Scheme of Work Edexcel Business Studies AS Unit 2a. Managing The Business. January – May
Week / Edexcel specification / Edexcel amplification / Resources1 / Introduction to Business Growth and the medium-sized to big business sector. Helpful to start with a quiz on Britain’s biggest firms, to get a sense of how many staff they have and how many countries they operate in, then consider the medium sector, with businesses such as Manchester United. Resources could include: www.tesco.com, especially http://www.tescocorporate.com/publiclibs/tesco/CoreUK.pdf
www.bp.com, especially http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=3&contentId=2006926
and, for contrast, medium-sized Ted Baker at http://ww7.investorrelations.co.uk/tedbaker/
Then the Spec suggests going back to Finance, but it’s better psychologically to move on: to People (go back to Finance just before the summer exams)
Then go on to an intro to People, based upon productivity, i.e. the practical issue that you employ people to deliver output (in some way). See IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 33 on Productivity and Performance, which provides an overview of, and introduction to, People in Organisations. Exercise B1 is very worthwhile. A-Z Worksheets 2008: Productivity: useful revision worksheet.
1 – 4 / MANAGING OTHER PEOPLE
1 / Motivation of staff / Motivation theory – Taylor, Herzberg, Maslow / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 34, including the Section A, B1 and B2 questions. This covers the classic theories, from Taylor to Herzberg. The chapter includes Mayo, who you may choose to tell students to ignore. If so, extra teaching effort will be required in relation to Maslow’s Social Needs, as Mayo is the starting point for analysis of teamwork (the sociology of motivation, as opposed to the psychology largely emphasized by Maslow and Herzberg)
Business Review Feb 2005: Maslow; Sept 2005 ‘Motivation or Drive?’
Feb 2007: ‘What exactly did Herzberg say?’ September 2004: F.W.Taylor & Scientific Management
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn. Cases 50 (Mr McGregor), 51 (Putting Herzberg into Practice), 52 (The Laser Scanning System)
Book: Organisational Theory:
F.W. Taylor: Scientific Management
F Herzberg: The Motivation – Hygiene Theory
2 / Motivation of staff (cont.)
How managers can get the best from their staff / Financial incentives: piecework, bonus, profit share, performance-related pay
Delegation, consultation, empowerment, team working, job enrichment, job rotation / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 34. Questions A and B1 are good for class or homework and B2 is an alternative, activity-based homework (interviewing a current employee).
The Truth About Managing People: Ch.15 – You get what you reward;
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Motivation in theory; Remuneration; Delegation, Consultation and Empowerment
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn. Cases 47 (Money and Motivation), 57 (British Management Techniques Under Fire)
The Truth About Managing People: Ch.33 – What makes teams work; Ch.43 4 Job Design actions to improve productivity
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn. Cases 55: Boomtime for Bankcheck (covers, delegation and consultation, plus Taylor and Herzberg)
Business Review Feb 1998: aged article on Teamworking, but it hasn’t dated
3-4.5 / Different Types of Organisational Structures / Tall, flat, chain of command, span of control, decentralization and centralization, how the organizational structure affects the ability to manage the business effectively / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 37 covers all this material very effectively and fully.
B.Review: Feb 2004: ‘Is there a right span of control?’ Good article by S Harrison; November 2002: Decentralisation: Arguments For and Against
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn: No 48 ‘Management Structure’ A highly accessible case study covering all the key areas: lines of authority, spans of control and drawing an organizational chart.
A-Z Worksheets: Organisational structure; Structure and Management Effectiveness
Topical Cases: ‘Ida’ (real case about a student’s experiences working at a Bingo Club: good on organizational structure, Herzberg and leadership)
4.5-5, i.e. half a week / Recruitment and Training
Reduction of labour costs / Number of staff needed, internal or external recruitment, recruitment for positive attitude versus recruitment for skills, cost of recruitment and training,
Value of low labour turnover; voluntary labour turnover
Use of a flexible workforce; staff dismissal and redundancy / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 38 covers Recruitment and Training. Surely this must be set as homework, with students doing the Section A questions 1-10 plus either the B1 or B2 data response question. There should be no more than 2 lessons of class time devoted to this, one of which should be a test based on their reading.
Business Case Studies, 3rd Edn. No 53. ‘Recruiting a Manager’; case 59: Teamworking – Theory and Practice (builds on earlier work, but incorporates important recruitment issues such as discrimination)
The Truth About Managing People: Ch 7: Hire people who fit your culture; Ch 8: Managing staff socialisation (induction)
Topical Cases: March 2007: Bootiful People: a case on Bernard Matthews with questions focusing on motivation, but also hierarchy and training (quite synoptic)
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 39: Measuring the Effectiveness of the Workforce contains useful material on labour turnover, including Data Response question B2.
Business Review Nov 2006: ‘Recent Research on Labour Turnover’
Business Review Nov 2007: Productivity Matters, by P Stimpson
The Truth About Managing People: Ch 52: Employee turnover can be good
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 39: Measuring the Effectiveness of the Workforce covers redundancy and dismissal
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Reducing labour costs
5-9 / Managing the Provision Process, i.e. Operations Management
5. / Introduction to Ops Management
Product or service design
Quality Management Techniques / Quality assurance versus quality control, Total Quality Management as part of company culture / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 40 is worth setting as an overnight reading homework before you embark on the nitty gritty of Customer Service
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 41: this covers Invention, Innovation and Design. In teaching this area, there’s a clear need for effective coverage of design in a service industry context. For fully effective teaching, it makes sense to relate design to quality
Books:
How They Started: ‘Designing From Dust’ – the classic story of designing the Dyson
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Chapter 43 covers quality very extensively and has a range of exercises at the end.
Topical Cases: March 2007: Bootiful Operations: based on the same Bernard Matthews case mentioned above, but with questions looking at ops issues such as quality (quite synoptic)
A-Z Worksheets 2008: Quality management: useful revision worksheet
Books: How They Started: ‘Meeting Zone’ – a business started in 2002; the section on ‘Improving a Service’ is worth drawing upon.
6. / Stock control / Analysis of stock control graphs, how stock control could be improved, problems of cash tied up in stock
JIT Management of Stock / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 45 gives full coverage
Business Case Studies: Cases 32 (Production and Stock Scheduling – I always use it to start a session on stock control – always fun) and 35 ‘The Uzbek Hat’. For JIT, don’t be afraid of the huge Case 43 (JIT – the Japanese Way). It’s a highly explanatory case, i.e. it tells students about JIT in theory and practice.
Business Review Nov 2006: stock control at M&S
Topical Cases Jan 2007: Sloppy Stock: the story of the stock management mistakes made by Jessops (camera shops) over the crucial Christmas period.
7. / Lean Management
Consumer Protection legislation / Competitive advantage of short product development lead times
Minimising waste of resources
Purpose of legislation – to ensure goods or services are fit for purpose, do not harm the consumer, that information on the packaging does not mislead, awareness of associated cost and implementation of legislation, need to deal with customer complaints / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 46 gives full coverage
Business Review Sept 2002: useful article on the downsides to lean production; it hasn’t really dated. Business Review Sept 2001: article by Ian M on First Mover Advantage (included as a Word file in case you wish to update some examples; the text remains rock solid); Feb 2004 Zara: good on Time-based Management
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn. Cases 37 and 38 are very useful
The students do not need to know the names or dates of Acts, simply the purpose of such legislation. Nevertheless it’s helpful for them to have a factual peg or two on which to base their arguments, e.g. the Sale of Goods Act (goods must be fit for purpose) and the Trades Descriptions Act
8. / Productivity and efficiency
Capacity utilisation / Amount of capital and labour intensity dependent on: availability of finance used, suitable labour and production method. Apply also to a service sector context.
Implications of under- and over- utilization of capacity, ways of improving capacity utilisation / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 47 Capacity utilisation. This chapter also incorporates capital and labour intensity.
Business Review Sept 2005: ‘Capacity utilisation’ by A Gillespie; Nov 2003: ‘Labour and Capital Intensity’
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Capacity utilisation; Capital intensity;
Business Case Studies: number 36 ‘Robot Hel’ covers capacity utilization and labour v capital intensity (get them to do Qs 2, 4 and 5 as class discussion then write-up for homework)
9-12 / Marketing
9 / Marketing Objectives and Strategy / Marketing objectives – based on market research, sales or profit forecasts for the product or service idea
Strategy – niche or mass marketing, benefits and limitations of these strategies / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 21: Effective Marketing
Business Review September 2004: Marketing Mistakes
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 24 Niche versus Mass Marketing with Revision Qs A plus B1 looking especially helpful
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Marketing objectives; Marketing strategy
10 / Identification of Marketing Mix – 4Ps – Product, Price, Promotion and Place / Identification of a marketing mix which suits the needs of the market
How current social trends may affect the composition of the marketing mix: for example ethical trading, sourcing of sustainable materials, food miles labeling, reduction/recycling of packaging, environmental factors, online retailing, retailer purchasing power / IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Chapter 25: Marketing mix
Business Review September 2003: Why do 5/6 new products fail?
IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Chapter 31: this chapter focuses on each of the points mentioned on the left, plus revision questions and exercises
Business Review February 2007: Marketing to Children – a case for legislation?
Business Review February 2003: The Natural Step to Sustainability
11. / Marketing Mix: cont. / Product life cycle and product extension strategies
Boston Matrix
Branding
Purpose of trademarks and patents / IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Chapter 27: Product Life Cycle and Portfolio Analysis, using B2 Mackies ice cream (Qs on life cycle and portfolio). These two concepts cannot be rushed.
Business Review Sept 2005: Product Life Cycle and the Mini
Business Review Nov 2007: Boston Matrix reloaded, by Geoffrey Stanford; April 2003: nicely accessible case on PLC and Boston Matrix in context of Dr Marten’s boots
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn, No 7 The Product Portfolio Problem
1. Topical Cases Nov 2005: Unilever’s product portfolio (contains a question on pricing, so it might be better to leave this for a week or so)
A-Z Worksheets: Product Portfolio and Life Cycle: useful worksheet
2. Topical Cases Nov 2007: The Dealership: provides revision of profit calculations then has a final 9-mark question on the longevity of brands (Harley Davidson)
IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Chapter 4: Protecting Business Ideas: an easy read for students, who could then do Q B1 at home or in class.
12. / Price elasticity of demand / Effect on businesses of price changes, implications for pricing strategies, effects on total revenue / IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Chapter 29: Price elasticity: this has full coverage, plus Section a, B1 and B2 questions
Business Review Nov 2004: Price (one of 4 articles on the Mix in Volume 11)
Topical Cases Dec 2006: nice, visual worksheet on price elasticity
Topical Cases Nov 2007 New York: pricing decisions for a business start-up
13 / Sales Forecast
Cash flow forecasting / Difficulties of estimation; identification of potential ways of increasing sales.
How to construct a simple cash flow forecast
Use of a cash flow forecast to manage finances / Introduction to Enterprise, Ch 17: Estimating Revenue, then use the questions at the end. OK, it’s aimed at GCSE, so it will seem strangely accessible to some, but the content is spot on.
IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Ch 15 (Cash Flow Management) Many useful exercises, esp Data Response: D&S Jewellers.
Topical Cases, December 2005. Cash on the Move. Amending a cash flow plus extra questions.
Books:
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn, No 17: Bombay Pizza (best to do this in class with the students)
Starting Your Own Business, Lester D. Ch 20 Cash is King
14 – 14.5, i.e. half a week / Distinction between cash and profit / IM B.S. 3rd Ed 2008: Chapter 19. Obviously this is a very tough topic, so this carefully written chapter should help. All the Workbook exercises should be done in class rather than for homework.
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Distinction between cash and profit
Business Case Studies 3rd Edn: The Furniture Shop (profit v cash flow)
14.5 – 15, i.e, a week and a half / Budgets
Managing working capital
Why Businesses Fail / Purpose of budgets, preparation using historical figures, zero-based
Comparison with actual figures to provide elementary variance analysis.
Identification of cash shortfalls on a monthly basis, contingency finance planning such as an overdraft or loan, managing customer and supplier credit terms and payments, holding appropriate levels of stock.
Poor management of cash flow, overestimation of sales, poor stock control, changing market conditions / IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Ch 17. All the material on the left is covered effectively by this chapter and the many exercises at the end of the chapter.
B.Review, November 2004: Budgets (John Wolinski)
Topical Cases November 2005: Budgeting (in context of Christmas retail store). it’s especially good on Problems in Setting Budgets.
Business Case Studies 3rd Ed, Case 22: Budgeting in Harrogate.
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Budgeting and variances
IM B.S. 3rd Edn 2008 Ch 20. This chapter covers all this material
Business Case Studies 3rd Ed, Case 18: Race Against Time
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Working capital; Start-up Success; Start-up Failure
B.Review:
September 2004 ‘’Practical Problems of start-ups’ – by Gwen Coates; doesn’t seem to have aged.
September 2005: Start-up success or failure: Ian Marcouse article on the start of Klein Caporn, which includes a super table of ’65 reasons why companies fail’
Books:
FT Guide to Start-Up: Ch 27 ‘Not waving but drowning’ is good on possible reasons for failure
16 / Revision & Exam Practice, including exam timing and technique / IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 50: A Grade Business Concepts for AS
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 51: What the examiner wants – assessment objectives
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 52: Tackling Data Response exam questions
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 53: AS Mock exam
IM B.S. 3rd 2008: Ch 54: Answers to the Mock plus examiner’s comments
A-Z Worksheets for Edexcel: Revision for AS Unit 2a; Calculations for AS Unit 2a
Resources for Edexcel 2008 Specification*