Essential Business Studies for Cambridge IGCSE® & O Level

Ensure your EAL learners succeed in Business Studies with a structured approach for the latest IGCSE, IGCSE (9-1) & O Level (0450/0986/7115) syllabuses, for examination from 2020. Written by examiners, the step-by-step approach is fully aligned to the latest Cambridge syllabuses with a comprehensive mapping grid so you can be sure of complete support. Build assessment achievement with updated exam-style questions and guidance. Consolidate understanding with summary questions on every double page. International case studies engage students and link learning to real life. Embed comprehension for your second language learners with topic guidance drawn from the syllabus and specialist vocabulary that is clearly highlighted and explained. Support learning with interactive tests, exam-style practice and Student Book answers on the accompanying support site.

Table of Contents:
Syllabus matching grid Unit 1 Understanding business activity 1.1.1: The purpose and nature of business activity 1.1.2: The importance of specialisation 1.2 Classification of businesses 1.2.1: Business activity in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors 1.2.2: The private sector and the public sector in a mixed economy 1.3 Enterprise, business growth and size 1.3.1: Enterprise and entrepreneurs 1.3.2: Contents and benefits of a business plan and how business plans assist entrepreneurs 1.3.3: Why and how governments support start-ups 1.3.4: Business growth and measurement of size 1.3.5: Why some (new or established) businesses fail 1.4 Types of business organisation 1.4.1: Sole traders and partnerships 1.4.2: Other types of business organisation 1.4.3: Objectives, growth and business organisation 1.4.4: Limited and unlimited liability 1.4.5: Business organisations in the public sector 1.5 Business objectives and stakeholder objectives 1.5.1: Business objectives 1.5.2: Stakeholders and their different objectives 1.5.3: Objectives of private and and public sector enterprises Practice questions Unit 2 People in business 2.1 Motivating employees 2.1.1: Motivation 2.1.2: Why people work - the concept of human needs 2.1.3: Key motivational theories - Taylor and Herzberg 2.1.4: Methods of motivation - financial rewards 2.1.5: Methods of motivation - non-financial rewards 2.2 Organisation and management 2.2.1: Organisational charts 2.2.2: Roles and responsibilities 2.2.3: The role of management 2.2.4: Styles of leadership 2.2.5: Trade unions 2.3 Recruitment, selection and training 2.3.1: The recruitment and selection process 2.3.2: Recruiting and selecting in practice 2.3.3: Recommending who to employ? 2.3.4: Training and methods of training 2.3.5: Reducing the size of the workforce 2.3.6: Legal controls over employment issues 2.4 Internal and external communication 2.4.1: Communication 2.4.2: Internal communication 2.4.3: External communication Practice questions Unit 3 Marketing 3.1 Marketing, competition and the customer 3.1.1: The role of marketing 3.1.2: Market changes 3.1.3: Market segmentation 3.1.4: Mass markets and niche markets 3.2 Market research 3.2.1: Primary and secondary market research 3.2.2: Quantitative and qualitative research 3.2.3: Presentation and use of results 3.3 The marketing mix 3.3.1: The four P's 3.3.2: The product 3.3.3: The price 3.3.4: Place - distribution channels 3.3.5: Promotion 3.3.6: Technology and the marketing mix 3.4 Marketing strategy 3.4.1: Elements of a marketing strategy 3.4.2: Legal controls related to marketing 3.4.3: Opportunities and threats of entering overseas markets Practice questions Unit 4 Operations management 4.1 Production of goods and services 4.1.1: The meaning of production 4.1.2: Lean production 4.1.3: The main methods of production 4.1.4: How technology has changed production methods 4.2 Costs, scale of production and breakeven analysis 4.2.1: Identify and classify costs 4.2.2: Economies and diseconomies of scale 4.2.3: Break-even analysis 4.2.4: Break-even and margin of safety 4.3 Achieving quality production 4.3.1: What quality means 4.4 Location decisions 4.4.1: Factors influencing location and relocation Practice questions Unit 5 Financial information and decisions 5.1 Business finance: needs and sources 5.1.1: The need for business finance 5.1.2: Major sources of finance 5.1.3: Sources of internal and external finance 5.1.4: How to choose finance 5.2 Cash flow forecasting and working capital 5.2.1: Cash-flow and cash-flow forecasting 5.2.2: Working capital 5.3 Income statements 5.3.1: What profit is and why it is important 5.3.2: How profit is made 5.3.3: Income statements 5.4 Statement of financial position 5.4.1: The main elements of a statement of financial position 5.4.2: Further analysis of the statement of financial position 5.5 Analysis of accounts (financial statements) 5.5.1: Profitability analysis 5.5.2: Liquidity 5.5.3: Why and how accounts are used Practice questions Unit 6 External influences on business activity 6.1 Economic issues 6.1.1: Business cycle 6.1.2: Government control of the economy and business 6.1.3: Reasons for government intervention in the economy 6.1.4: Taxes and interest rates 6.2 Environmental and ethical issues 6.2.1: Environmental concerns and issues that affect business 6.2.2: External costs and benefits 6.2.3: Legal controls and environmental issues 6.2.3: Ethical issues 6.3 Business and the international economy 6.3.1: The importance of globalisation 6.3.2: Importance and growth of multinational companies 6.3.3: The impact of exchange rate changes Practice questions Glossary of key terms Index