1) 'Globalisation creates more opportunities for UK business than threats.' To what extent do you agree with this statement?

(40 marks) 2) Discuss the impact of recent changes in the UK economic environment on UK retailers and manufacturers. (40 marks) Discussion points: -The relationship between business and the economic environment -Assessing changes in the business envrionment -Economic factors -Variables influencing business activity -GDP -Inflation -RPI -CPI -Demand/cost push inflation -Interest rates -Business cycle -Strategies during recession or recovery -Pros and cons of economic growth to business -Business strategies responding to higher inflation or interest -Rates/unemployment types -Exchange rates - business response to them -Globalisation - free trade, tariffs, quotas - strategies to take advantage of globalisation - pros and cons of it -Developments in emerging markets I'll type up some more in a bit. ----------------------------3) 'Recent government intervention in the economy has created more opportunities than constraints for UK businesses.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? (40 marks) 4) Discuss the likely impact on the success of UK businesses of UK membership of the eurozone (adopting the Euro currency). (40 marks) Discussion points: -The relationship between business and the economic environment -Assessing changes in the business environment -Government intervention - laissez-faire vs. interventionist fiscal policy -Laissez-faire/fiscal/monetary/supply-side policies -Balance of payments (import/export values) - deficit/surplus -Tax rates: income/corporation rates - impact on business of lowering/increasing -VAT -Fuel/alcohol duty - impact on business - elasticity -Increased government spending (expansionary fiscal) -Contractionary fiscal policy - tax increases > government spending -Expansionary fiscal - government borrows more -Business impacts of supply-side policies (all positive) -Business impacts of exchange rates -Business impacts of UK adopting EU -EU - 27 members - free trade -Impact on UK of further EU expansion -Business impacts of legislation - laws: employment - consumer protection - health and safety - environmental protection competition -Pros/cons of legal controls on businesses ----------------------------5) 'The key to successful manufacturing business today is a positive management attitude to technological change.' To what extent do you agree with this view? (40 marks) 6) Discuss the strategies that a UK retailing business could adopt to the increasing acceptance of e-tailing or internet

selling. (40 marks) Discussion points: -The relationship between business and the technological environment -Assessing changes in the business environment -IT -Business applications - pros/cons: wordprocessing/pagemaker & publishing programs/databases - MIS/spreadsheet programs/CAD/CAM/internet/intranet - costs of training - R&D -Social networks -E-tailing (internet) ----------------------------7) To what extent do you consider that UK businesses will be adversely affected by greater competition in the future? (40 marks) 8) 'The announcement by Tesco plc in 2008 of record profits of 2.72bn proves that supermarket power over suppliers is increasing and this trend should be stopped.' To what extent do you agree with this view? (40 marks) Discussion points: -The relationship between business and the competitive environment -Assessing changes in the business environment -Competitive structure in industries - no. firms in market/product differentiation/prices/ease of entry into market -Changes in competitive structure (no. and strength of firms in industry & ease of entry -Monopolistic/Monopoly/Oligopoly -Dominant businesses -Porter's 5 forces -Competition policy - collusion: firms teaming by fixing prices -illegal -Business strategies in response to changes in competitive environment -Porter's 3 competitive strategies - cost leadership/differentiation/focus ----------------------------9) Discuss the likely impact on stakeholder groups if Asda integrated, by takeover, with Morrisons supermarket. (40 marks) 10) 'The ability of management to adapt to internal change is the key to a firm's long-term success.' To what extent do you agree with this view? (40 marks) Discussion points: -Internal causes of change -Managing change -Change in organisational size -Internal growth - opening new branches (organic) -External growth - merger/takeover - (integration) -Synergy (A + B = AB) -Horizontal/vertical backward/vertical forward/conglomerate (random) integration -Retrenchment -Changes in owners/leaders -MB-O - pros/cons -Flotation on Stock Exchange - pros/cons -Poor business performance -Private equity ownership (public to private conversion) - pros/cons ----------------------------11) Discuss the factors that will determine the extent to which a new CEO of an oil company, with a poor safety record and bad reputation for oil spills, will be able to change successfully the culture of the organisation. (40 marks) 12) 'In markets with increasing competition resulting from globalisation, it is essential for all businesses to adopt an entrepreneurial culture if they are to succeed.' To what extent do you agree? (40 marks)

Discussion points: -Internal causes of change -Key influences on change process - culture -organisational culture - power/role/talk/person/entrepreneurial -changing organisational culture - reasons for change - problems of changing - how to change -importance of organisational culture - values/how treated/decisions/participation/performance/success/image with customers ----------------------------13) 'How you gather, manage and use information will determine whether you win or lose' To what extent does information management determine the competitiveness of a business? (40 marks) 14) Using recent examples to support your answer, discuss the key factor that can influence major strategic business decisions. (40 marks) Discussion points: -Making strategic decisions -Implementing and managing change -Business strategy - strategic > tactical > operational -Significance of information management -MIS -PEST analysis -Areas of focus for strategic analysis - SWOT, market research/analysis/test market data/PEST -Strategic choice -Strategy implementation -Different approaches to decision-making - scientific/intuitive -Influences on decision-making - corp. objectives/ethical position/resources available/power of stakeholders ----------------------------15) 'The effective management of change in today's world will be the main factor determining the success or failure of businesses.' To what extent do you agree with this view? (40 marks) 16) Discuss how business leaders can effectively introduce major changes within their organisation. (40 marks) Discussion points: -Internal causes of change -Implementing and managing change -Change management -Causes of change -Stages of change process -Force field analysis (for change vs. against change) -Project champion - supports/drives project forward/explains benefits/assists -Project groups/teams - address problem requiring input from different specialists - work with manager managing change -Promoting change -Resistance to change ----------------------------Extra questions (minus discussion points) - fairly certain these are 40-mark ones too: 1) To what extent do you agree that a business can only succeed in a recession if it offers customers value for money? 2) To what extent do you agree that businesses which took early and decisive action were best placed to survive a significant downturn in their markets during the recession? 3) Why is it that some businesses thrive during a recession whereas many others go out of business? 0 0