AQA GCE Business Studies

BUSS4- Managing a Business

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AQA A2 Business Studies (BUSS4) – Topic Tracker

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Jan 2010 June 2010 Jan 2011 Jun 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 Jun 2013 CORPORATE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Understanding Mission Aims and Objectives • Mission statements • Corporate aims and objectives • Corporate strategies • Differing stakeholder perspectives.

Case Study: Dominos Pizza To what extent can a recession improve relations between a business and its stakeholders?

Case Studies: Novartis & Google To what extent is diversification the best strategy to achieve profitable growth?

Case Study: Acer Computers Do you think that businesses should avoid changing their strategies because of the risks involved?

ASSESSING CHANGES IN THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Relationship between Businesses & Economic Environment • assessing the effects of the following factors on business organisations: - impact of economic factors - trends in key economic variables - globalisation of markets - developments in emerging markets • evaluating the strategies businesses might deploy in response to these changes

Case study: Sony Is a business strategy of targeting emerging markets a good one? To what extent is low income per person a barrier to achieving success through expansion into emerging markets?

Case Study: Motor Industry To what extent do you think that cutting costs is the best strategy for businesses to adopt in a recession? To what extent do you think that the UK motor industry deserves government financial support more than other industries?

Case Study: Dominos Pizza To what extent do you think that the amount of profits earned by a business in a recession depends entirely on the industry in which it operates? To what extent can a recession improve relations between a business and its stakeholders?

Case studies: Costa Coffee and Dyson Does the increasingly global nature of business mean that all organisations need to change their strategies significantly to achieve higher profits?

Case Study: Bovis Homes Given the high levels of change in economic and political environments, is there any point in corporate planning?

Case Study: Unilever To what extent is targeting emerging markets for sales the best way for businesses to achieve a major growth in their profits?

Case Study: UK Retailers: To what extent is the external environment in the UK favourable for businesses at the moment?

To what extent have recent changes in the UK economy damaged the long-term profitability of businesses? (Sect B)

Case Study: Nokia To what extent will a “cautious” business inevitably experience further falls in its market share?

Relationship between Businesses & Political/Legal Environment • assessing the effects of: - government intervention in the economy - government economic policies - political decisions affecting trade and access to markets

Case Study: Bovis Homes Given the high levels of change in economic and political environments, is there any point in corporate planning?

Case Study: Banks & Supermarkets Do the activities of businesses need to be more regulated by the Government in the future?

AQA A2 Business Studies (BUSS4) – Topic Tracker

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Jan 2010 June 2010 Jan 2011 Jun 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 Jun 2013 - the impact of legislation relating to businesses • evaluating responses of businesses to a changing political and legal environment Relationship between Businesses and the Social Environment • assessing the effects of: - changes in the social environment - the changing nature of the ethical environment • evaluating responses of businesses to a changing social environment including corporate social responsibility

Case study: Demographic change To what extent does demographic change in the UK represent more of an opportunity than a threat to UK businesses?

Case Study: BAT Group To what extent do you think that social reporting is now essential for businesses? Do you think that the ability of a business to act successfully in a socially responsible manner is mainly determined by the products it produces?

Case Study: Bharti Airtel Do you think that governments should make corporate social responsibility (CSR) compulsory for businesses? To what extent do you think that businesses now need to make behaving more responsibly their main corporate objective?

Case Study: Primark & Nestle Do you think it is essential for managers to take ethics into consideration when making decisions nowadays?

Relationship between Businesses and the Technological Environment • assessing the effects of technological change • evaluating the response of businesses to technological change

Case Study: E-Business To what extent do you think that increased internet usage inevitably reduces producers’ profits?

Case Study: Wal-Mart To what extent has managing information effectively become the key to being market leader?

Relationship between Businesses and the Competitive Environment • assessing the effects of changes in competitive structure • evaluating responses of businesses to a changing competitive environment

Case Studies: Nestle, Danone, Coca-Cola What do you think is the best strategy for existing businesses to adopt in response to the entry of a new large competitor?

Case Study: Nokia To what extent will a “cautious” business inevitably experience further falls in its market share?

Case Study: John Lewis To what extent do you think that the culture of an organisation determines its financial success in a changing external environment?

Case Study: Wal-Mart To what extent has managing information effectively become the key to being market leader?

Case Study: Nestle, Exxon & Toyota Are existing large global companies likely to increase in size further over the next 20 years?

AQA A2 Business Studies (BUSS4) – Topic Tracker

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Jan 2010 June 2010 Jan 2011 Jun 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 Jun 2013 MANAGING CHANGE Internal Causes of Change • change in organisational size • new owners/leaders • poor business performance

Case study: Virgin & leadership succession To what extent will the performance of a business such as Virgin inevitably decline after the retirement of its founder?

Case Study: AT & T Do you think that governments should prevent takeovers and mergers? Do you think that takeovers and mergers inevitably improve the performance of the businesses involved

Case Study: Thomas Cook Are stakeholders are always worse off following a merger or takeover? Is the best reason to undertake a merger or takeover to increase efficiency?

Planning for Change • purpose of corporate plans • assessing internal and external influences on corporate plans • assessing the value of corporate plans

Case Study: Bovis Homes Given the high levels of change in economic and political environments, is there any point in corporate planning?

Case Study: Comet & Thorntons Is it possible for businesses to prepare effectively for changes in their external environment?

Influences on the Change Process - Leadership • the meaning of leadership • the range of leadership styles • assessing internal and external factors influencing leadership style • the role of leadership in managing change • assessing the importance of leadership

Case study Steve Jobs (Apple) How easy is it for a Chief Executive to change a struggling business into a more successful one?

Case Study BP How easy do you think it is for a new chief executive to change the culture of an organisation quickly? (see also culture & managing change)

Case studies: Terry Leahy and Philip Green To what extent do you think that a leader can make a significant difference to the long-term success of an organisation?

Influences on the Change Process – Culture • types of organisational culture

Case study: Intel To what extent can an innovative culture be

Case Study BP How easy do you think it is for a new

Case Study: John Lewis To what extent do

Case Study: Google Are the cultures of

AQA A2 Business Studies (BUSS4) – Topic Tracker

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Jan 2010 June 2010 Jan 2011 Jun 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 Jun 2013 • reasons for and problems of changing organisational culture • assessing the importance of organisational culture

relied upon to guarantee the future success of a business?

chief executive to change the culture of an organisation quickly? (see also leadership & managing change)

you think that the culture of an organisation determines its financial success in a changing external environment?

high performance businesses similar? Will the culture of a business inevitably change over time?

Making Strategic Decisions • the significance of information management • the value of different approaches to decision-making • assessing influences on corporate decision-making

Case studies: Microsoft / M&S What do you think are the main reasons for big businesses sometimes making bad decisions?

Case Study: Acer Computers Do you think that businesses should avoid changing their strategies because of the risks involved?

Case Study: Primark & Nestle Do you think it is essential for managers to take ethics into consideration when making decisions nowadays?

Implementing and Managing Change • techniques to implement and manage change successfully • assessing the factors that promote and resist change

Case Study BP How easy do you think it is for a new chief executive to change the culture of an organisation quickly? (see also leadership and culture)

Case study: Samsung Electronics Do you think that resistance from employees is likely to be the biggest problem for a business that wants to reinvent itself?

Shaded areas indicate questions based on the Section A Pre-released Research Task