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Business A - Level > AS Paper 2 > Flashcards

AS Paper 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What external factors impact a business

A
  • Competition
  • Market conditions
  • Consumer income
  • Interest Rates
  • Demographic changes
  • Environmental and ethical factors
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2
Q

What do external factors mostly impact in a business

A

Costs and Demands

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3
Q

Why is COMPETITION an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • Competitors may reduce demand

- Increase business costs; spending money on promotion & advertising OR invest in R&D to improve products

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4
Q

Why is MARKET CONDITIONS an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • If increasing in size; must ensure it competes against other competitors to secure its own share of the increasing market - increases costs. (E.G investing in website and delivery)
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5
Q

Why is CONSUMER INCOME an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • Consumer incomes decreasing - demand for luxury items (cars and watches) decrease: too expensive
  • Businesses may also invest more heavily in promotion and advertising campaigns to try and increase demand: increases business costs
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6
Q

Why is INTEREST RATES an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • Increase interest rates = increases the cost of business’ borrowing whilst also reducing the amount spent by consumers as they make decisions to save instead of spend
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7
Q

Why is DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • Ageing population: Increase in no. of people in higher age brackets = increases demand for items such as holiday packages targeted at senior citizens and cruises
  • Net migration continues to increase: demand for cultural shops (e.g Polish food stores) continues to increase = reduce demand for groceries from existing retailer e.g ASDA
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8
Q

Why is ENVIRONMENT AND ETHICAL FACTORS an external factor that impacts a business?

A
  • Consumer awareness of environmental and ethical factors develop, consumers are demanding products that are produced ethically and in an environmentally friendly (increases costs) (decrease demand if businesses fail to address changing needs)
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9
Q

Market share definition

A

The proportion of a market that a business controls in order to satisfy customer needs

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10
Q

Market share calculation

A

(Sales of one product / Total market sales of that product) X 100

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11
Q

Market growth definition

A

When an industry grows in terms of either volume or value

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12
Q

Market growth calculation

A

(Change in market size / Original market size) X 100

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13
Q

Sales growth definition

A

When a business increases its sales in terms of volume of value

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14
Q

Sales growth calculation

A

(Change in sales / Original Sales) X 100

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15
Q

Market Research definiton

A

Collecting and processing information about the market that a business operates in

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16
Q

What information is collected during Market Research

A
  • Demand
  • Competition
  • Target Market
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17
Q

Why is DEMAND information collected for Market Research?

A
  • Insights into wants & needs helps a business improve a product, spot market opportunities and stay competitive.
  • Insights into overall demand trends can help a business to spot opportunities for growth and potential threats from new products/technology
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18
Q

Why is COMPETITION information collected for Market Research?

A
  • Understand the major threats in the market and prepare the business to deal with these threats
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19
Q

Why is TARGET MARKET information collected for Market Research?

A
  • Insights into customers’ wants & needs and how they are changing over time
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20
Q

Qualitative Research

A

Opinions & views

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21
Q

Quantitative Research

A

Numbers and figures

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22
Q

What does market mapping identify and how?

A
  • Gap in the market by looking at what competitors offer

- Mapped against different variables = price vs quality

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23
Q

Methods of Market Research

A
  • Sampling

- Technology

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24
Q

What is Sampling?

A

When a business selects a sample of the population to save collecting data from everybody in that population

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25
Q

Advantages of sampling

A
  • Reduces costs: choose a cross-section of the population instead of EVERYBODY
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26
Q

Disadvantages of sampling

A

May not accurately reflect the full target market if the sample is not chosen properly

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27
Q

The use of TECHNOLOGY during Market Research

A

To analyse Market Research data by completing calculations and creating graphs and charts which can be used by managers and leaders

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28
Q

How to calculate PED

A

% change in quantity demanded / % change in price

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29
Q

What is the co-efficient

A

Value / number

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30
Q

What elasticity is penetration pricing likely to have

A

Elastic

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31
Q

What elasticity is price skimming likely to have

A

Inelastic

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32
Q

What does PED measure

A

The responsiveness of demand after a change in price

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33
Q

What does PED actually mean

A

For every 1% change of price, demand is going to change by the co-efficient value

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34
Q

When co-efficient GREATER than 1, means a product is …

A

Price Elastic

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35
Q

When co-efficient LESS than 1, means a product is …

A

Price inelastic

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36
Q

When a product is price elastic it means…

A

% change in quantity demanded is GREATER THAN the % change in price

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37
Q

When a product is price inelastic it means…

A

the % change in quantity demanded is less than the % change in price

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38
Q

When the price elasticity is exactly 1, it means…

A

the % change in quantity demanded = the % change in price

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39
Q

Impact on profit & sales revenue if a product / service is price is PRICE ELASTIC

A

Decrease in price = Increase in sales revenue
WHEREAS
Increase in price = Decrease in sales revenue

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40
Q

Impact on profit & sales revenue if a product / service is price is PRICE INELASTIC

A

Decrease in price = Decrease in sales revenue
WHEREAS
Increase in price = Increase in sales revenue

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41
Q

Why is elasticity measured

A

To forecast and predict the impact of changes in price and income on the quantity of the business’ goods demanded by consumers

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42
Q

How to calculate YED (Income elasticity of demand)

A

% change in quantity demanded / % change in income

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43
Q

What does YED measure

A

The responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in consumer income

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44
Q

Positive co-efficient for YED means…

A

Increase in income = Increase demand
WHEREAS
Fall in income = decrease demand

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45
Q

Negative co-efficient for YED means…

A

Increase in income = decrease demand
WHEREAS
Fall in income = increase demand

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46
Q

If YED less than 1 it is

A

Inelastic

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47
Q

If YED is inelastic it means

A

% change in income is GREATER than % change in quantity demanded

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48
Q

If YED is greater than 1

A

Elastic

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49
Q

If YED is elastic it means

A

% change in income is GREATER than % change in quantity demanded

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50
Q

Why is quality important for a business?

A

To be profitable and compete with rivals

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51
Q

What determines quality

A
  • Quality of materials used
  • Quality of production process
  • Style of a product
  • Durability, speed and quality of a service
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52
Q

What is the consequence of a product return

A

A product is wasted and the costs of processing a return may be high

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53
Q

How can a business measure quality

A
  • Customer Feedback (Reviews)

- Custpmer surveys (More detailed survey, asking them about their experience with the good/service

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54
Q

How can a business measure and identify quality

A
  • Customer service and complaints

- Check quality in production process

55
Q

How does ‘customer service and complaints’ help to measure quality

A
  • Beneficial because it helps businesses to correct an issue that the business has not yet identified
  • Monetary costs and reputation costs from having dissatisfied customers
56
Q

How does ‘check quality in production process’ help to measure quality

A
  • Check raw materials from the suppliers, take random samples of products that are in the middle of being produced and take random samples of finished products
  • Expensive but means that defects are spotted before they reach customers.
  • Stops a business bearing the costs involved in processing returns
57
Q

TQM definition

A

(Total Quality Management)
A culture of quality that ensures quality in production, sales and after-sales customer service in order to achieve a high customer satisfaction.

58
Q

Disadvantage of TQM

A

Expensive - training employees in the principles and making sure they embrace the culture

59
Q

What does TQM value and why

A

Customer feedback - in order to keep improving the product.
The organisation aims to keep improving and producing products of the highest standard to give customers the best experience possible.

60
Q

What are the benefits or maintaining high quality

A
  • Image / Reputation
  • Higher Price
  • Avoid product recalls
61
Q

Why is ‘IMAGE / REPUTATION’ a benefit of maintaining a high quality

A
  • Customers view the business and the brand as being a high quality brand
  • Positive reputation can win more customers and let the business charge a higher price
62
Q

Why is ‘HIGHER PRICE’ a benefit of maintaining a high quality

A
  • Business able to charger more
  • Customers are often willing to pay a premium for a good product
  • A business is able to earn more profit (providing the costs of TQM aren’t too much)
63
Q

Why is ‘AVOID PRODUCT RECALLS’ a benefit of maintaining a high quality

A

Unlikely to have a recall for its products for quality and safety issues

64
Q

Costs of Maintaining High Quality

A
  • Staff Training
  • Inspection costs (throughout production process
  • Provision of services
65
Q

Benefits of financial objectives

A
  • Provide direction and used to measure financial performance
  • Support decision making throughout the business
  • Motivate employees and teams of employees
66
Q

What is Return on Investment and why is it used

A
  • Used as a financial objective

- Allows a business to calculate the efficiency of a project by comparing the amount invested with the amount returned

67
Q

How to calculate Return on Investment

A

(profit from investment) / (investment costs) x 100

68
Q

What is Long-term funding and why is it used

A
  • Financial Objective

- Setting targets to reduce long-term funding from debt can protect a business if there is an increase interest rates

69
Q

Revenue and its calculation

A
  • Considered when setting targets (also known as sales revenue or turnover)
  • quantity of goods sold x selling price per item
70
Q

Costs and its calculation

A
  • Considered when setting targets

- Fixed costs + variable costs

71
Q

Cash flow

A
  • Considered when setting their targets.

Compares inflows and outflows to ensure a business always has enough cash to meet its short-term debts

72
Q

Investment

A
  • Consider investment objectives when setting targets

- Cover the total expenditure planned by a business to develop capital projects

73
Q

Capital structure

A
  • Consider capital structure objectives when setting their targets
  • Focus on the proportion of capital received from different sources of finance
74
Q

Influences on Financial Objectives

A
  • Overall business objectives
  • Different departments
  • Shareholders
  • Competitors
75
Q

Why are ‘OVERALL BUSINESS OBJECTIVES’ an influence on financial objectives

A
  • Financial objectives must support the business’ overall aim
  • If strategy is to maximise revenue, then financial objectives to maximise profits may not line up incentives well
76
Q

Why are ‘DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS’ an influence on financial objectives

A
  • The other departments must be considered when setting finance objectives as all departments must be working towards the same overall aim
77
Q

Why are ‘SHAREHOLDERS’ an influence on financial objectives

A
  • The actions of shareholders must be considered when setting financial objectives as shareholders need to be satisfied
78
Q

Why are ‘COMPETITORS’ an influence on financial objectives

A
  • The presence of competitors must be considered when setting finance objectives as competitors can affect demand and therefore revenue.
79
Q

Why do businesses use cash-flow forecasts

A

To estimate their total cash inflows and their total cash outflows for a future period of time

80
Q

What are total inflows

A

All cash inflows coming into the business during the period

81
Q

What are cash outflows

A

All cash outflows leaving the business during the period

82
Q

What is Net Cash Flow

A

The difference between total inflows and total outflows

Inflows - Outflows

83
Q

What is The Opening Balance

A

The balance at the start of the month and is the same as the closing balance of the previous month

84
Q

Affects of cash-flow problems

A

Businesses that are profitable but have cash-flow or liquidity problems can become bankrupt as they lack short-term cash to pay short-term debts

85
Q

How to improve cash-flow

A
  • Money owed to the business is known as a receivable and businesses can reduce the trade credit period to increase how quickly they receive their receivables, which improves cash-flow
  • Money owed by the business to others as a debtor (or payables) and a business can ask others for longer trade credit to reduce how quickly they must pay payables, which improves cash-flow
86
Q

What are Revenue Budgets

A

Forecasts expected revenues for a business during a period. If actual revenue is higher than forecast, it is a ‘favourable variance’. If revenue is less than expected, it is an ‘adverse variance’.

87
Q

What are Expenditure Budgets

A

Forecasts expected costs for a business during a period. A higher actual cost than forecast = adverse variance, Lower actual cost = favourable variance.

88
Q

What are Profit budgets

A

Revenue and expenditure budgets can be used to create profit budgets. If overall profit is higher than forecast = favourable variance. Lower = adverse forecast.

89
Q

Advantages of budgeting

A
  • Helps achieve targets & objectives
  • Help managers and leaders focus on cost control which can increase profit
  • Motivate staff by providing spending authority to individual departments and teams
90
Q

How to calculate Variance

A

Actual - Budget

91
Q

When are Break-Even Analysis’s used

A

To predict the level of output at which total costs and total revenue will be the same

92
Q

What is Contribution per unit

A

The amount of revenue which contributes to covering a business’ fixed costs after the variable cost per unit has been taken away from revenue per unit

93
Q

How to calculate Contribution per unit

A

Selling price per unit - variable cost per unit

94
Q

What it Total Contribution

A

The amount of revenue from the sale of all products which contributes to fixed costs once total variable costs have been taken away

95
Q

How to calculate Total Contribution

A

Total Revenue - Total Variable Costs

96
Q

What is GROSS PROFIT

A

Involves the amount of profit remaining once direct costs (costs of sales) have been paid by the business

97
Q

How to calculate the GROSS PROFIT MARGIN

A

(Gross profit / sales revenue) X 100

98
Q

What is OPERATING PROFIT

A

Involves the amount of profit remaining once direct costs (cost of sales) and the indirect costs (expenses) have been paid by the business

99
Q

How to calculate the OPERATING PROFIT MARGIN

A

(operating profit / sales revenue) X 100

100
Q

What is PROFIT FOR THE YEAR

A

A profit for the year target involves the amount of profit remaining once all costs and financing fees have been considered

101
Q

How to calculate the PROFIT FOR YEAR MARGIN

A

(Profit for the year / sales revenue) X 100`

102
Q

What is Job Design

A

Refers to an employer’s creation and planning of a job considering the job’s aspects

103
Q

What are the aspects of job design

A
  • Roles & responsibilities of the job itself
  • Systems & methods used by an employee to carry out their role
  • Relationships between employer and the employee, and between other managers, subordinates and stakeholders
104
Q

How business objectives influence job design

A

The overall business objective may influence job design as all jobs within the business should contribute to the overall business objectives and they should be designed in such a way to do so

105
Q

How an individual can influence job design

A

The performance of individual employees.

- Demotivated = problem with productivity - managers may use job design to motivate employees and improve productivity

106
Q

How available resources influence job design

A

Major changes to job design may require the additional support of resources e.g labour and capital, and these resources must be available for the change to be successful

107
Q

How market research influences job design

A

If a HR manager is expecting there to be a change in the external environment, jobs may be designed or redesigned to reflect the demands of a changing external environment

108
Q

Approached an employer can do to take to job design

A
  • Job Enlargement
  • Job Enrichment
  • Job Empowerment
  • Job Rotation
109
Q

What is Job ENRICHMENT and when is it used

A
  • When considering the motivation & productivity of its employees
  • An employer provides an employee with jobs which are more complex and challenging. Jobs assigned to employees are usually at a level above their original duties in terms of complexity and challenge.
110
Q

What is Job ENLARGEMENT and when is it used

A
  • When considering the motivation & productivity of its employees
  • An employer increases the number of jobs an employee is responsible for in order to increase the challenge of their role. Additional jobs assigned to employees are usually at a level similar to their original duties
111
Q

What is Job EMPOWERMENT and when is it used

A
  • When considering the motivation & productivity of its employees
  • When an employer gives an employee more control over their jobs, including the ability to decide the best way to fulfil their duties.
112
Q

What is Job ROTATION and when is it used

A
  • When considering the motivation & productivity of its employees
  • It is an example of job enlargement
  • Refers to an employer allowing an employee to move from one role or duty to another, regularly.
113
Q

What is Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model

A

A model supporting the job design process, which states that there are five core characteristics of a job which motivates employees

114
Q

What are the 5 core dimensions, psychological state and result in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

1) Skill Variety
Task identity
Task Significance —-> A sense of meaninfulness —-> High levels of motivation
2) Autonomy —> Gaining responsibility —> High levels of job satisfaction
3) Feedback —> Known and understanding results —> Lower levels of absenteeism & turnover

115
Q

What is SKILL VARIETY in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

Refers to employees being given opportunities to use a range of skills as part of their normal duties and responsibilities

116
Q

What is TASK IDENTITY in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

Refers to employees being given a sense of conclusion or completion, e.g closing an outstanding case or handing their completed work over to a manager

117
Q

What is TASK SIGNIFICANCE in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

Refers to employees feeling as though their duties and responsibilities contribute to the overall business success

118
Q

What is AUTONOMY in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

Refers to employees having some independence within their duties and responsibilities

119
Q

What is FEEDBACK in Hackman and Oldham’s Model

A

Refers to employees receiving feedback, whether oral, written or verbal, on the work they have completed

120
Q

What is the Organisational Design

A

Involves making sure that an organisation is designed appropriately to increase its chances of meeting its aims and objectives

121
Q

What factors are considered when planning the design of an organisation

A
  • Authority
  • Span of control
  • Hierarchies
  • Delegation
  • Centralisation
122
Q

What is AUTHORITY in the organisation design

A

Delegation involves passing authority to employees further down the hierarchy
- Authority can motivate and empower employees and therefore increase productivity

123
Q

What is SPAN OF CONTROL in the organisation design

A

The number of people who report directly to a supervisor or manager

  • Tall hierarchies = narrower spans of control ( monitor employees more closely )
  • Flat hierarchies = wider spans of control ( harder to monitor employees as closely - each manager will manage and lead a larger group of employees )
124
Q

What are HIERARCHIES in the organisation design

A

The levels and layers of management. Tall (many layers of management) & flat (few levels)

  • Communication more difficult ( more layers for communication to pass through )
  • Tall hierarchies provide promotional opportunities
125
Q

What is Delayering

A

Reducing the number of layers in the hierarchy of a business, usually by removing middle managers

126
Q

What is DELEGATION in the organisation design

A

A manager passing responsibility or authority to an employee below them in the hierarchy.

  • Reduce workload of managers = focus on their own tasks
  • Empower and motivate employees and prepare them for promotional opportunities in the future
  • May require a business to invest and provide employee training to ensure that employees have the necessary skills to complete a task
127
Q

What is CENTRALISATION AND DECENTRALISATION in the organisation design

A

The decision making power within the business how this power is held by different individuals in the business.
refer to separate pack of flashcards for this topic

128
Q

Importance of HR (Human Resources)

A

Responsible for the recruitment and training of employees

129
Q

Responsibilities of the Human Resources Flow

A
  • Choosing the right employees
  • Training
  • Redeployment
  • Redundancy
130
Q

Choosing the right employees - Human Resources Flow

A
  • The HR plan ensures the business has the right no. of employees, with the correct skills, working at the right location within the business
  • Recruitment can be used to recruit or employ new employees when the HR plan identifies a gap in the no. of or skillset of current employees
131
Q

Training - Human Resources Flow

A

Used to improve and develop skills of employees so that productivity and quality can increase which can support a business’ objective

132
Q

Redeployment - Human Resources Flow

A

Can be used to move, or redeploy, staff around the business according to business needs and demands and this can support business objectives

133
Q

Redundancy - Human Resources Flow

A

Used when the skills of current employees are no longer required by the business and the role no longer exists, and this can support the business’ objectives through reducing cost

Business A - Level (20 decks)

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