The Extended Essay in IB Business & Management EXTENDED ESSAY

An extended essay in business and management provides you with an opportunity to carry out in-depth research in an area of personal interest relating to business and management. Overview…. What the IB Says

Basically….. The extended essay involves investigating a real business issue related to any area of the IB course So if you have an interest in a particular company, industry, business trend or development you should be able to make an appropriate EE title

Some previous topics that students have investigated…. Steve Jobs leadership Dells falling PC sales Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Apple Vs Samsung Geely acquisition of Volvo Tully’s in Manila The more high profile your issue is, the more easy it will be to find sources of information

Picking a topic – What the IB says You may want to undertake a detailed investigation into work relating to a specific regional/national context, or perhaps practical applications relating to the work of a particular management theorist.

Basically…. You need to pick a recent business issue which you will discuss and apply business concepts and theories to You need to focus your essay on a particular business (or businesses), industry, country or theorist You need to ensure your essay is focussed enough so that it can be adequately answered within 4000 words You need to be able to discuss your issue and come to a conclusion

Choosing a Question - What the IB says The extended essay provides you with an opportunity to develop research skills by reviewing business theory, concepts and principles, and critically analysing how these have been put into practice in the business world and the resultant impact on business activity.

Basically Your EE can’t be too general, you have to choose a specific question to answer You choose your question, then you have to… Research it Discuss it Apply business concepts to it Reach conclusions about it

Example questions… To what extent does ******** marketing strategy for its re- development phase meet the preferences of its customers? “What motivates employees? Can Herzberg’s motivation theory help explain the improvement in productivity at XYZ Ltd?” “How significant has the contribution of Just-in-Time production been in improving efficiency in the textile industry?” “Why has the practice of publishing environmental audits been adopted more widely in Country X than in Country Y?”

Good question formats….. What was the most important factor in …… To what extent has ………. How important is ……….

Research – The IB says This will involve broad and detailed research using a range of sources.

Basically….. Research should be primarily from secondary sources, with Primary research only being used if it is necessary You should aim to find approximately 20 different sources from a range of different perspectives These could be from a mixture of: Journal Articles Newspaper articles (from different countries) Annual Reports Printed Sources Market Data Web sources

Use of Business Tools… The IB Says The extended essay requires the application of business theory, tools and techniques to produce a coherent and structured analytical essay that effectively addresses the research question.

Basically Your discussion can’t just be in general, you must mention the concepts you have learned as part of the IB course. You could also apply tools such as: – Porter’s 5 forces – SWOT analysis – Boston Matrix – PEST analysis – Porter’s generic strategies – Marketing Mix – Lewin’s forcefield analysis – Ratio Analysis – Investment Appraisal

The Process - An Example Decision to investigate the success of Aldi in the UK following record sales figures this Christmas Background research into what information is available on Aldi and the UK supermarket industry Decide on title ‘What is the most important factor contributing to the success of Aldi in the UK’ Thorough research into financial data for Aldi and competitors, market trends, economic data (at least 20 sources) Decision as to which factors are to be discussed Decide what tools/concepts it will be appropriate to use/refer to More research if necessary Write Essay