3.9 Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies (A-level only)
Assessing a change in scale
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect A-level exams in 2025 onwards. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The reasons why businesses grow or retrench |
Types of growth to include organic and external |
The difference between organic and external growth |
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How to manage and overcome the problems of growth or retrenchment |
Issues with growth should include:
Issues with managing growth should include Greiner’s model of growth. |
The impact of growth or retrenchment on the functional areas of the business |
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Assessing methods and types of growth |
Methods of growth to include mergers, takeovers, ventures, franchising Types of growth to include vertical (backward and forward), horizontal and conglomerate integration |
Assessing innovation
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The pressures for innovation |
Types of innovation should include product and process innovation. |
The value of innovation |
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The ways of becoming an innovative organisation |
Ways of becoming innovative include:
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How to protect innovation and intellectual property |
Ways of protecting intellectual property include patents and copyrights. |
The impact of an innovation strategy on the functional areas of the business |
Assessing internationalisation
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect A-level exams in 2025 onwards. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
Reasons for targeting, operating in and trading with international markets |
Methods of entering international markets include:
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Factors influencing the attractiveness of international markets |
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Reasons for producing more and sourcing more resources abroad |
Decisions regarding producing overseas include off-shoring and re-shoring. |
Ways of entering international markets and value of different methods |
Targeting overseas markets may include being a multinational. |
Influences on buying, selling and producing abroad |
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Managing international business including pressures for local responsiveness and pressures for cost reduction |
Managing international business includes Bartlett and Ghoshal’s international, multi-domestic, transnational and global strategies. |
The impact on internationalisation for the functional areas of the business |
Assessing greater use of digital technology
Updated
We've made some changes to the subject content in the table below. These changes affect A-level exams in 2025 onwards. To find out what's changed, read our summary of changes. You can also visit our updated specification.
Content |
Additional information |
|---|---|
The pressures to adopt digital technology |
Digital technology should include e-commerce, big data, data mining and enterprise resource planning (ERP). |
The value of digital technology |
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The impact of digital technology on the functional areas of the business |
Download specification
Teaching from 2023
Teaching from 2015
