Nokia sees profits plunge by 90%
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8001972.stm
Add comment April 16th, 2009
'Business Management'
Tomorrows prelims
Monday 2 February 2009 1.15 – 4.00 Hall
Question Paper
The paper examines knowledge and understanding, problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. The paper requires you to apply their knowledge and understanding to the current situation of a particular business
The paper will consist of two sections, One and Two.
Section One will consist of extended response interpretation items related to a case study of a business while Section Two will be extended response questions.
The paper will have a total of 100 marks.
Questions in both sections may focus on particular areas of Course content but there will also be questions which provide an opportunity to integrate topics across all areas of the Course content.
These integrative questions may cover topics from two or more of the three Units which comprise the Course.
Section One (total marks available 50)This section of the paper will assess knowledge and understanding, problem solving, critical thinking and decision making.
It will consist of a case study of a business organisation with a number of extended response questions totalling 50 marks. You will be expected to attempt all questions. The questions will require you to interpret the information in the case study and to explain, analyse and evaluate the situation faced by the company. The number of marks allocated to each question will vary depending on the nature of the response required. You may be required to assume a management position and make decisions necessary to solve problems. You have to make specific reference to the case study. You will have to recall information from both the Higher and Advanced Higher courses. Your Business Investigation research techniques will come in handy here.
The case study will be about 1250 words long and will explain the current situation of a Scottish based organisation. It will be based on information from company annual reports but may also include information from the newspaper or magazine articles and from company websites or other internet sources. The case study will be supplemented by a small number of exhibits containing additional information such as extracts from company accounts, details of the internal and external environment faced by the company and quotes from leading managers in the company.
You may be asked to:
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analyse the information given and identify the problems
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evaluate the significance of the context in which the case study is located
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examine critically the issues faced by managers and any constraints on them
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devise solutions and make recommendations for managerial action
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justify their recommendations.
Section Two (total marks 50)This section of the paper will assess knowledge and understanding and critical thinking.
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It will consist of four questions drawn from any part of the Course content.
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You should attempt any TWO questions.
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Each question will require extended answers and will be worth 25 marks.
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Questions maybe divided into two or more parts.
In the Section Two you are expected to make use of wider knowledge and understanding in their answers. The case study may provide a stimulus for questions and you may use examples from it in their responses. Section Two questions will widen the coverage of the assessment to reflect more fully the Course content. You are expected to refer to examples of other organisations and to refer to business issues which are not covered directly in the case study.
Read the case study and questions carefully. Take your time, chose your section 2 questions wisely, and GOOD LUCK!
Add comment February 1st, 2009
EU rules ‘not protecting workers’
The government has signalled it might challenge European Union law to prevent British workers from being “undercut” by cheap foreign labour.
Read more here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7863879.stm
Add comment February 1st, 2009
British Jobs for British workers
Compare the beliefs of those UK workers currently striking with your understanding of the rights of all members of the European Union.
Good article from BBC news here – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7860622.stm
Add comment February 1st, 2009
AHBM quick questions
Answer True or False to the following statements, posting your answers as a comment below:
1. F W Taylor believed that workers were motivated by management meeting their social and psychological needs.
2. Taylor was the founder of the movement known as Scientific Management and his theory is still used today to determine the best way to do a job.
3. Elton Mayo’s initial investigation was to determine the effect of working conditions on productivity.
4. Mayo concluded that the sole benefit of the forming of workgroups would be to improve the social life of workers.
5. McGregor’s Theory Y assumes that workers have little inclination to work and need to be controlled and led by management.
6. The Systems Theory of management suggests that an organisation cannot be viewed in isolation, but that changes in the internal and external environment will impact on the functioning of the organisation itself.
7. Technical, social and economic factors are all considered by Systems Theorists.
8. The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations found that new technology improved efficiency and output.
9. The Contingency Theory recognises the importance of tasks, people and the environment in managing organisations effectively.
10. Management practice is about choosing a theory and adhering to it throughout your managerial life.
Fill in the blanks:
11. Herzberg, like Maslow, belonged to the _____________ school of management.
12. Herzberg divided work into two factors which he called _______________ and _____________ factors.
13. Those factors which are to do with job content and which bring job satisfaction are the _______________.
14. Those factors which are to do with job context and are responsible for job dissatisfaction are the _______________ factors.
15. Where a job cannot be enlarged, another method of providing change from routine (and sometimes also the opportunity to learn new skills) is job______________________.
8 comments January 11th, 2009
The impact of suppliers
Announcement on zavvi.co.uk (click image to view)
Music, games and DVD chain Zavvi has gone into administration, Ernst & Young has announced, threatening 3,500 jobs.
The troubled chain has been badly affected by the demise of Woolworths, which forced it to stop taking new orders via its website.
Zavvi’s main supplier is Woolworths’ unit Entertainment UK (EUK), which went into administration on 27 November.
All of Zavvi’s stores should be open as normal on Boxing day, for its traditional post-Christmas sale.
Problems at Woolworths
Since Entertainment UK went into administration, Zavvi has had difficulties in sourcing stock and has been forced to enter new trading arrangements.
“This has resulted in considerable working capital difficulties,” an Ernst & Young statement said.
“Since EUK went into administration, and perhaps before, the impact of problems at EUK on the Zavvi group has been significant.
“Minimal deliveries, no returns and worse trading terms are just some of the areas impacted,” said joint administrator Tom Jack.
“In the absence of a buyer for EUK, and with dire trading conditions on the High Street, the Zavvi group has seen a material fall in sales and the directors have now been forced to place parts of the group into administration,” he added.
The administrators intend for Zavvi to continue trading with a view to selling all or part of the business.
The group’s founding partners Simon Douglas and Steve Peckham said: “We have done all that is possible to keep the business trading, but the problems encountered with EUK, and particularly its recent failure, has been too much for the business to cope with.”
The Zavvi group is the UK’s largest independent entertainment retailer with 125 stores.
It was formed after a management buy out of the Virgin Megastore division of the Virgin Group in September 2007.
Tea and coffee specialist Whittards and menswear chain The Officers Club also fell into administration this week.
(c) BBC News Website
Add comment December 24th, 2008
AHBM Internal Environment questions
The Human Relations School and Scientific Management are two management theories. Explain the ways in which each approach can help Managers to manage effectively.
10 marks
Add comment December 15th, 2008
UK ‘closer’ to adopting the euro
The UK is “closer than ever before” to joining the euro, according to the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.
Speaking on a French radio show, he said British politicians were considering the move because of the effects of the global credit crunch.
In the same interview, Mr Barroso also forecast that interest rates will drop in Europe.
However Downing Street said its position on the euro remained the same.
Mr Barroso acknowledged “the majority” of British people continued to oppose joining the eurozone.
But he said the recent economic uncertainty had made the currency a far more attractive option.
Confidential conversations
In the RTL radio/LCI television broadcast, the former prime minister of Portugal said: “We are now closer than ever before.
“I’m not going to break the confidentiality of certain conversations, but some British politicians have already told me, ‘If we had the euro, we would have been better off’. ”
He said that the current poor economic situation had emphasised the importance of the euro and the UK but added he believed a move would not take place in the immediate future.
“I know that the majority in Britain are still opposed, but there is a period of consideration under way and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about it”, he said.
The value of sterling compared with other currencies has fallen during the credit crunch, and the UK government has had to spend massively in recent months to try to support the economy.
‘Awaiting decisions’
During the interview, Mr Barroso highlighted the situation in Denmark – an EU state that voted against joining the eurozone in 2000, but is now considering holding a new referendum on the single currency.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “We have no comment on this. Our position on the euro is the same – it has not changed.”
Mr Barroso also said he expected the European Central Bank (ECB) to make a clear move to cut interest rates next week.
He said the conditions were right for a fall, but did not give further details adding: “I am awaiting decisions from the European Central Bank that go in this direction.”
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the ECB, has said that the bank could cut rates in the coming week as long as there is evidence that inflation pressures have eased.
The European Union has called for a 200bn euro boost across Europe to help stimulate an economic recovery.
Add comment November 30th, 2008
AHBM Today’s question…
Explain how any two of the following aspects of the European Union may affect the operations of Scottish Multinationals
4The Social Chapter
4The Single European Market
4European Monetary Union 12 marks
1 comment November 23rd, 2008
AH BM work for Thursday 20 November
Past paper question for you to get your teeth in to!
Analyse the effects a policy of social responsibility might have on the profits of private sector organisations in the UK. (13 MARKS)
Thoughts:
Define social responsibility = up to 2 marks
Analyse – get behind the qarguement, discuss, pros and cons
Think –
Revenue
Efficiency
Attracting customers
Reputation and credibility
Innovation
Real examples, Cadbury, Tesco, Walkers crisps (negative publicity)
Ethical behavious also comes under the social responsibility banner.
Add comment November 19th, 2008
SQA External Assessors Reports
Copies of this years External Assessment reports (they used to be called principal assessors reports) have been added to the H Admin and AH Bus Man pages.
Add comment November 2nd, 2008
External Environment questions
As promised, here are the questions you are working on this week:
Question 1
The Perils of Complacency The onset of the European single currency is among a raft of global issues which threaten some of Scotland’s most promising businesses, according to a leading professional advisor.
Ralph Adams, Scottish partner in charge at Deloitte and Touche, believes companies remain too complacent about the implications of the euro. And he says the massive rise in ‘wired’ competition, such as internet-based services, is changing markets as never before.
For global products, from cars to electronic components, the opportunity for price transparency is there with the euro, the advantage being with competitors who can price and process sales on a one currency basis with no added exchange costs. ‘You can see this happening with online services and increasingly with interactive buying’ points out Adams. ‘One typical example will be digital TV, when people will be able to easily buy products from anywhere’.
But the real question is whether the euro is ‘just another currency’, or does its creation herald much more significant market change. There is consensus on the latter among leading Scottish banks and professional advisors. In the end, a single currency will affect all but the very few.
Adapted from Smith, M (Jan 1999), The Perils of Complacency, Scottish Business Insider
Imagine you are a UK business who trade in Europe. You need to make plans for the move to the euro. What sort of issues might you have to consider from customers and suppliers? What issues might there be for your own organisation?
Question 2
Microsoft, was formed in the USA in 1975. They are known globally as the world’s largest software company and operate on a worldwide basis. While they have set up subsidiaries in almost all countries throughout the globe, they have chosen not to sell their products directly to consumers, instead they use third-parties (or resellers as they are known). They work closely with local software companies who exploit known local markets on behalf of Microsoft. In China, for example, Microsoft employ only 70 people but they work with more than 15,000 reseller companies to sell their products.Why has a multinational like Microsoft decided to operate in this way , and what effect might it have had on host countries?
Question 3
Read ‘United Kingdom in Europe – The impact of EU’http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/index_en.htm
then read Scotland in Europe (PowerPoint uploaded to the blog)
and summarise the main impacts of EU policies and programmes in Scotland.
Question 4
Read about Tesco on their web sitehttp://www.tescocorporate.com/
and discuss the ways in which the company has shown itself to be socially responsible.
Question 5
Celtic Football Club won a Scottish E-commerce Award in 2000. Look at their web site on www.celticfc.co.uk and www.ebusinessforum.com and list in what ways the club has embraced technology. Suggest areas where more use could be made of technology. Alternative clubs could be used e.g. www.rangers.co.uk, which is the Glasgow Rangers Football Club.
Add comment October 28th, 2008
The EU debate continues
An interesting article from the BBC’s Nick Robinson. Even more interesting is what others have to say on the matter…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2008/10/europe_ticking.html
Add comment October 28th, 2008
NAB Reminder
Speak to me if you are having any problems with your NAB.
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Click here to comment on this Voki.
Get a Voki now!
Add comment October 21st, 2008
Profile: The European Union
Link, links, links…
BBC Profile highlighting the EU
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/3498746.stm
Common Agricultural Policy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Agricultural_Policy
FAQ’s
http://www.fedee.com/faq.html#3
If you come across anymore please leave a comment below.
Add comment October 6th, 2008
AHBM homework due Thursday 25 September
1 Read the following articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_and_Monetary_Union_of_the_European_Union
http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/docs/efaq.htm (not up to date but still very useful)
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/euro.htm
http://www.cepr.org/PRESS/LM1412PR.htm
http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_7/index_en.htm
2 Answer the following question:
Assess the possible impact of each of the following on UK firms seeking to expand abroad.
• European Monetary Union
• Transfer pricing
(14 marks)
Notes on question: Maximum 8 marks are available for each part; 2 marks maximum are available for defining EMU and 2 marks maximum are available for defining transfer pricing.
You can either give me your answer on paper on Thursday or submit it via a comment on the blog on Wednesday night.
Remember to read your notes and the command words document.
3 comments September 21st, 2008
Single European Market Debate (AHBM)
Read the following before attempting the question I have for you.
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/benefits_en.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_market
http://www.berr.gov.uk/europeandtrade/europe/problemstradingsolvit/page9922.html
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/institutions/britain-in-the-european-union/
Team 1 Team 2
Elliot Fergus
Stephanie Natalie
Shelley Bob
Lauren Lucy
Team 1 – For
Team 2 – Against
Add comment September 16th, 2008
AH BM – Geogers missed work
Visit http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/index_en.htm and read chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Add comment September 15th, 2008
AH BM deadlines
Please complete and email me a rough draft of your report timeline sheet as soon as possible.
I need a detailed week by week report for up to the October holiday.
Add comment September 2nd, 2008
AH BM
FAO AH BM 9
Please can you send me the Gordon Brown summary if you have not already done so.
We will go over the MNC defn sheet on Monday. Please learn these definitions as you will not have the sheet in front of you when we meet!
We will then be looking at the role of the EU if you want to do some forward reading.
Add comment August 23rd, 2008
