Key term
CCEA A-Level Business 3210
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
The Central Purpose of Business Activity
Forms of Business Ownership
Stakeholder Groups
Markets and Market Forces
Quality Management
Topic overviewWhat is quality?Total quality management, quality assurance and quality control definedThe advantages and disadvantages of TQMThe advantages and disadvantages of quality assurance and quality controlISO 9000 certification and the quality policyQuality control and quality assurance reviewedTQM, control and assurance comparedThe approaches to quality, and the case for and against TQMQuality control and quality assurance weighedISO 9000 certification, and how quality is measuredQuality as a dimension of competitiveness
Productivity and Investment
Organisational Design
Topic overviewHierarchy, span of control, chain of command and delegationCentralised, decentralised, tall, flat and matrix structuresCentralisation versus decentralisation, delayering, and the effects of designCentralisation and decentralisation weighedTall and flat structures weighedOutsourcingCentralisation, structure and outsourcing
Investing in People
Topic overviewSuccession planning, skills audits and the factors behind people investmentThe benefits and drawbacks of investing in peopleMethods of recruitment and selectionTraining and appraisal methodsOnline recruitment and selectionOnline training and appraisalInduction training: content, benefits and drawbacksOn-the-job training: methods, advantages and drawbacksOff-the-job training: methods, advantages and drawbacksContinuing professional developmentChoosing a training methodInternal and external methods of recruitmentInternal versus external recruitment weighedThe stages of selection, and the methods usedPsychometric testing: what it measures and what it missesPsychometric testingThe purpose of appraisal, and its benefits and drawbacksTechnology in the appraisal processOnline recruitment and selection technologyOnline training and appraisal technologyThe benefits and drawbacks of online HR processes
Motivation
Topic overviewTaylor's scientific management and Maslow's hierarchyHerzberg's two-factor theory, and the limits of each theoryTaylor and Maslow reviewedHerzberg's hygiene factors and motivators in detailMonetary and non-monetary methods of motivationLeadership styles, and choosing a method of motivationThe monetary methods of paymentThe monetary methods weighed, and calculating commissionJob design, empowerment, team working and flexible workingRecognition and development, and how non-monetary methods link to theory
Principles of Management and Leadership
Market Size, Share and Growth
The Degree of Competition in a Market
Market Research
The Marketing Mix
Elasticity of Demand
The Product Life Cycle
Market Planning and Strategy
E-Business and E-Commerce
Sources of Finance
Break-Even Analysis
Cash Flow
Cash Flow Forecasts
Budgeting
Financial Statements
Business Objectives
Organisational Culture
Topic overviewWhat organisational culture is, and what it influencesStrong and weak cultures, what shapes them, and their effect on performanceHandy's four types of organisational cultureHofstede's Multi-Focus Model and its six dimensionsComparing Handy and HofstedeHandy's culture types reviewedHofstede's dimensions reviewed, and the strengths of each modelThe factors that shape organisational cultureWhy culture resists change, and how it is changedMergers, crises, leadership and structure as cultural forcesSize, workforce and external pressures on cultureChanging organisational culture reviewedWhy culture is changed, and the methods usedResistance to cultural change and how it is overcomeBarriers to change, measuring success, and the pace of changeReasons for change and resistance reviewedMethods, barriers and the pace of change reviewed
Stakeholder Objectives
Topic overviewStakeholder groups and their objectivesConflicting objectives and stakeholder influenceManaging conflict, and the shareholder versus stakeholder approachStakeholder objectives reviewedWhat gives a stakeholder powerCompromise, prioritisation and corporate social responsibilityPower, legitimacy and urgencyConsultation, incentives and stakeholder mapping
Communication
Topic overviewHow technology has changed business communicationDigital channels and their drawbacksBarriers to effective communicationChoosing a communication channelThe positive and negative impacts of technologyBarriers and channel choice reviewedThe impact of technology reviewedThe types of barrier to effective communicationHow technology helps and hinders communicationPhysical, semantic, psychological and organisational barriers in detailThe drawbacks of electronic communication
Economies and Diseconomies of Scale
Topic overviewInternal and external economies of scale distinguishedThe types of internal economy of scaleDiseconomies of scale and minimum efficient scaleGrowth, competitive advantage and its problemsInternal and external economies reviewedDiseconomies and minimum efficient scale reviewedSources of economies and diseconomies, and the risks of growth
Business Strategy and Planning
Topic overviewBusiness planAnalyse the current position: SWOT analysisThe six PESTEL categoriesHow PESTEL is used, and its limitationsThe Ansoff matrix: penetration, market development and product developmentDiversification, choosing a strategy, and the limits of the matrixThe Boston matrix axes, stars and cash cowsQuestion marks, dogs, portfolio balance and the limits of the matrixPorter's generic strategies and their risksPorter reviewed, and Bowman's Strategy ClockThe Balanced Scorecard, the Triple Bottom Line and KPIsDecision trees, expected value, and their limitationsBowman's Strategy ClockKaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard modelElkington's Triple Bottom LineKey Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Decision Tree Analysis
Risk and Uncertainty
Topic overviewRisk, uncertainty, the risk management process and the four strategiesContingency planning: purpose, benefits and drawbacksTypes of risk, and the balance in managing themThe four risk strategies appliedThe risk management process and the sources of risk reviewedContingency planning reviewed
Company Accounts
Topic overviewCash versus profit, and how accounts are comparedReturn on capital employed, and the limits of published accountsProfitability and liquidity ratios from published accountsGearing, earnings per share, and the limits of ratio analysisCash, profit and the ratio formulas reviewedClassifying the ratios, and what published accounts cannot show
Ratio Analysis
Investment Appraisal
Topic overviewThe payback period: method, advantages and limitationsNet present value: method, advantages and limitationsQualitative factors and the cost of capitalCalculating the payback period in practiceDiscounting and net present value in practiceQualitative factors in investment decisionsPayback and net present value comparedQualitative judgement and the appraisal formulaeFinancing strategic decisions
The Macroeconomic Framework
Government Policies
Topic overviewGovernment policy objectives and the conflicts between themTypes of policy and how businesses respondDirect and indirect taxation as policy instrumentsGovernment expenditure and interest ratesThe exchange rate as a policy instrument, and the limits of policyThe effects of fiscal, monetary, exchange rate and supply-side policyEmployment, environmental and trade policy, and why the impact variesHow government policy affects a business, and the counter-strategies availableRelocation, lobbying, diversification and pricing, and choosing between them
Globalisation
Topic overviewWhat makes a business global, and the drivers of globalisationGlobal business strategies and the Bartlett and Ghoshal modelEntering global markets, and why businesses trade globallyThe opportunities and threats of globalisationGlobal marketing and the factors to considerTrade regulations and export assistanceAnalysing global business dataTransport, communication and the liberalisation of trade and capitalWhy multinationals expand, and where they locateForeign direct investment, and its effect on the host countryThe benefits and risks of FDI to the investing firm, and the global strategiesForeign direct investmentFranchising and joint ventures as entry methodsLicensing and direct investment as entry methodsReasons for trading globallyImpact of trading globallyThe opportunities of global trade, and what e-business addsThe threats of global trade, and judging whether to enter a marketStandardisation versus adaptation, and the differences that force adaptationGlobal branding, glocalisation, distribution, pricing and ethicsTariffs, quotas, embargoes, subsidies and non-tariff barriersExchange rates, customs rules, and the bodies that liberalise tradeTrade promotion organisations and export financeAnti-dumping duties, compliance costs, and judging trade supportGlobal business dataGlobalisation and global business strategiesMethods of entering global marketsWhy businesses trade globally, and the effectsGlobal marketing, and what varies between marketsTrade regulation, assistance and analysing global data
Business Ethics and Organisational Culture
Sustainability
Topic overviewSustainable business activity: what it is, and its benefits and costsWhy businesses become sustainable, and how government encourages itThe triple bottom line, and stakeholder pressure for sustainabilityThe positive and negative impacts of sustainability reviewedSustainable development, greenwashing, and judging a sustainability claim
Corporate Social Responsibility
The Influence of Stakeholder Groups
Topic overviewStakeholder groups and conflicting outcomesHow decisions affect employees and shareholdersHow decisions affect customers, suppliers and local communitiesStakeholder mapping, trade-offs and ethical considerationsPressure group tactics, and internal versus external stakeholdersStakeholder priorities and where they conflictOne decision, many stakeholdersStakeholder groups and organisational structure
Organisational Structures
Monopolies, Mergers, Takeovers and Restrictive Practices
Change Management
Topic overviewTypes of change and information as a strategic resourceLewin's force field analysisPressure groups and legislation as causes of changeMarket growth, decline, diversification and modernisationResistance to change and why it arisesKotter and Schlesinger's six strategiesChoosing a strategy, and why businesses must changeTypes of change, Lewin's model and information management reviewedCauses of change and resistance to change reviewedKotter and Schlesinger's strategies reviewed
Budgeting
- 4 subtopics
- 11 things to know
- Unit AS 2
What Budgeting covers
Budgeting is examined in Unit AS 2, Growing the Business. It covers what a budget does, and fixed versus flexible budgets, favourable and adverse variances calculated, investigating variances and management by exception and preparing and using a flexed budget.
Where it is assessed
Unit AS 2
Growing the Business, written examination, 20% of A level.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 4 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- What a budget does, and fixed versus flexible budgetsHow budgeting enables financial control, fixed budget and flexible budget.Open →
- Favourable and adverse variances calculatedVariance in budgeting, favourable variance and adverse variance.Open →
- Investigating variances and management by exceptionWhy a favourable variance is investigated too, the usual causes of adverse material and labour variances, and how management by exception sets the threshold for looking.Open →
- Preparing and using a flexed budgetHow a budget is restated for the output actually achieved, why comparing 12,000 units against a 10,000-unit budget misleads, which costs move and which do not, and where the method is difficult.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Key term
What is a budget?
Key term
What is a variance in budgeting?
Key term
Give three possible causes of an adverse materials cost variance.
Key term
Give three possible causes of an adverse labour cost variance.
Key term
How is a flexible budget prepared?
Numbers
A flexed budget sets total costs at £112,000 and actual total costs were £118,000. Calculate the variance and state its type
Key term
What is a fixed budget?
Key term
A cost comes in below the budgeted figure. Is the variance favourable or adverse?
Key term
Give two possible causes of a favourable sales revenue variance.
Key term
In a flexed budget, which costs are recalculated and which are left unchanged?
Take Budgeting further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Fixed budget vs Flexible budget
Fixed budget: a plan that stays unchanged whatever level of activity is reached. Flexible budget: a plan whose figures are restated for the activity actually achieved.
Favourable variance vs Adverse variance
Favourable variance: the outcome is better for profit than the plan assumed. Adverse variance: the outcome is worse for profit than the plan assumed.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is a budget?
Model answer
A financial plan that sets out expected income and expenditure over a future period, used to guide decision making and control spending.
- 2
How does budgeting aid decision making within a business?
Model answer
It provides targets against which actual performance can be measured, enabling managers to allocate resources effectively.
- 3
In what way does budgeting help coordinate activities across different departments?
Model answer
It ensures all parts of the business work towards common financial objectives.
- 4
How can budgeting motivate staff?
Model answer
By giving them clear financial targets to achieve and a sense of responsibility for meeting those targets.
- 5
Explain how budgeting enables financial control.
Model answer
It allows comparison of actual results against budgeted figures to identify variances that require corrective action.
- 6
What is a fixed budget?
Model answer
A budget that remains unchanged regardless of the actual level of activity or output achieved during the budget period.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Budgeting revision questions
- What does Budgeting cover in CCEA A-Level Business?
- 4 subtopics: what a budget does, and fixed versus flexible budgets, favourable and adverse variances calculated, investigating variances and management by exception and preparing and using a flexed budget. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Budgeting organised?
- By the CCEA 3210 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Budgeting, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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