IB Business & Management
HL & SL
Course Information
Tues 23rd Feb 2010
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme
Introduction:
Business and Management falls into the Group 3 Individuals and Societies section of the IB
hexagon.
.
The aims of the business and management course at both HL and SL are to:
 promote the importance of exploring business issues from different cultural
perspectives
 encourage an holistic view of the world of business
 enable the student to develop the capacity to think critically about individual and
organisational behaviour
 enhance the student’s ability to make informed business decisions
 enable the student to appreciate the nature and significance of change in a local,
regional and global context
 promote awareness of social, cultural and ethical factors in the actions of
organisations and individuals in those organisations
 appreciate the social and ethical responsibilities associated with businesses operating
in international markets.
Having followed the business and management course at HL or SL, students will be
expected to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of business terminology, concepts, principles
and theories
2. Make business decisions by identifying the issue(s), selecting and interpreting data,
applying appropriate tools and techniques, and recommending suitable solutions
3. Analyse and evaluate business decisions using a variety of sources
4. Evaluate business strategies and/or practices showing evidence of critical thinking
5. Apply skills and knowledge learned in the subject to hypothetical and real business
situations
6. Communicate business ideas and information effectively and accurately using appropriate
formats and tools.
In addition to the above, students at HL will be expected to:
7. Synthesize knowledge in order to develop a framework for business decision-making.
Curriculum Overview
Despite the holistic nature of Business, it is only practical to teach it in discrete units, based
around the function areas of a typical business.
HL and SL core
Topic 1: Business organization and environment
Topic 2: Human resources
Topic 3: Accounts and finance
Topic 4: Marketing
Topic 5: Operations management
HL only
Topic 6: Business strategy
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme
The business strategy topic is intended to provide a framework and overview for the students
to think in an integrated way about the future strategy of a business or businesses. This
does not involve any new material. We would anyway encourage students to think about,
and apply their knowledge, to business strategy throughout the course. Throughout the
preceding 5 topics, SL students will study most, but not all things their HL friends would
cover.
The course is taught from scratch. No prior knowledge of Business Studies is
assumed. Although many of the topics will be familiar to anyone who has studied Business
at IGCSE, we quickly leave the IGCSE work behind and look at topics in a much more
advanced and detailed way.
There are three parts to the assessment of the course. Two written papers and an internally
assessed component.
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme
HL Assessment Summary
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme
SL Assessment Summary
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme
The course is taught using a wide range of teaching methods. We strongly encourage
students to take responsibility for their own learning as much as possible. Much of the
learning takes place around case studies involving businesses with which the students are
familiar.
Some facility with maths would be advantageous especially at HL but is absolutely not
essential to being successful. You will need to write detailed answers, so the ability to
express your ideas in a concise and clear manner when writing is very important.
However, more important than either of those is the ability to think for yourself, and apply
the knowledge you have to new situations. Students should have an interest in the world
around them and be willing to express their ideas and opinions in class. Sitting quietly
and soaking up information will not be an option on this course. We will try to use
technology to make the learning as interesting as possible, but Business & Management is
not an easy option!
Whilst the majority of students who have followed this course in the past, have gone on to
study some form of Business at university, many have found it a useful and enjoyable course
that was helpful to them in a huge variety of careers. An understanding of the concepts that
we study apply to both profit and not-for profit organisations.
Within the TES Business and Economics department, our ultimate goal is to develop
students who have the ability to, for example, walk into a shop and be able to see the
strengths and weaknesses of the business and to be able to offer sensible solutions to any
problems.
Further information, including a detailed syllabus and exemplars of teaching materials and
powerpoints used in lessons and revision notes can be found at
http://business-tes.wikispaces.com/
IB Business & Management
IB Diploma Programme