Business Grade 11 Notes Term 3 2024
Business Grade 11 Notes Term 3 2024
BUSINESS
STUDIES
GRADE11
TERM 3
LEARNERS NOTES 2024
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Business Studies Grade 11 notes
Term Definition
Business skills Includes skills such as marketing, financing, purchasing and
organizational skills.
Perseverance When an entrepreneur does not give up despite challenges
and problems.
Sustainability Ability of the business to continue without doing damage to the
environment and the community in which it operates.
Profitability Financial gain
Customer base The number of customers in the database that the buyers of a
product or service.
Passion Believing something very strongly and showing enthusiasm to
achieve the best outcome.
Opportunity Gaps in the market where an entrepreneur can make money.
Confidence Entrepreneurs believing in themselves and believe that they
can achieve their goals.
Taking risks Risks are classified as unforeseen events that can impact
negatively on events
Creativity Coming up with something new or doing things in a new way.
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2 Qualities of an entrepreneur
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Starting and running a business requires considerable energy and the ability
to focus on business objectives.
High energy levels and good health are essential.
2.6 Perseverance
Successful entrepreneurs do not give up despite challenges and problems
Most successful entrepreneurs face obstacles and only become successful
after failing several times.
They have a positive attitude towards failure and believe that difficulties are
merely opportunities
They put in long hours and continuous efforts to get a business operating
successfully, even when a particular day may make him/her tired and
discouraged.
They are able to change difficulties into challenges and have the ability to be
resilient
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3 Example of entrepreneurial qualities from a scenario:
Read the scenario below and answer the questions that follow.
Thuli the owner of Elite Salon did not lose hope when the Covid-19 pandemic
threatened her business profits. She decided to provide special services for
her clients who are still not able to visit the salon during stage 3 of the lockdown
regulation. She provided masks and gloves for her clients who my want to
utilise her services without wearing these products.
SUGGESTED RESPONSES
QUALITIES OF AN ENTREPRENEUR MOTIVATIONS
Perseverance √√ Thuli the owner of Elite Salon did not
lose hope when the Covid-19
pandemic threatened her business
profits. √
Creativity and innovation √√ She decided to provide special
services for her clients who are still not
able to visit the salon during stage 3 of
the lockdown regulation√
Honesty and ethics √√ She provided masks and gloves for
her clients who my want to utilise her
services without wearing these
products√
Sub max (6) Sub max (3)
NOTE: You will not be awarded marks for motivation if the entrepreneurial
qualities were incorrectly identified.
Max (9)
NOTE: The above questions are exemplars. The interview schedule can
even have consist of follow-on questions.
Sustainability
Sustainability means that a business:
Continues to exist despite all the challenges and threats it is confronted with.
Does not damage the environment and the community in which it operates.
Manages and reports on triple bottom line e.g. profits, people and planet.
Attracts and retains employees more easily.
Experiences less financial and reputation risk.
Involves stakeholders in joint decisions-making and learning from customers,
employees, and the surrounding community.
Puts environmental management systems in place to minimise the effects of
business activities on the environment.
Analyses the environmental and social impacts of the products and services the
business uses and produces.
Reveals exactly what the business does and what it stands for.
Profitability
Profitability means that a business:
Makes money and management is passionate about their business operations
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Business Studies Grade 11 notes
Manages money in such a way that sound return on investment can be guaranteed
to investors.
Attracts even more investors which enables the business to expand its activities
and to become even more profitable.
Customer base
Customer base means that a business:
Meets the needs of the customer consistently and provides excellent service.
Keeps on looking for ways to expand their consumer base.
Keeps a record of the people buying their products.
Collects the customers’ contact details.
Good leadership
A business needs good leaders who are team players, listen to staff members and
respect them.
Good leaders also bring energy, enthusiasm, and urgency to the workplace.
This filters through the business and motivates staff to perform even more than
expected.
Stable workforce
A stable workforce means that employees are:
Motivated, happy and well trained.
Loyal to the business and they stay with the business for longer
Productive and take pride in their work.
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7.9 Consistency and reliability
Maintain a solid customer base and build on business success and learn from
mistakes.
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Business Studies Grade 11 notes
6 Project planning
6.1 The meaning of project planning
Project planning is a tool that can be used to turn an idea into an action plan.
It is a detailed description of all activities that need to be completed to execute a
project successfully.
The start-up of a business can be viewed as a project which must be planned.
Project managers are usually in charge of developing and monitoring the
implementation of projects
Project management skills are the use of knowledge, skills and tools to plan and
implement activities to meet the goals for every project
7 Planning tools
7.1 Timelines/Schedule
A timeline is a representation of all the tasks that must be completed and when these
tasks can be completed.
Timelines help team members to know what milestones need to be achieved and by
when.
The entries on the timeline need to be accurate and the information needs to be well
organised.
Timelines often involve making projections
Importance of timelines
They help the planners to project dates in advance.
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Assists in determining the sequence/order in which activities tasks must be
completed.
Keeps information in the order that it has to be in.
Assists project management in meeting their targets and exceeding client
expectations.
Project managers tools to get their jobs done, many of which are specific to a single
company or product.
Example of timelines
A timeline is also known as a schedule for example, when implementing a business
plan, the entrepreneur may make use of a timetable for these activities:
ACTIVITY DATES
Registering the business 01-04 September
Finding premises 07-18 September
Buying/leasing equipment 21-25 September
Hiring suitably qualified staff 18-30 September
Buying and receiving stock 01-09 October
Starting the business 12-October
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7.3 Gantt charts
It is a bar chart that illustrates a project schedule.
It shows the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and a summary element
of a project.
These elements consist of the WBS of the project
It is an easy way to view projects as it shows a series of dates across the top of the
page with solid bars below the dates.
These elements consist of the WBS of the project.
The bars show the duration of each task.
Tasks names are written in the column on the left/vertical axis and contains the
name of the person/team responsible for completing the task.
They have different lengths to represent the order, timing and time span for each
task.
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Quotations Hlatshw 3 weeks xxxx xx xx
ayo xx xx xx
x x
Meeting with Cindy 1 weeks xxxx
Musa for a Cooper x
theme
Buying of Lennox 1 week xxxxx
decoration
material and
utensils
Sourcing of a Gracy 2 weeks xx xx
caterer xx xx
x x
Wedding cake Yolanda 1 week xxxx
baking and x
preparation
Designing of Sanele 3 weeks xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
invitation cards & x
Rashid
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Outline/Mention/Explain types of written information, e.g. business reports, business
plans, information, analyses etc.
Outline/Mention/Explain/Recommend steps in report writing.
Critically analyse a business report and recommend areas for improvement.
Outline/Mention/Explain factors that must be considered when composing a flyer.
Explain how to respond to questions about work and presentations/handle feedback after
a presentation in a non-aggressive and professional manner
presentation
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Business Studies Grade 11 notes
2 Difference between verbal and non-verbal presentation
3.1 Tables
A set of facts/figures systematically displayed, especially in columns.
They are usually used to compare or contrast different things or ideas.
3.2 Graphs
These are visual illustrations to provide information in a clear and concise way.
Two-dimensional drawing showing a relationship between two set of variables by
means of a line/curve/bars
These can be inclusive of types of graphs such as line graphs/bar graphs/pie graphs
etc.
Information in the graphs requires interpretation and comparisons must be made to
see relationship between different sets of data.
3.3 Diagrams
A drawing showing the appearance/structure/workings of data in a schematic
representation.
Diagrams and illustrations are used for making verbal descriptions clearer.
3.4 Posters
They are used to advertise something or act as a reminder of something.
They are effective when they are bold and eye catching.
3.5 Hand-outs
Printed information provided to the audience to accompany a presentation.
People attending a verbal presentation prefer to handouts at the end of the
presentation to remind them of the key points of the presentation.
3.7 PowerPoint
A collection of pages arranged in a sequence that contain text and images for
presenting to an audience.
Video clips can provide variety and capture the attention of the audience.
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4.4 Factors that the presenter must consider when designing a presentation
Know your audience.
Presentation should include an introduction, body and conclusion.
State the aims of the presentation in your introduction.
Outline the most important information first.
Use visual aids/tables/graphs/charts/diagrams/pictures effectively.
Use suitable section titles/headings, sub-headings and bullets.
Summarise key findings/Conclude by indicating how goals were met.
Consider external factors, e.g. noisy surroundings, which may influence the
presentation.
Keep to the time limit to prevent boredom.
Be well prepared/Research the topic in depth
Allow time for feedback/questions.
Speak clearly and audibly.
Keep eye-contact with the audience.
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CONTENT DETAILS FOR TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT PURPOSES
Learners should be able to:
TEAMWORK
Briefly explain/discuss the importance of teamwork
Outline/Mention/Name/Explain the stages of team development, e.g.:
o Forming
o Storming
o Norming
o Performing
Identify the stages of team development from given scenarios/statements/case studies.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Define the term conflict
Identify and discuss causes of conflict from given scenarios/case studies.
Discuss the following conflict management theories:
o Traditional theory
o Contemporary theory
Select one of the above-mentioned conflict management theory and justify the reason why
businesses should use this theory to solve business problems.
Outline/Mention/Explain/Discuss the function of workplace forums.
Explain the differences between trade unions and workplace forums.
Meaning of teamwork
Teamwork can be defined as a joint action by a group of people in which each person
gives up his/her individual interests and options for the common goal of the team.
This means that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual
accomplishments.
Teamwork is a joint effort by group members where they give up their individual
opinions and strive to work together to achieve a common goal.
Importance of teamwork
Teams have a common goal/purpose that unite team members.
Teamwork leads to synergy, commitment, high productivity, employee empowerment,
job satisfaction and organisational effectiveness.
Effective teamwork can provide a basis for consistency performing at a high level
1. Forming stage
This stage is the initial stage where team members get to know one another.
Team members think about their new tasks and new environment
The team learns about team processes and procedures.
Team members gather information and impressions about each other.
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This is a comfortable stage to be in.
People focus on being busy with routines, such as team organisation e.g. who does
what, when to meet each other, etc.
2. Storming
The team begins to face technical, interpersonal and social problems.
Team members could end up fighting and arguing.
At this stage, there is conflict because they confront each other with their ideas.
The true character of team members starts to show as they experience the first round
of conflict
Different ideas from team members will compete for consideration.
Team members open-up to each other and confront each other's ideas/perspectives.
This stage is often unpleasant, but it is necessary for teams to grow.
Team members need to be matured, patient and tolerant of each other’s ideas and
behavior in order to move successfully to the next stage.
5. Adjourning/ Mourning
In this stage, team members must leave a team and prepare themselves for the next
team.
The focus is on the completion of the task/ending the project rather than on task
performance.
All tasks need to be completed before the team finally dissolves
It`s also the stage for recognition for participation and achievement.
Breaking up the team may be traumatic as team members may find it difficult to
perform as individuals once again.
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Team dynamics
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Implementer Plans practical/workable strategies
Carries out plans effectively
Well organised and predictable
People who get the job done.
Team worker Helps team to settle in
Identifies what needs to be done and does it.
Provide support and make sure the team work
together.
Tend to be popular people who are very capable in
their own ways.
Shaper Challenges the team
Action orientated
Keeps the team moving
Enjoy stimulating others, questioning norms and find
the best
Approach to challenges.
Does not lose focus/momentum
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Team leaders that understand the strength and weaknesses of each personality type
can analyse the composition of a team according to types.
Team leaders can guide team members to success by using their natural strengths
and being aware of their weaknesses and compensating for them.
Team members who understand this theory will be able to understand why they
behave the way they do.
They learn to understand what drives their own actions and others’ actions, values and
goals.
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o Prefer to work e.g. on their own or with someone?
o Gather and use information
o Make decision and organise themselves
This approach focuses on individual development and maximising personal potential
so that individuals contribute effectively to the team.
It looks at building high balanced and high performing teams
5. Group consensus
Consensus is a process use by a group to come to an agreement by discussing the
facts and convincing each other on the best decision.
The input and ideas of all members are gathered to make a final decision that is
acceptable to all.
Groups must have the following characteristics for consensus to be a positive
experience:
o Shared values
o Some skills in group process and conflict resolution
o Commitment and responsibility to the group by its members
o Sufficient time for everyone to participate in the process
o Identify, define and discuss the problem
o Brainstorm a list of alternatives proposals without rejecting any ideas
o Discuss proposals, make changes and set priorities
o Test for consensus
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o Get the group to make a decision and plan their action once consensus is reached
o Get those who are still not in agreement to experiment with the decision for a set
time period.
Conflict Management
Meaning of conflict
Conflict is a struggle/disagreement/argument between two people.
Disagreement between two parties in which one or both parties believe that a personal
interest/need is threatened
Causes of conflict
Personal differences/Different personalities
Poor communication
Competition
Ignoring rules/procedures
Poor organization/leadership/administrative procedures and systems
Workload and stress/Unrealistic expectation
Confusion about scheduling and deadlines
Unclear responsibilities
Distracted by personal objectives
Lack of/Insufficient resources
Constant changes
Different goals/objectives for group/individuals
Different opinions
Unrealistic expectations
Poor organisation/leadership/administrative procedures and systems
Confusion about scheduling/deadlines
Misconduct/Unacceptable behaviour
Unclear responsibilities
Distracted by personal objectives
Constant changes in the workplace
Unfair treatment of workers/Favouritism by management/Discrimination
Lack of trust amongst workers
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Lack of recognition for good work, e.g. a manager may not show appreciation for extra
hours worked to meet deadlines.
Lack of employee development may increase frustration levels as workers may repeat
errors due to a lack of knowledge/skills.
Unfair disciplinary procedures, e.g. favouritism/nepotism.
Little/no support from management with regards to supplying the necessary resources
and providing guidelines.
Leadership styles used, e.g. autocratic managers may not consider worker inputs.
Unrealistic deadlines/Heavy workloads lead to stress resulting in conflict.
Lack of agreement on mutual matters, e.g. remuneration/working hours.
Unhealthy competition/Inter-team rivalry may cause workers to lose focus on team
targets.
Lack of commitment/Distracted by personal objectives which may lead to an inability
to meet pre-set targets.
Constant changes may cause instability
Lack of clarity regarding employees' roles and responsibilities.
1. Traditional theory
This theory is based on the notion that conflict is bad and should be avoided as it
disturbs the running of an organisation.
This approach assumes that conflict is caused by trouble makers who do not identify
with the goals of the organisation.
These trouble makers are seen as undesirable because they are seen as causing
trouble for management.
Conflict should therefore be avoided according to this approach.
Management thus uses its power to suppress the trouble makers and should force
them out of the organisation.
This leads to a win lose situation, with management retaining control and restoring
their order while the troublemaker is forced to fit in or move out of the organisation.
2. Contemporary theory
This theory is based on the belief that conflict is a normal part of human interaction.
Conflict arises as a normal result of change.
It is understood that conflict can be beneficial and has the potential to lead to
constructive changes within the organisation.
Conflict must be managed through conflict resolution skills.
Conflict situations often generate new ideas and change.
Management thus seeks to use strategies such as negotiation and consultation to
arrive at a win-win situation.
Consultation and negotiations with unions and workplace forums are good examples
of implementing contemporary theories.
Management can thus achieve an outcome that is acceptable to management and
employees through such negotiations.
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It is a forum of employees of a business that employees more than 100 people.
Workplace forums were introduced by the Labour Relations Act.
They are useful for promoting communication, minimising and resolving conflict in the
workplace.
A trade union will make a request to the CCMA to form a workplace forum.
Employers must give workplace forum all information that s relevant to workers.
Workplace forums prevent employers from making all the decisions about matters
which directly affect employees without consulting them.
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