Business Management

Staff

Mr B Mills (Faculty Head)

Mrs A McDonald (Pupil Support)

Ms A Logan

Mrs L Phee

Mr G Strachan

Why Choose Business Management?

Businesses need to be managed properly if they are to successfully provide the jobs and products that modern society depends upon them for.

Studying Business Management will act as an introduction to this world of business for learners. This will enhance their employability as it will start to teach learners how their entrepreneurial attributes can be used to positively contribute in a practical way to the success of different businesses.

Business does this by beginning to develop the following skills, knowledge and understanding. $N:\My Pictures\ICT 1.jpg$

Enterprising qualities that help a business start-up
Business planning skills – marketing, finance, operations
Straightforward communication, ICT and team working skills
Understanding of the role and impact of business on our daily lives
Understanding of the ways that businesses can meet customers’ needs
Knowledge of the effects of internal and external influences on business activities

S3 Business Management

Course

In S3 pupils will follow a Business Management course as part of a broad general education, covering level 4 outcomes and experiences. During S3 pupils will also undertake some of the National 4 and National 5 outcomes.

Course Assessment

The course is assessed and marked throughout its delivery by class teachers. These assessments are appropriate to the subject and level of study. Assessments may include a combination of practical work, case studies, examinations and projects.

Course Progression

The Business and Computing faculty will provide a range of progression pathways appropriate to learners’ needs.

Pupils who wish to continue to study Business can progress as follows.

This course provides progression to

Pupils achieving a National 4 Business award may progress to National 5 Business Management or/and National 5 Accounting
Pupils achieving National 5 Business Management or/and National 5 Accounting may choose to progress to Higher Business Management or/and Higher Accounting
Entering employment – employability is a core skill that the Course develops
Further education – Business Management courses are available to study up to Degree Level

Homework

Learners would be expected to undertake approximately 20 hours of homework per unit. This will allow them the opportunity to consolidate, develop and revise the skills, knowledge and understanding being taught in the Unit.

Homework activities will take a variety of forms in order to develop the planning and entrepreneurial skills of the course as well a breadth and application of subject specific knowledge.

Equipment

No specialised equipment will be required.

National 5 and Higher Business Management

Course Outline

Business plays an important role in society, as it creates wealth, prosperity, jobs and choices for consumers. It is therefore essential to have effective businesses and business managers to sustain this role. In this course, candidates will understand the different ways in which organisations operate and also learn to understand and make use of business information to interpret and report on overall business performance.

Relevant Prior Learning

Crashing N5 or Higher: pupils electing to crash N5 or Higher Business Management should have excellent literacy and good numeracy skills evident through achieving a pass at National 5 English at grade A or B.

Pupils continuing from N5 to Higher: pupils who achieved a National 5 A or B qualification should cope with the demands of the Higher course. Historically, pupils achieving below this have struggled to achieve a pass.

Types of Learner

The course develops an in-depth understanding of how people contribute to business success. Learners will be better informed about business and able to make an effective contribution to society as consumers, employees, employers or self-employed people.

Career Progression

This course is suitable for any pupil wanting to pursue a career in any aspect of Business. It allows learners to choose to work in the world of business, as a manager, employee or self-employed person, and exploring the activities of different types of business. A knowledge of business can be useful in many different jobs including roles within administrative and human resources, accountancy, banking and finance, and retail sales and customer services.

Aims

The aims of the Business Management courses are to:

Develop an understanding of the importance of business and enterprise in contemporary society
Develop the ability to analyse the ways in which different organizations achieve their objectives
Enable students to recognise the interdependence of the various activities undertaken by businesses
Develop problem solving, decision making and analytical skills
Develop the ability to assess the contribution which information and IT can make to the effectiveness of decision making in different types of business
Provide a foundation for future education and training

There may be pupils opting for these courses who have no prior knowledge of business subjects in S3 or S4, in which case a National 5 pass in English would be advantageous.

Course Content

The course content is organised into 3 units:

Understanding Business
In this Unit, learners will

extend their understanding of the ways in which organisations in the private, public and third sectors operate.
carry out activities that highlight the opportunities and constraints on these organisations in the pursuit of their strategic goals.

This Unit also allows learners to

analyse and evaluate the impact that the external environment has on an organisation’s activity,
consider the implications of a range of external factors that affect an organisation’s decision making.

Management of People and Finance
In this Unit, learners will

develop skills and knowledge that will deepen their understanding and critical awareness of the issues facing organisations in the management of people and finance.

This Unit will allow learners to

carry out activities that will extend their grasp of relevant theories, concepts and procedures used in planning for an organisation’s success, including leadership, motivation and finance.
explain, analyse and evaluate relevant business information, in each of these contexts, relating to business structure and activity.

Management of Marketing and Operations
In this Unit, learners will

extend their knowledge that will deepen their understanding of the importance to organisations of having effective marketing and operations systems.

The Unit will allow learners to

carry out activities that will extend their grasp of relevant theories, concepts and procedures used by organisations in order to improve and/or maintain quality and competitiveness.
provide learners with a firm grasp of the importance of satisfying both internal and external customers’ needs, along with a critical awareness of the issues facing organisations in relation to marketing and operations.

Assessment Arrangements

Written assessments are carried out at the end of each unit. Both the internal assignment and final examination are externally marked by SQA.