CUEGIS Questions- Paper 2-Section C

Why is it important?

HL- Total marks-70 Weightage =35%

CUEGIS marks-20 Weightage of concept based question in paper 2- 10%

SL- Total marks-50 Weightage =40%

CUEGIS marks-20 Weightage of concept based question in paper 2- 18%

There are two types of questions-

One in which there is impact of both concepts on a particular content. Eg “With reference to
one organization that you have studied, examine what changes globalization brings about in
the management of human resources”.

Another type of question is the impact of one concept on another. Eg “With reference to an
organization of your choice, examine the impact of culture on organizational ethics”

There can be various other combinations but the strategy to attempt the CUEGIS qs is the
same.
3C (Context/Concept --- Content)

Top Tips for students

- Provide a definition of the concepts and the business management content given in
the question
- Make sure you consistently demonstrate a clear link between the title question and
the content of your essay
- Structure your essay using an introduction , body of the essay and a conclusion.
There should be fit- for purpose paragraphs throughout the essay. This means that
you must write with clarity, with each paragraph clearly addressing the essay
question. Merely writing the answer in paragraph does not serve the purpose.
(Criterion-D Structure). Introduction should consist of the definition of concept ,
description of your organisation and explanation of the business management
content. There may be only two things required in some questions. Take a stance of
what you are going to explore in your answer. Discussion paragraphs should have a
main point, relevant concepts and content. Stakeholders(individual and group) and
supporting examples and evidences. Conclusion should have the summary of all
points, final view an answer to your stance taken .
- Use examples of the real business organisations which are up to date and link these
to the essay title question
 - Avoid sweeping(generic) statements and make sure your arguments are
substantiated with examples and evidence. There should be no scope of comments
like ”Why” or “ Not Explained” else you would score less in Criterion C-Reasoned
Argument.
- Knowledge of and reference to the CEO or entrepreneur is a good way to identify an
individual perspective(Criterion E-Individual & Societies)
- Know the assessment criteria well. By studying in detail and making a conscious
attempt at taking care of all criterions there are chances of a higher grade.
- Its important to define the concept with terminology and be ready with the
answers. Eg Ethics refer to the moral principles and values that form the basis of how
business activity is conducted. Like this write down definitions of all concepts.
Definitions play a very important role in Criterion A.
- Note down all business management content that can be linked to the various
concepts. Eg Ethics as a concept is linked to the various content (Ethical Objectives,
Business Ethics, ethical opportunities and threats, ethical considerations of
leadership and management and marketing ethics).Like this link the theories,
content with all concepts.

A Sample marked CUEGIS question with remarks

This is an example of a students work which may not be perfect however does help you in
guiding how to structure your answers taking care of all criterions.

Qs) With reference to an organisation of your choice, evaluate the importance of change
and innovation in starting a new business.

Innovation is the incremental or radical improvement to a business idea , or the generation

of new ideas in relation to a final product, service or process. It is important to apply
innovative ideas in starting a new business to differentiate its product and gain a unique
selling point(USP), but it also has risks that the new idea or product is not accepted by the
customers and it requires high costs for the innovation process. Nick woodman, the founder
and CEO of GoPro Inc perceived the innovative idea of photography whilst surfing the waves
off the Australian coast, so he conceived the idea of a compact sized, waterproof, versatile
camera at an affordable price that can be mounted on his surfing gear or his body. This gave
birth to the brand “GoPro” in 2002. Now called GoPro HERO Systems. To be a risk taker
individual like Nick Woodman , innovation presents an opportunity for him to start up a new
business.
The advantage of applying innovative ideas in starting a new business is it provides a USP
which allows the business to attract lots of customers. The first GoPro 35mm camera was a
huge success. The USP of the 35mm GoPro was it had been labelled as a ‘sportive camera’
that can be used in extreme sportive activities such as scuba diving, surfing, mountain
climbing and snowboarding. This USP of GoPro cameras attracts customers (an external
stakeholder group) who wants to capture high quality photos while they are doing their
sports activities. Customers especially the early adapters ,will however have to pay a high
price for such innovative technologies.

Another advantage of innovation in starting a new business is it benefits the company and
the owners (internal stakeholders) from having a first mover advantage. Before the
existence of GoPro, there were demands for ‘sports camera’ but none of the mainstream
makers focused on the market niche. GoPro created a new market in the camera industry
for the sports cameras so was able to enjoy having the first mover advantage. It allowed the
company to dominate the market in order to build up the brand loyalty and credibility.

The emergent of GoPro cameras created change in the industry as the possibilities and
usability of capturing very special photographs in extreme environments and activities can
be taken with ease and hassle free. Change refers to the transformation in the way business
is conducted as a response to varying internal and external influences, such as the demand
of the market for cameras for sports enthusiast. GoPro would benefit from this by not
having any existing competition. Nick Woodman could further develop his business and gain
a lot of profit if he is successful in capitalising on this change, by creating a niche market in
digital imaging.

However there are risks in starting a new business. An Investor (internal stakeholder) of the
business could lose all their money if the innovation or change does not result in profits. The
risks need to be considered as the new product might not be accepted by customers. Nick
Woodman was fortunate as he received orders over $ 230,000 of investment funds from
parents to start his business.

Although GoPro has been successful, it also faced some disadvantages, brought by
innovation. The risk of releasing the GoPro camera by applying Woodman’s innovative idea
is high because little was known about the demand for ‘sports cameras’. Another
disadvantage of innovation is it requires a lot of investment yet it might have a high chance
of failure. To minimise the risks, Woodman launched the relatively low risk cost effective
35mm GoPro cameras to test the market, using the relatively small start up financial
resources available. The sales of this versatile ,wrist mounted action camera demonstrates
clearly the huge potential market. It helped the company to understand and determine the
market, realizing there is demand for such sports cameras . Hence this approach allowed
Woodman to further develop the business with its innovations.
Change also presents another set of challenges for GoPro as digital imaging technology is
constantly evolving. This mandates GoPro to invest heavily in R&D in order to improve the
quality and functionalities of its products and to create new models. There is no assurance
of success in R&D however to protect its investment in R&D ,GoPro holds numerous patents
for its compact waterproof housings, video imaging and audio capture technologies . In
addition ,there needs to be a culture of innovation among GoPro’s employees. These
internal stakeholders need to be adaptive to changes in the industry and be creative in their
work processes.

To conclude ,innovation and change presents many opportunities for a business

organization like Gopro to be established. A new business can apply innovative ideas in
response to changes in the market by creating products for a niche market. For a new
business to be established successfully, it must be able to meet the dynamic needs of the
intended customers and create growth opportunities in the future .Change and innovation
necessitates a business to keep up with advancing technologies and survive economic
conditions.

Examiners Comments- The essay has good structure with an introduction explaining one
concept and the other one was explained separately in another paragraph. Students can
change the structure as per their convenience. The concepts are defined well . Conclusion
does support the discussion. So Criterion D –Structure is well take care of.

There is good argument presented as student does give advantages and disadvantages of
innovation in question along with change. The arguments were well supported by evidences
and specific examples . Positive and negative aspects of both innovation and change were
discussed with justification. Change could have been more explained however Take care of
Criterion C-Reasoned Argument.

The student did bring in perspective of stakeholders individual(CEO) and group(investors,

customers, employees). They were explicitly explained with impact of the question in title.
Criterion E-I&S well justified.

Knowledge and understanding of concept of innovation and change is linked well. The
student does bring out. There is good use of business content of start up and terminology
USP, Niche market, differentiation, first mover advantage etc. Criterion A-Knowledge and
Understanding.

The application of GoPro was also well tried. There were specific evidences and examples
used effectively to explain the impact of change and innovation on start up and operations
of GoPro. Criterion B-Application

Overall a good essay

For Practice
Qs "With reference to one or two organizations that you have studied, discuss how marketing
strategies may differ in two cultures you are familiar with."

Introduction(1/2) Paragraph- Definition of 3 C’s- Your organization – culture and marketing

Strategies- make a stance

Body – various paragraphs- one argument ( culture different but same strategies -evaluate)

Another Argument can be (culture different and different strategies-evaluate)

Another Argument can be (culture same and different strategies-evaluate)

Another Argument can be (culture same and different strategies-evaluate)

Use of minimum 2-3 tools /theories are must

Conclusion- answer to your stance