Syllabus: WJEC - GCSE Business
Module: 2. Influences on business
Lesson: 2.1 Technological Influence on Business Activity
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Introduction
This section of the WJEC GCSE Business syllabus explores how technology shapes the way businesses operate, compete and communicate. It’s part of Topic 2, “Influences on Business,” and specifically focuses on the role of technological change. Teachers can use this topic to bridge students’ digital fluency with business understanding—an ideal area to make the subject feel fresh and relevant.
It’s not just about new gadgets or apps. It’s about understanding how businesses respond to change, how they harness digital tools to stay competitive, and how these shifts affect jobs, productivity and decision-making. The module gives students a practical lens to explore concepts like automation, communication tools and e-commerce within a clear business context.
Key Concepts
The WJEC syllabus outlines these essential learning areas for 2.1 Technological Influence:
Types of technology used by businesses: E-commerce, digital communication tools (e.g., email, video calls), social media, cloud computing, automation, and robotics.
Impact on business operations: Increased efficiency, reduced costs, better data management and flexibility.
Impact on stakeholders: Changes in job roles, customer service expectations, and shareholder value.
Competitive advantage: How adopting technology can give a business an edge—or how failing to do so can leave them behind.
Risks and drawbacks: Cybersecurity threats, initial investment costs, training needs and job displacement due to automation.
Students are expected to apply this understanding to a variety of business contexts—ranging from small local enterprises to global multinationals.
Real-World Relevance
Bring this topic to life by anchoring it in what students already see around them. A few useful case studies and examples:
Amazon’s use of automation: From predictive algorithms to warehouse robots, Amazon shows how tech can radically reshape logistics.
Greggs’ mobile app and click-and-collect system: A local, accessible example of digital transformation enhancing customer experience and efficiency.
Welsh businesses embracing e-commerce: Highlight SMEs that pivoted during COVID-19 by using Shopify or Etsy to reach customers online.
Ask students to compare the experience of walking into a shop versus ordering through an app. How do businesses handle inventory differently? What happens to staffing? These kinds of questions ground theory in lived reality.
How It’s Assessed
WJEC assessment expects students to interpret, apply and evaluate business information in context. For this unit, that typically includes:
Short-answer and structured questions on the benefits and drawbacks of technology.
Scenario-based questions that ask students to make recommendations or decisions based on a fictional business case.
Data interpretation using charts, sales figures or trends relating to tech adoption.
Command words to focus on include: explain, analyse, evaluate, discuss, and justify. Encourage students to practise full-paragraph responses that reference business context clearly.
Enterprise Skills Integration
This topic offers a natural pathway to teach and develop key enterprise skills:
Problem-solving: Students might explore how a business could overcome challenges from outdated technology.
Decision-making: Case studies can present two tech solutions—students weigh up which to implement.
Adaptability: Understanding that digital tools evolve constantly encourages flexible thinking.
Communication: Students explore how technology supports stakeholder communication across teams and customer bases.
Practical classroom activity idea: run a “Tech Audit Challenge” where students analyse a fictional business and propose how it could improve its operations using affordable digital tools.
Careers Links
Technological fluency is essential across modern careers. This module supports Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6 by linking curriculum content to the workplace:
Roles influenced: Digital marketing executive, IT support technician, e-commerce manager, logistics analyst, app developer.
Sectors impacted: Retail, manufacturing, hospitality, creative industries, finance.
Employability skills: Critical thinking, digital literacy, understanding of operational processes.
Consider inviting a local business owner or tech freelancer to speak about how they use technology day-to-day. It helps students see pathways beyond the textbook.
Teaching Notes
What works:
Use real-life examples that students recognise (Deliveroo, local businesses, TikTok marketing).
Encourage group debate: “Has technology helped or hurt jobs?”
Use up-to-date news stories—AI in retail, cybercrime cases, digital transformation grants for SMEs.
Common pitfalls:
Overloading lessons with too much technical detail—keep the focus on business impact.
Treating all businesses the same—challenge students to think about differences by size, sector, or region.
Extension ideas:
Research task: How has a specific local business adopted technology?
Debate club: “Automation will benefit workers more than it will hurt them—agree or disagree?”
