Edexcel Business A Level Revision

Multinational Corporation (MNC) - is a business that is based or registered in one country but has outlets/affiliates or does business in other countries.  Such companies have offices and/or factories in different countries (typically emerging economies or undeveloped countries due to cost savings) and usually have a centralised head office (typically in western markets e.g. UK and US) where they coordinate global management. Characteristics of a MNC include; Dominant players in the market Complex structures, multi-site and multi-product Grown through organic and inorganic growth Heavy investment in R&D Globally recognised brands Globalisation is one of the major reasons for the growth in MNCs. A number of businesses in order to grow and develop have had to take on a global or internationak perspective, MNCs have also caused further globalisation. MNCs impact the local economy in the following ways; Local labour, wages, working conditions and job creation Loca...

Production - A process of workers combining various material inputs and know-how in order to make something for consumption by the customer, known as the output. Production can also be defined as the total amount of output produced in a time period. The more that can be produced in a specific period of time, the more efficient the business becomes in using its resources. There are 9 factors that have to be considered when assessing a country as a production location; Costs of production Skills and availability of labour force Infrastructure Location in trade bloc Government incentives Ease of doing business Political stability Natural resources Likely return on investment COSTS OF PRODUCTION In highly competitive mass markes, having low costs of production will be a significant advantage. This means low wage cost will see FDI to the country in order to take advantage of the labour force and its low wage costs. This allows businesses to drive costs down, allowing the...

Globalisation - the process of greater intergration and inter-connectedness between countries Trade liberalisation - Includes the removal or reduction of tariff obstacles such as duties and surcharges and non-tariff obstacles such as licensing rules, quotas and other requirements. Transnational Corporation - A business that is register and operates in more than one country at a time but selling the same products. Migration - The movement of people from one place to another International trade is increasing for a number of reasons: Reduction of international trade barriers/trade liberalisation Reduced cost of transport and communication Increased significance of transnational corporations Increased investment flows Migration within and between economies Growth of the global labour force Structural Change REDUCTION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE BARRIERS/TRADE LIBERALISATION Countries impose trade barriers for many reasons. They include protecting local jobs, allowing new i...

Labour Turnover - measures the rate at which staff leave the business. They may or may not need replacing. It can measured by the percentage of staff leaving within a time period. Recruitment and training are expensive and it takes some time for new recruits to become fully competent. The more senior the position, the more it will cost. HARD COSTS OF RECRUITMENT Advertising and recruitment agency costs Interview costs and expenses and managerial time diverted Costs of training and induction SOFT COSTS OF RECRUITMENT Loss of production when staff are involved in recruitment and training Time taken to build up knowledge, experience and working relationships with co-workers and customers. The costs of recruitment and training mean that a high rate of labour turnover can be a real problem. It entails the loss of valued skills and knowledge and therefore lowers productivity. It may affect employee motivation. Even so, a certain amount of labour turnover can bring in capable a...