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Business Studies Definitions

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  • These added to the prices of goods and taxpayers pay the tax as they purchase the goods. 
    Indirect taxes
  • Describes the stages a product will pass through from its introduction, through its growth until it is mature and then finally its decline. 
    Product life cycle
  • Refers to people who are potential buyers of a product or service. 
    Target audience
  • The structure in an organisation which allows instructions to be passed down from senior management to lower levels of management. 
    Chain of command
  • A picture that shows the levels of management and division of responsibilities within an organisation. 
    Organisational structure
  • The percentage of total market sales held by one brand or business.  
    Market share
  • This kind of growth happens when a business expands its existing operations. 
    Internal growth
  • This occurs by watching a more experienced worker doing the job. 
    On-the-job-training
  • An introduction given to a new employee, explaining the firm's activities, customs and procedures and introducing them to their fellow workers. 
    Induction training
  • This is our natural world. 
    Environment
  • A payment relating to the number of sales made . 
    Commission
  • Employment of between 1 and 30-35 hours a week, often because employees have other responsibilities. 
    Part-time
  • these have factories, production or service operations in more than one country. 
    Multinational businesses
  • This is the rise in the value of a currency compared to other currencies. 
    Exchange rate appreciation
  • An identifiable sub-group of a whole market in which consumers have similar characteristics or preferences.
    Market segment
  • Involves being trained away from the workplace, usually by specialist trainers. 
    Off-the-job-training
  • A payment for work, usually paid weekly. 
    Wage
  • These are the gains to a business. 
    Private benefit
  • Shows how the gross profit of a business is calculated. 
    Trading account
  • The owners of a limited company. They buy shares which represent part ownership of a company. 
    Shareholders
  • These are costs paid for by the rest for society, other than the business, resulting from business activity. 
    External costs
  • This is a physical limit to the quantity of a product that can be imported. 
    Import quota
  • Cash flow cycle shows the stages between paying out cash for labour, materials, etc. and receiving cash from the sale of goods. 
    Cash flow cycle
  • An image or identity given to a product which gives it a personality of its own and distinguishes it from its competitors brands. 
    Brand image
  • When employees vote on the decision-making process. 
    Democratic
  • A type of communication which allows a response. 
    Two-way
  • Net cash flow is the difference, each month, between inflows and outflows.  
    Net cash flow
  • Money obtained from sources outside of and separate from the business. 
    External finance
  • Cash inflows are the sums of money received by a business during a period of time. 
    Cash inflows
  • Made when sales revenue is greater than the cost of goods sold.  
    Gross profit
  • This is the term widely used to describe increases in worldwide trade and movement of people and capital between countries. 
    Globalisation
  • the reason why employees want to work hard and work effectively for the business. 
    Motivation
  • Goods and services sold from one country to other countries. 
    Exports
  • Workers swapping round and doing each specific task for only a limited time and then changing round again. 
    Job rotation
  • A decision taken by a manager or a company because of the moral code observed by the firm. 
    Ethical decision
  • Pay which is related to the effectiveness of the employee where their output can easily be measured. 
    Performance-related pay
  • An economy that has both a private sector and a public sector. 
    Mixed economy
  • Any change by the government in tax rates or public-spending. 
    Fiscal policy
  • When information is sent and received casually with the use of everyday language. 
    Informal
  • This is when consumers decide not to buy products from businesses that do not act in a socially responsible way. 
    Consumer boycott
  • Balance sheet shows the value of a business's assets and liabilities at a particular time. 
    Balance sheet
  • When the product is priced in line with or just below competitor's prices to try to capture more of the market. 
    Competitive pricing
  • Any person or group with a direct interest in the performance and activities of a business. 
    Stakeholder
  • The process from identifying that the business needs to employ someone up to the point at which applications have arrived at the business. 
    Recruitment
  • The fall in the value of a currency compared with other currencies. 
    Exchange rate depreciation
  • A section of the market which is very large, and lacks any specific definition.  
    Mass market
  • The reply from the receiver which shows whether the message has arrived, been understood and, if necessary, acted upon. 
    Feedback
  • A plan to combine the right combination of the four elements of the marketing mix for a product or service to achieve a particular marketing objective(s). 
    Marketing strategy
  • A legal meeting which considers workers complaints of unfair dismissal or discrimination at work. 
    Industrial tribunal
  • Incentives such as special offers or special deals aimed at consumers to achieve short-term increases in sales.
    Sales promotion
  • The finance needed by a new business to pay for essential fixed and current assets before it can begin trading. 
    Start-up capital
  • The price of one currency in terms of another. 
    Exchange rate
  • The cost of producing or buying-in the goods actually sold by the business during a time period.  
    Cost of goods sold
  • The person who receives the message. 
    Receiver
  • When a product is sold at a very low price for a short period of time. 
    Promotional pricing
  • Scarcity is the lack of sufficient products to fulfill the total wants of the population. 
    Scarcity
  • When people are selected at random as a source of information for market research. 
    Random sample
  • Makes the broad objectives of the business known to employees, but then they are left to make their own decisions and organise their own work. 
    Laissez-faire
  • A set of questions to be answered as a means of collecting data for market research. 
    Questionnaire
  • A business whose main focus of activity is on the product itself. 
    Product-orientated
  • When all employees must be a member of the same trade union. 
    Closed Shop
  • Produced at the end of the financial year and give details of the profit or loss made over the year and the worth of the business. 
    Final accounts
  • Adding tasks that require more skill and/or responsibility as a means of motivating staff. 
    Job enrichment
  • Items of value which are owned by the business. They may be fixed (non-current) or short-term (current).
    Assets
  • This occurs when the value of a currency rises - it buys more of another currency than before.
    Currency appreciation
  • Specialists who provide support, information and assistance to line managers. 
    Staff managers
  • An Employee’s only job, usually over 35 hours or more a week. 
    Full-time
  • When a vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing employee of the business. 
    Internal recruitment
  • A business with social objectives as well as an aim to make a profit to reinvest back into the business. 
    Social enterprise
  • The professionally qualified people who have responsibility for keeping accurate accounts and for producing the final accounts. 
    Accountants
  • The net profit reinvested back into a company, after deducting tax and payments to owners, such as dividends. 
    Retained profit
  • A form of business in which two or more people agree to jointly own a business. 
    Partnership
  • A legal condition that means the liability of shareholders in a company is only limited to the amount they invested. 
    Limited liability
  • These are decisions based on a moral code. 
    Ethical decisions
  • This is development which does not put at risk the living standard of future generations. 
    Sustainable development
  • Specialisation occurs when people and businesses concentrate on what they are best at. 
    Specialisation
  • This is a tax on an imported product. 
    Import tariff
  • This is a change in interest rates by the government or central bank. 
    Monetary policy
  • The fall in the value of a fixed asset over time. 
    Depreciation
  • These are paid directly from incomes. 
    Direct taxes
  • This is when a business decision benefits stakeholders other than shareholders. 
    Social responsibility
  • This is when an employee is no longer needed and so loses their job. It is not due to any aspect of their work being unsatisfactory. 
    Redundancy
  • A business which carries out market research to find out consumer wants before a product is developed and produced. 
    Market-orientated
  • These exist when countries agree to trade imports/exports with no barriers such as tariffs and quotas. 
    Free trade agreements
  • Current liabilities are short-term debts owed by the business. 
    Current liabilities
  • When people are selected on the basis of certain characteristics (such as age, gender or income) as a source of information for market research. 
    Quota sample
  • A legal condition that means the owners of a business can be held responsible for all the debts of the business they own. Their liability is not limited to the investment they made in the business. 
    Unlimited liability
  • The physical container or wrapping for a product. It is also used for promotion and selling appeal. 
    Packaging
  • The process of providing financial services (including small loans) to poor people not served by traditional banks. 
    Micro finance
  • Private benefits + external benefits 
    Social benefit
  • A term which is used to describe all the activities which go into marketing a product or service. These activities are often summarized as the four P's - product, price, place, and promotion.
    Marketing mix
  • These are production methods that do minimum damage to the environment. 
    Sustainable production methods
  • When one firm merges with or takes over another one in the same industry but at a different stage of production, it can be forward (higher stage of production) or backward (lower stage of production). 
    Vertical integration
  • The enjoyment derived from a feeling that you have done a good job. 
    Job satisfaction
  • Goods and services bought in by one country from other countries. 
    Imports
  • The unique name of a product that distinguishes it from other brands. 
    Brand name
  • Giving a subordinate the authority to perform particular tasks. 
    Delegation
  • this exists when people who are willing and able to work cannot find a job. 
    Unemployment
  • The collection and collation of original data via direct contact with potential or existing customers. 
    Primary research
  • A want is a good or service which people would like to have, but which is not essential for living. People's wants are unlimited. 
    Want
  • The finance needed by a business to pay its day-to-day costs. 
    Working capital
  • These the costs paid for by the business. 
    Private costs
  • Information that has already been collected and is available for use by others. 
    Secondary research
  • Non-financial rewards given to employees.
    Fringe benefits
  • The process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a market. 
    Market research
  • ______________ communication. Outside of the company. 
    External
  • A financial plan for the marketing of a product or product range for some specified period of time. 
    Marketing budget
  • The means by which a product is passed from the place of production to the customer or retailer. 
    Distribution channel
  • This establishes the workforce needed by the business for the foreseeable future in terms of the number and skills of employees required. 
    Workforce planning
  • Liabilities are the debts owed by the business. 
    Liabilities
  • Closing cash is the amount of cash held by the business at the end of each month. This becomes next month's opening cash balance. 
    Closing cash (or bank) balance
  • Where a high price is set for a new product on the market. 
    Price skimming
  • This is when a government protects domestic firms from foreign competition using tariffs and quotas. 
    Protectionism
  • Working capital is the capital available to a business in the short-term to pay for day-to-day expenses. 
    Working capital
  • This identifies and records the responsibilities and tasks relating to a job. 
    Job analysis
  • Different approaches to dealing with people when in a position of authority - autocratic, laissez-faire or democratic.
    Leadership styles
  • Opening cash is the amount of cash held by the business at the start of the month. 
    Opening cash (or bank) balance
  • When one firm merges with or takes over another one in the same industry at the same stage of production. 
    Horizontal integration
  • A need is a good or service essential for living. 
    Need
  • Where extra tasks of a similar level of work are added to a worker's job description. 
    Job enlargement
  • Non-current liabilities are long-term debts owed by the business. 
    Non-current liabilities
  • Liquidity is the ability of a business to pay back its short-term debts. 
    Liquidity
  • This occurs when the value of a currency falls - it buys less of another currency.
    Currency depreciation
  • A type of communicatio which does not require a response. 
    One-way
  • The proportion of total market sales achieved by one business. 
    Market share
  • This is when a country's gross domestic product increases - more goods and services are produced than in the previous year.
    Economic growth
  • This sector extracts and uses the natural resources of the earth to produce raw materials used by other businesses 
    Primary sector
  • Where the emphasis of advertising or sales promotion is to give full information about the product. 
    Informative advertising
  • When two or more businesses agree to start a new project together, sharing the capital, the risks and the profits. 
    Joint venture
  • A measure of the responsiveness of demand to a change in price. 
    Price elasticity
  • Illiquid means that assets are not easily convertible into cash. 
    Illiquid
  • The financial records of a firm's transactions. 
    Accounts
  • A document which outlines the requirements, qualifications, expertise, physical characteristics, etc. for a specified job. 
    Job specification
  • When one business buys out the owners of another business. 
    Takeover
  • A system whereby a proportion of the company's profits is paid out to employees. 
    Profit sharing
  • Factors that stop effective communication of messages. 
    barriers
  • A payment for work, usually paid monthly. 
    Salary
  • The buying and selling of goods and services using computer systems linked to the internet, 
    E-commerce
  • This is made up of people who want to change business (or government) decisions and they take action such as organizing consumer boycotts. 
    Pressure group
  • A document that outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carried out by someone employed to do a specific job. 
    Job description
  • An independent person or business that is appointed to deal with the sales and the distribution of a product or range of products. 
    Agent
  • When the price is set lower than the competitor's pricing in order to be able to enter a new market. 
    Penetration pricing
  • Current assets are owned by a business and used within one year. 
    Current assets
  • Money spent on day-to-day expenses which do not involve the purchase of a long-term asset, for example wages or rent. 
    Revenue expenditure
  • A period of falling GDP. 
    Recession
  • the increase in the average price level of goods and services over time. 
    Inflation
  • Opportunity cost is the next best alternative given up by choosing another item. 
    Opportunity cost
  • The cost of manufacturing the product plus a profit mark
    Cost-plus pricing
  • Have direct responsibility over people below them in the hierarchy of an organisation. 
    Line managers
  • Capital employed is shareholders' equity plus non-current liabilities and is the long-term and permanent capital invested in a business. 
    Capital employed
  • ______________ of communication: The method.
    Medium
  • Cash flow of a business is the cash inflows and outflows over a period of time. 
    Cash flow
  • An additional amount of payment above basic pay as a reward for good work. 
    Bonus
  • An written and legal agreement between business partners. Not essential to have it but always recommended. 
    Partnership agreement
  • A group of people who are representative of the target market. 
    Focus group
  • Cash flow forecast is an estimate of future cash inflows and outflows of a business, usually on a month-by-month basis. This then shows the expected cash balance at the end of each month. 
    Cash flow forecast
  • A method of assessing the effectiveness of an employee. 
    Appraisal
  • A small, usually specialized, segment of a much larger market.  
    Niche market
  • A business that does not have a separate legal identity. Sole traders and partnerships are unincorporated businesses. 
    Unincorporated business
  • The number of subordinates working directly under a management. 
    Span of control
  • How much something is worth. 
    Value
  • A group of workers who have joined together to ensure their interests are protected. 
    Trade union
  • The income to a business during a period of time from the sale of goods or services. 
    Sales revenue
  • Where shares in the company are given to employees so that they become part owners in the company. 
    Share ownership
  • This sector of industry manufactures goods using raw materials provided by the primary sector. 
    Secondary sector
  • This is the level of income a taxpayer has after paying income tax. 
    Disposable income
  • A group of people who are selected to respond to a market research exercise, such as a questionnaire. 
    Sample
  • ______________ communication. Inside the company. 
    Internal
  • The surplus after total costs have been subtracted from sales revenue.  
    Profit
  • This sector of industry provides services to consumers and the other sectors of industry. 
    Tertiary sector
  • Where the manager expects to be in charge of the business and to have their orders followed. 
    Autocratic
  • A document that records the income of a business and all costs incurred to earn that income over a period of time (for example one year). It is also known as profit and loss account. 
    Income statement
  • A legal agreement between employer and employee listing the rights and responsibilities of the workers. 
    Contract of employment
  • When consumers keep buying the same brand again and again instead of choosing a competitor's brand. 
    Brand loyalty
  • Non-current assets are items owned by the business for more than one year. 
    Non-current assets
  • When messages are sent through established channels using professional language. 
    Formal
  • These are the gains to the rest of society, other than the business, resulting from business activity. 
    External benefits
  • The state of being responsible for something, especially by law. 
    Liability
  • Money obtained from within the business itself. 
    Internal finance
  • This is the value of income, and it falls when prices rise faster than money income. 
    Real income
  • The total value of output of goods and services in a country in one year. 
    Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
  • A business owned by one person. 
    Sole trader
  • The profit made by a business after all costs have been deducted from sales revenue. It is calculated by subtracting overhead costs from gross profits. 
    Net profit
  • Any advertising or promotion which is trying to persuade the consumer that they really need the product and should buy it. 
    Persuasive advertising
  • These records the difference between a country's exports and imports. 
    Balance of payments
  • Companies that have separate legal status from their owners. 
    Incorporated business
  • Cash outflows are the sums of money paid out by a business during a period of time. 
    Cash outflows
  • A businesses not owned by the government. 
    Private sector
  • Private costs + external costs 
    Social costs
  • Money spent on fixed assets which will last for more than one year. 
    Capital expenditure
  • This is the name for the merging of two firms. 
    Integration
  • When the owners of two businesses agree to join their firms together to make one businesses. 
    Merger
  • A business owned by the government on behalf of the people. They serve the needs of society and not profit. 
    Public sector
  • The special feature of a product that differentiates it from the products of competitors. 
    USP
  • When a vacancy is filled by someone who is not an existing employee and will be new to the business. 
    External recruitment