Business Studies for You

Part 1 The business environment: learning about business; making use of scarce resources; how businesses add value and help to satisfy the needs of customers; type of business activity; factors of production; types of economic system; demand and supply in the market place; the changing economy; the competitive business environment; globalization; the importance of government in the business environment; the technological environment; the social environment; the ethical environment; locating a business. Part 2 The ownership of a business: the main types of organization; starting a business; sole traders; partnerships; limited companies; franchising; co-operatives; public sector organizations; business growth. Part 3 Business organization: business organization; post-Fordist business organizations; the role of management; business decision-making; organizational structures of large organizations; business objectives. Part 4 Marketing: market research; consumer behaviour; the marketing mix; product life-cycles; products, brands and packaging; pricing; reaching the market; electronic commerce; advertising and publicity; selling and sales promotion; protecting the consumer. Part 5 Production: production and marketing; the production function; methods of production; the importance of quality; the importance of stock control; new products; production technologies; specialization. Part 6 Accounting: accounting processes; sources of finance; liquidity and cashflow; accounting principles and practice; the trading account; the profit and loss account; the balance sheet; company balance sheets; business ratios; making comparisons; classifying costs; break-even analysis. Part 7 Communication: communicating within a business; communicating outside a business; the role of information technology. Part 8 People in the workplace: human needs at work; roles within the workplace; wages and salaries; the employment contract; personnel; recruitment and selection; training and development; health and safety; equal opportunities; job satisfaction; trade unions; employers' associations; collective bargaining; conciliation and arbitration. Part 9 Business and change: limits on business activity; changes in the wider economy; the impact of government; the changing international environment; the importance of the European Union; the cost of business activity; pressure groups; the future of business.