service industries, where workers face discouragement due to repetitive tasks and often poor working conditions. Meanwhile, discriminatory business practices can also create pressures, as underpaying workers may leave for better opportunities, thus forcing businesses to alter their behavior to remain competitive.