AS Business Studies

Why choose Business Studies?

The course has been designed to provide students with an understanding of the following: how businesses work; how the world around them affects decision-making within a business; what leads to change and how businesses respond to these issues; and the range of perspectives that can be taken on business activities.

It also helps develop a range of important and transferable skills: data skills; presenting arguments and making recommendations on the basis of the available evidence; and problem solving.

The Course

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 1- Planning and Financing a Business

Starting and Business:

• Enterprise
• Generating and protecting business ideas
• Transforming resources into goods and services
• Developing business plans
• Conducting start up market research
• Understanding markets
• Choosing the right legal structure for the business
• Raising finance
• Locating the business
• Employing people

Financial Planning:

• Calculating costs
• Using Break-even analysis to make decisions
• Using cash flow forecasting
• Setting budgets
• Assessing business start- ups

Unit 2 - Managing a Business

Finance:

• Using budgets
• Improving cash flow
• Measuring and increasing profit

People in Business:

• Organisational structures
• Measuring the effectiveness of the workforce
• Developing an effective workforce
• Motivating employees

Operations Management:

• Making operational decisions
• Developing quality
• Customer service
• Working with suppliers
• Using technology in operations

Marketing and the Competitive Environment:

• Effective marketing
• Designing the marketing mix
• Marketing mix: product
• Marketing mix: promotion
• Marketing mix: pricing
• Marketing mix: place
• Marketing and competitiveness

The full syllabus can be found on the AQA exam board website at www.aqa.org.uk, together with other useful material such as example exam papers. (The syllabus used is the one that is new in 2008 – please make sure you look at this rather than the previous syllabus).

Recommended Textbook

Although the course material provides explanations of the whole syllabus you are strongly advised to purchase a copy of the following AS level textbook:

Hall, Jones and others, Business Studies, AS (AQA) 4th edition, (2008), Causeway Press. ISBN 978-1-4058-9220-9

Sections of the book will be set out as recommended reading in places within the course material.

Studying Business Studies

Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media.

Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 1 – BUSS1
Planning and Financing a Business

40% of AS, 20% of A Level

1 hour 15 minutes examination
60 marks

Short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study.

Available January and June

Unit 2 – BUSS2
Managing a Business

60% of AS, 30% of A Level

1 hour 30 minutes examination
80 marks

Compulsory, multi-part data response questions. Available January and June

A2 Business Studies

The Course

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect. The knowledge and understanding contained in AS units is also assessed through the A2 course – do not see these AS units as wholly separate.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 3 - Strategies for Success

Functional Objectives and Strategies:

• Using objectives and strategies

Financial Strategies and Accounts:

• Understanding financial objectives
• Using financial data to measure and assess performance
• Interpreting accounts
• Selecting financial strategies
• Making investment decisions

Marketing Strategies:

• Understanding marketing objectives
• Analysing markets
• Selecting marketing strategies
• Developing marketing plans

Operational Strategies:

• Understanding operational objectives
• Operational strategies: scale and resource
• Operational strategies: innovation
• Operational strategies: location
• Operational strategies: lean production

Human Resource Strategies:

• HR objectives and strategies
• Developing and implementing workforce plans
• Competitive organisational structures
• Effective employee/employer relations

Unit 4 - The Business Environment and Managing Change

Corporate aims and objectives:

• Mission, Aims and Objectives

Changes in the Business Environment:

• Businesses and economics
• Businesses and the political and legal environment
• Businesses and the social environment
• Businesses and the technological environment
• Businesses and the competitive environment

Managing Change:

• Internal causes of change
• Planning for change
• Key influences on change
• Making strategic decisions
• Implementing and managing change

Studying Business Studies

Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media. Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 3 - BUSS3

Strategies for Success

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.

Available January and June

Unit 4 – BUSS4

The Business Environment and Managing Change

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination.

The second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.

Entry Requirements

Basic English reading and writing skills, as full tutor support is given.

Study Hours

Approximately 300 hours.

Qualification

AS/A2 - A level in Business Studies. Both AS and A2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full A level.

Specification: AQA (Full A Level) 2130, AQA (AS) 1131 and AQA (A2) 2131

What's Included

Learning documentation, Online Resources and Tutor support for 2 years.

Course Fee

Further Information

Windows: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista - Acrobat Reader 8.0 and above
Macintosh: Mac OS X, Mac OS 9.2 - Acrobat Reader 8.0 and above

As an A Level student you will have access to our online 'Common Room', where you are able to receive the latest course updates, extra materials and information. You will also be able to take part in the student chat room and forums as part of our online student community.

Once enrolled, your username, password and personal Oxford College Student number will be emailed to you within 5 working days, which will give you access to your course materials via the ‘Common Room’.

The full A Level will be a 2 year course, AS Exams to be taken in 2009 and A2 in 2010. Due to Examination Board restrictions, there is no flexibility to complete this course any sooner.

Students are required to arrange and pay for their examinations and manage the course work element if the subject requires this. Students must check the relevant examination board website for further information and final examination sitting dates for the specification.

www.aqa.org.uk