Scheme of Work 2010-2011
A2 Business Studies
Think Active! What Are The Learners Doing?
Course Overview
Module / Unit Title
Unit 3 – BUSS3
Strategies for Success
Prepared by
Gill Greenwood
Lesson Duration
1.5 x 3 per week
Start Date
13th September 2010
End Date
1
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24th January 2011
Learning Outcomes
Functional Objectives and Strategies:
Financial Strategies and Accounts
Marketing Strategies
Operational Strategies
Human Resource Strategies
Assessment Details
EXAM MONDAY 24TH JANUARY 2011
25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks
Date
13th
Sept
20th
Sept
27th
Sept
What topic(s) and
learning objectives
will be covered?
Introduction to A2
What will learners
do?
Using Objectives
and Strategies
Functional
objectives and their
relationship with
corporate
objectives
The relationship
between functional
objectives and
strategies
Candidates should
understand a range
of functional
objectives that
businesses might
pursue, (eg
minimising costs,
gaining market
share) and how
these contribute to
the achievement of
corporate
objectives
Using Financial
Data to Measure
and Assess
Performance
Analyzing balance
sheets
Analyzing income
2
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How will learning
be checked?
Review AS results
Set targets
Discuss active
learning
Discuss homework
booklet
Analysing financial
data should focus
on performance
and potential.
Candidates should
understand the
importance of
FS / Basic
Skills/ECM
What resources are
needed?
Target forms
Pro-monitor
Homework Booklets
Effective
coverage:
Corporate
objectives;
functional
objectives;
functional
strategies
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Corporate
Objectives and
Strategy (and use
case B2). A2 book,
Chapter 2; Full book,
Ch 50.
Marcouse:
Functional
Objectives and
Strategy (and use
case B1). A2 book,
Chapter 4; Full book,
Ch 52.
What Independent
Learning/ Homework
will be set?
HOMEWORK WILL
BE SET EACH
WEEK IN
HOMEWORK
BOOKLET
Extra Independent
learning is detailed
below
Topical Cases: Ferrari –
Corporate strategy
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Functional Objectives
Marcouse: Key AS
Finance Issues (and
do the 12 Qs). A2
book, Chapter 6.
Marcouse: Income
Statements, A2 book,
Chapter 8; Full book,
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Analysing balance sheets
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Analysing income
statements
4th
Oct
statements
Using financial data
for comparisons,
trend analysis and
decision making
Assessing
strengths and
weaknesses of
financial data in
judging
performance
working capital,
depreciation, profit
utilization and
profit quality.
Interpreting
Published
Accounts
Conducting ratio
analysis: the
selection,
calculation and
interpretation of
ratios to measure
financial
performance
Assessing the
Candidates should
understand the
following ratios:
liquidity (current
and acid test),
profitability
(ROCE), financial
efficiency (asset
turnover, stock
turnover, creditor
and debtor days),
gearing and
3
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Ch 55. Balance
Sheets, A2 book, Ch
9; full bk Ch 56
No construction of
accounts or
calculation of
depreciation will be
required
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Business Review:
Profitable Primark,
November 2006, P36
(10 years of sales
and profit data, but
most udeful for
placing profit in
context)
Accounting
Nutshell:, esp
Chapters 2 & 3 (for
you) plus section 1.4
(pp17-19) for
students.
Creative Accounting:
v helpful on
weaknesses of
financial data
Marcouse:
Accounting Ratios
(and use Qs B1 &
B3). A2 book,
Chapter 10; Full
book, Ch 57.
Business Review:
Ratio Analysis, Sept
2006, P24 (focus on
Tesco, using ratios
all of which are on
the new Spec);
Topical Cases:
General Motors v Toyota;
Halfords; Goals (5-a-side)
value and
limitations of ratio
analysis in
measuring a
business’s
performance
shareholder ratios
(dividend per share
and dividend yield).
Candidates will be
given a table of
relevant formulae
for ratios as part of
the examination
paper where
appropriate.
Accounting Nutshell,
Chapters 6&7: v
good on ratios (for
staff)
Marcouse:
Limitations of
Accounts (and use
case B2). A2 book,
Chapter 11; Full
book, Ch 58.
Business Review:
Aggressive
Accounting
(Gillespie), April ’04,
P4
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Ratios - Financial
Efficiency
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Ratios: - Gearing and
shareholders
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Ratios - limitations for
decision making
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Ratios - liquidity
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Ratios - profitability
11th
Oct
Making investment
decisions
Conducting
investment
appraisal: selection
of appropriate
methods,
4
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Candidates should
understand the
reasons why
businesses invest
and the ways in
which investment
can help
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse:
Investment Appraisal
(and use Qs A, B1
and B2). A2 book,
Chapter 13; Full
book, Ch 60.
Business Review:
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Payback and ARR
calculation and
interpretation of
findings
Investment criteria
Assessing the risks
and uncertainties of
investment
decisions
Evaluating
quantitative and
qualitative
influences on
investment
decisions
businesses to
reach functional
objectives.
Quantitative
measures of
investment should
include: payback,
average rate of
return, and net
present value
Investment Appraisal
(Coates), April 2004,
P19
Accounting Nutshell:
very good intro to
investment
appraisal, then good
on payback period;
copy pp 321 – 326 for
students (beware of
DCF as it goes into
the formula for
calculating discount
factors)
Topical Cases:
Investment appraisal
simulation; Qualitative
factors; Advanced
exercise; Investment &
Extrapolation
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Allocating capital
expenditure
A-Z A2 Worksheets: NPV
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Investment risk and
uncertainty
18th
Oct
Understanding
financial objectives
Financial objectives
Assessing internal
and external
influences on
financial objectives
Selecting financial
5
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Financial
objectives should
include: cash flow
targets, cost
minimization,
ROCE targets and
shareholders’
returns
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Financial
Objectives and
Constraints (and use
case B1 on Man Utd).
A2 book, Chapter 7;
Full book, Ch 54.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Marcouse:
Integrated Finance –
raises 5 big, A grade
issues; has 20 short
qs and 4 longer
ones; A2 Ch 14, Full
book Ch 61
Topical Cases: Land
strategies
Raising finance
Implementing profit
centres
Cost minimization
Allocating capital
expenditure
Candidates should
understand how
these strategies
interrelate with
other functions and
be able to assess
their value in given
circumstances
Financial Objectives
Marcouse: Financial
Strategies and
Accounts – covers
all 4 topics A2 book,
Chapter 12; Full
book, Ch 59.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Selecting financial
strategies
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Allocating capital
expenditure
Business Review:
Strategic Finance
(Marcouse), Feb
2004, P20
Business Review:
Profit Centres (M
Surridge), February
2005, P2
Topical Cases:
Strategy – financial;
Potterless – financial
strategy
25th
Oct
6
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of Leather – ratios and
strategy
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Revision Calculations for
Unit 3
1st
Nov
Understanding
Marketing
Objectives
Marketing
objectives
Analysing Markets
and Marketing
Reasons for, and
the value of, market
analysis
Methods of
analyzing trends
The use of IT in
analyzing markets
Difficulties in
analyzing market
data
7
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Marketing
objectives
Marketing strategy
Reasons for
analyzing markets
should include:
gathering evidence
for devising a new
strategy,
identifying
significant patterns
in sales.
Candidates should
be familiar with
moving averages,
test markets and
extrapolation as
methods of
measuring and
forecasting sales.
Candidates should
understand how
correlation can be
used in analyzing
markets
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Marketing
Objectives (and use
case B1 on Heinz in
Russia). A2 book,
Chapter 16; Full
book, Ch 62.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Marketing objectives and
strategies
FAQs on Marketing:
terrific on marketing
strategy, eg P43 on
differentiation (and
nice distinction
between strategies
for the market leader
versus the market
challenger
Business Review:
Strategic Marketing
(Marcouse),
November ‘03
Marcouse: Analysing
The Market (and use
case B1 on
Cadbury). A2 book,
Chapter 17; Full
book, Ch 63.
Business Review:
Prince’s Free CD,
Feb 2008, P8 – good
on how market
analysis can lead to
a new marketing
strategy; Marketing
A-Z Worksheets: AQA
Test Marketing
Mistakes, September
2004, P2, showing
market analysis isn’t
easy
sA-Z A2 Worksheets:
Analysing trend
Marcouse:
Measuring and
Forecasting Trends
(and use Section A
Qs plus case B1 on
Boeing). A2 book,
Chapter 18; Full
book, Ch 64
Topical Cases: John
Lewis – forecasting
8th
Nov
Selecting Marketing
Strategies
Low cost versus
differentiation
Market penetration
Product
development and
market
development
strategies
Diversification
Assessing
effectiveness of
marketing
strategies
8
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Ansoff’s matrix
should be used to
assess marketing
strategies in a
national and
international
context. Marketing
strategies should
consider the
methods, risks and
benefits involved in
entering
international
markets
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Selecting
Marketing Strategies
(and use case B1 on
Apple iPod). A2
book, Chapter 19;
Full book, Ch 65.
FAQs on Marketing:
good section on
differentiation
Business Review:
Marketing Models
and Mobile Phones,
November 2006, P32;
September 2005,
Cobra Beer – using
Ansoff’s matrix;
Michael Porter, April
Topical cases on
Ansoff: Coke Plus
2005 (article by
Stephen Barnes)
A-Z A2 Worksheet:
Ansoff’s Matrix
15th
Nov
Developing and
Implementing
Marketing Plans
Components of
marketing plans
Assessing internal
and external
influences on
marketing plans
Issues in
implementing
marketing plans
Assessing internal
and external
influences on
marketing
objectives
9
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Components of
marketing plans
include: objectives,
budgets and sales
forecasts and
marketing
strategies.
Influences on the
marketing plan
might include:
finance available,
operational issues
and competitors’
actions Internal
influences on
marketing should
include finance,
HR, operational
issues and
corporate
objectives.
External influences
include:
competitors’
actions, market
factors and
technological
change
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
; Ansoff takeover
Marcouse:
Developing and
Implementing
Marketing Plans
(consider using the
big B2 case). A2
book, Chapter 20;
Full book, Ch 66.
FAQs on Marketing:
terrific on marketing
plans (pp 95-99)
Business Review:
Marketing Plans,
Sept 2006, P28;
Strategic Thinking in
Marketing, April
2006, P34 Business
Review: Fisherman’s
Friend, Feb 2008,
P28 (useful look at
one small firm
coping with
competition)
Marcouse: Integrated
Marketing (and use
case B3 on Emirates
Airline). A2 book,
Chapter 21; Full
book, Ch 67.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Influences on Marketing
Objectives
22nd
Nov
Operational
objectives
The focus should
be on expansion
and/or relocation
Operational
(including offstrategies: Location shoring)
Methods of making Methods of
location decisions
deciding on
Benefits of optimal location should
location
take into account
The advantages
quantitative
and disadvantages (investment
of multi-site
appraisal, for
locations
example) and
Issues relating to
qualitative factors.
international
Reasons for
location
international
location include:
global markets,
cost reduction and
avoidance of trade
barriers
10
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Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Industrial
and International
Location (and use
case B1 on
Offshoring). A2
book, Chapter 33;
Full book, Ch 77.
Business Review:
February 2007:
Relocating a
Business, P20;
Location, Location,
Location, September
2004 (M Surridge)
P27; The Exodus
Abroad (on
relocating), April
2004, P16
Topical Cases:
Location role play;
International location
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Optimal Location Decisions
29th
Nov
Operational
strategies: scale
and resource mix
Choosing the right
scale of production:
economies and
diseconomies of
scale
Choosing the
optimal mix of
resources: capital
and labour intensity
11
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Operational
objectives should
include: meeting
quality, cost and
volume targets,
innovation,
efficiency
(including time)
and environmental
targets. Candidates
should be aware of
a range of
economies of scale
including:
purchasing,
technical and
specialization.
Diseconomies of
scale include
communication
and coordination
Candidates should
understand the
benefits and
drawbacks of
capital and labour
intensive strategies
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse:
Understanding
Operational
Objectives (and use
case B2 on Renault).
A2 book, Chapter 30;
Full book, Ch 74.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Operational Objectives and
Strategies
Business Review:
Strategic Operations
(Marcouse),
September 2003, P10
Marcouse:
Economies and
Diseconomies of
Scale (and use case
B2 on McDonalds).
A2 book, Chapter 31;
Full book, Ch 75.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Economies and Diseconomies
of Scale
Business Review:
Methods of
production (and
stock control), Feb
2008, P34 – it has a
useful Table showing
pros and cons of
Job, Batch and Flow;
Labour v Capital
Intensity, Nov 2003,
P28
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Capital and Labour
intensity
6th
Dec
Operational
strategies:
Innovation
Innovation,
research and
development
Purpose, costs,
benefits and risks
of innovation
Candidates should
be aware that a
strategy of
innovation has
implications for
finance, marketing
and human
resources
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Research
& Devt and
Innovation (and use
case B1 on the
Gillette Mach 3). A2
book, Chapter 32;
Full book Ch76
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Innovation: purposes,
benefits and risks
Management of
Techno Innovation:
some short, studentfriendly bits, eg pp
160+161: Why do
firms do R&D? Also
important is
Business Review:
Research &
Development,
February 2005, P22
12
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13th
Dec
Operational
strategies: Lean
Production
The effective
management of
time
Assessing the
value of critical
path analysis
The effective
management of
other resources
through methods of
lean production
Understanding
Operational
Objectives
Assessing internal
and external
influences on
operational
objectives
13
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Candidates should
be able to interpret
and complete
critical path
networks by
entering ESTs and
LFTs and
understand the
significance of
critical and noncritical activities.
Candidates should
be aware of lean
production
techniques
including just-intime production
and kaizen
Influences on
operational
objectives might
include:
competitors’
performance,
resources
available, the
nature of the
product and
demand
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: Planning
Operations (and use
case B2, especially
for girls). A2 book,
Chapter 34; Full
book, Ch 78.
Marcouse:
Continuous
Improvement (and
use case B2 on
Toyota). A2 book,
Chapter 35; Full
book, Ch 79.
Business Review:
Critical Path
Analysis, November
2003, P2
Business Review:
What is Lean
Production?,
February 2005, P14
A-Z Worksheets: AQA
Lean
Management
A-Z A2 Worksheets: CPA
for A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Influences on Operational
ObjectivesAQA
Marcouse: Integrated
Operations
Management (use
the 20 Qs and case
B3). A2 book,
Chapter 36; Full
book, Ch 80.
20th
Dec
27th
Dec
Holidays
3rd
Jan
Understanding HR
Objectives and
Strategies
HR objectives
HR strategies
Developing and
Implementing
Workforce Plans
Components of
workforce plans
Assessing internal
and external
influences on
workforce plans
Issues in
implementing
14
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HR objectives
might include:
matching
workforce skills,
size and location to
business needs,
minimizing labour
cost, making full
use of the
workforce’s
potential and
maintaining good
employer/employee
relations.
Candidates should
be aware of ‘hard’
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Marcouse: HRM
Objectives and
Strategy (and use
case B2 covering
Hard and Soft HRM).
A2 book, Chapter 23;
Full book, Ch 68.
Business Review:
Financial Incentives,
April 2008, P10 (very
good at showing the
unintended
consequences of
financial incentives);
Strategic People
Management
workforce plans
The value of using
workforce plans
15
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and ‘soft’
strategies to HR
and the strengths
and weaknesses of
each
Candidates should
be aware of the
influences on
workforce
planning, including
other functional
decisions, eg
innovation may
require greater
diversity,
legislation and
labour market
trends including
migration.
Issues involved in
implementing
workforce plans
might include:
employer/employee
relations, cost,
corporate image
and training.
Candidates should
recognize that
these issues can
have positive and
negative effects
(Marcouse), April
2004, P34
Marcouse:
Workforce Planning
(and use case B1).
A2 book, Chapter 24;
Full book, Ch 69.
Business Review:
Human Resource
Planning, Sept 2006,
P20; The Business
Implications of
Migration, April 2007:
P20
A-Z Worksheets:
Workforce Plans
10th
Jan
17th
Jan
Competitive
Organisational
Structures
Factors
determining choice
of organizational
structures
Adapting
organizational
structures to
improve
competitiveness
Effective
Employer/Employee
Relations
Managing
communications
with employees
Methods of
employee
representation
Methods of
16
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Methods of
adapting
organizational
structures to
improve
competitiveness
should include:
centralization and
decentralization,
delayering and
flexible workforces.
Candidates should
be aware of the
issues involved
with implementing
and operating each
of these
approaches.
Flexible workforces
should include the
notion of core and
peripheral workers,
outsourcing and
homeworking
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Candidates should
understand the
importance of
communication in
employer/employee
relations.
Candidates should
know the
advantages and
disadvantages of
Learning will be
checked by
discussion, q and
a. Completion of
exercises
Business Review:
Importance of
Organisational
Structure to
Business
Performance, April
2008, P33
A2 Revision Calculations
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Competitive Organisational
Structures
Marcouse: Flexibility
and Insecurity (and
use cases B1 and
B2). A2 book,
Chapter 25; Full
book, Ch 70.
A-Z Worksheets: AQA
Competitiveness
Business Review,
Sept 2008: P28,
article by Mark Burns
on the benefits to
Hornby of
outsourcing to China
Marcouse: Employee
Relations (and use
cases B1 and B2). A2
book, Chapter 27;
Full book, Ch 72.
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Communication
Truth About
Managing People:
pp109-120,
A-Z Worksheets: Revision
for Unit 3 (1)
A-z Worksheets: Revision
for Unit 3 (2)
avoiding and
resolving industrial
disputes
employee
representation.
Methods of
employee
representation
might include:
works councils,
employees groups
as well as trade
unions
especially the
section called ‘Listen
to the Grapevine’;
also useful is ‘The
Case For Conflict’ on
pp150-151
Business Review:
Trade Unions,
Disputes and ACAS,
February 2005, P34
A-Z A2 Worksheets:
Employer-Employee
Relations
24th
Jan
Revision and
Review
31st
Jan
7th
Feb
17
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A-Z Exam Pack: 3
Mock Exam papers
with full mark
schemes
Topical Cases:
Tesco – Unit 3 Revision
CPA and Unit 3 Revision
14th
Feb
21st
Feb
Half Term
28th
Feb
7th
Mar
14th
Mar
18
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21st
Mar
28th
Mar
4th
Apr
11th
Apr
Easter Hols
18th
Apr
Easter Hols
19
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25th
April
2nd
May
9th
May
16th
May
23rd
May
20
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30th
May
Half Term
6th
Jun
13th
Jun
20th
Jun
27th
Jun
21
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