IA Examiner Report 2024 – Student Comprehension Check

What is the main purpose of the Business Management Internal Assessment (IA)?

• To recommend solutions for real-world business problems

• To investigate a business issue using a key concept in context

• To conduct market research using primary data only

• To create a marketing campaign for a chosen business

Which of the following is one of the four key concepts that must be integrated into the IA?

• Profitability

• Globalisation

• Sustainability

• Leadership

Why must the chosen concept be made explicit in the IA?

• To help with referencing

• To make it easier to apply business tools

• Because implicit references are not credited in Criterion A

• Because it is needed only in the conclusion

Which research question would most likely be considered unsuitable?

• To what extent can Tesla increase production capacity in 2025?

• How effective has IKEA's digital transformation been since 2020?

• What are the advantages of SWOT analysis for small businesses?

• How has Patagonia used ethics in its marketing strategy?

What is the danger of choosing a concept after writing the IA?

• It may lead to a lack of primary data

• It causes problems in formatting

• It often results in a weak link between the concept and the analysis

• It makes referencing more difficult

Why is it considered good practice to include the concept in the research question or introduction?

• It reduces the word count

• It helps maintain focus on the concept throughout the IA

• It improves vocabulary

• It increases the grade automatically

What is a requirement for supporting documents (SDs) used in the IA?

• They must be over 10 pages each

• They must be authentic and published within the last 3 years

• They must be downloaded from IB-approved websites

• They must all be in English

Why are ready-made SWOT or PESTLE analyses not valid as SDs?

• They are too short

• They include only quantitative data

• They are often written by students

• They don’t allow students to demonstrate application of tools themselves

What is the difference between supporting documents and appendices?

• Appendices must be submitted separately

• Supporting documents are external sources; appendices are student-created

• Appendices are marked, supporting documents are not

• Supporting documents are optional

Why is the relevance of tools and theories important in Criterion C?

• To make the IA longer

• To use more command terms

• To meet presentation requirements

• Because tools must help answer the research question