Grade 11 Business Studies

Influences on, and control factors relating to the business environments

Ways to be involved in business environments if beneficial to business (recap components). Micro environment: vision, mission statement, goals and objectives, organisational resources, management and leadership, eight functions and activities. Market environment: consumers/customers, suppliers, intermediaries, competitors, and other organisations/civil society (CBOs, NGOs, regulators, strategic allies, unions). Macro environment: physical/natural, economic, social/cultural/demographic, technological, legal and political, international/global, and institutional environments. Examination of control factors (more control over micro, less control over market, no control over macro).

Challenges of the business environments

Challenges of the micro (internal), market and macro business environments, including specific challenges of each environment.

Adapting to challenges of business environments

How businesses adapt to challenges of the micro, market and macro environments, and whether this benefits the business. Includes information management, strategic responses, mergers, takeovers, acquisitions and alliances, organisation design and flexibility, direct influence of the environment and social responsibility.

Lobbying, networking and power relations

Lobbying (e.g. hedging against inflation, bargaining between management and unions, influencing regulators), networking (e.g. finding new customers) and power relationships (e.g. strategic alliance agreements, persuasion of large investors, representatives' influence).

Impact and challenges of contemporary socioeconomic issues on business operations

Impact of contemporary socio-economic issues on business operations and productivity and challenges/decisions in business situations (e.g. income, inflation, social/cultural/demographic issues, economic crime, population growth, illiteracy, lack of skills, resource constraints and inefficiency, dumping, exhaustion of natural resources, piracy, strikes). Includes business solutions/contributions on piracy and intellectual property rights (copyright, patent, trademark) and developments in industrial relations (strikes, go-slows, lockouts, Labour Relations Act, trade unions: history, roles and functions).

Business sectors

Links between primary, secondary and tertiary enterprises and examination of links between the sectors.

Benefits of a company versus other forms of ownership

Benefits and challenges of establishing a company versus other forms of ownership (including taxation issues). Recap characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of forms of ownership including sole trader, partnership and co-operatives. Formation of companies including Memorandum of Incorporation, company name incorporation and commencement, and prospectus.

Avenues of acquiring business

Avenues of acquiring businesses (e.g. franchising, outsourcing, leasing), with advantages, disadvantages and contractual implications (e.g. royalties, legalities).

Revision

Revision activities (as listed in ATP).

Creative thinking and problem solving; stress, crisis and change management

Creative thinking to address business problems and improve business practice: routine vs creative thinking, mental blocks, idea generation, problem-solving skills, complex techniques (e.g. Delphi technique and force-field analysis revision), working with others, and assessing creative solutions against the realities of the business environment. Concepts of stress, crisis and change management: managing stress, importance of stress management, dealing with business-related crises, and adapting to change (e.g. unemployment, retrenchment, globalisation, affirmative action).

Marketing function

Marketing activities and policies: locating the consumer, standardisation and grading, storage, transport, financing, risk-bearing, buying and selling. Marketing mix: product policy (development, design, packaging, trademarks), pricing policy (importance, techniques, price determination, factors influencing pricing, price adjustments), distribution policy (channels, intermediaries, direct/indirect), and communication policy (sales promotion, advertising, publicity, personal selling).

Production function

Production planning and control: planning, routing, scheduling, loading; control (dispatching, following up, inspection, corrective action). Safety management (factory safety, machinery, Occupational Health and Safety Act). Quality control including quality management systems (SABS), quality control bodies and policies.

Professionalism and ethics

Theories and principles of professionalism and ethics and how they relate to the business environment. Application of principles and skills of professional, responsible, ethical and effective business practice. Concept of ethics and perspectives on ethics, and ethical business ventures.

Revision

Revision for June examination covering Term 1 and Term 2 topics (as listed in ATP).

Assessment of entrepreneurial qualities in business

Identify and assess a business against entrepreneurial qualities (e.g. risk taking, perseverance, good management). Critical reflections on a venture to identify success factors and areas for improvement. Explore what makes a business successful (e.g. sustainability, profitability, customer base) and identify areas for improvement.

Transform a business plan into an action plan

Transformation of a business plan into an action plan using planning tools such as Gantt charts or work breakdown structure (WBS), with timelines, responsibilities and project planning, collaboratively or independently.

Start a business venture based on an action plan

Initiate and set up business ventures to generate income based on an action plan, including acquiring funding (equity capital, loans/debt, other sources of capital) if needed.

Presentation of business information

Accurate and concise verbal and non-verbal presentation of business-related information (including graphs), validation/support of information using tables, graphs, diagrams, illustrations, posters and hand-outs (recap). Design and layout using visual aids; written information (reports, business plans, analysis) and report-writing steps. Respond professionally to questions and feedback.

Team stages and dynamics; theories and conflict management

Stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing). Conflict management: definition and causes of conflict, definition of conflict management, and conflict management skills to resolve differences in business situations.

Revision and controlled test preparation

Revision and controlled test 3 preparation (as listed in ATP).

Introduction to human resources function

Human resources activities (recruitment and selection, contracts, induction, salaries and benefits). Procedures for recruitment, selection and interviewing; legalities of employment contracts; induction and placements. Interviewing, selection and induction; salary determination (piecemeal and time-related) including personal tax and link to basic conditions of employment; employee benefits (pension, medical and other).

Final examination structure (as listed in ATP)

Exam relevance: ATP provides paper structure and cognitive levels.

Paper 1 (2 hours, 150): Section A compulsory (MCQs and matching, business environments and business operations); Section B answer 2 (business environments; business operations; combined); Section C answer 1 (business environments or business operations). Paper 2 (2 hours, 150): Section A compulsory (MCQs and matching, business ventures and business roles); Section B answer 2 (business ventures; business roles; combined); Section C answer 1 (business ventures or business roles). Cognitive levels for both papers: lower order 30%, middle order 50%, higher order 20%.