Business Studies Level 2 Course Outline
Curriculum Statement
The study of business is about how individuals and groups of people organise, plan, and act to create
and develop goods and services to satisfy customers. This course is designed to help students
understand the place of business as an integral part of the local and global society and the economy.
It aims to promote knowledge and an understanding of business as a productive activity through
fostering an experiential, as well as a theoretical approach to learning using a range of business
contexts. During this course, students will be encouraged to explore and promote an enterprise
culture and to develop financial literacy and enterprise skills.
To achieve these aims, students will
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develop an understanding and an appreciation for the factors and organisations that
influence business objectives, decisions and activities;
develop key competencies in managing self, participating and contributing, relating to
others, thinking and using language, symbols and texts in a business context;
develop knowledge and understanding of how business is organised, financed and operated;
develop initiative and the skills of problem solving and decision-making;
select relevant sources of information and apply appropriate techniques to present and
interpret data effectively.
Course Expectations
This course will expose you to the ‘real world’ of business, particularly as it relates to large
businesses with greater than 20 employees. Business is influenced by and impacts on the cultural,
ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of our communities. In this course, these
concepts will be explored in relation to both internal features of large businesses and external
factors which impact on these organisations within New Zealand. A practical business project will be
undertaken during this course. Students will need to plan, market and refine this business project
over two business cycles and provide recommendations for future activity based on market
feedback.
It is intended that the knowledge and skills gained in Business Studies, will help shape 'creative,
energetic, and enterprising' young people who will be able to contribute to New Zealand’s economic
future.
Assessment Calendar
Date
Term 1
Week 8
Terms 2, 3 and 4
Term 2, Week 7
Type
Standard Title
Credits
Assessment
Internal
2.5
90847
Investigate the application of
motivation theory in a business
3
Written report
23 March
Internal
2.6
90848
Carry out, review and refine a
business activity within a
community context with
guidance
9
Task 1, Business Plan18 June
Task 2, Business Activity 1Completed by 20 July
Task 3, Cycle 1 review30 July
Task 4, Business Plan
review- 6 August
Task 5, Business Activity 2Completed by 12 October
Task 6, Review of
refinements- 19 October
External
2.1
90843
Demonstrate an understanding
of internal operations of a large
business
4
Practice Examination
Demonstrate an understanding
of how a large business
responds to external factors.
4
Term 3, Week 8
Term 3, Week 8
Standard
External
2.2
90844
Final External Examination
1 December
Practice Examination
Final External Examination
1 December
Standard Outline
Achievement Standard 90843
Subject Reference
Business Studies 2.1
Title
Demonstrate understanding of the internal operations of a large business
Level
2
Credits
4
Assessment
External
This achievement standard involves demonstrating understanding of the internal operations of a
large business.
Contexts for learning
A typical learning context for this standard is a large business in New Zealand of more than
20 employees or with a regional or national significance. The business you study must allow
you to demonstrate your understanding of how and why businesses respond to internal
factors as well as the consequences of their operational decisions.
Business knowledge, concepts, and content
Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the following business knowledge,
concepts, and content:
 organisational structure (advantages and disadvantages, tall, flat, matrix, shamrock
 the production process for goods and services (job, batch, flow, lean production,
productivity and efficiency, economies of scale, capacity issues
 roles and skills of managers and leaders (difference between managers & leaders,
leadership styles
 financial information for management to aid decision making (importance of
budgets, variance analysis, monthly revenue and cost reports
 the need for and importance of policies and procedures
 corporate social responsibility (costs and benefits).
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
 Demonstrate understanding
of the internal operations of a
large business.
 Demonstrate in-depth
understanding of the internal
operations of a large business.
Achievement with Excellence
 Demonstrate comprehensive
understanding of the internal
operations of a large business.
Explanatory Notes
Demonstrate understanding typically involves:
 explaining the internal operations
 stating examples
 stating business knowledge relevant to the internal operations
 stating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the internal operations.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding typically involves:
 fully explaining the internal operations
 including examples to support explanations
 including business knowledge relevant to the internal operations to support explanations
 including a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the internal operations to support
explanations.
Demonstrate comprehensive understanding typically involves:
 fully explaining and justifying the internal operations
 integrating examples to fully support explanations
 integrating business knowledge relevant to the internal operations to fully support
explanations
 integrating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the internal operations to fully
support explanations
Glossary of Key Terms
 Internal operations refer to business formation, functions, people, management and
environment.
 A large business refers to any business operating in New Zealand with more than twenty
employees or with a regional or national significance.
 Examples refer to providing relevant information from at least one large business studied
in depth.
Achievement Standard 90844
Subject Reference
Business Studies 2.2
Title
Demonstrate understanding of how a large business responds to external factors
Level
2
Credits
4
Assessment
External
This achievement standard involves demonstrating understanding of how a large business responds
to external factors.
Contexts for learning
A typical learning context for this standard is a large business in New Zealand of more than
20 employees or with a regional or national significance that allows you to demonstrate
your understanding of how and why businesses respond to external factors as well as the
consequences of their operational decisions.
Business knowledge, concepts, and content
Students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the following business knowledge,
concepts, and content:
 political influences (changes to government policy, trade unions and employer
associations)
 social influences (demographic changes on sales and production, ethical influences
and societal expectations of business activity)
 impact of technological change
 legal influences (the Employment Relations Act 2000, Resource Management Act
1991, Privacy Act 1992).
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
 Demonstrate understanding
of how a large business
responds to external factors.
Achievement with Merit
 Demonstrate in-depth
understanding of how a large
business responds to external
factors.
Achievement with Excellence
 Demonstrate comprehensive
understanding of how a large
business responds to external
factors.
Explanatory Notes
Demonstrate understanding typically involves:
 explaining the nature and effects of external factors
 explaining how the business responds to those effects
 stating examples
 stating business knowledge relevant to business response
 stating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to business response.
Demonstrate in-depth understanding typically involves:
 fully explaining the nature and effects of external factors
 fully explaining how the business responds to those effects
 including examples to support explanations
 including business knowledge relevant to business response to support explanations
 including a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to business response to support
explanations.
Demonstrate comprehensive understanding typically involves:
 fully explaining and justifying how the business responds to the effects of external factors
 integrating examples to fully support explanations
 integrating business knowledge relevant to business response to fully support explanations
 integrating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to business response to fully
support explanations.
Glossary of Key Terms
 External factors refer to those outside of the business’s control that can affect its
formation, functions, people, management and environment.
 Business response refers to decisions taken by the business in response to external factors.
Achievement Standard 90847
Subject Reference
Business Studies 2.5
Title
Investigate the application of motivation theory in a business
Level
2
Credits
3
Assessment
Internal
This achievement standard involves investigating the application of motivation theory in a business.
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Contexts for learning
The context for learning is a suitable business (with identifiable motivation practices)
connected to the student’s life and community.
You are required to undertake all aspects of an investigation, which typically includes
planning the research, collecting and recording data, presenting and comprehensively
explaining the findings as they relate to the nominated theory and case study practice.
Business knowledge, concepts, and content
This achievement standard requires you to demonstrate your understanding of the
following business knowledge, concepts, and content (in no particular order):
the purpose of motivation
different types of motivation, for example, collective (whānau, hapū, iwi) versus individual
profit motivation
theories (Maslow, Taylor, Mayo, Herzberg, McGregor, Vroom)
factors (financial and non-financial, intrinsic and extrinsic)
evaluation of motivation techniques for business success.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
 Investigate the application of
motivation theory in a business.
 Investigate in-depth the
application of motivation theory
in a business.
Achievement with Excellence
 Comprehensively investigate
the application of motivation
theory in a business.
Explanatory Notes
Investigate typically involves:
 collecting evidence relevant to the motivation practice(s) in a business
 stating results of the investigation supported by relevant examples explaining the
relationship between the motivation practice and motivation theory
 stating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the motivation theory.
Investigate in depth typically involves:
 collecting in-depth evidence about the motivation practice(s) in a business
 explaining results of the investigation supported by relevant examples
 fully explaining the relationship between the motivation practice and motivation theory
 including a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the motivation theory to support
explanations.
Comprehensively investigate typically involves:
 collecting in-depth evidence about the motivation practice(s) in a business from a range of
sources
 fully explaining the results of the investigation supported by relevant examples
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justifying the link between the motivation theory and the motivation practice
integrating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the motivation theory to fully
support explanations
Glossary of Key Terms
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Motivation theory refers to those theories defined under the content and concepts in the
Teaching and Learning Guide for Business Studies.
Motivation practice refers to the business practice(s) used to motivate staff.
Application of motivation theory refers to candidate analysis of the relationship between
the motivation practice(s) and theory.
Achievement Standard 90848
Subject Reference
Business Studies 2.6
Title
Carry out, review and refine a business activity within a community context with
guidance
Level
2
Credits
9
Assessment
Internal
This achievement standard involves carrying out, reviewing and refining a business activity
within a community context with guidance.
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Contexts for learning
The business activity for this standard must be developed and carried out within a
community/ hapū context. This means the activity could:
be a service to the community or part of the community
sponsor, fundraise or donate profit or products to a community group, activity or non-profit
organisation
create an awareness campaign for a local community group.
The community context could be a school, church, kohanga reo or marae, youth
organisation, retirement village, sports club, local council including parks and recreation, an
environmental group or a local branch of a non-profit organisation.
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This will be an ongoing business activity, with at least two business cycles and will be
undertaken with teacher guidance.
Business knowledge, concepts, and content
This achievement standard requires you to:
plan – develop a business plan (which should include the following sections-an executive
summary, an introduction, business goals (including values and priorities) marketing,
people, finance, operations)
carry out first cycle – the planned business must be carried out with reference to the
business plan
review first cycle – after the first cycle the activity should be reviewed by comparing the
actual outcomes to the planned outcomes
refine business plan – as a result of the first cycle review the business plan is refined with
the aim of improving the outcomes
carry out second cycle – the second cycle is carried out with reference to the refined
business plan
review refinements made for second cycle – after the second cycle is carried out the effect
of the refined business plan including changes made to the activity are reviewed
refine business plan – further refinements arising from the review to the market activity
with the aim of making improvement(s) are suggested.
You are required to demonstrate relevant business knowledge, concepts, and content for
Māori business concepts, if relevant, throughout the entire business activity. For Māori
businesses, the cultural values and priorities should be clearly articulated and provided for
in the planning and review phases.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
 Carry out, review and refine a  Carry out, review and refine a  Comprehensively carry out,
business activity within a
business activity in depth
review and refine a business
community context with
within a community context
activity within a community
guidance.
with guidance.
context with guidance.
Explanatory Notes
Carry out, review and refine a business activity typically involves:
 planning for a guided business activity
 carrying out a first cycle of the business activity
 reviewing the first cycle of the business activity
 stating refinements to the business activity
 carrying out a second cycle of the refined business activity
 stating business knowledge relevant to the business activity
 stating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the business activity
 stating how well the business activity was performed in the second cycle
 comparing the outcome of the business activity with the original planned business activity
 making the changes arising from the review to the market activity with the aim of making
improvement(s).
Carry out, review and refine a business activity in depth typically involves:
 planning in-depth for a guided business activity
 using reasoned explanations to refine the business activity
 including business knowledge relevant to the business activity to support explanations
 including a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the business activity to support
explanations
 reviewing in-depth how well the business activity was performed in the second cycle
 comparing the outcome of the second cycle to the business plan made after the review of
the first cycle
Comprehensively carry out, review and refine a business activity typically involves:
 comprehensive planning for a guided business activity
 integrating business knowledge relevant to the business activity to fully support
explanations
 integrating a Māori business concept(s) where relevant to the business activity to fully
support explanations
 refining the business plan for the future
Glossary of Key Terms
 A community context means the business activity must have a community well-being focus
and operate in the wider community.
 Well-being refers to improving the social, mental or physical health of a community or
improving community cohesion.
 With guidance refers to teacher assistance given in relation to the business activity and
ethical aspects.
 Review means comparing the outcome of the business activity with the original planned
business activity
 Review-in-depth means comparing the outcome of the second cycle to the business plan
made after the review of the first cycle
 Refine means making the changes arising from the review to the market activity with the
aim of making improvement(s).
 A business activity refers to the production of a good or service.
In 2015, students will be examined on the Māori business concept of ‘Pūtake’ which refers
to the origin or reason for being of a business.
Students will also learn about the following Maori concepts:
 tikanga
 tūranga
 kaitiakitanga
 rangatiratanga
Further information about these concepts will be given during the year.