IB Business Management SL study guide
IB Business Management SL · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
IB Business Management SL is the standard level subject within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. It suits students who want to understand how organisations decide, finance, staff, market and operate, and who intend to study business, management, economics or related fields at university. The course builds around four compulsory units - business organisation and environment, human resource management, finance and accounts, and marketing, plus operations management - assessed through two external papers and an internally assessed research project. Paper 1 works from a pre-released case study, so you analyse one organisation in depth; Paper 2 uses unseen stimulus material and rewards applying concepts to unfamiliar contexts. The IB Business Management SL study guide has 6 sections and about 2,226 words.
01Business Organisation and Environment
This domain examines why businesses exist, how they are classified and how external forces and growth choices shape strategy. SL questions often ask you to apply STEEPLE, SWOT and Ansoff to a short case rather than list definitions.
388 words, about 2 min02Human Resource Management
HRM tests how organisations structure work, lead people, motivate employees and manage recruitment and training. SL case questions often ask you to diagnose a people problem and justify a practical response.
370 words, about 2 min03Finance and Accounts
Finance tests whether you can calculate, interpret and recommend. SL questions commonly combine break-even, cash flow, sources of finance and ratio analysis in one case.
380 words, about 2 min04Marketing
Marketing tests how a business identifies customer needs, chooses a target segment and coordinates the marketing mix. SL case questions reward justified decisions, not lists of the 4Ps.
354 words, about 2 min05Operations Management
Operations tests how inputs are transformed into outputs efficiently and reliably. SL questions often ask you to compare production methods, improve quality or assess capacity and inventory decisions.
356 words, about 2 min06Internal Assessment: Research Project
The internal assessment is a research project in which you investigate a real business issue and produce a structured report. It tests independent research, application of business tools, analysis and evaluation, not just description.
378 words, about 2 min