Exam Tip #7
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With the Easter holidays in full swing, May 2011 candidates are busy preparing for their final IB exams. This week’s ‘top tip’ for the B&M exams is about improving evaluation skills…
Top tips for improving evaluation in Business & Management
“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American philosopher
What is evaluation?
• It’s the skill required to be awarded a Level 7 in the examinations!
• Evaluation compares different views about a B&M issue or problem.
• Views and arguments are substantiated, with evidence provided where possible.
• Judgement is made about which argument holds most significance.
• It requires a reasoned (justified) conclusion.
• There is evidence of critical thinking (TOK).
Evaluation and Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
The skill of evaluation is embedded in TOK. Evaluation is as much about asking questions as answering them. For example, students might question:
• Business and Management theories – are these culturally biased? Do they apply to different organisations across the globe? Are they applicable (realistic) in the real and complex business world?
• Data and statistics – how reliable are the results? Is there a ‘hidden agenda’ behind the figures (such as the possibility of window dressing)? How up-to-date are the data?
Evaluation and the integrated nature of B&M
Remember that B&M is an integrated discipline and therefore a single event will have impacts on other aspects of the business. For example, a hostile takeover is likely to affect:
• Organizational structure
• Leadership and management
• Levels of motivation
• Organizational culture
• Crisis management
• Cash flow and working capital
• Budgets
Useful evaluation phrases
The suggested phrases below might help students to focus their answers and to incorporate critical thinking to show that they are evaluating B&M concepts, theories and tools. Remember that the best answers are written in context, with application of real world examples where appropriate.
• However ...
• Nevertheless …
• On the other hand …
• Conversely…
• In reality …
• Other stakeholders of the organization might …
• In the short term … but in the long term ...
• Time lags should be considered because…
• This is likely to cause ... because …
• The most significant of these factors to JKL Ltd. is ... because …
• Managers might question the feasibility of this option because…
• This could cause conflict in the organisation because …
• Hence, this might not be practical because …
• Other factors should be considered by the organization, such as ... because …
• The outcome depends on several factors such as …
• The decision depends on whether ...
• The data suggests that … although …
• The data in the case study imply … but …
• Considering the evidence in the case study, …
• Overall, ...
• On the whole, …
• In conclusion, ...
Good luck!
© Paul Hoang and IBID Press
Click here for details of the upcoming IB Student Revision Workshop in Hong Kong with Level7 Education
Click here for Exam Tip #6
Click here for Exam Tip #5
Click here for Exam Tip #4
Click here for Exam Tip #3
Click here for Exam Tip #2
Click here for Exam Tip #1
Take the three Reach Out quizzes to test your understanding of the pre-seen case study:
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