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Business plans

Accelerating innovation cycles, enabling customization and personalization, improving product quality and performance, reducing time-to-market, leveraging data and analytics for customer insights, impact of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, IoT, 3D printing), and examples of technologically advanced products.

Aging population, urbanization, changing consumer preferences, workforce dynamics.

Alignment with business strategy, talent management, employee development, organizational performance.

Analysis of non-financial motivators like recognition, career development opportunities, positive work environment, autonomy, and work-life balance versus financial incentives like bonuses, salary increases, and benefits. Consideration of situational effectiveness and employee preferences.

Autocratic, democratic, transformational, situational leadership styles.

Automation, remote working, employee training, job displacement.

Board structures, ethical codes, regulatory frameworks, transparency and accountability.

Brand image, community relations, employee engagement, social impact.

Budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, resource allocation.

Budgeting, investment decisions, risk management, financial planning.

Business Activity

Business Growth

Business Objectives

Business Ownership

Business Strategy

Business Structure

Business communication

Business continuity planning

Business ethics

Business ethics and CSR

Business ethics and sustainability

Business intelligence

Business objectives

Business ownership

Business plans

Business structure

Case Studies and Application

Change management

Change management models (e.g., Lewin’s Change Management Model, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model), communication strategies to manage resistance, engaging stakeholders, leadership roles in change initiatives, continuous feedback and adaptation, and examples of successful organizational change.

Collaboration, communication, conflict resolution, collective decision-making.

Collecting and analyzing large volumes of data for actionable insights, improving decision-making processes, enhancing customer experiences through personalization, optimizing operational efficiencies, predicting market trends and behaviors, implementing data-driven marketing strategies, and examples of businesses effectively using big data.

Communication styles, decision-making processes, negotiation tactics, building relationships.

Compliance requirements, liability issues, intellectual property rights, contractual obligations.

Conducting market research to understand consumer trends, innovating products and services, adapting marketing strategies, leveraging technology for personalization, engaging with customers through various channels, and examples of businesses successfully adapting to changing consumer preferences.

Consideration of strategies like renegotiating labor contracts, implementing redundancies, automating processes to reduce labor dependency, increasing efficiency to improve profitability, or possibly relocating operations to lower-cost regions.

Consumer insights, competitive analysis, product feasibility, market potential.

Coordination and integration of supply chain activities, importance of supplier relationships, use of technology for supply chain optimization, managing inventory levels, reducing lead times and costs, ensuring quality and reliability, and examples of efficient supply chain management practices.

Corporate culture

Corporate governance

Corporate performance

Corporate restructuring

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Corporate strategy

Cost efficiency, inventory management, supplier relationships, risk mitigation.

Cost of borrowing, capital budgeting, risk assessment, economic conditions.

Cost of goods, pricing strategies, purchasing power, wage pressures.

Cost savings, focus on core activities, quality control, dependency on suppliers.

Crisis management plans, risk assessment, communication strategies, resilience building.

Cultural awareness, communication strategies, conflict resolution, inclusive practices.

Cultural sensitivity, communication barriers, inclusive policies, team cohesion.

Customer data management, personalized marketing, sales process efficiency, customer loyalty.

Customer engagement, brand awareness, targeted advertising, measuring ROI.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

Customer retention, marketing strategies, brand equity, consumer behavior.

Customer service

Data security

Data-driven insights, predictive analytics, performance metrics, competitive advantage.

Decreased consumer spending and demand, cost-cutting measures, challenges in accessing finance, managing cash flow and liquidity, adapting business strategies to survive and thrive, opportunities for innovation and diversification, and examples of businesses successfully navigating economic recessions.

Depth and range of knowledge on limited liability, analysis of benefits to various stakeholders, judgements or solutions with balanced arguments【7:0†source】.

Differentiation and cost leadership strategies, focusing on core competencies, continuous innovation, maintaining high product and service quality, building strong brand reputation, strategic alliances and partnerships, and examples of companies with sustained competitive advantages.

Differentiation strategies, consumer perception, market share, brand loyalty.

Digital marketing

Digital transformation

Discussion on potential loss of control for existing shareholders, risk of new owners changing company direction, dilution of ownership, possible undervaluation of shares, and impacts on family traditions and values.

E-commerce

Economic Environment

Economic influences

Efficiency improvements, employee morale, cost reductions, strategic realignment.

Ensuring accuracy and transparency in financial statements, adherence to accounting standards and regulations, preventing fraud and financial misstatements, maintaining investor trust, ethical dilemmas faced by accountants and auditors, and case studies of financial scandals due to unethical reporting.

Enterprise

Entrepreneurship

Environmental impact, regulatory pressures, consumer demand, cost implications.

Environmental influences

Establishing robust governance frameworks, defining roles and responsibilities of the board and management, implementing internal controls and audit processes, fostering a culture of risk awareness, ensuring regulatory compliance, and examples of effective corporate governance in managing business risks.

Ethical considerations, stakeholder engagement, building brand reputation and trust, meeting legal and regulatory requirements, environmental sustainability initiatives, social impact programs, and how CSR can contribute to long-term profitability and risk management.

Ethical decision-making, stakeholder engagement, community impact, long-term sustainability.

Ethical frameworks, stakeholder considerations, decision-making processes, corporate policies.

Ethical influences

Expansion opportunities, increased competition, cultural considerations, supply chain complexities.

Explanation of cost structures (fixed and variable costs), calculation of total revenue (adding profit to total costs), and determining the selling price per unit by dividing total revenue by output units.

Extended Essay Questions

External Influences on Business

External Influences on Business Activity

External influences

Facilitating clear and accurate information exchange, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts, enhancing teamwork and collaboration, supporting change management, improving customer relations, role of technology in communication, and examples of successful communication strategies.

Finance

Finance and Accounting

Finance and accounting

Financial Information and Decisions

Financial Statements

Financial management

Fostering a positive work environment, promoting values and behaviors aligned with business goals, enhancing employee engagement and productivity, supporting innovation and change, attracting and retaining talent, measuring cultural impact on performance, and examples of companies with strong corporate cultures.

GDP growth, inflation rates, unemployment levels, consumer confidence.

Global business

Global marketing

Goal setting, employee feedback, performance metrics, reward systems.

Government stability, regulations, trade policies, political risk.

Growth opportunities, market potential, cultural differences, political and economic instability.

High costs of acquiring and maintaining digital technology, increased competition with larger firms with more resources, difficulties in staying updated with rapid technological changes, limited understanding of digital customer needs, lack of resources for data analysis, challenges in implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

High price justification, USP of venue, competition factors, alternative pricing strategies【7:2†source】.

Human Resource Management

Human Resources

Human resource management (HRM)

Identifying and assessing financial risks, implementing risk management frameworks, using financial instruments for hedging, diversifying investments and revenue streams, maintaining healthy cash reserves, ensuring regulatory compliance, and examples of businesses effectively managing financial risks.

Identifying and nurturing future leaders, leadership training and development programs, succession planning, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement, role of leadership in driving innovation and change, impact on employee engagement and retention, and examples of organizations with effective leadership development practices.

Identifying and targeting specific customer groups, customizing marketing messages and offers, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, optimizing marketing resources and budgets, competitive advantage through differentiation, and examples of successful market segmentation strategies.

Identifying key stakeholders, communication strategies, conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement.

Impact of daily and seasonal fluctuations, cash inflows and outflows, budgeting challenges【7:4†source】.

Impact on business operations including increased recruitment and training costs, loss of institutional knowledge, lower employee morale, disruption to productivity, potential damage to customer relationships, and how improving retention through better work conditions and incentives can benefit long-term stability.

Impact on employee motivation and productivity, fostering a positive work environment, alignment with business values and goals, influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty, managing cultural diversity, strategies for building and maintaining a strong corporate culture, and examples of companies with exemplary corporate cultures.

Improved communication, faster decision-making, limited career progression, potential for role confusion.

Increased employee productivity and job satisfaction, cost savings on office space and overheads, challenges in communication and collaboration, ensuring cybersecurity and data protection, maintaining work-life balance, managing remote teams effectively, and examples of businesses successfully implementing remote working practices.

Inflation, interest rates, economic cycles, government policies.

Information systems

Innovation and Change

Innovation and R&D

Innovation management

Innovation strategies, change management, continuous learning, collaboration with tech firms.

Integration challenges, cultural alignment, employee morale, change management.

Internal and external communication, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, brand image.

International business

Investment Appraisal

Issues of truthfulness and honesty in advertising, potential manipulation and exploitation of vulnerable populations, ethical considerations in targeting children and other sensitive groups, impact on societal norms and values, regulatory compliance, and responsible advertising practices.

Job creation, innovation, competition, social impact.

Key performance indicators (KPIs), return on investment (ROI), customer feedback, market reach.

Knowledge management

Leadership and management

Leadership support, employee involvement, R&D investment, creative work environment.

Legal influences

Link between customer satisfaction and loyalty, impact on revenue and profitability, importance of delivering high-quality products and services, role of customer feedback in continuous improvement, strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction, and examples of businesses excelling in customer satisfaction.

Liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, efficiency ratios, solvency ratios.

Management

Market access, economies of scale, transfer of technology, regulatory challenges.

Market accessibility, customer convenience, operational costs, cybersecurity threats.

Market competition, consumer behavior shifts, operational changes, innovation opportunities.

Market opportunities, competition, supply chain integration, cultural challenges.

Market research, promotional strategies, customer segmentation, competitive positioning.

Marketing

Marketing Strategy

Operations

Operations Management

Operations Strategy

Operations management

Organizational change

Organizational structure

People in Business

Performance management

Potential synergies like cost reductions and increased market share, economies of scale, expanded market access, enhanced capabilities, short-term vs. long-term value creation, integration challenges, cultural clashes, and examples of successful and unsuccessful mergers.

Power Distance Index, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity, impact on business operations and strategies【7:5†source】.

Pricing strategies, profit margins, competitive advantage, cost of imports and exports.

Process automation, customer experience, data management, cybersecurity.

Process optimization, quality management, lean practices, continuous improvement.

Product development

Project management

Public relations, crisis management, customer service, social media presence.

Purchasing patterns, decision-making processes, consumer psychology, market segmentation.

R&D investment, innovation cycles, competitive advantage, consumer adoption.

Rapid expansion, brand consistency, franchisee support, control over operations.

Reach and engagement, cost-effectiveness, real-time analytics, challenges of digital adoption.

Recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, employee relations.

Reducing risk, reassurance for investment, understanding new markets, competition analysis【7:4†source】.

Resistance to change from employees and other stakeholders, effective communication and leadership during change initiatives, aligning change with organizational goals and culture, managing the transition phase, measuring and sustaining change, and examples of successful and unsuccessful change management efforts.

Resource sharing, market access, innovation collaboration, risk sharing.

Risk assessment, diversification strategies, financial planning, adaptive budgeting.

Risk management

Role in product and service development, market differentiation, technological advancements, attracting and retaining customers, improving operational efficiencies, responding to market changes, and investment in research and development (R&D). Examples of innovative companies and their strategies.

Setting key performance indicators (KPIs), using performance appraisal systems, implementing balanced scorecards, continuous monitoring and evaluation, feedback mechanisms, aligning performance with business objectives, and strategies for addressing performance gaps. Examples of effective performance management practices.

Shift in consumer buying behavior towards online shopping, challenges for brick-and-mortar stores, need for an omnichannel approach, impact on supply chain and logistics, data analytics for personalized marketing, cybersecurity concerns, and examples of traditional retailers successfully adapting to e-commerce trends.

Size of Business

Size of business

Social and Cultural Environment

Social influences

Stakeholders

Stakeholders in a business

Strategic management

Strategic partnerships

Strategic planning, resource allocation, market positioning, continuous improvement.

Strategic positioning, innovation, customer focus, continuous improvement.

Supplier engagement, cost implications, regulatory compliance, performance measurement.

Supply chain logistics

Supply chain management (SCM)

Sustainability goals, green initiatives, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement.

Sustainable products, eco-friendly processes, regulatory compliance, market differentiation.

Tax incentives, funding programs, regulatory support, public-private partnerships.

Technological influences

Technology adoption, cybersecurity, process automation, competitive positioning.

The Marketing Mix

Trade barriers, regulatory changes, labor market effects, currency fluctuations.

Trade dynamics, economic growth rates, consumer spending patterns, investment flows.

Transparency, accountability, conflict of interest, regulatory compliance.

Understanding and complying with different countries’ trade laws and regulations, managing tariffs and duties, leveraging trade agreements and partnerships, strategies for entering new international markets, mitigating risks of non-compliance, and examples of businesses successfully navigating complex trade regulations.

Vision and mission alignment, goal setting, resource allocation, performance monitoring.

Vision and strategic direction, motivating and inspiring employees, effective decision-making, building a strong organizational culture, adaptability to change, fostering innovation, and examples of leaders who have significantly contributed to their organizations' success.

Work environment, shared values, motivation, retention rates.

Supply chain logistics

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Explain the role of logistics in supply chain management.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Discuss the benefits and challenges of just-in-time (JIT) inventory management.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Discuss the importance of effective supply chain management in reducing costs.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Evaluate the impact of globalization on supply chain management.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Evaluate the role of technology in optimizing supply chain operations.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Explain different supply chain management strategies.

Supply chain management (SCM)

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Explain the role of supply chain management in business success.

Technological influences

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Discuss the role of technology in creating competitive advantage.

Technological influences

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Evaluate the challenges businesses face in adapting to technological change.

Technological influences

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Explain the impact of technological change on business operations.

The Marketing Mix

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Analyze the impact of dynamic pricing strategies in e-commerce.

The Marketing Mix

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Discuss the challenges in setting prices for innovative products.

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