Business Growth - Lesson Plan: 2 x 1 hour lessons

A series of 'off the shelf' lesson plans and resources for use in the classroom. These lessons deal with Business Growth and are relevant to the following specifications:

• AQA: Unit 6, 15.4
• Edexcel: Unit 6, section 4

Aim:

The lesson explores the issues businesses will need to consider when experiencing growth. The details regarding different types of business growth, mergers, takeovers and integration can be found using the Business Economics Presentation [224 KB]. The Activity uses the case of Jessops, the photographic retailer who floated on the Stock Exchange in 2004 and since then has experienced problems associated with falling sales and a declining share price. Students are asked to do some research into the background of the Jessops company and to identify the factors leading to the decision to float in 2004.

It then gets students to look at what has happened since that time and to consider the factors that might have caused the problems that Jessops has faced. These relate to external problems and are a useful exercise in analysing business growth in changing markets. The digital camera revolution has, it could be argued, run its course, so where does a company like Jessops go to from this point if this is indeed the case?

Students should be encouraged to draw on the summaries of the issues in the Presentation as a means of supporting their analysis.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lessons, students should be able to:

• Identify at least four different ways in which a business might seek growth
• Identify the difference between internal and external growth
• Identify at least four different internal and external sources of finance for growth
• Offer an explanation of the difference between a merger, a takeover and conglomerate acquisition
• Write a clear definition of competitive advantage and state at least three sources of competitive advantage
• Show some evidence of applying the factors above to the case study
• Show evidence through a written presentation of the problems facing firms in experiencing growth
• Demonstrate some of the key skills in the written presentation of analysis and evaluation in relation to the case study

Resources:

• PowerPoint Presentation -Business Growth [264 KB] (basic version also available for quicker download [190 KB])
• Mind Map - Business Growth
• Activity - Business Growth
• PCs for student research

Lesson Structure:

Lesson 1

1. Outline the main learning outcomes of the lesson and show the PowerPoint Presentation on business growth. (15 minutes)
2. Set students the short task of getting further details on the nature of vertical and horizontal integration using the Business Economics Presentation [224 KB] and ask them to identify one example of vertical and horizontal merger and one of vertical and horizontal takeover. (15 minutes)
3. Give out the Activity and explain the tasks. Students should be directed to the BBC Working lunch video clip on the Jessops issue and then should begin working through the tasks. (25 minutes)
4. Review the main outcomes of the lesson. (5 minutes)

Lesson 2

1. Remind students of the tasks in the Activity. (5 minutes)
2. Allow students the time to complete the tasks - students can work in groups but should be encouraged to produce an individual piece of work for assessment. (40 minutes)
3. Bring students together to review their findings and take in the work. Briefly discuss the main issues arising and summarise these on the board. (15 minutes)