Can we learn lessons in business organisation from the mittelstand model
A business studies lesson gem from an unusual source here - the politics team at the BBC! Germans use the word “mittelstand” for the millions of middle-sized companies that form the backbone of their booming economy, and some in Britain reckon the model could teach UK industries a few lessons…
read more...»The Biz Quiz - 9 March 2012
The Biz Quiz is here with another 10 questions about the business news. All the best…
Launch The Biz Quiz 9 March 2012
Download the printable version (pdf)
Revision Toolkits for Pre-Released Case Studies - Summer 2012
Our popular revision toolkits for a range of pre-released case studies in Business Studies and Economics are now available to order. Some are already available and the rest will be despatched once complete in the next 2-3 weeks. The follow resources can now be ordered:
AQA BUSS4 Section A Takeovers and Mergers 2012
AQA Applied Unit 3 - Summer 2012
OCR A2 Economics Unit F585 June 2012
Edexcel A2 Business Unit 4a Toyota
OCR GCSE Business Unit 3 (J293) Summer 2012
OCR GCSE Economics Unit 593 Summer 2012
OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 Summer 2012
OCR A2 Business Studies Unit F297 Summer 2012
OCR Applied Business Unit F242 Summer 2012
OCR Applied Business Unit F248 Summer 2012
Takeovers and Mergers - tutor2u Mini Briefs
Our takeover and merger mini-brief cards are designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of key M&A transactions. We used this during the recent CPD days on BUSS4 and obtained some great ideas from teachers about how they can be used in the classroom and as a prompt for further student research. The 30 mini-brief cards work particularly well with Ryan Cook’s superb Map of Merger Motives which provides a terrific link between examples of takeovers and mergers and key theories such as Porter’s Five Forces.
We have outlined further below some suggestions as to how the mini-briefs can be used as a classroom resource…
The Mini Briefs and Map of Merger Motives are just two of several teaching resources included in our AQA BUSS4 Section A toolkit which is published on 8 March 2012.
read more...»Takeovers and Mergers - the BUSS4 Card Game
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We’ve had lots of fun playing the BUSS4 Takeovers and Mergers card game at the BUSS4 CPD courses this week. The card pack is a terrific way to engage students with the concept of M&A and to build their familiarity with a wide range of recent (and some not-so-recent) major takeovers and mergers. As we have tried the cards out on each course, we’ve asked colleagues to suggest ways in which the resource can be used and /or adapted for further use. We’ll be adding these suggestions to this blog entry over the next few days.
The card game is one of several teaching resources included in our AQA BUSS4 Section A toolkit which is published on 8 March 2012.
read more...»Pampering - demand booms as consumers seek an affordable treat
Consumers might be feeling the pinch, but despite the downturn, demand for nail treatments is booming. Is having a nail and other spa treatment an affordable luxury what some of us simply can’t do without in times of austerity? This great BBC video looks at the history of products that have boomed in tough economic times.
read more...»International expansion and culture - doing business in the UAE
The importance of understanding and adapting to the business culture in international markets is illustrated well in this new short video from the Telegraph. Some great insights packed into this short piece, including issues that you might find surprising!
Start-ups - the Wooden Smartphone?
If smartphones have become mass-market, then is there now a gap in the market for a niche phone - perhaps one made from bamboo? This excellent video examines the innovative idea of Kieron-Scott Woodhouse, a final year Product & Design student at the Middlesex University in London. He’s just turned 24 and is already running his own company. This is his debut design - the world’s first smartphone made from wood….
read more...»Lesson video : Franchising for beginners
A wonderful topical video clip here from the BBC which introduces pupils to the pros and cons of setting up a Franchise. Four minutes long, the video is perfect as a lesson starter for just about every business course that requires students to develop their understanding of business startups.
read more...»The Biz Quiz - 1 March 2012
The Biz Quiz for 1 March 2012 is now live!
Launch the Biz Quiz - 1 March 2012
the Biz Quiz - 23 February 2012
The Biz Quiz returns from its half-term break with ten more questions on the recent business news…
Launch The Biz Quiz - 23 February 2012
Takeover insights: Kraft & Cadbury - The Story in Video Clips
The Kraft Foods hostile bid for Cadbury received extensive coverage in the media and many of the issues and well covered in this series of short news clips which help tell the story of the deal. Plenty in here for students, including issues around takeover pricing, strategic rationale, the impact of the deal on shareholders and other stakeholders.
read more...»Video case study - finding success in an engineering niche
This excellent short BBC video looks at a case study of success in UK manufacturing. Granada Material Handling has addressed the issues raised the recession and international competitors. They have focused on a niche market of making lifting equipment for offshore wind farms. Is there a role for government to help UK manufacturers exploit these niche market opportunities? Or is it really about the entrepreneurial spirit of firms like Granada that is the key?
read more...»Video starter - Inside the iPad factory
The first time that any reporters have been allowed inside the iPad factory in China - and what an insight! This clip has it all for superb business studies lesson starter. Technology in production of course; but much more interesting is the issue of people management. Thought-provoking…
read more...»Kit Kat Chunky Champion
Many thanks to Craig McLeod for sending me this brilliant idea that went down a storm in his classroom (Craig recently attended TBBLE Glasgow).
read more...»Developing Exam Skills - SERC your way to success
I had a meeting with the Head of Sixth Form at a school in the North-east yesterday to discuss exam and revision strategies. She teaches sociology but told me about this really simple and effective way of getting students to explain, apply, analyse and evaluate. Its called SERC.
read more...»The Strategic Challenges Facing International Airlines Group - Interview with Willie Walsh
A superb interview here absolutely packed with relevant topics for all A2 business students. Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG (the merged firm that brought together British Airways and Iberia) provides a wide-ranging overview of the strategic issues facing IAG and the airline industry. He talks at length about the strategic rationale for the BA/Iberia merger and the benefits that the merger (as part of a broader process of airline industry consolidation) is starting to generate.
This interview is perfect for students preparing for AQA BUSS4 2012 on Takeovers and Mergers. Take a look at the section starting at about 5 mins 45 seconds, where Walsh talks about the difference between mergers and acquisitions.
Walsh also explains his view on what is meant by leadership in business and explains something about what is involved in being a CEO. He talks about the need to address stakeholder concerns.
BUSS4 gold dust!
read more...»Business Cafe - February 2012
The latest edition of Business Cafe, our digital case study magazine for business students and teachers is now available for download. Many thanks to editor Andy Reeve and his team of contributors for another excellent selection of eight student-friendly articles. The topics covered are summarised below.
read more...»BUSS4 Research Theme - Merger and Takeover Egg Heads
I often find that one of the key challenges with the AQA BUSS4 research theme is finding ways to engage the students with the material in lessons and keeping them motivated and interested in the theme until the Summer.
With this in mind, I will be blogging about some strategies that I have successfully used in the past to engage the students and applying them to the new theme: take-overs and mergers.
read more...»Video resource: Do bonuses work as an incentive for better performance?
A timely short video here from the BBC looks at the way that a simple activity-related bonus improves productivity in a small drilling business. Employees and management seem happy at D-Drill. But, can the use of much larger-scale bonuses in financial services be justified in the same way? A great starting point for discussion with students…
read more...»The history of Apple’s product innovation - in 30 seconds
Short and sweet - this 30 second video that showcases the progression of Apple’s product portfolio. A journey that takes us from the very first Apple prototype computer through to the iPad. Great for illustrating the process of product innovation. You can always pause the video (if you’re quick) to look at the individual products.
read more...»Starter activity - Contingency Planning (Japanese Style)
When it comes to contingency planning, no-one does it better than Japan. And here are two humorous videos that demonstrate the extents to which you can go to prepare for risky events…
read more...»The Biz Quiz - 9 February 2012
The 9 February 2012 edition of The Biz Quiz is now available. Good luck everyone!
Launch the Biz Quiz - 9 February 2012
Download printable version (pdf)
HOD Opportunity - Business Studies & Economics at City of London Freemen’s (Surrey)
Superb HOD opportunities like this don;t come around very often. Good luck to everyone who applies for this role to join the lovely team at COLF.
read more...»Cadbury’s Law - Should UK Firms be Protected from Takeover?
Back in 2010, the effect of the Kraft takeover of Cadbury’s brought business into the realms of politics as the unhappiness felt by some stakeholders spilled directly into the UK’s General Election.
One proposed response from the Labour Party was the so-called Cadbury’s Law, whereby new legislation would attempt to protect UK firms from takeover by foreign companies. Was this a good idea?
read more...»The Biz Quiz - 2 February 2012
Another 10 questions on the business news here…quite easy this week; your quizmaster expects you to get at least 7 out of ten 
Launch The Biz Quiz - 2 February 2012
Leadership - Howard Schultz on the importance of leading an innovative culture
I’m a big fan of Starbucks as a case study for business students which provides some great examples of linkages between the different aspects of business strategy. In this clip from a recent business conference (London 2011), Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz discusses the importance of innovation in a competitive environment where businesses that stand still face defeat.
read more...»Leadership - what is the best leadership style? It depends on the “situation”!
A somewhat different and more formal feel to this video, but it makes an effective classroom resource nonetheless. It introduces an important concept relating to leadership - that of “situational leadership”.
read more...»Leadership - Tough decisions to turn Starbucks around
Here is a gem of an interview with Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. In this short (3 minute) clip he discusses the difficult decisions he had to make about the business when he returned as CEO, including closing stores and making staff redundant. One of the success stories of the 1990s, Starbucks had grown too big and lacked clear focus. Excellent material to generate discussion on leadership, management, motivation, marketing, strategy, retrenchment and more.
read more...»Manufacturing strategy: Is China losing its competitiveness?
Is China still a competitive location for overseas manufacturing? Certainly the nature of manufacturing in China is chaining rapidly, as this 4 minute video from the Financial Times explains. It features European firms that moved their production to China several years ago. However, as wages in China have risen rapidly in recent years, it becomes less cost-effective to make low value-added products in China.
read more...»
