All four topics
Everything in Unit 4, spec point by spec point
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The forces driving globalisation — growing and emerging economies, international trade and business growth, what drives globalisation, migration and structural change, protectionism and trading blocs.
- aGrowing EconomiesEmerging economies · GDP per capita · Human Development Index · employment patterns
- bInternational Trade and Business GrowthExports and imports · specialising · foreign direct investment
- cWhat Drives Globalisation: Trade, Politics, Transport, FirmsTrade liberalisation · WTO · political change · cheaper transport and communication · MNCs
- dMigration, Labour and Structural ChangeMigration · global labour force · structural change
- eProtectionismTariffs · import quotas · other trade barriers
- fTrading BlocsEU · ASEAN · NAFTA
Why businesses expand abroad and how they choose where — the push and pull factors behind trade, assessing a country as a market and as a production location, the reasons for global mergers, takeovers and joint ventures, and the uncertainty that exchange rates and skill shortages bring.
- aConditions that Prompt TradePush & pull factors · off-shoring & outsourcing · extending the product life cycle
- bAssessing a Country as a MarketDisposable income · ease of doing business · infrastructure · political stability · Porter's five forces
- cAssessing a Production LocationCosts of production · skills & labour · trade blocs · government incentives · return on investment
- dGlobal Mergers, Takeovers & Joint VenturesSpreading risk · new markets · brands & patents · securing supplies · local knowledge
- eGlobal Expansion & UncertaintyExchange rate movements · skill shortages · international competitiveness
How a business markets across borders — global marketing strategy and glocalisation, the ethnocentric, geocentric and polycentric approaches, adapting the marketing mix, applying Ansoff's and Porter's matrices, global niche markets, and the cultural and social factors a business must consider.
- aGlobal Marketing Strategy & ApproachesGlocalisation · domestic/ethnocentric · mixed/geocentric · international/polycentric
- bThe Marketing Mix in Global MarketsStandardise or adapt · pricing for local incomes · pack sizes · place & promotion abroad
- cAnsoff & Porter in Global MarketingMarket development · diversification · cost leadership · differentiation · focus
- dGlobal Niche MarketsCultural diversity · features of global niches · adapting the 4Ps to a niche
- eCultural & Social FactorsCultural differences · tastes & preferences · language & unintended meanings · inappropriate branding
The impact of multinational corporations and how they are controlled — their effects on the local economy and on the national economy, the ethical issues they raise for stakeholders, the environment, supply chains and marketing, and the factors to consider when controlling them.
- aMNCs and the Local EconomyFDI & subsidiaries · local labour, wages & working conditions · local businesses · the community & environment
- bMNCs and the National EconomyEconomic growth & FDI flows · balance of payments · technology, skills & business culture · consumers · tax revenues & transfer pricing
- cInternational Business EthicsStakeholder conflicts · emissions, waste & sustainability · pay, working conditions & child labour · misleading labelling & marketing
- dControlling MNCsPower of MNCs · political influence · legal control · consumer pressure · pressure groups & social media · self-regulation
Unit overview
What you need to know for WBS14
- Globalisation is a double-edged sword
- Trade creates winners and losers. Always evaluate both sides — economic growth and job creation vs inequality, cultural erosion and environmental damage.
- Where to expand is an assessment
- A country is judged twice: as a market (income, ease of doing business, infrastructure, political stability, exchange rates) and as a place to produce (costs, skills, incentives, likely return). Weigh the factors against what the business is trying to achieve.
- Glocalisation is the sweet spot
- The best global businesses balance standardisation (cost efficiency) with adaptation (local relevance). Weigh both sides before you recommend a strategy.
- MNCs face ethical scrutiny
- Transfer pricing, labour standards and environmental impact are key evaluation themes. Examiners want you to weigh economic benefits against ethical concerns.
Exam paper info
WBS14 at a glance
Assessment details
- Exam paper
- WBS14
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Total marks
- 80 marks
- % of A-Level
- 25%
- Question types
- 4820
- Data response
- Yes — Section A
- Essay questions
- Sections B & C — one compulsory each
Keep going
Continue revising
- Unit 3: Business Decisions and StrategyWBS13 · Objectives, growth, decision-making, competitiveness, change
- Unit 1: Marketing and PeopleWBS11 · Customer needs, the market, marketing mix, managing people
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- WBS14 Past PapersPractise with real exam questions and mark schemes