Standard Grade Business Management

2007-02-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

The areas have been laid out as best I can using the Blogger template. You will notice one or two letters are clipped off at the end of some sentances. Believe me I have tried everything to fit it in.

If you wish your own copy you can download it from : Here

Area of Study 1: What is business?

2007-02-03T06:51:00.001-08:00

Foundation Level

General Level*

Credit Level*

1.1

What do

businesses do?

- goods and services

- difference between

small & large businesses

- charities

- range of goods and services

- private, public, government,

voluntary sectors

- primary, secondary, tertiary business sectors

- satisfaction of wants

- production and consumption

- creating wealth

1.2

Why do

businesses

exist?

- enterprise

- profit

- charity

- public service

- concept of entrepreneurship

- aims of business (relative to

different types of organisation) and stakeholders

- risk taking

- social costs and benefits

- economic costs and

benefits

1.3

How are

businesses

organised?

- simple organization structures

- 4 functional areas

- different organization structures

- impact of size on structure

- line relationships

- span of control

- functional relationships

- difference between authority and responsibility

Area of Study 2: How do businesses develop and perform?

2007-02-03T06:49:00.001-08:00

Foundation Level

General Level*

Credit Level*

2.1

How do

businesses

start?

- need for enterprise

-identify needs

-buyers & sellers

-help – where to get it

-taking risks

-completing a simple business plan

-the marketplace

-external information and advice

-identifying risk

-characteristics of factors of production

-preparing a simple business plan

-researching the market

-calculating risk

-detailed business plan

2.2

How do

businesses

grow?

-successful product/service

-expand sales

-takeovers/mergers

-diversification

-innovation

-horizontal & vertical integration

-research & development

(product & market)

-reasons for growth

2.3

How do

businesses

survive?

-need to plan

-saleable products/services

-covering costs

-planning and controlling

-awareness of budgeting & cash flow

-using final accounts

-calculating and interpreting simple

ratios

-market research

-evaluation and comparison using

final accounts and ratios

2 4

Why do

businesses

fail?

-competition too fierce

-recession

-cash flow problems

-not moving with times

-role of competitors

-simple analysis of final accounts

-business cycle

-response to change

-externalities

-poor resource management

2 5

What is a

successful

business?

-achieving objectives

-keeping owners satisfied

-success for business compared with charity

-appreciation of differing aims of

business in different sectors(public, private &

voluntary)

-identification of

competing aims of

stakeholders

Area of Study 3: What resources do businesses use?

2007-02-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

Foundation Level

General Level*

Credit Level*

3.1

Why do

businesses

locate where

they do?

-where businesses locate

- where the money comes from owner(s); borrowing

-sources of finance

-factors influencing

location (market, resources,

infrastructure)

-types of government assistance

- importance of European Union

-globalisation

3.2

How do people

contribute to

businesses?

-why people work

-choosing the right person for the job

-job training

-full-time, permanent, parttime, temporary jobs

- manual, skilled etc

-job/person specification

- selection and recruitment

(internal and external)

-the role of appraisal

-inter-relationship between employees and employers

- changing patterns and employment

3.3

How do

businesses use

information?

- what information is and where it comes

from

- using computers to generate information spreadsheets, databases, desk top publishing, word processing, networks, etc

- importance of good communications

- internal and

external sources of

information

- using computers to generate information and make decisions

- evaluation of information

-using information to monitor and control business

3.4

How do businesses operate?

- how businesses make products or

provide services (input, process, output)

- how do products get to consumers?

- job, batch and flow processes

- people v machines

- distribution options

- stock control

- quality assurance

- customer service

3.5

What are the challenges facing businesses?

- competition from home and abroad

- limited availability of resources & funding external)

- internal and external pressures

- appreciation of the impact on business of current political, legislative, social

and environmental issues (PESTEC)

Area of Study 4: How are businesses managed?

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Foundation Level

General Level*

Credit Level*

4.1

What are the

key decisions

that businesses

make?

- what to produce

-what to charge

-what to employ

-where to produce

- market research

relationship between price and sales

-people v machines

-whether to grow

-inter-relationship between components of marketing mix

-combination of factors of production

4.2

What

influences the

decisions?

owner needs

customer needs

competition

- the legal environment

- the social environment

-the economic evironment

-the political environment

4.3

What aids

decision-making?

- how information helps decision-making

-types of

information

-decision-making model

-range of information used for decision-making

-complex decision-making model

4.4

How are

decisions

made?

-consensual v authoritarian

-impact of management style on motivation and morale

- characteristics of effective management

4.5

How do

businesses

communicate?

-purpose – to inform, sell

-process – written, visual, spoken

- using IT to communicate

-formal/informal, internal/external

-select and use appropriate IT

-select appropriate communication methods

-comparison and evaluation of

effectiveness of different communications

-comparison and evaluation of communication technology, eg internet, e-mail, video-conferencing

Syllabus Information

2007-02-03T06:25:00.001-08:00

Here is the entire course syallabus for S3 and S4 SG BM. It would be helpful for me and you if you can highlight areas or topics you feel you are weak on.

Then write down one or two questions, pass them to me in class and arrange a 5-10 minute lunchtime revision spot.

By doing small steps like this and improving your weak areas can be the difference between getting a 1 or a 2, or indeed a 2 or a 3.

It really is THAT important.

Welcome

2006-11-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the Standard Grade Business Management page by Mr McGowan.

You will find unit links to your left and hopefully lots of useful online materials.

Also feel free to make subject-related comments, ask subject-related questions and in general use it to aid and supplement your learning.

Good luck and happy surfing!

Mr McGowan