F297 Business Studies

• Formation of Objectives @ Tactical and Strategic Levels
• Differentiate between short term tactics and long term strategy
• Assess the significance of communication of objectives, through missions and corporate plans
• The impact that differing stakeholder objectives may have on the behaviour and decisions of a business
• Conflict between risk and reward

• Significance of Constant review of market and enviromental circumstances, incl International.
• Conduct a time series analysis, to produce forecasts
• Significance of Data analysis with reference to gathering information and summarising data 

Decision-Making

• Ansoff's matrix as an anaylitical tool for decision making.
• Decision trees
• Critical path anaylsis for allocating resources
• ICT to help decision making; management information systems 

Business Performance

• Determination of employee, contribution to objectives; productivity and absenteeism
• Business Ratios
• Capital share; Gearing
• Budgets: with respect to Communication, control and motivation
• Adverse and positive variances and causes

Macro factors

• Causes of Market failure, and response from Gov
• Labour markets; skill shortages and surpluses, net migration 
• Unemployment, different types and impact
• Interest rates, exchange rates and taxation rates; strategic implication Local national and Int
• International competetiveness
• inflation and deflation 
• Business cycle 
• Economic growth; effects on Gov,Business, Gov behaviour, business activity

Legal Issues

• Legal behaviour and decision; contract law basis of employment

political and Social issues

• Political changes; EU, national, local 
• opportunity and threats to corporate success
• styles and degrees of Gov intervention 
• Signif of Nationalisation/privatisation/Laissez-faire
• Signif of stte of consumer/provider, supporter and source of constraints
• Role and limits of corporate responsibility in decision making 
• Changing patterns of employment 
• Business Behaviour modified in light of moral, ethical and spiritual issues

Technoligical factors

• Impact of technological changes on a business

Enviromental issues

• Enviromental audits as a means of reducing process waste
• External costs and benifits

Technoligical factors

• Impact of technological changes on a business

Enviromental issues

• Enviromental audits as a means of reducing process waste
• External costs and benifits

• Understanding of communication; methodologies and effective consultation, shared values, barriers to effective communication, overload, remoteness from audience, attitudes 
• Causes of CHANGE
• Management of CHANGE
• Crisis and contingency management 
• Teamwork, motivation and leadership in achieving change 
• Organisational Culture and employee participation
• Employer and employee relationships individual levels and collective
• Trade unions; impact of their role in achieving corporate objectives
• Flexi-working, zero hour contracts and sub contracting
• Strategy for avoiding conflict
• Reasons for changing location/importance of location 
• Strategy for responding to changes in market demand