10 MARK QUESTIONS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

“THE FINAL QUESTION WILL BE WORTH 10 MARKS. THIS QUESTION WILL BE DRAWN FROM UNITS 3 OR 4, OR BOTH.” VCAA EXAM SPECIFICATIONS: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

ANSWERING THE TEN MARK QUESTION This question is a ‘discriminator’ question. Students who do OK on this question, do OK on the exam. It may ask you to draw on knowledge from Unit 3, Unit 4 or both. 10 marks / 65 marks = Approximately 15% of the paper. 15% of 120 minutes is 18 minutes. Don’t spend more than 20 minutes on this question.

ANSWERING THE TEN MARK QUESTION TOP TIPS FOR ANSWERING 10 MARK QUESTIONS 1.You can expect higher order task words to be used (evaluate, analyse, discuss, compare etc.). Address all parts of the question carefully. Ensure you follow the requirements for each task word. (Analyse means to break up into parts and show how something works / cause and effect etc.) 2.It is an extended response question and not an essay so an introduction and conclusion etc. is generally not expected. HOWEVER, including an introductory and a concluding statement (not paragraph) would contribute to the general impression of a good answer! 3.Adopt a mechanical approach and address it part by part. Use signposts! 4.Do not do the extended response question first. You are always going to be tense when you begin an exam. You don’t want to go blank; this question is worth 15% of the paper! Do it later on when you have more confidence from answering other, less complex questions. If you want, you could do a plan at the beginning and write it up later.

PRACTICE 10 MARK QUESTIONS Question 1: Define what it means to be an ethical and socially responsible large-scale organisation. Describe the benefits of operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner and outline five (5) separate strategies that a Senior Management Team could implement to communicate a commitment to ethics and social responsibly. Question 2: Discuss two (2) strategies that an Operations Manager could adopt to optimise operations in a manufacturing organisation. Explain the management role of controlling and identify two (2) performance indicators that the Operations Manager could use to evaluate his or her operations management strategies.

PRACTICE 10 MARK QUESTIONS Question 3: Define the term corporate culture. Identify and explain three (3) performance indicators that might suggest an organisation has a positive corporate culture. Analyse which management style is most conducive to developing a positive corporate culture. Question 4: Analyse the relationship between the operations function and the achievement of business objectives. Many Australian fashion labels have decided to outsource the manufacturing of their garments to factories in Asia in order maintain their competitiveness in the market. Define the term ‘outsourcing’ and explain how it can contribute to competitiveness. Explain how the decision to outsource will impact on two stakeholders groups.

PRACTICE 10 MARK QUESTIONS Question 5: A number of female employees at the Melbourne Banking Corporation have lodged complaints with Human Resources in relation to the organisation’s pay scheme and opportunities for promotion. There have been complaints that some female staff members are being paid less than male staff members for comparable roles and that competent female staff members are being passed over for promotion in favour of male staff members. Senior Management team have decided to develop a pay and promotion policy. Identify the pressure and related organisational environment that would be regarded as the major contributor the Melbourne Banking Corporation’s desire to develop a policy on pay and promotion. Discuss the impact of the current situation on the organisation’s corporate culture. Describe the policy development process that Melbourne Banking Corporate would go through to develop a policy on pay and promotion. Identify and justify which management style should be used during policy development and implementation.

1O MARK QUESTION: STRATEGISING Highlight the key question / task words. Note down what the question / task words are asking you to do. Identify the different parts of the question. What will you do first and why? In a couple of sentences, summarise how you will approach this question. Share with the whole class. Individually, answer the question. You have 20 minutes. Share a couple of answers with the class. Receive feedback.