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The Economics Department
Business Studies AS & A2 Course
Studying Business at GCE A level does not guarantee that one will become a future Bill Gates, but a wide variety of issues will be covered which can be applied to virtually any work experience that you have in future life.
Head of Department, P John

Business Studies (AQA) aims to give students a broad understanding of how businesses function effectively. The standard functional divisions within a firm, such as finance, marketing, production and personnel, are studied in their own right. It is also seen how these functions interrelate with each other, and how the business as a whole is affected by the external environment. Thus Business Studies examines how managers can set up structures and mobilise the labour talent and financial resources they have at their disposal to achieve the organisational goal of producing desirable products and services.
In the Lower Sixth a brief overview of topics is given. In the Upper Sixth the focus switches to issues of strategy, business planning and developing appropriate business cultures. In the Upper Sixth there is also a greater emphasis on financial and accounting number work. Throughout the course extensive use is made of real life case studies to help illustrate the applicability of concepts encountered.

AS  Examinations
Unit 1: Planning and Financing a Business
-
 Starting a business: Introduction to Business Studies, overview of
  activities involved in setting up a small business.
- Financial Planning: Essential financial concepts, basic relationships
  between finance and other organisational functions.
Unit 2: Managing a Business
- Finance: using budgets, improving cash flow and profits.
- People: organisational design, recruitment, selection, training,
  motivation.
-
 Operations management: operational decisions, quality, customer
  service, suppliers, technology.
- Marketing and competition: designing and using an effective
  marketing mix, market conditions and competitiveness
   
A2 Examinations
Unit 3: Strategies for Success
- Financial strategies and accounts: financial information, measuring
  performance, making investment decisions
- Marketing strategies: analysing markets and selecting successful
  marketing strategies, developing marketing plans.
- Operational strategies: operational issues, innovation, location,
  improving operational efficiency.
- HR strategies: workforce planning, adapting organisational
  structures, successful employee relations.
Unit 4: The Business Environment and Managing Change
- Mission, aims and objectives: purpose and nature of corporate
  strategies, stakeholder perspectives.
- External influences: the effects of changes in the economic, political,

social, ethical and technological environment and responses of
  business.
- Managing change: planning for change, leadership and corporate
  culture, making strategic decisions, managing change and decision
  making.

Combinations
Business Studies is normally studied in combination with other arts and social science subjects, such as English, Politics, Geography, History of Art, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or a language. It would also be a sensible fourth subject choice for students who consider themselves scientists as most scientists do end up in business as managers.


Skills Needed and Requirements
A good Business Studies student is able to apply theories of management to a particular situation. The more subtle one's grasp of the situation and the more one has a feel for potential opportunities and threats, the better. The finance and accounting parts of the course have a fair amount of numeracy within them, so it is expected that students who start the course will have at least a 'B' grade in GCSE Mathematics.

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