Syllabus: AQA - AS and A Level Business
Module: 3.10 Managing Strategic Change (A-level only)
Lesson: 3.10.3 Managing Strategic Implementation

Introduction

The AQA A-level Business specification includes a critical component in strategic change: 3.10.3 Managing Strategic Implementation. This topic addresses how businesses put strategy into action, focusing on structure, communication, leadership, and project planning. It sits within the broader theme of managing strategic change, which is core to understanding how organisations sustain competitive advantage.

This section of the curriculum aligns directly with the Enterprise Skills platform’s emphasis on commercial awareness, strategic thinking, and implementation planning — all skills essential for workplace readiness and linked to Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6.

Key Concepts

As per the AQA specification, students should understand:

• Effective strategy implementation: The importance of communication, leadership, and staff alignment when implementing strategic change.

• Organisational structure: How structure supports (or hinders) strategy. Includes centralised vs decentralised decision-making, tall vs flat hierarchies.

• Network analysis: Use of network diagrams to plan projects, identifying:

  • Activities and their duration

  • Dependencies

  • Critical path (longest route with no flexibility)

  • Total float (flexibility in non-critical tasks)

Students must not only memorise definitions but interpret and apply these in different business contexts, supporting higher-order thinking required in A-level responses.

Real-World Relevance

Strategic implementation challenges are visible in many high-profile companies. Two practical case examples illustrate this:

Case 1: John Lewis Partnership (JLP)
In recent years, JLP underwent structural change, reducing management layers to become more agile. Despite good intentions, poor communication led to confusion on shop floors. This illustrates the value of leadership and communication in implementation.

Case 2: HS2 Project Delays
The HS2 rail project involved complex stakeholder management and dependencies. Cost overruns and missed deadlines show the importance of accurate network analysis and identifying the critical path early in strategic implementation.

These examples help students link theoretical models with commercial consequences.

How It’s Assessed

This topic appears most often in Paper 3 of the AQA A-level Business exam, which assesses strategic decision-making through real business contexts.

Assessment styles include:

• 20-mark essays evaluating the effectiveness of an implementation strategy

• 12-mark application questions using data or a case study

• Multiple-choice or short-form recall for network analysis concepts

Command words to prepare for:

• Analyse – break down the components of a decision

• Evaluate – assess strength and weakness in a context

• Justify – provide evidence for a specific recommendation

• Calculate – for tasks like determining total float or project duration

Common examiner expectations include:

• Application to context (use of data or scenario)

• Balanced argument with judgement

• Use of strategic language (e.g. “aligns with corporate objectives”)

Enterprise Skills Integration

This topic is a natural fit for developing strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and decision-making. Enterprise Skills’ simulation tools and Skills Hub Business curriculum align with the following Enterprise Skills themes:

• Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: Students must apply network analysis and assess leadership decisions.

• Workplace Readiness: Simulates real project management processes.

• Commercial Awareness: Emphasises how strategy affects operations, structure, and finances.

In our simulations, students run virtual organisations where poor strategic implementation impacts profitability — reinforcing cause and effect.

Evidence from peer-reviewed studies shows that business simulations significantly boost higher-order thinking and engagement.

Careers Links

This topic is essential for careers in:

• Project management

• Business consultancy

• Change management

• Operations management

• Strategic roles in large organisations

Mapped against Gatsby Benchmarks:

• Benchmark 4: Links curriculum to careers through real-world business decisions

• Benchmark 5: Skills Hub includes industry expert insights and employer-created case studies

• Benchmark 6: Simulated strategy tasks mimic real workplace experiences

Example activity: Invite a project manager (e.g. from construction or IT) to discuss critical path challenges they’ve faced. This enhances understanding and meets employer encounter benchmarks.

Teaching Notes

Teaching tips:

• Use network diagram role play: assign students tasks and dependencies, then physically arrange them in a room to visualise sequence and float.

• Start with a case study (e.g. JLP or HS2) and ask students to map leadership, structure, and project issues using AQA models.

• Introduce mini-simulations from the Skills Hub Business platform that replicate change management decisions.

Common pitfalls:

• Students confuse critical path with the longest time duration — it’s about dependency and impact, not just time.

• Overfocus on structure types without explaining how structure supports implementation.

Extension ideas:

• Cross-curricular maths integration: practice calculating total float and project completion dates

• English/language integration: students write a mock internal communication explaining the strategy to staff

Assessment preparation:

• Build a revision sheet with:

  • Key definitions (e.g. critical path, float)

  • Real-world example per concept

  • Practice calculation and evaluation questions