SCOTTISH QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY – SEPTEMBER 2012 CURRICULUM EVENTS – COURSE AIMS AND STRUCTURE
SUBJECT:
BUSINESS (National 3 and 4)/BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (National 5 and Higher)
PURPOSE:
The Course introduces learners to the dynamic, changing, competiti ve and economic environment of industry and
commerce. It develops skills in communicating and presenting business -related information, in a variety of formats, to the
various stakeholders of an organisation. The development of skills explicit to the Cours e will enable learners to succeed in
life with determination and the ability to think logically. These skills will support learners in becoming more confident,
particularly regarding their own future education and place in the world of work.
National 3
National 4
National 5
Higher
 knowledge and understanding
of the ways in which society
relies on business to satisfy our
needs
 an insight into the systems
organisations use to ensure
customers’ needs are met
 enterprising skills and attributes
by providing them with
opportunities to explore
realistic business situations
 financial awareness through a
business context
 an insight into how
organisations organise their
resources for maximum
 knowledge and understanding
of the ways in which society
relies on business to satisfy our
needs
 an understanding of a range of
methods businesses use to
ensure customers’ needs are
met
 understanding of enterprising
skills and attributes by
providing opportunities to
study relatively complex
business issues
 understanding of businessrelated financial matters
 an understanding of the ways
COURSE AIMS
 an awareness of business
concepts in a range of
familiar contexts
 an awareness of the
actions small businesses
take to satisfy customers’
needs in familiar contexts
 an awareness of basic
enterprising and
employability skills in
realistic business contexts
 basic financial awareness in
a business context
 basic awareness of the
effects of internal and
external influences on
 knowledge and understanding
of business concepts in a range
of contexts
 awareness of the processes and
procedures businesses use to
ensure customers’ needs are
met
 enterprising skills, and adopt
enterprising attributes, by
participating in practical
activities in realistic business
situations
 financial awareness through a
business context
 an insight into the impact of the
economy on businesses and our
National 3
business
National 4
daily lives, thus gaining
economic awareness
National 5
efficiency and improve their
overall performance
 an awareness of how external
influences impact on
organisations
Higher
businesses can use resources to
achieve maximum efficiency
 an understanding of the steps
taken by business to improve
overall performance and
effectiveness
 knowledge and understanding
of the main effects that
external influences, such as
economic impact and
sustainability, have on
organisations
STRUCTURE, ASSESSMENT AND HIERARCHIES
Course Structure:
Units
Course Structure:
Units and Added Value Unit
 Business in Action
1) Research a small business
and present the findings
2) Apply an understanding of
functional activities
supporting small
businesses
 Business in Action
 Understanding Business
1) Give an overview of how small
1) Give an account of the key
businesses operate
objectives and activities of
2) Give an overview of how small
small and medium business
businesses satisfy customer
organisations
needs
2) Apply knowledge and
3) Apply an understanding of the
understanding of factors that
key functional activities of small
impact on the activities of
businesses
small and medium business
organisations
 Influences on Business
1) Give an overview of key
 Management of People and
stakeholders in a small business
Finance
and their influence on it
1) Apply knowledge and
 Influences on Business
1) Give an overview of key
stakeholders’ interests in
small businesses
Course Structure:
Units and Course assessment
Course Structure:
Units and Course assessment
 Understanding Business
1) Analyse the features, objectives
and internal structures of large
business organisations
2) Analyse the environment in
which large organisations
operate
 Management of People and
Finance
1) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
management of people can
meet the objectives of large
National 3
2) Identify how internal
factors influence small
businesses
3) Identify how external
factors influence small
businesses
National 4
2) Make decisions on the running
of a small business, taking
account of internal influences
3) Give an overview of external
influences that affect a small
business
and Added Value Unit
 Business Assignment
1) Prepare a simple business
proposal for an aspect of a new
small business, making use of
appropriate technology where
applicable
National 5
understanding of how the
management of people
contributes to the success of
small and medium sized
organisations
2) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
management of finance
contributes to the success of
small and medium sized
organisations
 Management of Marketing and
Operations
1) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
marketing function contributes
to the success of small and
medium sized organisations
2) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
operations function
contributes to the success of
small and medium sized
organisations
and Course assessment
Question Paper and a businessrelated Assignment
Higher
organisations
2) Analyse how the management
of finance contributes to the
effectiveness of large
organisations
 Management of Marketing and
Operations
1) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
marketing function enhances
the effectiveness of large
organisations
2) Apply knowledge and
understanding of how the
operations function contributes
to the success of large
organisations
and Course assessment
Question Paper and businessrelated Assignment
In a Hierarchy
In a Hierarchy
In a Hierarchy
In a Hierarchy
National 3
National 4
National 5
Higher
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
 a basic understanding of
enterprising skills and
personal attributes that
contribute to business
success
 skills required to look after
customers effectively in
familiar business contexts
 a basic understanding of
how a business operates
through developing an
awareness of key
functional activities of
business
 fundamental skills in the
use of ICT to support
business activities
 developing an awareness
of basic business finance
in familiar contexts
 an awareness of the
effects of a limited range
of internal and external
influences on business
activity
 a basic knowledge and
 knowledge and understanding  knowledge and understanding
understanding of the ways in
of the impact of business
of the impact of business
which business operates to
activities on society, in
activities on society in contexts
meet customers’ needs
contexts which have some
which have complex features
complex features
 a basic knowledge and
 decision making by applying
understanding of the role of
 decision making — by applying
the ideas of ethical and
business and its impact of
the ideas of ethical and
effective business decisions to
business on our daily lives
effective business decisions to
solve strategic businesssolve straightforward businessrelated problems
 applying knowledge and
related problems
understanding of
 communicating relatively
straightforward planning
 communicating
complex business ideas and
techniques used by business to
straightforward business ideas,
opinions from a range of
ensure success
opinions and information
information relating to the
relating to the effects of
effects of opportunities and
 a straightforward knowledge
internal and external factors
constraints on business
and understanding of
on
business
activity
activity — some of which may
entrepreneurial attributes in
be unfamiliar
the context of business start knowledge and understanding
up
of how entrepreneurial
 understanding of how
attributes can help in business
entrepreneurial attributes can
 basic knowledge and
development
assist in the management of
understanding of the key
risk and business development
functional areas of business
 understanding how to enhance
employability skills
 understanding of leadership
 applying knowledge and
styles and how they can be
understanding of the effects of  knowledge and understanding
used to enhance the
straightforward internal and
of the contribution of staff to
contribution of staff to
external influences on business
business success
business success
activity
 interpreting and evaluating
 evaluating detailed and
 interpreting and drawing
straightforward business
relatively complex business
elementary conclusions from
financial data to ensure
financial data to draw
straightforward business
effective financial
National 3
National 4
information
 demonstrating independence
and communication skills,
including the ability to use ICT
and work with others, through
applying straightforward
knowledge of business-related
concepts
National 5
management
 analysing the effectiveness of a
limited range of marketing
activities, and understanding
how they can be used to
enhance customer satisfaction
 evaluating a range of
production techniques used to
maximise the quality of
goods/services
 basic knowledge of the use of
existing and emerging
technologies in current
business practice
Higher
conclusions and suggest
solutions where appropriate
 analysing and evaluating the
effectiveness of a range of
marketing activities and
understanding how they can
be used to enhance customer
satisfaction
 analysing and evaluating a
range of activities which can
be used during the production
process to maximise the
quality of goods/services
 evaluating the use of existing
and emerging technologies to
improve business practice