Syllabus: Pearson - A Level Business
Module: 1.4 Managing People
Lesson: 1.4.1 Approaches to Staffing

Introduction

This lesson directly aligns with Pearson Edexcel’s A Level Business syllabus, Theme 1: Marketing and People, under section 1.4.1 — Approaches to Staffing. It asks students to explore how businesses view and manage staff as either a cost or an asset, and what that means for motivation, productivity and retention.

For teachers, this is a foundational topic that links to core HR concepts and underpins later units like organisational structures, motivation and leadership. When taught well, it brings clarity to what students often find abstract — workplace dynamics, employee relations and decision-making.

Key Concepts

According to the Pearson Edexcel specification for A Level Business (Theme 1, 1.4.1), students are expected to understand:

• The difference between staff as an asset vs a cost.

• Flexible workforce models (part-time, temporary, zero-hours contracts, outsourcing).

• The distinction between dismissal and redundancy.

• Employer and employee relations: collective bargaining vs individual approach.

• How decisions around staffing affect performance and culture.

Students must be able to apply these concepts to real-world business contexts and evaluate their impact on business success.

Real-World Relevance

Flexible staffing was once seen as a niche strategy but is now mainstream. Retailers like Tesco rely heavily on part-time and zero-hours contracts during seasonal peaks. At the same time, firms such as John Lewis are known for treating employees as partners — investing in development, profit sharing and well-being.

These contrasting approaches help students grasp that there is no one-size-fits-all model. For example, Amazon has faced criticism over labour practices tied to cost-driven staffing, while companies like Patagonia have built their brand identity around valuing their workforce.

A short case task: ask students to compare Pret a Manger (asset-based) vs Sports Direct (cost-focused) approaches to staffing, using publicly available HR data and recent news articles.

How It’s Assessed

This topic appears across all three exam papers, typically via:

• Short-answer application: “State two benefits of using temporary contracts.”

• Data response questions: With extracts showing HR strategies or disputes.

• Long-answer evaluative essays: e.g. “Evaluate the impact on business performance of viewing staff as a cost rather than an asset.”

Command words students must master:

• Explain — define and apply.

• Analyse — develop logical chains of reasoning.

• Evaluate — weigh pros and cons, make supported judgements.

Encourage students to practise linking theory to context — this is what earns top-level marks.

Enterprise Skills Integration

Enterprise Skills products are designed to bring this lesson to life. In a Business Simulation module, students could take on the role of a start-up HR manager — choosing whether to outsource, use part-time staff, or invest in full-time training.

This embeds:

• Problem-solving (balancing costs and culture),

• Decision-making (strategic trade-offs),

• Real-world thinking (interpreting staff data),

• Commercial awareness (how HR affects overall performance).

These are not abstract skills. They’re the ones students are expected to demonstrate in exam papers and in work.

Careers Links

This topic links directly to several Gatsby Benchmarks:

• Benchmark 4: Embedding careers in the curriculum.

• Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers.

Relevant pathways include:

• Human Resource Assistant

• Business Management Apprentice

• Operations Manager

• Trade Union Officer

Careers Leads can enhance this by inviting HR professionals or business owners to speak about their own staffing strategies and decisions — especially from SMEs where these decisions are felt directly.

Teaching Notes

Common pitfalls:

• Students confuse redundancy (a role no longer needed) with dismissal (a person not fulfilling role).

• They often see “staff as a cost” as purely negative — help them understand that efficiency isn’t inherently exploitative.

Time-saving tip: Use Enterprise Skills’ plug-and-play simulations to get students making staffing decisions themselves before introducing the theory.

Stretch & challenge: Ask students to apply Taylor’s and Maslow’s motivational theories to asset vs cost staffing models.

Quick starter idea: “Is zero-hours employment ever fair?” — hold a 5-minute debate before the main lesson.