Syllabus: 3.2 Influences on Business
Module: 3.2.2 Ethical and Environmental Considerations
Lesson: 3.2.1 Technology

Introduction

This topic is part of Section 3.2 – Influences on Business in the AQA GCSE Business specification. It focuses on how technology affects business operations, decision-making, competitiveness and communication. With digital transformation accelerating across industries, this section is essential for giving students the context they need to understand how modern businesses operate and adapt.

The topic directly supports students in developing their analytical and evaluative skills—critical for success in assessment—and links closely to wider themes like productivity, innovation, and external influences. It’s also a natural bridge to enterprise education, offering rich ground for discussion and application in both classroom and careers-focused contexts.

Key Concepts

Students are expected to understand the impact of ICT and digital technologies on how businesses operate. According to the AQA specification, this includes:

• E-commerce: How businesses use online platforms to sell products and services.

• Digital communication: Use of email, websites, social media, and video conferencing.

• Business operations: The role of technology in manufacturing, stock control, and customer service.

• Technology in marketing: Personalisation, targeting, and data collection.

• Advantages of adopting technology: Improved efficiency, access to wider markets, enhanced communication.

• Disadvantages of adopting technology: Costs of investment, cybersecurity risks, skills gaps, and job displacement.

These ideas are explored in the context of small and large businesses, ensuring accessibility across learner abilities and relevance to both local and global business models.

Real-World Relevance

Technology is not an abstract concept—it shapes every aspect of business today.

• Retail: Supermarkets like Tesco use predictive analytics to manage stock, while small Etsy sellers use Shopify integrations for inventory and customer communication.

• Customer Service: Chatbots (e.g. on banking sites like Monzo) streamline FAQs and free up staff for complex issues.

• Remote Work: Businesses like Zoom and Microsoft have transformed collaboration, making flexible working the norm post-pandemic.

• Marketing: SMEs use Meta Ads to target niche audiences, tracking conversions through integrated CRM tools.

Mini case study:
A small bakery in Manchester adopted Square POS to track sales, integrate with Instagram for orders, and manage delivery logistics—all through one cloud-based system. Revenue rose by 30% in six months, highlighting how even micro-businesses can harness tech affordably.

How It’s Assessed

This topic is typically assessed through application-based questions, often embedded within case studies. AQA uses a range of command words that teachers should highlight during preparation:

• Explain: e.g. “Explain one benefit to a business of using e-commerce.”

• Analyse: e.g. “Analyse the impact of using social media to promote a new product.”

• Evaluate: e.g. “Do you think investment in new technology is always worthwhile for a small business? Justify your answer.”

Students should practise structuring responses clearly using Point-Evidence-Explain and integrating business context into their answers. Short-answer questions may test definitions or listing impacts, while longer questions (6–9 marks) demand analysis and judgment.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This topic is ideal for strengthening enterprise skills, especially through scenario-based activities. Key skills include:

• Problem-solving: How should a business respond to a competitor’s use of AI tools?

• Decision-making: Should a business invest in a new app, or upgrade its website?

• Digital literacy: Understanding basic tech tools that businesses use daily.

• Critical thinking: Evaluating the balance between innovation and cost.

Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations offer plug-and-play classroom experiences where students role-play as decision-makers. For example, they may be tasked with choosing between investing in a social media campaign or a website overhaul, experiencing the consequences of their choices in real time.

Careers Links

This topic directly supports Gatsby Benchmark 4 (Linking curriculum learning to careers) and Benchmark 5 (Encounters with employers and employees).

Relevant careers include:

• Digital Marketing Assistant: Understanding analytics and tech tools for outreach.

• E-commerce Manager: Overseeing digital sales platforms.

• IT Support Technician: Maintaining business systems and software.

• Business Analyst: Using data to recommend tech solutions.

• Operations Manager: Leveraging tech for efficiency.

You can enhance this section with guest speakers from local businesses who’ve adopted new technologies, or by using the Enterprise Skills Simulation Events that replicate workplace decisions in safe, engaging formats.

Teaching Notes

Tips:

• Use real tools: Walk students through setting up a Shopify page or creating a mock digital campaign.

• Case-based discussions: Use current tech shifts (like AI, contactless payments, or TikTok marketing) to spark debate.

• Group challenges: Ask students to develop a tech plan for a fictional business—budget, tools, and expected impact.

Common Pitfalls:

• Students often conflate communication technology with operational technology. Clarify the distinction early.

• Overemphasis on positive impacts—prompt students to consider risks (e.g. data breaches, employee resistance to change).

• Generic responses—ensure students can link concepts to specific business types or scenarios.

Extension Activities:

• Run an Enterprise Skills Simulation where students manage a company’s digital transformation.

• Invite students to audit a local business’s tech use and suggest improvements.

• Use Skills Hub tools for formative quizzes and scenario-based practice.