IB Standard Level Business & Management Syllabus and Curriculum Outline

2010-2011
Welcome to the start of a new school year! This year, IB Learning Partners will be studying the first year of the Business & Management curriculum. It is a demanding yet dynamic curriculum that provides students with a wide range of knowledge in business theory and activity, by providing a well-rounded background in international business, marketing, production, human resources and finance. Business and Management is a challenging subject that incorporates a wide range of topics and situations. This subject would be extremely beneficial for any student, as it helps develop a wide range of skills needed in everyday life; however it is particularly useful for those considering a career in business or economics. Students who choose Business and Management as a subject will improve their critical thinking, technical, analytical, and decision making skills. They will have a better understanding of the world around them, both locally and globally, with a new international perspective on businesses and their diversity. Core principles and practices of business will be studied as students learn the principles of ethics and social responsibility. The IB Business and Management curriculum at the Standard Level consists of five main topics: business organization and environment, human resources, accounts and finance, marketing, and operations management.

Supplies
Textbook: IB Business and Management, by Paul Hoang, ISBN 1876659637 Rulers, calculators, paper, and any other materials should be brought to class when necessary. Several other IB Business and Management textbooks and resources are available in the Library at anytime.

Curriculum Outline
The following is a general outline of the topics covered for the two year curriculum. As with any other IB Standard Level curriculum, the subject will be taught over 150 teaching hours. We will begin with Topic 1: Business Organization and Environment. I hope to get through Topics 1, 2 and 4 in the first year and topics 3 and 5 in the second year. However, if more or less time is required to gain full understanding of a topic the timeframes are subject to change.

Year 1: Topic 1: Business Organization and Environment

-Business activity -Types of organizations and organizational objectives -Stakeholders -External environment -Organizational planning tools -Growth and evolution -Globalization

Topic 2: Human Resources

-Human resources planning -Organizational structure -Communication -Leadership and management -Motivation

Topic 4: Marketing
-The role of marketing -Marketing planning -Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Promotion, Place -International marketing -E-commerce

Year 2: Topic 3: Accounts and Finance

-Sources of finance -Investment appraisal -Working capital -Final accounts -Ratio analysis

Topic 5: Operations Management

-Production methods -Costs and revenues -Break-even analysis -Quality assurance -Location

Grade Breakdown in Class

Grades for this course will be broken down into the following percentages.

Oral and written quizzes and tests Projects and major activities Daily assignments, homework and class participation

50% 35% 15%

Tests or quizzes will be given periodically throughout the year, and will be written individually. These help to ensure that the Learning Partner has grasped the main concepts of the material. Projects and major activities are extremely important in the IB Business & Management curriculum. They help to relate current topics and real business situations to material covered in class. Projects are a good way of putting yourself in a real business situation and understanding how to go about solving problems. Daily assignments, homework and class participation are very important for the Learning Partner. They also help me to ensure the Learning Partner is making sense of the current material we are studying. There will be frequent in-class assignments, and a weekly participation grade will be given. Since we will only be able to meet 5 times within each twoweek period, homework will be assigned frequently and can be due any day of the week.

Assessment
The external assessment for the IB Business and Management course consists of two papers. Paper 1 covers all five topics and is based on a Case Study that is issued in advance. Section A is worth 30 marks. LPs should answer two of three structured questions. Section B is worth 20 marks. It consists of one compulsory structured question including evaluative skills. Paper 2 covers all five topics. Section A is worth 20 marks. LPs should answer one of two structured questions based on stimulus material with a quantitative element. Section B is worth 40 marks. LPs should answer two of three structured questions based on stimulus material. The internal assessment for the IB Business and Management course is a written commentary worth 25 marks. The written commentary is based on three to five supporting documents about a real issue or problem facing a particular organization. The maximum word length is 1500 words. There will be 15 teaching hours allotted to this assignment. Therefore, the final breakdown for assessment is as follows: Paper 1 35% Paper 2 40% Written Commentary 25%

If a Learning Partner is absent, it is his/her responsibility to follow up with me as soon as possible on work or notes that may have been missed. Learning Partners are strongly encouraged to seek me out for extra help when needed. Extra tutorial will need to be arranged with me ahead of time. Please review this syllabus with your parents and feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached either after school or at chrisernat@hotmail.com. I would appreciate having this form signed and returned to me by Monday, August 23rd. I look forward to another exciting year! Thanks! Christine Learning Partner Signature: ________________________ Parent Signature: __________________________ Date: __________________