This book has been written for exam success. It picks out the key things you need to know for the A2 examinations, shows how to apply them to the business context then emphasises the need for evaluation. A2 examiners and teachers say that students' biggest weaknesses are application and evaluation. This revision book focuses on exactly those skills. Features include: Exam insight; Key terms; Themes for evaluation; Application to real businesses; Test yourself; Mistakes to avoid; Business Strategy; Business Studies Revision Guide for A2 has been devised and edited by Ian Marcouse, Chief Examiner and a leading Business Studies author. It does not promise miracles in a week; it is a serious book for students who want to know what and how to revise. It also provides a detailed look at A2 Units 4, 5 and 6 - to help with exam technique. There are plenty of questions in the book, written to A2 standard; all have answers in the back, to help you revise by yourself, or to provide discussion points when revising with friends.
Table of Contents
1. Marketing; Marketing - introduction and overview / Marketing objectives and decision making / Analysing the market / Market research / Product life cycle and portfolio analysis / Niche versus mass marketing / Marketing strategy / Marketing plans and marketing budgets / Elasticity of demand / Marketing mix / Pricing / Marketing maths / Integrated marketing / Marketing issues; 2. Finance; Introduction to finance and accounts / Revenue, costs and profit / Break-even analysis / Contribution / Cash flow management / Control of working capital / Sources of finance / Profit and loss accounts / Balance sheets / Ratio analysis / Uses and limitations of accounts / Revenue and capital spending / Investment appraisal / Budgeting / Cost centres and overhead allocation / Integrated finance / Financial issues; 3. People in organisations; Productivity and performance / Motivation in theory / Motivation in practice / Leadership and management styles / Communication / Organisational structure / Management by objectives (MBO) / Employee participation and teamworking / Trade unions / Flexibility and insecurity / Human resource management / Human resource strategy / Performance measurement / Change management / Integrated people; 4. Operations management; Operations objectives and strategy / Economies and diseconomies of scale / Capacity utilisation / Types of production / Lean production / Kaizen (continuous improvement) / Benchmarking / Planning operations (including CPA) / Invention, innovation and design / Quality management / Stock control / Industrial and international location / Applications of IT / Integrated operations management / Issues in operations management; 5. External influences on Business; External influences and market forces / Markets and competition / Demand and the business cycle / International trade, exchange Business ethics / Business and environmental issues / Pressure groups / Technological change / Integrated external issues / External context issues; 6. Objectives and Strategy; Business start-ups / Business organisations / Business planning / Handling rapid growth / Multinationals / Changes in ownership / Corporate aims, missions and goals / Corporate objectives and strategy / Decision trees / Strategic analysis / Strategic planning / Crisis management / Integrated objectives and strategy / Issues in objectives and strategy
Author Biography
Andrew Hammond is a Senior Examiner for A Level Business Studies for a major examining board and an established author. He is a regular contributor to Business Review magazine. Ian Swift is a Principal Examiner for A Level Business Studies for a major examining board and an established author. Editor Ian Marcouse is Chief Examiner for AS and A2 Business Studies for a major examining board and a consultant to QCA and the BBC. He is also a co-author of the Complete A-Z Business Studies Handbook and editor and co-author of the successful Business Studies, now in its second edition.
