Cambridge Technicals Level 3 Business

Study Notes

Cambridge Technicals Level 3 Business - Unit 1: The Business Environment

Unit: 1
Title: The business environment
Code: A/507/8148
Guided learning hours: 120
Assessment: Externally assessed by OCR; set and marked examination
Aim: Businesses operate in a dynamic, competitive, uncertain and frequently hostile environment. Adapting to changes internally and externally is crucial for success. This includes anticipating competitors, reacting to economic/political shifts, and utilizing new technologies. Understanding the business environment is key for any business profession, manager, charity worker, or entrepreneur.
Business Operation Understanding: Businesses operate in specific ways for various reasons. The unit explores different business types and structures, the interplay of ownership and objectives, the importance of functions working together, and the constraints of legal, financial, ethical, and resource factors.
Business Response to Change: Businesses must adapt to economic, social, and technological changes within their markets; planning is key to this adaptation. The influence of key stakeholders needs to also be considered. Business performance assessment is essential.
Synoptic Links: The knowledge gained links with the other units within the OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical in Business suite.

Teaching Content

Key elements are taught to enable students to achieve higher grades.
Direct questions can be asked about content with examples using the abbreviation "i.e."
Examples using "e.g." are not directly testable subject matter.
Topics cover various types of business activity (primary, secondary, tertiary), different sectors (private, public, third sector), legal business ownership (sole trader, partnership, PLC, etc.), and community interest companies (CICs).
Topics also cover the importance of understanding differing business aims and objectives (e.g., in relation to survival, financial targets, growth objectives).

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1: Understanding different types of businesses and their objectives (types, primary, secondary, tertiary, private, public, third sector). This includes legal business ownership (sole trader, partnership, etc.).
Learning Outcome 2: Understanding how functional areas of businesses work together to support business activities. Includes specific functional tasks (finance, marketing, HR, operations management, customer services, etc.).
Learning Outcome 3: Understanding the effect of different organisational structures on how businesses operate (flat, hierarchical/tall, centralised, decentralised structures). This includes elements like division of work, span of control, chain of command.
Learning Outcome 4: Using financial information to assess the financial health of businesses (cost, revenue, cash flow, net cash flow, profit, break-even point, margin of safety). Interpreting financial statements like income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements are crucial.
Learning Outcome 5: Understanding the relationship between businesses and stakeholders (internal stakeholders – owners, employees, etc.; external stakeholders – customers, suppliers, government, etc.).
Learning Outcome 6: Understanding the external influences and constraints on business (social factors, technological factors, economic factors [interest rates, inflation, unemployment], environmental factors, political factors, and legal factors – current and relevant legislation/regulation).
Learning Outcome 7: Understanding why businesses plan (survival/avoid business failure, developing ideas, meeting objectives, avoiding risks). This includes determining appropriate sources of finance.
Learning Outcome 8: Assessing the performance of businesses to inform future business activities (SWOT analysis, performance interpretation against objectives, benchmarks, and trends over time).