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Variance
The difference between the budgeted and the actual amount
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Favourable variance
A variance beneficial to the business e.g. costs lower than budgeted
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Adverse variance
A variance not in favour of the business e.g. revenue lower than budgeted
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Factoring
A firm that buys up the credit for another business
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Sale and leaseback of assets
When a firm buys an asset of the business and leases it back to them so they can use it but not own it.
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Net profit margin
(Operating Profit/Sales Turnover)*100
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Return on capital
(Net Profit/Capital employed)*100
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The distinction between Cash and profit
Cash is the money that can be moved around while profit is the total revenue minus the total cost
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Levels of hierarchy
The different levels of authority within an organisation
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Spans of control
The number of staff a manager is responsible for.
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Work Load
Work that a person is expected to do in a specified time.
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Delegation
The process of passing responsibilities down the hierarchy form a manager to a subordinate
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Communication
The passing of information and instructions which enable a company to function efficiently and employees to be properly informed
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Supervisor
Somone who is responsible for allocating jobs to subordinates (at different levels of the heirarchy)
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Team leader
Tasked with ensuring the teams of employees work well together
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Manager
Responsible for specific departments and for their functional areas and budgets and may delegate tasks to subordinates.
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Directors
The people that run the business who are appointed by shareholders.
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Labour productivity
The amount of goods and services a worker produces in a given amount of time
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Labour turnover
The number employees leaving the business divided by the number of staff over a period of time.
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Recruitment
The process of attracting applicants for a job vacancy
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Selection
The process of deciding which applicant for a job that a business should accept.
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Internal recruitment
Where candidates for a job vacancy come from within the organisation
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External recruitment
Where candidates for a job vacancy come from outside the organisation
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Person specification
A description which identifies the skills and experience that are likely to be held by a successful applicant for a job vacancy.
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Job descriptions
The summary of the main duties and responsibilities of a job.
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On-the-job training
Training delivered at the place of work
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Off-the-job training
Training delivered away from the place of work.
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Induction training
The initial training that ALL staff must get on the first day of work.
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Financial methods of motivation
Methods used to motivate staff or workers using money, e.g. piece rate, time rate, salary, wages
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Job rotation
The practice of moving employees between different tasks to promote experience and variety
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Job enrichment
Gives workers more challenging work and the training they need to do it. Depth.
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Job enlargement
Increasing the scope of a job through extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities but at the same level. Width.
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Empowerment
Giving workers more control over their work and a greater role in decision making
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Team work
Dividing a task between a group of people allocating each person's strengths to the most suited job.
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Mayo's method of motivation
People are more motivated by social factors and can achieve more when get positive attention.
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Maslow's method of motivation
- Has a hierarchy of needs. Here is the order form top to bottom:
- - Self Actualisation (meeting potential, done through responsibility and developing new skills)
- - Self Esteem (giving recognition)
- - Social needs (Friendship and teamwork)
- - Safety (Ensuring job security and safe work environment)
- - Basic Physical needs (payment, warmth, shelter etc)
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Taylor's method of motivation
Man is motivatied by money as they don't like to work. The workers would do the minimum amount of work if left alone.
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Herzberg's method of motivation
- Motivated through Hygiene and Motivating factors:
- - Hygiene factors are factors which don't necessarily motivate but it won't demotivate them e.g. working conditions, pay, supervision, relations
- - Motivating factors are factors which will motivate people more e.g. recognition, responsibility, personal development
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Operational target: Unit costs
The way of minimising the unit cost which is total cost divided by output. This can be done through improving productivity.
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Operational target: Capacity Utilistation
- Amount currently being produced/Maximum possible that can be produced
- It can be used to find how much spare capacity there is.
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Unit cost calculation
Total costs/Number of units
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Overtime
Work performed in excess of a basic work day.
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Rationalisation
The process of using resources more efficiently which usually involves reducing the size of a business, e.g. through removing levels of heirarchy.
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Sub-contracting
Emplay a business or a person outside of the company to do work as part of a larger project for a set period of time.
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Quality control
A system of maintaining standards in manufactured products by testing samples.
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Quality assurance
The maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product.
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TQM - Total Quality management
A system of management based on the principle that every staff member must be commited to maintaining high standards of work.
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Quality standards
Quality control is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production
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Customer service
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.
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Suppliers
A business which sells a particular good or service to another business.
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Robotics
The use of robots and machinery in the manufacturing process as an alternative to labour. These are usually used in tasks which are repetitive, dangerous, precise or all three.
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Automation
The use of a control system like a robot or technology that can continually run without human assistance.
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Productivity
The output per worker over a period of time
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Marketing
The process of identifying, anticipating and satifying customer needs.
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Niche market
A clearly identifyable, small part of a market.
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Mass market
The type of marketing aimed to appeal to lots of consumers.
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Marketing mix
The 4 Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion
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Product
The good or service targeted at the consumer
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Product portfolio
The range of products that the business sells. Can be shown in the Boston matrix.
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Boston matrix
A model that analyses the product portfolio into four different segments (Rising star, Cash cow, Problem child and Dogs)
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Product life cycle
The pattern of sales of a product over time from developing the product until its final demise.
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USP (Unique selling point)
The feature of the product or business that differentiates it from the competition.
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Promotion
The methods used to inform and persuade customers into buying the products.
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Above the line
Extensive promotional campaigns in the National media that targets the majority of the consumer market. E.g. TV
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Below the line
The method of promotion that is more focused on a more defined target market.
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AIDA
(Aims of Promotion): Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
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SMART
(Objectives that a business wishes to achieve): Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timeline
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PR (Public Relations)
A form of promotion managing the flow of information between an organization and the public.
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Branding
The words, slogans and images used to represent either a product or a business.
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Merchandising
The methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sell the business' products
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Sales promotions
The methods used to increase demand for a short period of time.
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Direct selling
The direct personal presentation, demonstration, and sale of products and services to consumers, usually in their homes or at their jobs.
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Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to encourage or persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to continue or take some new action.
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Price
The amount of money the customer has to pay for the business' product. It is one of the the 4Ps of marketing.
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Price skimming
When price is set at a high price initially and lowered over time. This is to maximise revenue in the long run.
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Penetration pricing
When price is set low when the product is put onto market to generate sales.
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Price Leaders
A firm with market power that has the most influence on demand on the price they set.
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Price takers
The firms which do not have as much influence on the market than price leaders where generally they follow the price leaders.
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Loss leaders
Where a price is set deliberately below the cost of production in order to attract customers.
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Psychological pricing
When the pricing of a product isn't a whole round number which affects a consumer way of thinking e.g. £2.99
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Price elasticity of demand
The responsiveness of demand to a change in price.
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Inelastic demand
Where price elasticiy is less than 1. This means higher prices mean more revenue as the drop in quantity demanded doesn't drop as much.
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Elastic demand
Where price elasticity is more than 1. This means higher prices mean less revenue as the drop in quantity demanded is bigger than the price increase.
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Place
One of the 4Ps where it is about where the product is sold.
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Traditional method of distribution
This involves the Manufacturer, Wholesaler, Retailer and Consumer. This is used for fast moving consumer goods like Coca Cola where the wholesaler helps by breaking bulk.
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Modern method of distribution
This involves only the Manufacturer, Retailer and Consumer. Usually the retailer is able to buy in big enough bulk to satisfy manufacturer sale quantities.
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Direct method of distribution
This is where there is only the Manufacturer and the Consumer. This allow the greatest control of the location of where the product is sold.
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Competition
The market which the business is part of where there are other businesses selling similar products.
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Competitiveness
It is the ability of how a business can compete in a marketplace.
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