Email: m.naidoo@kingscollege.school.nz

Why do Business Studies?

Research has indicated that an increased uptake in business courses is due to the fact that students are being increasingly pressurised to think about the future beyond present studies, whether this is in the form of higher education or a career.

Business Studies offers a more direct link to the real world than traditional subjects, preparing students for the future. It also complements the study of the specialist subjects Accounting and Economics.

Various industrial and commercial sectors have frequently re-iterated the importance of industrial understanding as a pre-requisite to work, focusing on 4 central learning criteria; knowledge, skills, concepts and attitudes (ability to distinguish facts from fiction). There is an increasing demand for a new generation of skills-based students.

Business education represents the broader picture of industrial and commercial activity, incorporating aspects such as marketing and human resources as well as encompassing economic theories and financial management.

A background in Business Studies is useful for any person with career interests in areas such as Commerce, Law, Business Management, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Retailing, Manufacturing, Tourism, Insurance, Information Technology, Resource Management, Consultancy and self-employment.

Business Studies at King's College begins with Year 10 Business Education - an introduction to the business world and leads into both NCEA and CIE Accounting and Economics.

 

Business Studies (NCEA Level 2)

This course covers some or all of the following standards and focuses on students ability to : demonstrate understanding of the internal operations of a large business; demonstrate understanding of how a large business responds to external factors; apply business knowledge to a critical problem(s) in a given large business context; conduct market research for a new or existing product; investigate the application of motivation theory in a business; carry out, review and refine a business activity within a community context with guidance.

The total number of Achievement Standards that may be available is 27; 12 External and 15 Internal.

Business Studies (IGCSE)

At this entry level of Business Studies successful students will gain lifelong skills in understanding different forms of business organisations and the environment in which they function such as marketing, operations and finance. They will also appreciate the critical role of people in business success, gain confidence to calculate and interpret business data, enhance their communication skills and their ability to analyse business situations and reach decisions.

Business Studies (AS)

This course forms the first half of a two-year pre-university Business Studies programme of study. There are no pre-requisites for the study of this course but students are expected to have sound literacy and numeracy skills.

This course is a study of how businesses within society best use and combine their resources in order to produce the products customers need and want.  Students of this course will develop an understanding of the role and purpose of business activity in the public and private sectors, and the importance of innovation and change.  They will learn how the major types of business organisations are set up, financed and operated and how their activities are regulated. The factors that influence business decisions, activities and outputs will also be considered. 

Business Studies (A2)

There is no repetition of the AS level course, instead students extend the concepts previously learned and investigate new issues in each of these topics: Business and its environment, People in organisations, Marketing, Operations and project management, Finance and accounting and lastly, strategic management.

A2 Business Studies encourages students to understand and appreciate the nature and scope of business, its role in society and to develop critical understanding of organisations, the markets they serve and the process of adding value. This involves consideration of the internal working and management of organisations and, in particular, the process of decision-making in a dynamic external environment.

Students wishing to undertake the course should possess competence in English and Mathematics, and have very strong problem solving skills.