Business Studies (Junior Certificate)

Business Studies is an optional subject for the Junior Certificate students in CBC. Business Studies is that part of the curriculum which enables the student to make informed decisions in the everyday business of living which contributes to the student’s understanding of the world of business encouraging  a positive attitude to enterprise and which develops appropriate skills in that field.

Student’s in this subject get to actually use a lot of the skills they pick up in class by getting involved in the Student Enterprise Awards.

The syllabus is balanced between the business education necessary for the individual/household area and business education in a purely commercial context. This balance is achieved by devoting separate syllabus sections to ‘the Business of Living’ and ‘Enterprise’. The business concepts and skills introduced in one are restated and reinforced in the other. A section on economic awareness forms a bridge between these two sections.

The syllabus is outlined below. Topics are interrelated and the achievement of the aims of the syllabus depends upon recognition of the need to integrate these various aspects of Business Studies.

The Business of Living

The management of personal finance is an important life skill which must be practiced by everyone, young and old. In business studies much business knowledge and many of its skills may be taught through reference to familiar situations – personal or household. The topics dealt with in this section include: personal income and expenditure, consumer education, budgeting, financial services for the individual, borrowing and insurance

The development of communications skills, both oral and written, and the skill of efficient record-keeping (and its role in decision-making) are also central to the business of living.

Economic awareness

Without a basic level of economic awareness citizens cannot fully participate in the democratic process. Every day, individuals make economic decisions, as do business firms and governments. It is becoming increasingly difficult to make political choices without some knowledge of economics. Business Studies aims to make some contribution to economic literacy among students in order to enable them to make an informed contribution to the democratic process.

Enterprise

Many of the concepts and skills introduced in ‘the Business of Living’ are restated and reinforced in ‘Enterprise’. The syllabus thus leads the student form the familiar personal/household situation to the less familiar commercial situation. Topics covered in ‘Enterprise’ include forming a business, marketing, business overheads and related accounting including final accounts and balance sheet.

The accounting element seeks to promote in students the attributes of neatness and accuracy; it also seeks to develop the skill of communication in numerical form. It involves the assembly,  recording, processing, analysis and  interpretation of numerical data. Students are introduced to accounting principles and to the key concepts of accountability and control.

Accounting is an important aspect of business education but it should not be taught in isolation from the rest of the syllabus. It should be seen as a form of communication, as a record-keeping process, as a major contribution to decision-making and not as an end in itself.

Information Technology

The advance of new technology has already reached the stage where all students should be given some experience in its operation. Business Studies makes provision for basic keyboard training, it also advocates the use of this skill in operating appropriate computer software. It is recognized that students, teachers and schools face a great challenge with the spread of modern technology. Business Studies can help to meet that challenge in a school environment which is receptive to modern technology

Business

Business’ is a business studies option within the established Leaving Certificate
programme. It is concerned with the understanding of the environment in which business
operates in Ireland and in the wider world. It also involves equipping the students with a
positive view of enterprise and its applications in the business environment, in both the
public and private sectors.

The principles on which this syllabus has been prepared are as follows:

• A common syllabus at higher and ordinary levels to fulfill the aims and objectives of the course.
• A course structured to provide continuation from, and development of, Business
• Studies at Junior Certificate; however, it can also be studied ‘ab initio’.
• A flexibility of design that caters for present-day Irish business education and yet
• is capable of adaptation to future developments in a structured and efficient way.
• The capability of being taught within approximately 180 hours.
• The preparation of students for further education and for adult and working life,
• including the creation of positive attitudes towards self-employment.

Business syllabus

Introduction

Aims

• To contribute to a balanced and appropriate general education, leading to the personal and
• social development of students through a study of business and enterprise.
• To encourage initiative and self-reliance in each student.
• To develop a clear understanding of the role of enterprise, to encourage the development of appropriate enterprise learning skills, and to generate in students a positive and ethical attitude to enterprise in personal, business and public life.
• To develop a critical understanding of the overall environment in which business functions.
• To help prepare students for participation in a changing business environment for adult and working life and also as a basis for further education.

Objectives

• To develop students’ literacy, numeracy, problem-solving and communication skills and to develop an attention to detail in the presentation of information.
• To develop an understanding of the structures, institutions, processes and management of business.
• To enable students to make informed business decisions.
• To enable students to use established commercial principles and knowledge, to critically evaluate commercial information, and to offer solutions to given commercial problems.
• To promote a positive awareness of cultural and social diversity in international business.
• To enable students to understand and appreciate ethics in business.

Structure of syllabus

The syllabus is broken down into three sections: A, B, and C.

Section A People in Business
(Unit 1) Introduction to people in business
People and their relationships in business
Conflicting interests and how they are resolved

Section B Enterprise
(Unit 2) Enterprise
Introduction and definition of enterprise
Entrepreneurs and enterprise skills

(Unit 3) Managing 1
Introduction and definition of management
Managers and management skills
Management activities

(Unit 4) Managing 2
Household and business manager
Human resource management
Changing role of management
Monitoring the business

(Unit 5) Business in action
Identifying opportunities
Marketing
Getting started
Expansion

Section C Environment
(Unit 6) Domestic environment
Categories of industry
Types of business organisation
Community development
Business and the economy
Government and business
Social responsibilities of business

(Unit 7) International environment
Introduction to the international trading environment
European Union
International business