For the past 5 months, susan kwan, a manager at orion manufacturing, has come home from work depressed and angry. it seems no matter what she does, she can't motivate her employees to improve their performance. over the past year, kwan sent each employee to an extensive training seminar, spent money on new equipment, and transferred out the employees who lacked the ability to do their jobs. despite these interventions, her department's performance is at

The business cycle is the periodic but irregular up-and-down movement in economic activity, measured by fluctuations in real gross domestic product (gdp) and other macroeconomic variables. a business cycle is typically characterized by four phases—recession, recovery, growth, and decline—that repeat themselves over time. economists note, however, that complete business cycles vary in length. the duration of business cycles can be anywhere from about two to twelve years, with most cycles averaging six years in length. some business analysts use the business cycle model and terminology to study and explain fluctuations in business inventory and other individual elements of corporate operations. but the term "business cycle" is still primarily associated with larger (industry-wide, regional, national, or even international) business trends.