Business Management subject report · May 2004

EXTENDED ESSAY REPORTS – MAY 2004 Business and Management Range and suitability of the work submitted Overall, the majority of candidates chose suitable topics and were able to conduct systematic research. There were some very weak essays and some extremely good ones, resulting in a broad range of marks. The better essays permitted candidates to develop an argument based on their own research data. Generally, the best essays had simple research questions and concentrated upon a small firm or business. Candidates seemed to find the informati on from such organisations easier to collect and interpret. Narrow research questions allowed candidates to sharply focus their analysis, giving their essays sophistication and clarity. The better candidates were able to apply theoretical aspects and business techniques to a manageable case study, integrating them into their arguments. The weaker essays were mainly the result of poor research questions that usually lacked focus or were difficult to research effectively. Some of the research questions were too complex, vague or over- ambitious, often attempting to address the global bus iness practices of multinational companies or the problems faced by an entire industry. In these cases, candidates tended to produce low-quality research based on secondary data and/or very descr iptive essays with disjointed answers and no clear analysis. A few research questions focused on an historical event, which again resulted in descriptive rather than analytical essays. Finally, some titles were o ffered as statements rather than questions. There is still a tendency for inappropriate essays to be su bmitted for B&M. Candidates and supervisors must check the criteria and guidance notes. Candidate performance against each criterion General Assessment Criteria