Scheme of Work
The Scheme of Work generally follows the Syllabus, but the order in which topics
are covered has been adjusted to give a coherent flow to the course. The
specification has been sub-divided into seven units, each covering a theme. The
progression through these themes has been designed to build on students’ own
experiences, and to ensure that students have sufficient basic knowledge and
understanding to tackle the more challenging issues.
The Units are:
Unit 1 Business Activity
Unit 2 Business Organisations
Unit 3 Marketing
Unit 4 People and Work
Unit 5 Production
Unit 6 External Influences
Unit 7 Business Finance & Accounting
References have been made to the recommended course textbook:
IGCSE Business Studies (third edition)
Karen Borrington and Peter Stimpson
ISBN 978 0 340 92649 9
Topic
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Introduction to business
Explanation of enterprise and
entrepreneurship
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Business activity as a means of
adding value and meeting customer
need
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The factors of production,
Classification of local and national
firms into the public and private
sector and primary, secondary and
tertiary sectors.
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Stakeholders and their differing
objectives and potential conflicts
between stakeholders,
Business objectives and their
importance
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The different ways firms can grow
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Determining size of business
Reasons for the importance and
growth of multinational companies
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1.5
1.6
1.7
Activities
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Assessment
List 10 products and 10
services
Thought shower (whole class
or paired work): Reasons
why people start a business.
Make a list of your needs and
wants
Explain, with simple
illustrations, how division of
labour or specialisation could
be used to make a chosen
product
Questions on factors of
production through the
‘Mercedes Benz’ company.
Present different types of
businesses to students in
which they have to classify
them into the correct sectors.
List all stakeholders and ask
students to provide possible
aims and conflicts for each.
Thought shower (Divide class
in two or paired work): What
do businesses aim for?
Different scenarios of mergers
in which students choose
which type of merger it is
Case study – John Baxter ltd
Advantages and
disadvantages of being both a
small and large business
Group presentation –
multinationals are good or
bad for Yemen
Test
Chapter
1
1
2
1
2
2
Half Term
2.1
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2.2
2.3
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Relationship between business
objectives, growth and organisation Limited and Unlimited liability
Sole Traders
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Partnerships
Limited Companies – Private limited
companies
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Public limited companies
Franchises
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Question – in what situation
could a business get into
trouble – paired or group
work
Questions on a local sole
trader business
Students will explain the
features of a partnership
compared to those of a sole
trader business
Case study ‘Belt Up’.
Students will be asked to
draw six logos which is
associated to public limited
companies
From textbook, list
advantages and disadvantages
for both the franchisee and
franchisor
3
3
3
2.4
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Co-operatives, joint ventures and
Charities
The Public Sector
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2.5
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The Divorce of ownership and
Control
What do managers actually do?
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2.6
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Leadership Style
The Process of communication
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2.7
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Mediums of communication
Assessment
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Group discussion, name
charities that are local,
national, regional and
international
Advantages and
disadvantages of public
corporations from textbook
Completing a diagram
(divorce of ownership) by
labeling where students think
the four types of business
ownership’s would appear
Name the duties of the various
directors and managers of a
company
Name different situations in
which students will be asked
which management style will
suit the situation best
Task – In groups of two or
three, students will work out a
short role-play, which
demonstrates how, if one
elements of communication is
not present, effective
communication cannot be
achieved.
Produce diagrams of different
communication mediums in
which students will circle
whether they are formal or
informal forms of
communications and whether
they can be internal or
external
Test
3
3
11
12
12
End of Term
3.1
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The role of marketing
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3.2
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Market segmentation
Mass and niche market
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3.3
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Market research
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Questions on Coca Cola, its
market and its customers
Activity 16.3 on page 251 (KB
and PS)
Shade in the appropriate
portions of a diagram to
represent a market segment
for different products
List specialized products in
which students will try to
figure out and explain who are
its customers
Design a questionnaire
The following products
require some primary
research. Decide which type
of research would be most
appropriate to use and why
16
16
17
3.4
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Presentation and use of results
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3.5
3.6
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Marketing mix
Product
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Product
Packaging
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3.7
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Price
End of Half Term
 Calculate the ‘price elasticity
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3.8
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Place
Distribution
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3.9
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Promotion
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3.10
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Marketing strategy
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3.11
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Marketing budget
Revision
3.12
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Assessment
Choose an appropriate way to
present information for a fast
food restaurant which
produces five different
burgers, explain choice and
what results show
For different situations,
choose the most appropriate
method to use
Activity 19.3 on page 288
from textbook (KB and PS)
From textbook, describe each
stage of the product life cycle
Draw the diagram that
illustrates the stages of
developing a new product
from page 289 of the textbook
(KB and PS)
Activity 19.5, page 292 from
textbook (KB and PS)
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of demand’ for three products
Fill in the missing words to a
paragraph with words listed
Questions revolving around
sugar, where customers
expect to find it and the
importance of placing the
product correctly
For different products
students will state the type of
transport that would be most
appropriate and would
explain their choice
Complete a table that
identifies the main methods a
business can advertise ‘above
the line’
Split the class into 4 equal
groups. Give each group one
promotional item. They are to
evaluate it using guidelines.
Carry out a PEST Analysis on a
product of choice
Carry out a SWOT analysis on
a product of choice
Construct a marketing plan
for two products, a bike that
has been on the market for a
long time, of which sales have
started to decline and a new
bike to gain market share
Revision
Test
END OF TERM (END OF YEAR)
18
19
19
20
22
21
4.1
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Role of work in satisfying human
needs
Methods of financial rewards
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Continuing of methods of financial
rewards
Methods of non-financial rewards
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Motivation methods
Recruitment
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Continuing of recruitment
Selection
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4.2
4.3
4.4
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4.5
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Training methods
Dismissal and Redundancy
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4.6
4.7
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Employee and Employer
associations
Revision
Assessment
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Questionnaire of students,
parents and teachers to what
makes them happy at work
Mix and match meanings with
method of financial reward
Mix and match meanings with
method of financial reward
Pose the question of how
would they reward employees
non-financially
Ask students how would they
motivate their workers
Get students to draw up a job
description and job
specification
Draw up a job advertisement
for a newspaper or visit
websites of recruitment
agencies
Let students interview each
other and ask whether they
would employ the interviewee
Compare the training
requirements of various
employees (lawyer, teacher,
doctor, shop assistant, farm
worker).
Gather information about
three companies that have
been reducing the number of
workers they employ. Discuss
the reasons why this has
happened with the class.
Give the class the names of
three trade unions to
research into the activities of
these unions:
(a) which industries do they
operate in?
(b) how many members do
they have?
(c) what have the unions
achieved for their members?
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Discuss whether in Yemen it is
the employee or employer
associations that will have
more negotiable influence
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Revision
Test
Half Term
13
13
13
14
14
14
15
5.1
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Using resources to produce goods
and services
Methods of production (job, batch
and flow.)
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5.2
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Continuation of methods of
production (job, batch and flow.)
Stock control
5.4
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Lean production
Quality control
Improvements in technology
Factors affecting location of
manufacturing business
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5.5
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Factors affecting location of retailing
business
Factors that influence a business to
relocate at home or abroad
Group work; ask why
companies need to keep
control of stock
Use the case study ‘The
Toyota production system’ to
develop an understanding of
the concept of lean production
and the elimination of waste
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Get the class to look at the
quality standards that an item
of electrical equipment has to
conform to. Think about why
this matters to the customer /
business
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Put the students into groups –
get them to choose five
companies which need to stay
ahead of technology to survive
– each group will give a brief
explanation to the rest of the
class
Ask students what factors
could affect the location of a
manufacturing business
Research into a business that
has just set up in a new
location. Investigate the
factors that might have
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23
Research into local businesses
and identify what production
methods they use. Investigate
whether these results are
what the students would have
expected.
Get the class to look at the
following three questions:
(a) Why might a local cake
shop use batch methods of
production?
(b) Why would a major car
manufacturer use flow
methods?
(c) What type of businesses
use job methods and why is
this?
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5.3
Research into a local business.
Find out what resources they
buy in. Look to see what is
produced and the value of
goods produced. Assess how
productive the business
appears to be.
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24
influenced its choice.
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5.6
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Factors affecting location of a service
sector business
Revision or extra lesson
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5.7
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Revision
Assessment
6.1
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Government economic objectives
Compare the economic and
business environment of
Yemen to neighboring and
western countries
Suggest five different
businesses and get the class to
decide what factors would be
important to these in deciding
where to locate.
24
Revision or extra lesson
Revision
Test
End of Term
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6.2
6.3
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Government economic policies
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Government controls over business
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6.4
6.5
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Governments helping business
Influence of technological changes
on business
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Environmental constraints on
business
Environmental issues and costbenefit analysis
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6.6
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Revision
Assessment
7.1
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Business costs
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Discuss the following issues:
(a) identify situations where
government intervention
might be needed
(b) consider what might
happen if unregulated
businesses operated.
Test; list the economic
objectives and meanings
Case study example on page
58
Activity 4.3, page 62
Consumer protection – group
work, discuss how consumer
protection legislation benefits
consumers
Employee protection – group
work, discuss how employee
protection legislation to
benefit Yemen
Group work, why would
governments encourage
business
Discussion on how businesses
should introduce
technological changes while
being sensitive to employees
Group work, what legislation
should the Yemeni
government introduce to
make businesses more
environmentally friendly
Draw two table for a costbenefit analysis highlighting
the private costs and benefits
and external costs and
benefits
Revision
Test
End of Half Term
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Group work; get students to
4
4
4
4
5
5
7.2
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Break-even charts
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Break even point calculation
Economies and dis-economies of
scale
7.3
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Budgets and forecasting methods
Financial documents
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7.4
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Trading account
Profit and loss account
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7.5
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Balance sheet
Ratio analysis
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list costs that a particular
business will have to pay
Practice a break-even chart
Practice the calculation
Students should research into
a business that has grown
over time. Consider what
financial advantages it will
have gained as a result of its
growth
Practice the cost budget table
Group work; list all the
financial documents students
have or are familiar with
Practice trading account
Practice profit and loss
account
Use the balance sheet given in
book to develop
understanding of the
structure of this statement.
Make sure that the distinction
between fixed assets and
current assets is understood.
Use examples of both to
reinforce the distinction.
6
6
6
7
7
7
Make sure the distinction
between long-term and
current liabilities is
understood. Use examples of
`both to reinforce this
distinction.
7.6
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Cash flow forecasts
Sources of Finance
7.7
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Revision
Assessment
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Practice ratio’s
Use a more complex cash flow
forecast to increase familiarity
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Revision
Assessment
END OF TERM (END OF YEAR)
8
9