Plain English Business Studies for Year 12

Why is big business a big deal? How do they affect the economy? What sort of influence do they have and how do they impact the ordinary man? Some organisations (such as Microsoft or General Electric) employ more people than some of our large regional cities! They have departments that have hugh budgets to manage. In many cases, the salaries and golden handshakes of the CEOs and MDs, would feed a starving African nation for many months - if not a year! There are some companies, whose brands have become household names. A few of these have become part of our every-day vocabulary. Chances are, one day, you will go out shopping and want some lemonade or cola; but you will look for Coke or Pepsi - not cola.

This text covers characteristics of a large scale organisation:

• The National and the Multinational Corporate Culture and Cultural DNA
• Management structure: Roles, Policy and Performance
• Management styles or management strategy
• Globalisation, Government and Legislation - outside influences on business activity
• Public Opinion and PR Staff
• Staff attrition
• Organisational Inertia: The costs
• Embracing change: New technology, down sizing
• Corporate responsibility
• Conflicts of interest: Ethics, Social Accountability
• Performance