Business

Year 12 Course Content

Year 12 Business is split into two themes.  These will develop student understanding of how a business manages marketing, human resource, finance and operational activities.  Students will look at a range of business contexts and apply the theory to them.  Students will also understand how external factors have an impact on business activity.  A summary of each theme is listed below:  

Theme 1: Marketing and People

• Meeting customer needs

• The market

• Marketing mix and strategy

• Managing people

• Entrepreneurs and leaders.

Theme 2: Managing Business Activities

• Raising finance

• Financial planning

• Managing finance

• Resource management

• External influences.

Year 13 Course Content

Year 13 is also divided into two themes.  Theme 3 has a focus on business strategy and decisions.  Students will grasp theoretical models from Porter and Ansoff and be able to classify business strategy on these frameworks.  The ability to assess the financial health of a business will be developed further through an understanding of accounting ratios.  Students will also look at a range of quantitative and qualitative methods that can be used to inform business decision making.  Theme 4 looks at issues surrounding global business;  the opportunities presented by emerging economies and expanding trade blocs are key to the future plans of many multinationals.  Students will also understand how companies assess international locations as markets and production sites.  The ability to adapt marketing strategy to the needs of foreign markets is another topical issue that will be explored in this theme.  A summary of each theme is listed below:

Theme 3: Business Decisions and Strategy

This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 2. Students will develop an understanding of:

• Business objectives and strategy

• Business growth

• Decision-making techniques

• Influences on business decisions

• Assessing competitiveness

• Managing change.

Theme 4: Global Business

This theme develops the concepts introduced in Theme 1. Students will develop an understanding of:

• Globalisation

• Global markets and business expansion

• Global marketing

• Global industries and companies (multinational corporations).

Assessment

This course is assessed 100% through exams. At the end of year 2, students will sit three papers.  The exams will have a short response, case study response and extended essay questions.  Paper 3 will be based on a pre-release context.