HSC Business Studies
Teaching Resource
‘Adopt-a-business’
Case Study - Public Company
Prepared by Stephen Chapman
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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HSC Business Studies
‘Adopt-a-business’
Case Study - Public Company




FINANCIAL PLNG. & MGT.
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
MARKETING
GLOBAL BUSINESS
MANAGING
CHANGE
Part A: The business in context
1. Business name ____________________________________________________
2. Product(s)/service(s) offered __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Industry sector: Primary, Secondary, tertiary, Quaternary, Quinary
___________________________________________________________________
4. Country of origin ____________________________________________________
5. Head Office address _________________________________________________
6. Web address ______________________________________________________
7. Vision/mission statement ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8. Does the business’s mission statement relate to:

profit or return to shareholders?

growth or expansion?

customer service?

employee welfare?

other _________________________________________________________
(Tick appropriate response)
10. List any subsidiaries owned by the parent business _______________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
9. Provide examples of:
(a) Vertical integration _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(b) Horizontal integration _______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(c) Diversification _____________________________________________________
Part B: Statistical profile
11. Number of shareholders _____________________________________________
12. Number of employees ______________________________________________
13. Countries of operation (if applicable) ___________________________________
14. Number of operational sites __________________________________________
15. Value of total assets________________________________________________
16. Current market capitalisation ___________________________ Date _________
17. Total revenue (current and previous year) ______________________________
18. Percentage change from previous year _________________________________
19. Net profit (current and previous year) __________________________________
20. Percentage change from previous year _________________________________
21. Comment on the organisation’s performance over the past twelve months
(Compare the net profit from one year to the next)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
22. What other measurements does the organisation use to determine its
performance? ________________________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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23. Names of the five largest registered shareholders and the percentage of their
shareholding
Name
% of shares
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
Part C: Business management and change
24. Read the chairman/managing director’s comments. Briefly comment on the main
points contained in this section __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
25. Identify future growth areas for the business ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
26. Describe the make-up of the ‘Board of Directors’ and the ‘Senior Management
Team’ ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
27. Describe the management style(s) adopted by the ‘Senior Management Team’
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
28. Draw and describe the business’s organisational structure
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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29. Is the organisational structure hierarchical or flat? What eveidence did you use to
answer this question? _________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
30. Identify and list the sources of change in the business
Internal
External
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
________________________
_________________________
________________________
31. Briefly outline the business’s social responsibility and socio-economic
sustainability programs ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
32. Identify an area of community involvement of the business _________________
___________________________________________________________________
33. Outline the main points of the business’s ‘Code of Conduct’ ________________
___________________________________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
34. Complete the following mind map showing the major changes that have occured
to the business during the last year. (You may need to add more pointers.)
Change
management
issues
35. Identify any threats to the organisation’s future performance. ________________
___________________________________________________________________
36. Briefly outline any mergers or acquisitions this business has undertaken.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part D: Financial planning and management
Balance Sheet (Statement of financial position)
37. Total current assets ________________________________________________
38. Total non-current assets _____________________________________________
39. Total current liabilities ______________________________________________
40. Total non-current liabilities __________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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41. Calculate the current ratio
42. Comment on the liquidity of the business.______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
43. Total shareholders’ equity. __________________________________________
44. Explain the difference between:
(i) share capital ______________________________________________________
(ii) reserves _________________________________________________________
(iii) retained profits ____________________________________________________
45. Calculate the debt to equity ratio
46. Comment on the solvency of the business._____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
Profit and Loss Statement (Statement of financial performance)
47. Operating revenue (sales). ___________________________________________
48. Operating profit before income tax. ____________________________________
49. Operating profit after income tax. ______________________________________
50. Calculate the operating profit before income tax as a percentage of operating
revenue.
51. Retained profits at the end of the financial year. __________________________
52. Calculate the gross profit ratio, net profit ratio and return on owners’ equity.
53. Comment on the profitability of the business. ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
54. Final dividends paid or provided. ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
55. Calculate the expenses ratio and accounts receivable turnover ratio.
56. Comment on the efficiency of the compnay. ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
57. Name the auditors and outline their role. _______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
58. Explain the purpose of the ‘Notes to the financial statements’. _______________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part E: Marketing
59. What marketing strategies does this business implement? __________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
60. Identify the differnet target markets for the business’s products.
a) primary __________________________________________________________
(b) secondary _______________________________________________________
61. What evidence can you find of new product development? _________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
62. Construct a table showing the business’s product mix width and product mix
depth.
63. Conduct a basic SWOT on the business.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
64. Provide a brief summary of the business’s marketing mix. (Select one product or
service from the business’e range)
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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(a) Product (s)
___________________________________________________________________
(b) Price
___________________________________________________________________
(c) Promotion
___________________________________________________________________
(d) Place
___________________________________________________________________
65. Identify any ethical issues in relations to the business’s marketing startegies.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
66. Discuss the ways in which the Annual Report and the Wesite are used as
marketing strategies __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
67. List the different marketing techniques for a product used by the business.
(a) Product enhancement ______________________________________________
(b) Product differentiation ______________________________________________
(c) Product promotion _________________________________________________
(d) Product developemnt _______________________________________________
(e) Product niche focus ________________________________________________
(f) Product pricing ____________________________________________________
Part F: Employment relations
68. List the rlelevant stakeholders in the employment relations process.
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
69. What human resource issue(s) does the organisation highlight?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
70. What does the business write about its:
(a) OH&S responsibilities? _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(b) human resources __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
71. Provide a breakdown of the compan’y workforce according to:
(a) Gender __________________________________________________________
(b) Geographical location _______________________________________________
72. Identify and describe the key influences on employment relations.
(a) Social ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(b) Legal ___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(c) Organisational behavioural __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(d) Economic________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
73. Examine the business’s past industrial relations performance. _______________
___________________________________________________________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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74. Examine the impact of the Work Choices Act 2005 on the business’s
employment relations process. ___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part G: Global Business
75. List the countries the business is exporting to and importing from? ___________
___________________________________________________________________
76. What factors will inhibit/encourage future export sales? ____________________
___________________________________________________________________
77. Describe the different methods of internatiopnal expanison the business has
used. ______________________________________________________________
78. Provide a summary of the reasons the business expanded globally.
Reasons for global expansion


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79. Is there any evidence of financial risk management? If so, what types?
___________________________________________________________________
80. Provide evidence of global branding. __________________________________
81. Complete a summary of the specific influences on the business’s global activities.
Financial
Political
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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Legal
Social/cultural
82. Identify any ethical issues in relations to the business’s global operations.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Part H: Share market analysis
83. Imagine you have $50 000 to purchase shares in your organisation. Using the
stockmarket report in a newspaper or the website for the Australian Stock Exchange
(www.asx.com.au), complete the following database to record your transaction.
After ten weeks, sell your parcel of shares to determine your gain or loss.
Business
Buying
Selling
Parcel
Total outlay
Total
Gain (+) or
name
price
price
(Number
(Selling price X
parcel)
receipts
loss (-)
of shares
(Buying price
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…………….
bought)
X parcel)
$
Week/date
$
$
$
$
1.
50 000
50 000
0
2.
50 000
3.
50 000
4.
50 000
5.
50 000
6.
50 000
7.
50 000
8.
50 000
9.
50 000
10.
50 000
Total outlay week 1: $ _________________
Total receipts week 10 $ _______________
Gain or loss $ _______________________
Business Studies in Action HSC Course: Adopt-a-business case study tool
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