IBDP Business Management HL & SL – Grade 12 Course Summary
Total Duration: 50 hours
Session Duration: 1.5 hours
Total Sessions: ~34 Sessions
Unit 1: Business Strategy & Introduction to Global Context - 3 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Strategic planning tools (SWOT, Ansoff Matrix, STEEPLE)
- Corporate social responsibility and ethics
- HL: Globalization and its impact on business functions
- Activities: Case evaluations, multinational business strategy exercises
- Assessment Focus: Paper 1 strategic response + Paper 2 structured evaluation
Unit 2: Finance and Accounts (Advanced Concepts) - 6 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Final accounts interpretation (P&L, balance sheet)
- Ratio analysis (profitability, liquidity, efficiency, shareholder)
- HL: Investment appraisal – NPV, ARR, payback
- Cash flow forecasting and budgets
- Activities: Spreadsheet exercises, financial case scenarios
- Assessment Focus: HL Paper 3 financial calculations, Paper 2 analysis
Unit 3: Marketing Strategy and Ethics - 5 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Global marketing, branding, and cultural sensitivity
- Market segmentation and targeting
- Pricing strategies and product life cycle
- HL: E-commerce and international marketing
- Activities: Global campaign analysis, 7Ps evaluation, ethical marketing debates
- Assessment Focus: Paper 2 data response and Paper 1 structured questions
Unit 4: Human Resource Management (Strategic Level) - 4 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Strategic HR planning
- Organizational culture and employer branding
- HL: Industrial/employee relations and ethics
- Activities: HR case simulations, leadership style evaluations
- Assessment Focus: Application of HR strategy in Paper 2 and IA topics
Unit 5: Operations Management (Global Perspective) - 4 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Lean production, quality assurance, Six Sigma
- Location strategies and outsourcing
- Crisis management and contingency planning
- HL: R&D, innovation, and technology in operations
- Activities: Just-in-time system case study, location decision simulations
- Assessment Focus: Extended Response Questions in Paper 2
Unit 6: Internal Assessment (IA) Completion & Final Review - 3 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Reviewing IA structure: research question, sources, tools
- Data analysis and evaluating business decisions
- Final feedback checklist and rubric alignment
- Activities: IA mock presentation, peer review, referencing and formatting
- Assessment Focus: IA (25% HL | 30% SL)
Unit 7: Paper 1 Pre-Release Case Study Training (HL & SL) - 4 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Dissecting the pre-release material
- Anticipating strategic decisions and functional links
- Applying tools: Boston Matrix, CSR grid, Ansoff, etc.
- Activities: Mock paper solving, real-time strategy sessions
- Assessment Focus: Paper 1 Structured + Extended Responses (HL/SL)
Unit 8: Final Exam Prep – Paper Mastery & Command Terms - 4 sessions
- Topics Covered:
- Paper 1: Strategy-based writing and analysis
- Paper 2: Case application and command terms ("Evaluate," "Recommend")
- HL Paper 3: Quantitative and qualitative tool application to unseen stimulus
- Activities: Timed mock exams, peer feedback, examiner-style correction
- Assessment Focus: Full coverage of all external papers