Higher School Certificate
Higher School Certificate
About the Higher School Certificate Course
Board
of Studies Site
The
most important part of HSC Business Studies is the course outcomes.
The course outcomes describe the business knowledge, skills and
understanding that you are expected to learn in business studies. It
is important for you to think about the meaning of the outcomes. For
example outcome H5.3 is communicates business information,ideas
and issues using relevant business terminology and concepts in
appropriate forms. What does this outcome mean? It means that
by the end of the course you will be able to use the language of
business studies in discussing business issues. As well, you will
have to be able to communicate like business managers do - in the
business report text type that you were introduced to in the
preliminary business studies course. You will have to be able to use
business studies words and terminology in answering a question about
business studies - show that you understand this language of business
studies and use the appropriate report format. Many ideas and
concepts in business studies have been developed to show the
relationships between business management and the success and failure
of business. Stakeholders for example is a special term used to
describe those effected by the management of a business as they
respond to changes in the business environment and plan for the
future of the business. You must be able to use this term in the
correct context and demonstrate what it means. Outcomes are used to
develop the exam and assessment questions on which you performance in
the HSC course will be assessed.
What does H3.1 mean? H3.1 is explains management theories
and strategies and their impact on business. Management
theories refer to the models that have been developed to explain how
business management works. Over time different theories have been
developed to explain the best way to organise a business and the best
ways that it can be managed. Since these management theories are
often applied in business you must be able to explain how business is
influenced by these theories. Improving how business is managed is an
important theme in business studies and Australian Business
needs to use management theories to understand the best ways of
business management.
It will be an important exercise for you to try and work out what outcome exactly means about what you should be able to do by the end of the course.
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A Specimen HSC Item
with Outcomes and Marking Guidelines
In
your notes there is a Specimen Higher School Certificate Question (
no 22 ) and the criteria used to assess and mark student's responses.
Question 22 from your notes is a short response question. The
following question from the same paper is Question 26 form the
Business Report section III. Read the question carefully and think
about how you might answer it. Then read the marking criteria, the
marks and the possible answer carefully.
The Question ( After reading Question 26 click on it to see the marking criteria )
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Section IV Question 26 (20 marks) Manufacturing Company Case Study A manufacturing company set up in 1991 grew rapidly until 1998 when it relocated to a new site. Since the move, it has experienced the following:
In your answer you will be assessed on how well you:
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MARKING
GUIDELINES for Question 26 Specimen Business Studies HSC Paper
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· Presents a sustained, logical and well-structured business report that provides a situational analysis and a range of appropriate management strategies · Details management responses to internal and external factors, and the possible strategies to solve the company's problems and provide market opportunities · High-level analysis of the business's functions and operations and their impact on the success of the business · Includes the key features of a business report and uses appropriate business terminology and concepts |
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• Presents a well-organised business report that provides a good situational analysis and suitable management strategies · Identifies management responses to internal and external factors and possible management strategies to solve the company's problems and provide market opportunities · Analyses the businesses functions and operations and their impact on the success of the business · Includes a variety of key features of a business report and uses appropriate business terminology and concepts |
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· Provides a situational analysis and reasonable management strategies · Demonstrates understanding of the business' functions and operations and their impact on the success of the business · Some evaluation of management responses to internal and external factors and management strategies to solve the business' problems and provide market opportunities · Includes some key features of a business report and uses business terminology and concepts |
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· Provides a form of situational analysis and mentions management strategies · Demonstrates some understanding of the businesses functions and operations · Mentions some strategies to solve the company's problems and/or provide market opportunities · Include some key features of a business report |
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· Presents an answer that mentions the situation of the business and may mention management strategies · Mentions some functions and operations of the business · May identify some ways to solve the company's problems and/or provide market opportunities · Uses basic business terminology |
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*Written in a concise manner
Uses headings to differentiate information in the report
Uses sub-headings for subsequent points under the main heading
Uses points to be precise in communicating information
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Preliminary Specimen
Exam and Marking Criteria
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Section III Question 15
Preliminary Outcomes to be assessed P 1.1, P 2.1, P 3.1, P 4.1, P 4.2, P 5.1, P 5.2, P 5.3 |
Marking
Criteria and Suggested Answer to Question 15
Marking Guidelines and Marks
Criteria and Marks
Answers Could Include
Features of a business report
· Written in a concise manner
· Uses headings to differentiate information in the report
· Uses sub-headings for subsequent points under the main
heading
· Uses points to be precise in communicating information that
are presented in linked sentence format
Problems -
- the business is at the end of its life cycle
- the high staff turnover - motivation of staff, management skill,
rostering staff, casual staff
- Cashflow problems and Revenue drop
- inexperienced management of financing,
- poor down turn in economy, GST, stock control, seasonal down turns,
fashionability of the restaurant, ordering and wastage,
- poor marketing
-appropriate pricing strategy
Solutions
- range of menus, quality control, re-establish ordering linkages, recruitment strategies, staff training and staff re-organisation (team strategy)
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of Contents
Draft
Performance Bands in Business Studies
After marking your assessment responses you will be demonstrating your achievement in one of the performance bands which are described below.
The typical performance in this band:
Band 6
· demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and understanding
of business structures,functions and operations
· critically analyses the role of business in Australia and the
ethical and social responsibilities of
management to stakeholders
· demonstrates superior understanding of global business
processes and operations and their
relationship to the global business environment
· evaluates the effectiveness of management responses to
internal and external factors and change that
affect business
· applies specific financial models and data to analyse and
solve business problems and predict future
trends
· synthesises issues concerning the management of business
operations when evaluating its
effectiveness
· clearly communicates using business terminology, business
principles and
comprehensive case studies via business reports and other
audience-appropriate contexts
Band 5
· demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of business
structures, functions and operations
· analyses the role of business in Australia and the ethical and
social responsibilities of management to
stakeholders
· demonstrates detailed understanding of global business
processes and operations and their
relationship to the global business environment
· analyses the effectiveness of management responses to internal
and external factors and change that affect
business
· applies financial models and data to analyse and solve
business problems and predict future
trends
· analyses issues concerning the management of business
operations when evaluating its
effectiveness
· communicates using relevant business terminology, business
principles and case studies via business
reports and other audience-appropriate contexts
Band 4
· demonstrates knowledge and some understanding of business
structures, functions and operations
· explains the role of business in Australia and the social and
ethical responsibilities of management to
stakeholders
· describes global business processes and the global business
environment
· explains management responses to change
· applies financial models and data with some analysis to solve
business problems
· describes issues concerning the management of business
operations when explaining its
effectiveness
· communicates using business terminology, business principles
and case study examples via descriptive
business reports and other contexts
Band 3
· demonstrates basic understanding of business structures,
functions and operations
· describes business roles and identifies some social and
ethical responsibilities of management to
stakeholders
· demonstrates an understanding of business processes and the
business environment
· explains management practices
· refers to financial models and data when solving business
problems
· displays limited analysis of business information
· communicates using basic business terminology and basic
business principles
Band 2
· demonstrates limited understanding of business structures,
functions and operations
· demonstrates limited knowledge of the role of business and
management responsibilities to
stakeholders
· demonstrates elementary understanding of global business
processes
· identifies management practices
· uses elementary financial information
· shows limited communication skills
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