Business Environment
Assignment
You are employed by the British Chambers of Commerce and you work for both the London and Coventry offices. As part of BCC support for SMEs they wish to produce some guidance that will be helpful to members who are considering setting up and/or expanding their business.
Your remit is to research the organisational purposes of businesses, the national environment in which they operate and behave and the global factors that shape national business activities.
The booklet that you produce is intended for use as a reference guide. One of its key purposes is to help partners, directors or senior managers of SMEs to gain a greater understanding of the topics which it covers. Your line manager has already written the contents page for the booklet and expects you to provide detailed information under each of the headings.
SECTION 1
Organisational Purposes of Businesses
• Identification of the purposes of different
• types of organisation
• Description of the extent to which an organisation meets the objectives of different stakeholders
• Explanation of the responsibilities of an organisation and the strategies employed to meet them
SECTION 2
Nature of National Environment in which Businesses Operate
• Explanation of how economic systems attempt to allocate resources effectively
• Assessment of the impact of fiscal and monetary policy on business organisations and their activities
• Evaluation of the impact of competition policy and other regulatory mechanisms on the activities of a selected organisation
SECTION 3
Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Environment
• Explanation of how market structures determine pricing and output decisions of businesses
• Illustration of the way in which market forces shape organisational responses*
• Judgement on how business and cultural environments shape the behaviour of a selected organisation
• Including a range of examples
SECTION 4
Assessment of the Significance of Global Factors that Shape National Business Activities
• Discussion of the significance of international trade to UK business organisations
• Analysis of the impact of global factors on UK business organisations
• Evaluation of the impact of the European Union policies on UK business organisations
Guidelines for assessors
The assignments submitted by students must achieve the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by each assessment criterion for the unit.
The suggested evidence listed below is how students can demonstrate that they have met the required standard.
Task Learning outcomes Assessment criteria Suggested evidence
1 LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 ACs 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.3, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 A guidance booklet which demonstrates understanding of the Learning Outcomes for this unit
SECTION 1 – LO1
SECTION 2 – LO2
SECTION 3 – LO3
SECTION 4 – LO4
Section 1
In this section the student must include a wide range of business types and the purposes to suit each of them. In addition there should be information on a range of stakeholders and how their objectives are met. The student should clearly explain the differing responsibilities of organisations and the different strategies which can be used to meet them
Section 2
In this section the student must show a full understanding of the different national environments in which businesses operate. They should use practical examples to illustrate the theory. The student needs to clearly explain the terms fiscal and monetary policies. There must be a reasoned assessment of the impact of these policies. The evaluation should show understanding of how different policies impact on the activities of a selected organisation.
Section 3
The explanation must show that the student understands the theory and is able to apply this in a practical way to businesses. The student needs to show an understanding of the different market forces and the way in which organisations respond. The student must include a range of relevant examples. The student must differentiate between business and cultural environments. They then need to make balanced judgements on how they shape the behaviour of a selected organisation.
Section 4
There must be a wide range of advantages and disadvantages that international trade brings to UK businesses. Similarly there should be a wider range of global factors with a reasoned analysis of their impact on UK businesses. The main EU policies must be identified and their impact on UK business should be evaluated
Suggested Resources
Websites
Sector Skills Council for Business – www.cfa.uk.com
Textbooks
Worthington, Ian and Britton, Chris. (2003) The Business Environment 4th Edition, Prentice Hall)
Capon, Claire.,(2009) Understanding the Business Environment 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall
Morrison J., (2006) International Business Environment: Global and Local Marketplaces in a Changing World, Palgrave Macmillan
Mullins, Laurie J.,(2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour Plus MyLab Access Code 9th, Prentice Hall
