IB Business IA HL
IB Business IA HL
IB Business IA HL
It aims to enable you to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in B&M without the
time limitations and stress associated with written examinations.
When sounding out a Business it is best that both you and they know what is
involved in the project.
To help you, here are a number of questions that may need answering before
starting your project.
Possible decisions that have worked well in the past: (grades 6-7)
What source of finance should company “z” use for renovations - share
capital or loan capital?
Will company “c” increase market share by reducing the price of its top
branded product for a limited time period every year?
Internal Presentation
After you have chosen your company and your decision then you need to think in
terms of how you may go about answering the question. To help you we ask that
you present your idea to your supervisor and the class and they can give you
immediate feedback. You will complete a form in the following format – this is the
format used by the Research Proposal so use it!
You will be asked to produce a minimum 6 slide PPT presentation. Of course you
can always add to the presentation by role plays, Podcasts, costumes etc. The
slides will follow the format of the Research proposal and will help you complete
that document. A typical presentation may look like:
This is the core element of this section – the IB wants you to produce this at the
start of the coursework and to use it to plan your report. It is expected that you
will modify this as you go along, you can do this by using different coloured fonts
and/or handwriting amendments on the final copy.
Format
Research question - state the research question
To help you organize the Research Proposal it may be wise to follow these
suggestions for structuring your Research proposal below:
Theoretical Framework –
Syllabus Areas 1
Syllabus Areas 2 Overall Rationale
Syllabus Areas 3
Methodology –
Collect data -
Primary research Reasons Why?
Secondary research Reasons Why?
Analyse data -
Business technique 1 Reasons Why?
Business technique 2 Reasons Why?
Business technique 3 Reasons Why?
Anticipated difficulties –
Anticipated Difficulty Proposed solution
Action Plan –
NB: Remember – text in boxes is also counted in the word limit too.!
The Written Report must not exceed 2,000 words. The table below indicates the
required format and which information is included in the word count.
It must be noted that it is unacceptable to use tables and boxes for text (for
example, for analysis and evaluation), thereby trying to exclude it from the word
count. It will be included in the word count (see the section on frequently asked
questions later in this pack).
You must collect both primary and secondary data. There are two factors that are
important when deciding what type data to collect:
How is it to be used?
How reliable is the data?
One of the single biggest mistakes students make is to rely on only one source of
data. This makes the data – and your analysis invalid. It is too biased to be useful
– again you will lose marks here if you have single source data.
Examples of single source data are when the source for your information is:
a survey
an interview
a textbook
a website
one person
only the business itself
Data Source
Invalid Conclusion
Data Source
Data Source
Valid Conclusion
Data that is reliable will lead to a valid conclusion. The way to achieve this is to
triangulate the data – that is back it up with at least one other source. The more
triangulated the data the more valid will be the conclusion. Commonly primary data
is backed up with secondary data.
Collating the data
After you have collected the data then you have to begin the task of organising it
in your project. We expect students to have all of their data ready by the start
of grade 12. If you have no evidence of any data by that time then the chances
are you never will have and so we will ask you to start again with a different
business and another decision.
Once you have all of the data then you need to consider two points:
You need to consider what forms of presentation you will want to use. Some
common types are set out below.
Once again no one form of presentation is better than another. However, you
must think in terms of standardisation – presentation is much more effective if
there is a consistent style. Secondly, you must source every piece of data
you include. This is critical; you will lose marks if you do not. Sourcing can
also be useful as it points to the reliability of your data. At the very worst
you could also be accused of plagiarism if you do not source all the data.
A final issue is were to put the data. In many cases this will be in the appendix and
you can then refer to the key points of that data by using bullet points in the main
body of your findings. You will not gain any extra marks by using IGCSE style pie
charts and summary statements. Keep your findings concise and relevant, only
highlight the important facts.
References must be included to show where statements, ideas and evidence come
from. It is very important to cite all sources used. “If students do not reference
their work, issues about the authenticity of the work may be raised.” (IBO,
TSM, referencing, 2008)
Body text
Use brackets or parentheses to set off a reference in the text. Give the author’s
last name, if it is not part of the text, the page number(s) and the date of
publication.
Footnotes
Footnotes provide related information that does not belong in the text. There
should be as few of these as possible and they should be identified with a
superscript number1and placed at the bottom of the same page.
Bibliography
The bibliography, or list of references used, should appear at the end of the piece
of work.
An example:
Strengths Weaknesses:
1. The company is making strong sales. 1. There are many (but smaller)
competitors
2. The company has a well
motivated workforce 2. The changes may cost money
Opportunities: Threats:
Now they will need to analyse that data – they will face some immediate problems
because the data is single sourced and weak. Any analysis from this would score 2-
3 out of the 7 marks from this section.
What could the student do? They could link the data to another source –
Product positioning map made from customer (not just this companies customers)
responses.
Company responses (not just managers – but workers & suppliers too)
SWOT
The recommendation should once again follow on from the conclusion and it should
be brief and consistent. It must include the following elements:
A yes/no recommendation
Unanswered questions should be stated
Suggestions to resolve these unanswered questions are made
This final section involved tidying up and putting the whole project
together. There are three areas to consider:
The project will be bound as one document but the Research proposal must be kept
separate from the Business Report. We suggest the following format:
Business Report
Title Page
Research Proposal
Title Page
(copy)
I confirm that this work is my own and that it is the final version. I have also acknowledged each use
the words or ideas of another person whether written or oral.
Signed :
Acknowledgments - This section should acknowledge any individual who has made the
production of the report possible.
Contents page - This should include the major headings in the report,
beginning with the executive summary. Page numbers should
be clearly indicated.
Main results and - The purpose of the analysis of the results section is to clarify
findings what the raw data has revealed. This should include a summary
of all the data collected and of the findings, and should, where
appropriate, be supported by tables, graphs and statistics.
Analysis and - This involves interpreting the results and findings clearly and
discussion succinctly. Students should identify the main issues emerging
from the research and explain their significance. The discussion
should be sequenced and coherent. It should also be carefully
referenced.
Conclusion and - The conclusions must follow from the analysis and discussion.
recommendation This is not the place to introduce new facts or arguments.
Conclusions are normally presented as a list of fairly brief
statements.
All students will need to submit an authenticity report via www.turnitin.com (you
will get a user log-in and password nearer to the final draft deadline date).
Criterion A should be used to assess the Research Proposal and Action Plan only.
Achievement Descriptor
level
0 There is no research proposal or action plan.
1 There is a research proposal and action plan. However, elements of the
research proposal or action plan are inappropriate.
2 The research proposal and action plan are generally appropriate, but they
are not clear and focused.
3 The research proposal and action plan are appropriate, clear and focused.
There is some identification of the theoretical framework and methodology
to be employed.
4 The research proposal and action plan are appropriate, clear and focused.
There is clear identification and explanation of the theoretical framework
and methodology to be employed.
Achievement Descriptor
level
0 There is no use of theoretical concepts, sources or data.
1 There is a very limited understanding of relevant theoretical concepts, and
these concepts have been misused. The sources and data are irrelevant or
insufficient.
2 There is a limited understanding of relevant theoretical concepts, but these
have not been applied effectively. The sources and data are generally
relevant, but insufficient.
3 There is an understanding of relevant theoretical concepts and evidence of
some of them being applied effectively. The sources and data are relevant
and sufficient.
4 There is an understanding of relevant theoretical concepts and evidence of
them being applied effectively. The sources and data are relevant and
sufficient. There is some evidence of the sources and data being used
effectively and related to the theoretical framework.
5 There is an in-depth understanding of relevant theoretical concepts and
consistent evidence of them being applied effectively. The sources and data
are relevant and sufficient. There is consistent evidence of the sources and
data being used effectively and integrated with the theoretical framework.
Achievement Descriptor
0 There is no discussion, analysis or evaluation.
1 Findings are very limited and the discussion is superficial. The report lacks
order and coherence.
2 Findings are limited and the discussion tends to be superficial. There is an
attempt to sequence ideas and references.
3 There is some analysis of the findings but the discussion may be
unnecessarily descriptive. There is some integration of ideas and issues in a
logical order.
4 The analysis of the findings is appropriate. There is some integration of ideas
and issues in a coherent order.
5 The analysis of the findings is appropriate and there is an attempt at
evaluation. There is sound integration of ideas and issues in a coherent order.
6 The analysis and evaluation of the findings are appropriate. There is sound
integration of ideas and issues in a coherent order, and some evidence of
critical thinking.
7 The analysis and evaluation of the findings are appropriate. There is sound
integration of ideas and issues in a coherent order, and consistent evidence
of critical, reflective thinking.
Achievement Descriptor
0 There are no conclusions or recommendations.
1 There are conclusions or recommendations, but they are inconsistent with
the evidence presented.
2 There are conclusions or recommendations. Some are consistent with the
research question, but may not be supported by evidence presented in the
main body of the report.
3 There are conclusions and recommendations. These are consistent with the
evidence presented in the main body of the report and with the research
question, but are not fully developed.
4 There are conclusions and recommendations. These are consistent with the
evidence presented in the main body of the report and with the research
question, and are well developed.
5 There are conclusions and recommendations. These are consistent with the
evidence presented in the main body of the report and with the research
question, and are well developed. Future action to address limitations of the
research is proposed.
Excerpt from the Business & Management Subject Reports – May 2008
Those, which used a balance of primary and secondary research, produced better
quality research projects. There was often an over-reliance on the questionnaire as
sole base for primary research; often with a limited sample size.
Candidates did not venture into studying the perspective of the customer,
employee or supplier and relied too heavily on potentially biased internal sources,
which were not always well acknowledged. There was too little assessment of the
reliability and validity of the internal sources relied upon.
References should include page numbers and web sites the date when they were
accessed.
In this section students should be reflective, evaluate their research and identify
issues that have not been fully addressed. As suggested earlier, an appreciation of
the future financial implications of the recommendations would satisfy the
requirement to suggest future action. They should examine the cost and financial
consequences of their recommendations. Those candidates who recognised the
financial implications were able to suggest that these recommendations provided
the basis for addressing unanswered questions and future action.
© IBO, 2006
Can the same student reuse an extended essay title and topic for an internally
assessed research project?
No. However, the same company or organization can be studied for both the IA and
the EE provided that two distinct areas or topics are explored in the EE and the
IA, e.g. Marketing for the IA and HRM for the EE.
Is a penalty imposed when a student does not follow the requirement on the
length of the research proposal?
Yes. The maximum word limit for the research proposal is 500 words. If a student
exceeds this word limit, the research proposal cannot be regarded as focused and
therefore the student will not be awarded above 2 marks for Criterion A.
Is a penalty imposed when a student does not follow the requirement on the
length of the written report?
Yes. The maximum word limit for the report is 2,000 words. If a student exceeds
this word limit, a maximum of 1 mark can be awarded for Criterion E. It is
unacceptable to use tables and boxes for text (for example, for analysis and
evaluation), thereby trying to exclude it from the word count. These will be
included in the word count.
Is data and information in appendices assessed?
This is not a requirement, but comments can be very helpful to the moderator in
understanding how the marks have been allocated. However, these comments
should not be written in red or green ink (the colours used by the moderator and
the Chief Examiner respectively!)
No. The work submitted for final assessment must be entirely the work of
individual students.
How much assistance and guidance should a teacher give the student?
It is important that the project is the student’s own work, although some
assistance and guidance is allowed, e.g. the choice of research question, the
methodology and the theories to be used. When the first draft is submitted, this
should not be heavily annotated or edited. Constant drafting and redrafting is not
allowed and the second draft should be the final one.
Yes. If the teacher adds a comment on the sheet that the work may not be
authentic, the student will not get a grade. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of
the student to ensure the work is authentic. Use turnitin.com!
Is it essential to have both a research proposal and action plan?
Analysis and evaluation should be relevant to the issues being investigated and the
data presented. The student should use relevant business tools and concepts and
these should be evidence of critical and reflective thinking.
This means that the report should add to the decision-making process of the
chosen organization. The report is well structured, concise and well presented,
allowing effective use by management (as identified on the front cover page of the
submitted IA).
Do’s…
Don’ts