Business Management (2013) Teaching And Learning Resources: Sample Unit Of Work - Making Small-To-Medium Enterprises Work

Business Management 2013
Teaching and learning resources

Sample unit of work: Making small-to-medium enterprises work

Three sample units of work are available for Business Management 2013:

·  Managing organisational change

·  Making small-to-medium enterprises work

·  Corporate social responsibility.

The Making small-to-medium enterprises work unit of work is provided in this resource. It is not a full unit of work, and the materials provided are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.

This unit of work relates to the context of small-to-medium enterprise management. It demonstrates ways of teaching and learning in context. Schools may select from a range of contexts or they may develop contexts suited to student interests, school location and resource availability. Schools are advised to adapt teaching and learning experiences to suit student interest and theavailability of resources.

Guidelines for sample resources

The sample resources incorporate the objectives described in the dimensions of the syllabus, include suggestions that schools could choose to follow, and offer flexibility to cater for a wide variety of students and school contexts. These sample resources demonstrate:

·  organisation and development of course content

·  teaching and learning supporting the syllabus

·  learning experiences that support achievement of the objectives described in the dimensions

·  alignment between content, learning experiences and assessment.

Learning experiences

Learning experiences support the educational goals of the subject and align with assessment. They are student-based activities that:

·  provide opportunities to achieve the objectives described in the dimensions of the syllabus

·  occur in authentic, relevant and worthwhile contexts

·  vary in scope and depth, duration and degree of challenge

·  reflect current practice in the wider community

·  suit particular student needs, abilities and interests

·  allow students to work independently and with others

·  encourage students to think and act for themselves.

Learning experiences should provide a balance and variety of activities across the whole course and cater for the school’s context, resources and the unique characteristics of each cohort of students.

Teaching and learning in context

This unit of work demonstrates ways of teaching and learning in context. Schools may select from a range of contexts or they may select contexts suited to student interests, school location and resource availability.

Possible contexts include:

·  international business management

·  small-to-medium enterprise management

·  not-for-profit management

·  industry-specific management, e.g. local industry, sports, agribusiness, hospitality

·  venture management.

Where a context is selected or developed, aspects of at least two areas of study are drawn together. Integrating areas of study allows students to develop an understanding of the ways inwhich business functions interact to collectively meet the objectives of a business.

For example, not-for-profit management may be the context through which the areas of study human resource management and financial management are delivered. Alternatively, small-to-medium enterprise management may be the context through which human resource management, financial management, business development and marketing management aredelivered.

When developing units that integrate areas of study, teachers should:

·  identify a context within which the areas of study are to be taught

·  select relevant subject matter to teach the focuses of the selected areas of study

·  develop authentic and relevant learning experiences which allow students to engage with the selected context and develop the knowledge and skills required to respond to the assessment instrument, i.e. practise the elements of the chosen assessment genre.

Unit title: Making small-to-medium enterprises work
Context / Small-to-medium enterprise management
Dimensions / Knowing and understanding business management
Applying and analysing management strategies
Evaluating and communicating management strategies
Areas of study / Human resource management (HM)
Financial management (FM)
Business development (BD)
Marketing management (MM)
Focuses / HM / Human resource management involves managing people, building motivation, using the principles of job design and managing the employment cycle for efficient practice.
FM / Financial management occurs through the analysis and interpretation of accounting records and is necessary if businesses are to achieve their goals.
BD / Business development involves entrepreneurship as students develop and test innovative and creative ideas, preparing business feasibility studies that determine the viability of those ideas.
MM / Marketing management involves businesses continually researching consumer markets and tailoring products, ideas and services to satisfy the changing needs and wants of consumers and society.
Suggested time allocation / 55 hours; Year 11
Learning experiences / Underpinning practices /
CS / MS /
Define human resource management.
Explain the management processes and strategies used for attracting the appropriate mix of human resources.
Use surveys or research to collect or develop organisational charts from a number of small-to-medium enterprises.
Working in small groups, analyse cases to identify the mix of human resources appropriate for these enterprises.
Complete a SWOT analysis and evaluate these cases to determine if there are skills absent from the enterprise, or if there is a surplus of certain skills.
Formulate recommendations and draw revised organisational charts. / P / P
Work in groups to collect job advertisements for a range of small-to-medium enterprises. Negotiate group membership and ground rules.
Allocate tasks and set time frames for the collection of advertisements.
Analyse the advertisements to determine the management processes and strategies used for attracting staff.
Evaluate the effectiveness of these management processes and strategies. Suggest ways to improve the advertisements.
In pairs, create a job advertisement for a fictional position within a small-to-medium enterprise.
Each team member develops an advertisement. Analyse the alternatives and amalgamate the versions to create the best advertisement. / P
P / P
P
Define the employment cycle.
Define the ways in which the employment cycle is conducted in various small-to-medium enterprises.
As a class, develop a performance appraisal for ‘being a high-performing student’. Students actively listen to others, work effectively with others when sharing ideas and encouraging participation, and speak persuasively to express their views.
Students complete the performance appraisal, analysing their performance and making recommendations for future behaviour.
Link ideas about student behaviour and performance to the role of employee performance appraisals in achieving business objectives. / P
Define and explain various theories of management and leadership.
Describe management and leadership styles using examples.
Simulate management and leadership styles through roleplays.
Analyse these management and leadership styles from a number of perspectives, including achieving business objectives.
Evaluate the effectiveness, and social and human impacts, of these styles. Formulate recommendations for management and leadership styles. / P / P
Explain the ways human resource managers facilitate communication and cooperation between management and employees.
Roleplay situations or play games to facilitate communication and cooperation.
Analyse the outcomes of these roleplays.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used to facilitate communication and cooperation.
Present students with a number of case studies. Apply knowledge to identify issues in these case studies. Formulate recommendations for facilitating communication and cooperation. / P
Define entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.
Explain the impact that management and leadership styles, and communication and cooperation, may have on intrapreneurship and building a culture of free thinking.
Link intrapreneurship to innovation, creativity, showing initiative and building a business.
In small groups, students demonstrate intrapreneurship by developing a new and exciting idea for the school yard.
Students present their ideas to the class, who conduct a SWOT analysis of the ideas.
As a class, develop criteria for evaluating the ideas. Test the viability and ethical nature of new ideas. Evaluate ideas and determine the idea that meets all criteria.
Consider the cost of each idea. Link this idea to financial management. / P
Define financial management and the role of financial management.
Explain the ways that financial decisions allow a business to survive, grow and achieve its goals and objectives.
Describe the options for sourcing finance.
Working in small groups, students collect information regarding different sources of finance. Compare and contrast the sources of finance.
Consider three case studies of small-to-medium enterprises.
Apply knowledge to identify issues in these case studies.
Conduct a SWOT analysis of each source of finance in relation to the case studies. Select a source of finance to suit each enterprise. / P / P
Explain the methods that businesses employ to manage the risks of finance.
Define and explain methods of financial analysis, such as financial ratio analysis.
Complete a number of ratio analyses and formulate financial management recommendations for case studies.
Predict the short- and long-term impacts of the proposed financial management strategies.
Relate financial analyses to intrapreneurial ideas developed by students.
Analyse the financial impact of the ideas and evaluate the options.
Define marketing and describe its importance when identifying and satisfying consumer wants and needs.
Using the intrapreneurial ideas developed, conduct research to determine the wants and needs of school students, teachers and administration. Use various technologies to gain this information.
Explain the methods business managers use when selecting marketing orientation suited to their target market. Explain the effects of legislation, societal and ethical considerations on marketing decisions.
Define and explain marketing mix — price, product, promotion and place.
Invite a guest speaker from the field of marketing to speak to students about quality marketing ideas.
Analyse a wide variety of marketing. Evaluate the success of the marketing in terms of the marketing mix and target market, considering legislation, societal and ethical implications.
Select a case study and develop a marketing plan for the business. / P / P
Explain the components of feasibility studies.
Describe the importance of feasibility studies when determining the viability of a proposed business or idea.
Model a competition analysis relating to marketing, human resources or financial considerations.
Students develop a business idea relating to marketing, human resources or financial management. All three could be integrated.
Explain how the evaluation of a feasibility study provides a test of the feasibility and viability of the proposed business or idea, allowing recommendations for future action to be made.
Establish a process of peer-editing. Invite students to provide feedback as a critical friend. / P

Possible assessments

Three possible assessment ideas are provided here to model the ways in which assessment may be developed in Business Management. Units of work may include one or more assessment instruments. These examples are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.

Possible Assessment A
Assessment / Human resources feasibility study (multimodal presentation)
Dimensions and objectives / Knowing and understanding business management
·  use business management terms, concepts and theories
·  describe business situations using examples
·  explain management processes and strategies
Applying and analysing management strategies
·  select and organise business information from primary and secondary sources
·  apply knowledge to identify issues in business situations
·  analyse business information and management strategies, and interpret trends, patterns and relationships
Evaluating and communicating management strategies
·  evaluate management strategies to formulate recommendations
·  justify recommendations using evidence
·  communicate using language conventions to suit audiences and purposes
Possible task / Conduct a human resources feasibility study for a local small-to-medium enterprise. Determine the current human resources situation in this enterprise.
Analyse the needs of the enterprise at the current time and into the future as the enterprise expands.
Analyse competitors to determine the human resources of similar small-to-medium enterprises. Identify trends, patterns and relationships.
Evaluate the analyses to determine the best possible human resources situation for this enterprise. Evaluate the feasibility of this situation. Formulate recommendations, justifying these with evidence.
Present the feasibility study as a multimodal presentation to the class, who will act as the owner of the chosen small-to-medium enterprise.
Conditions / 3–5 minutes
Possible Assessment B
Assessment technique / Business feasibility study (written report)
Dimensions and objectives / Knowing and understanding business management
·  use business management terms, concepts and theories
·  describe business situations using examples
·  explain management processes and strategies
Applying and analysing management strategies
·  select and organise business information from primary and secondary sources
·  apply knowledge to identify issues in business situations
·  analyse business information and management strategies, and interpret trends, patterns and relationships
Evaluating and communicating management strategies
·  evaluate management strategies to formulate recommendations
·  justify recommendations using evidence
·  communicate using language conventions to suit audiences and purposes
Possible task / Select one of the small-to-medium enterprises that has been encountered in this unit and develop a business feasibility study.
Consider the marketing, human resources and financial management requirements of this enterprise.
Analyse the needs of the enterprise at the current time and into the future as the enterprise expands.
Analyse competitors to determine the marketing, human resources and financial requirements of similar small-to-medium enterprises. Identify trends, patterns and relationships.
Evaluate the analyses to determine the feasibility of this enterprise. Formulate recommendations, justifying these with evidence.
Present the feasibility study as a written report to the owner of the chosen small-to-medium enterprise.
Conditions / 800–1000 words
Possible Assessment C
Assessment technique / Examination:
Extended response to stimulus
Dimensions and objectives / Knowing and understanding business management
·  describe business situations using examples
·  explain management processes and strategies
Applying and analysing management strategies
·  apply knowledge to identify issues in business situations
·  analyse business information and management strategies, and interpret trends, patterns and relationships
Evaluating and communicating management strategies
·  evaluate management strategies to formulate recommendations
·  justify recommendations using evidence
Possible task / Read and review the the financial and human resource information for a small-to-medium enterprise.
The business owner aims to increase profits, increase market share and reduce human resources.