Syllabus: OCR - A and AS Level Business
Module: Introduction to Business
Lesson: Business Functions

Introduction

The “Business Functions” topic in OCR A and AS Level Business introduces students to the core activities that enable a business to operate effectively. This includes understanding how departments like marketing, operations, human resources, and finance contribute to business success. As part of OCR’s specification, this unit is foundational — not only for A Level progression but also for developing critical business awareness that connects theory to workplace practice.

Mapped explicitly to OCR’s “Unit 1: What is business?” and early parts of “Unit 2: Business objectives and strategy”, this section supports learners in grasping how different business functions interrelate. It’s also ideal for embedding enterprise thinking from the start of the course, making it immediately engaging and practical for students.

Key Concepts

OCR learners are expected to:

• Identify and explain the main business functions: marketing, operations, HR, and finance.

• Understand the purpose and objectives of each function and how they align with the overall business strategy.

• Explore interdependence between functions, for example, how marketing decisions affect operations and cash flow.

• Apply business terminology and analysis, such as fixed vs. variable costs, revenue generation, productivity, and recruitment planning.

• Interpret organisational structures, including functional and matrix systems.

• Evaluate decisions and strategies, drawing from real business scenarios to justify functional priorities or trade-offs.

This unit often serves as a launchpad for deeper study of each function in later modules, so building clarity and confidence here sets students up for long-term success.

Real-World Relevance

This topic lends itself perfectly to linking classroom content with live business issues. Here are a few examples:

• Marketing: Greggs adjusting its marketing and product mix based on changing consumer health trends.

• Operations: Amazon’s ongoing optimisation of warehouse logistics to reduce costs and improve delivery speed.

• Human Resources: UK supermarkets restructuring HR departments post-Brexit to manage labour shortages.

• Finance: Small businesses navigating rising interest rates and adjusting borrowing plans accordingly.

Using real cases not only boosts student interest but also makes abstract functions feel tangible and consequential — particularly when decisions lead to success or failure.

How It’s Assessed

Assessment in this unit focuses on application, analysis and evaluation:

• Question Types: Short-answer questions testing knowledge of key terms, data response questions requiring interpretation of functional issues, and extended evaluative questions comparing decisions or functional priorities.

• Command Words: OCR uses specific language:

  • Explain – Define and exemplify (e.g. “Explain the purpose of the marketing function.”)

  • Analyse – Present logical chains of reasoning (e.g. “Analyse the impact of delayed production on other business functions.”)

  • Evaluate – Balance arguments to reach judgements (e.g. “Evaluate whether finance or HR is more important in a business start-up.”)

• Data Handling: Students are expected to interpret charts, tables or short case studies that provide context for their answers — a perfect opportunity to teach evidence-based reasoning early.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This unit is fertile ground for embedding enterprise skills, especially through “learning by doing”. Use activities that simulate real business decisions:

• Decision-making simulations: Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations drop students into fictional business scenarios where they allocate resources across functions, evaluate trade-offs, and justify strategy.

• Problem-solving: Task students with resolving a functional conflict — for example, should marketing launch a promotion if operations can’t meet the demand?

• Communication and collaboration: Group tasks where students role-play department heads, defending their function’s needs in a strategy meeting.

These activities make classroom learning active and meaningful, building the skills Ofsted and employers value most.

Careers Links

Linking business functions to real career pathways is easy and powerful here:

• Marketing: roles in digital marketing, brand management, advertising.

• Operations: careers in logistics, supply chain, retail management.

• Human Resources: pathways into HR officer roles, recruitment, employee relations.

• Finance: careers in accountancy, business analysis, financial planning.

This aligns directly with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6: connecting curriculum to careers, encounters with employers, and practical experiences. The Skills Hub platform and Business Simulations also offer authentic exposure to how these roles play out in business contexts — no work placement required.

Teaching Notes

Here are practical tips to help this topic land well with students:

• Use mini case studies regularly. A fictional company with functional challenges (e.g. a budget cut, a staffing crisis, or a product recall) can act as an anchor throughout.

• Model interdependence visually with functional flowcharts — showing how one department’s decision affects others.

• Embed active tasks: quick simulations, group debates on functional priorities, or student-led presentations on ‘a week in the life’ of each function.

• Common pitfalls: Students often silo functions. Help them see the overlap — for example, how marketing affects staffing needs or how finance constrains operational options.

• Extension opportunities: Let stronger learners evaluate functional priorities in different types of businesses — e.g. how operations might dominate in manufacturing, but HR in a consultancy.