business

DATE SET: 3/12/12 DATE OF SUBMISSION:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 1, 2, 3 & 4

LO1 Know the range of different businesses and their ownership
.
LO2 Understand how businesses are organised to achieve their purposes

LO3 Know the impact of the economic environment on businesses

LO4 Know how political, legal and social factors impact on business.

Scenario:
You work as a junior journalist for a newspaper which is planning to run a feature article on UK businesses. You have been asked to produce an article on two contrasting businesses covering purpose, ownership, organisational structure, strategic planning and how businesses interact with their environments.
Task 1 ( P1,P3, P4) Submission date: w/c 14/1/12
Business organisations exist for many different purposes and have a range of aims and objectives. Privately owned businesses usually aim to make a profit for the owner(s); publicly owned organisations work to deliver services and there are many organisations working for a common cause or service rather than for profit. All these businesses employ staff and use other resources and are important to the economy of a region.
a) (P1) Describe the type of business (what does the business do ?)
b) (P1) Describe the purpose and ownership (including liability for any business debts) of each business.
c) (P3) Describe how two businesses are organised
d) (P4) Explain how their style of organisation helps them to fulfil their purpose. Task 2 (p2) Submission date: wc 28/1/13
All organisations have groups or individuals who are said to be stakeholders in the business. This means that they have an interest in the actions, performance or plans of the business. For example, a decision to move location affects staff, suppliers, neighbours and customers, all of whom are stakeholders.
a) (P2) Describe the different stakeholders of each of the selected contrasting organisations.
b) (P2) Describe how each one influences the purpose of each of the organisations.
c) (M1) Explain the points of view of different stakeholders seeking to influence the aims and objectives of these two contrasting organisations.
d) (D1) Evaluate the influence different stakeholders exert in one of your chosen businesses.

Task 3 (p5, m2) Submission date: w/c 11/2/13
Your first article for the supplement proved popular and you have been asked to write another.
a) (P5) Describe how the activities of one of your chosen businesses are affected by the changes in the economic cycle and contrast how it would behave in times of boom and recession.
b) (M2) Compare the challenges to selected business activities within your selected organisation, in two stages of the economic cycle.

Task 4 (P6, M3, D2) Submission date w/c 22/2/13

Businesses operate in a world in which they have to change what they do, and how they operate, according to the social, legal, economic and political environment. You have been asked by the editor to write an article for the business supplement in which you compare how one business behaves in different circumstances.

a) (P6) Describe how political, legal and social factors are impacting upon the business activities of both your selected organisations and their stakeholders.

b) (M3) Analyse how political, legal and social factors have impacted on the two contrasting organisations.

c) (D2) Evaluate how future changes in economic, political, legal and social factors may impact on the strategy of a specified organisation.

Grading criteria
To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to: To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to: To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:

describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of two contrasting businesses P1 evaluate the influence different stakeholders exert in one organisation D1 describe the different stakeholders who influence the purpose of two contrasting businesses P2 explain the points of view of different stakeholders seeking to influence the aims and objectives of two contrasting organisations M1 describe how two businesses are organised P3 explain how their style of organisation helps them to fulfill their purposes P4 compare the challenges to selected business activities within a selected organisation, in two different economic environments M2 describe the influence of two contrasting economic environments on business activities within a selected organisation P5 describe how political, legal and social factors are impacting upon the business activities of the selected organisations and their stakeholders P6 analyse how political, legal and social have impacted on the two contrasting organisations M3 evaluate how future changes in economic, political, legal and social factors may impact on the strategy of a specified organisation D2

Please place a  when you have completed the criteria in the appropriate boxes.

Your work will be referred if:

R Assignment fails to fulfil all of the pass criteria R There is any form of plagiarism/copying of work from any source

Submission Guidelines
1. You must hand in your work on or before the published deadline date. If you are unable to meet the deadline for any reason, e.g. hospital, you must notify your tutor at least one week prior to the deadline date. Work will not be accepted without a completed and signed assignment submission sheet.

Suggested Reading
Textbooks

BTEC Level 3 National Business Book 1 ( Pearson ), 2010, ISBN 978 1846906 34 3 Also recommended: BTEC National Business Book 1 (Heinemann ), 2007, ISBN 978 0435465 44 5 Magazines The Economist
The Grocer Newspapers One or more of the ex-broadsheet newspapers, such as: The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The Telegraph; and perhaps also The Daily Mail Television and Radio programmes The Money Programme, one or more daily news broadcasts, Today NCD Online Refer to the general section for the unit and to the links and documents provided in the individual folder for each Task / Assessment Criterion

Assessment Terminology

Describe
This means to say something like, it is factual account of how something is or how it appears.

Compare

To show the similarities and differences, or advantages and disadvantages between two or more things. Additionally, this may be extended by bringing together the findings in a description.
Explain
This means to make something clear and set out the subject. Provide answers to questions such as: who, what, how, why, when & where.

Evaluation
This means to look at a situation or idea and weigh up the strength’s and weaknesses and make a judgement about it justifying your decision.

Justify
This means to say giving good reasons for offering an opinion or reaching a conclusion

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