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2011 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Business Services

Contents

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 course in Business Services. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2011 Higher School Certificate examination, indicating the quality of the responses and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.

This document should be read along with the relevant syllabus, the 2011 Higher School Certificate examination, the marking guidelines and other support documents developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of Business Services. Teachers and candidates are reminded that if candidates are undertaking the 240 hour VET Industry Curriculum Framework in Business Services and they want to undertake the HSC examination in Business Services, they need to be entered separately for the examination through Schools Online (Administration) by the due date published in the Higher School Certificate Events Timetable.

General comments

Teachers and candidates should be aware that examiners may ask questions that address the syllabus outcomes in a manner that requires candidates to respond by integrating their knowledge, understanding and skills developed through studying the course.

Candidates need to be aware that the marks allocated to the question and the answer space (where this is provided on the examination paper) are guides to the length of the required response. A longer response will not in itself lead to higher marks. Writing far beyond the indicated space may reduce the time available for answering other questions.

Candidates need to be familiar with the Board’s Glossary of Key Words, which contains some terms commonly used in examination questions. However, candidates should also be aware that not all questions will start with or contain one of the key words from the glossary. Questions such as ‘how?’, ‘why?’ or ‘to what extent?’ may be asked or verbs may be used that are not included in the glossary, such as ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Section II

Question 16

  1. In better responses, candidates understood the term outline and gave specific examples of types of records that need to be maintained in a workplace, such as:
    • employee records, eg wages paid, employment contracts or contract details
    • client records, eg contact details, purchase history or correspondence – letters, emails etc
    • financial records, eg tax invoices, purchase orders or bank statements.
    Many candidates listed a number of record types, eg client, staff or tax, but did not outline characteristics of the record types. Some candidates included references to active, inactive and dead files and classification types, which were not relevant to this question. Most candidates focused on client/customer and employee details.

  2. Most candidates stated a range of factors to be considered when storing workplace information. The most common responses related to confidentiality, security and accessibility as well as how information is classified/ordered.

    In better responses, candidates expanded on accessibility, referring to speed, accuracy and reliability. Candidates referred to centralised and decentralised storage and mentioned paper-based and electronic storage with links to storage capacity. Some candidates also included reference to document protection from environmental deterioration, the need for backups in case of data loss as well as classifying records as active, inactive or dead, to determine the method of data storage.

    In poorer responses, candidates mentioned how workplace information was stored, eg in a filing cabinet. Most of these candidates mentioned – and elaborated on – only one factor.

  3. In better responses, candidates provided a range of benefits with a convincing argument why businesses should have an information management policy.

    In mid-range responses, candidates provided a range of reasons, but did not link to an argument. In poorer responses, candidates wrote mainly about management of a business or named a reason, for example confidentiality or security.

    Most candidates provided some reasons for having an information policy, such as maintaining privacy and confidentiality, protection from unauthorised access or to inform employees about how information should be stored and used in an organisation. Some candidates also included reasons such as legal obligations or appropriate disposal of business records.

Question 17

  1. In better responses, candidates identified all four types of bullying: sexual, verbal, physical and psychological. Some candidates identified two types of bullying or made a valid statement regarding bullying and harassment in the workplace. Cyberbullying was often mentioned.

    In weaker responses, candidates wrote about the grounds for discrimination, for example race, gender and sex rather than indicating the types of bullying or harassment.

  2. In better responses, candidates provided details of a wide range of strategies an employee could use, such as speaking to the bully or reporting to their supervisor/manager.

    In weaker responses, candidates only provided a strategy, with little or irrelevant detail. Some candidates limited themselves by referring only to ‘speaking to the boss’.

  3. In most responses, candidates identified a number of measures used to promote a cooperative work environment. These included team work and team building, organising of social events, developing mutual respect through awareness of cultural diversity and the use of codes of conduct.

    In better responses, candidates also referred to team meetings to help workers understand their own and others’ roles and responsibilities, and to provide opportunities for sharing ideas and opinions. Training and mentoring programs and the use of performance appraisals were also referred to.

    Some candidates expanded on these ideas to include developing a workplace culture that used open-plan offices and flatter management structures to break down communication barriers.

Question 18

  1. In better responses, candidates demonstrated a clear understanding of why awareness of cultural diversity affects the workplace. Some mentioned the link between education and training and tolerance, and also noted the importance of awareness and its impact on compliance with the Anti-discrimination Act. Others included the positive impact on business success.

    In weaker responses, candidates made general comments regarding cultural diversity, anti-discrimination and tolerance. There was limited use of relevant terminology.

  2. In better responses, candidates provided many different strategies that an employer could use to educate their staff to become more culturally aware. Many candidates discussed the importance of ‘multicultural days’, where staff could learn and experience traditions of different races and religions. Some candidates felt that educating staff through in-servicing was the key strategy to promoting a harmonious work place.

    Some candidates used the same terminology – there was no differentiation between strategies, such as meetings, group meetings and gatherings.

  3. In better responses, candidates provided a wide range of benefits derived from good customer services. They provided examples of how good customer service can result in increased productivity, return customers, customer loyalty and new customers.

    In average responses, candidates focused on repeat customers and elaborated on this point.

    In poorer responses, candidates provided examples of good customer service, such as smiling and politeness, with no mention of benefits.

  4. In better responses, candidates focused on a variety of ways that Jamie’s personal presentation contributed to the image of the business. Even though the question asked for positive points, quite a number of candidates focused on the negatives of poor presentation. In better responses, candidates provided the characteristics and then described the features of these characteristics clearly and succinctly.

    In poorer responses, candidates only provided one characteristic and described the features of it, for example grooming, hair, make-up and ironing your clothes. These responses mainly focused on dress/presentation and facial expression, such as smiling, without addressing how this contributed to a positive image for the business.

    Very few candidates engaged with the fact that Jamie was a receptionist in a law firm.

Section III

Question 19

Generally, most candidates included workplace examples in their answers.

In better responses, candidates demonstrated a clear and concise understanding of the relationship between two current changes in the business services environment and linked these changes to the effects on the business services environment.

In these responses, candidates demonstrated a sound understanding of the changes relating to the previous ten years. They supported their understanding by using relevant workplace examples and appropriate industry terminology. Many responses included consideration of OHS issues, changes in technology in the workplace, environmental issues, workplace diversity, legislation changes, changing structures and global economic factors. The better responses were well structured and demonstrated a good understanding of the syllabus.

In weaker responses, candidates tended to describe changes to the business services environment. They failed to make effective links between these changes and the effect on the business services environment. These responses showed limited understanding of appropriate industry terminology. They also failed to provide appropriate workplace examples.

In the poorest responses, candidates did not provide examples of issues from the previous ten years. They tended to provide general information with little or no industry terminology. No attempt was made to provide relevant workplace examples.

Section IV

Question 20

Candidates are reminded that each part of the question in this section should be answered separately.

  1. Most candidates were familiar with the term safety audit. In better responses, candidates gave a clear definition.

    2. In poorer responses, candidates lacked clarity in their answer.

  2. In better responses, candidates described a range of employer responsibilities in relation to OHS.

    In poorer responses, candidates just listed the responsibilities of the employer in relation to OHS. Some responses confused employer and employee responsibilities.

  3. This question specified the OHS considerations that the employee must follow to complete the task.

    In better responses, candidates detailed the OHS considerations and how the employee could benefit by completing the task given. They presented a range of relevant considerations and related them to the business services environment. These responses used industry terminology in the required context.

    In poorer responses, candidates either detailed the contents of the procedure manual or wrote a version of a procedures manual, rather than considering the work practices to be implemented when doing this task. These responses generally used the correct industry terminology.
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