The HL Business & Management IA

How important is this IA?

• The Extended Essay is worth:

1.5 points

• The Business IA is worth:

2.5 points

Your Task:

• You have to write a report on a current problem facing a real business.

• Your report must include a recommendation to solve the problem.

There are two parts to the IA:

Research

Proposal4 / 25

Business report21 / 25

Research Project25 / 25

4% of the final

mark

21% of the final

mark+ =

25 % of the final

mark

+ =

Or think of it like this:

What do they mean?

• The Research Proposal - is a document that states what and why you are writing your report.

• There is a maximum limit of 500 words.

• The Report itself – states how you are proposing to solve the problem identified.

• There is a maximum limit of 2,000 words.

How will you do this?

• Stage 1 – Produce the Research Proposal

May – June

• Stage 2 – Collect the data and produce a 1st draft

June – August

• Stage 3 – Write up final draft of the Report

September - October

An Example question

Should company ‘x’ improve its marketing

strategy in order to make more profits?

An Example question

Should company ‘x’ improve its marketing

strategy?

An Example question

Should company ‘x’ improve its pricing

strategy?

An Example question

Should company ‘x’ introduce a ‘destroyer’

pricing strategy to product ‘y’?

Stage 1 - The Research Proposal:

The Format:• Research Question -

what are you going to do?• Theoretical Framework -

why are you going to do it?• Methodology -

how are you going to do it?• Anticipated difficulties

what can go wrong & how will you sort it out?

• Action Plan - when will you do it?

Stage 2 - Producing The Data

• Collecting the data

• Collating the data

• Writing the first Draft

The data

• You must collect both primary and secondary data.

• There are two factors that are important when deciding what type of data to collect:

1. How is it to be used?2. How reliable is the data?

Collecting dataExamples of single source &

unreliable data are when the source for your information is only:

• a survey• an interview• a textbook• a website (the company) • one person (the manager)• only the business itself

An example – A Product Positioning Map

High Price

Low Quality

High Quality

Low Price

Apple

Oregon

Creativeiriver

Source:

• “I did a survey of 20 ’randomly’ selected students from my school – as they are the ones who use MP3 players the most.”

High Price

Low Quality

High Quality

Low Price

Apple Nano

MPman

Oregon

Rio

SharpCreative (Muvo)

Beosound

Archos

iriver

Ministry of Sound

Apple Shuffle

Apple Photo

Source:

•“What Hi Fi? Sound & Vision Awards 2005”

Survey criterion – System: MP3, AAC or WMA; Radio, Microphone, Storage capacity, USB, FireWire, Battery life, Dimensions & Weight

The Techniques to use

We recommend two general points

1. Use 3 or 4 techniques.

2. Use at least 1 qualitative and 1 quantitative technique.

Some techniques used well

Decision Making Model

Ratio Analysis Forecasting Decision Trees

Statistics Networking TQM SWOT Analysis

Marketing Models

Budgeting FFA PEST Analysis

Investment Appraisal

Motivational Theory

Ishikawa Fishbone

BCG Matrix

CPA GANTT Charts Surveying & Sampling Techniques

Benchmarking Ansoff Matrix Channels of Distribution

Leadership Theory

Communication Theory

Organisational Charts

Stage 3 - The final write-up

There are four elements in this stage:

1. Reworking the first draft 2. Writing the analysis & evaluation

3. Writing a conclusion & recommendation 4.  Producing the completed project

Writing the analysis & evaluation

You need to consider:

• Link the analysis to your research data

• Be succinct and ordered

• Integrate your data, analysis and evaluation

• Avoid relying too heavily on a single source (the business)

• Use independent sources

• Avoid unsupported generalisations

• Be critical – don’t take everything for granted

Assessment criterion ‘A’:

The Research Proposal:

• Has to be in the format required

• Has to have an ‘adequate’ action plan

• Has to include anticipated difficulties

• Has to be in the word limit

• Has to be a ‘working document’

Assessment criterion ‘B’:

The Report:

• Has to include primary & secondary research

• Has to include qualitative & quantitative data

• Has to be multi sourced

• Has to only include appropriate data

• Has to be used effectively

Assessment criterion ‘C’:

The Report:

• Has to be ‘probing’ – not descriptive

• Has to be objective

• Has to be realistic

• Has to be ‘critically reflective’

• Has to be informative

Assessment criterion ‘D’:

The Report:

• Has to have a succinct set of conclusions

• Has to have a yes/no recommendation

• Has to include unanswered questions

• Has to suggest ways of resolving these

• Has to have no obvious omissions

Assessment criterion ‘E’:

The report:

• Has to have an ‘Executive Summary’

• Has to have accurate & consistent referencing

• Has to include relevant appendices

• Has to be in the word limit