Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Certificate, Subsidiary Diploma, Foundation

Diploma, Diploma, Extended Diploma

June 2025 - Version 1

Recommended time 10 hours
40912M Paper
reference

Business Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

UNIT 6: Principles of Management
Pearson Set Assignment Brief
Single Part Assessment

For use with:

Pearson BTEC International Level 3 qualifications in Business
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 qualifications in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

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 Instructions to Teachers and Tutors
The Pearson Set Assignment will be assessed internally by the centre using the unit
assessment criteria detailed in the qualification specification. The assignment will
be sampled by the Standards Verifier as part of the standards verification annual
centre visit.

Conditions of supervision
The Pearson Set Assignment should be undertaken in conditions that assure the
authenticity of outcome. This may require supervision.
We advise that the Pearson Set Assignment be completed in sessions that come to a
total of 10 hours.
The Pearson Set Assignment should not be shared with learners prior to the start of the
assessment period. Teachers/tutors are responsible for security of the Pearson Set
Assignment and materials.

Outcomes for submission

Learners must complete this Set Assignment on a computer using word-processing
and presentation software. Learners must save their work regularly and ensure that all
materials can be identified as their work.
Learners must submit their own, independent work as detailed in the Set Assignment.
Each learner must complete an authentication sheet.
It is important that the evidence provided can be independently authenticated by a
Standards Verifier. It is required that there is evidence of research taking place.

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 Instructions to Learners
Read the Set Assignment Information and Set Assignment carefully.
You will be asked to carry out specific written activities under supervised conditions
using the information provided. You will be given more than one timetabled period
to complete these activities including time to prepare summary notes to support
you during the assessment. Your tutor will advise you of the scheduled sessions for
this work.
Your notes should:
• be individually and independently prepared by you
• contain a maximum of 4 sides of A4, either handwritten or typed
• use short, bullet-point-style information, and cannot contain long narrative pieces
of text.
At all times you must work independently and must not share your work with other
learners. You must complete an authentication sheet and submit this along with
your work.

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 Set Assignment Information
Scenario
The business: Weber Building Supplies Ltd
Weber Building Supplies Ltd is a family business established in 1962 supplying
building materials, hardware and fittings to trade customers and members of the public.
Weber Building Supplies Ltd is owned by brother and sister, Daniel and Elsa Johnson,
who inherited the business from their mother in 1998. Since then, Daniel and Elsa have
grown the business from the two stores owned by their mother to a total of 15 stores, all
within a 70 km radius of the original stores.
Daniel is Managing Director and Elsa Human Resources Director. They both believe
that their success is built on their employees, who they consider to be extended family.
Elsa and Daniel believe that a family business should be run using a paternalistic style.
During the business’s period of expansion, they had a policy of promoting existing
staff into managerial roles and if possible employing staff who are friends or family of
existing employees. The majority of store management still live near the original two
stores, with many having to travel up to 100 km a day.
Daniel is responsible for managerial appointments for all 15 stores. Over the last five
years, Daniel has become frustrated with his store management teams and has changed
his management style from paternalistic to autocratic. The store managers regularly
accuse him of micromanaging.
Elsa is known for her friendly and open approach. She believes that if you are willing
to listen to your employees and take an interest in their lives, they will take an interest
in the business and make an extra effort. Elsa organises regular social events for her
employees and expects everyone to attend. If employees are unhappy with individual
store management decisions, they will approach Elsa with their concerns. When store
management teams are unhappy with Daniel’s decisions, they will also approach Elsa to
have them reversed.
None of the store managers have had any recognised management training and
most adopt a hands-on approach. When their decisions are questioned, the store
management teams claim that this is what the employees want.
The business has many long-term trade customers that have formed strong
relationships with the staff. Competition has increased from national companies. Weber
Building Supplies Ltd has struggled to find new trade customers and attract customers
from the general public.
Weber Building Supplies Ltd decided to open seven days a week, in an attempt to
increase sales. This has caused issues with the staff as they are mainly full-time and are
now expected to work regular overtime hours every week.

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 Over the last five years Weber Building Supplies Ltd’s sales have been stable and
overheads have increased.
Table 1: Extract of financial information for Weber Building Supplies Ltd 2020–2024

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Total revenue ($) 28 400 000 28 800 000 28 500 000 28 500 000 28 800 000

Gross profit ($) 8 100 000 7 900 000 7 700 000 7 600 000 7 500 000

Gross profit % 28.5 27.4 27.0 26.7 26.0

Net profit ($) 2 200 000 2 000 000 1 800 000 1 600 000 1 500 000

Net profit % 7.7 6.9 6.3 5.6 5.2

• During this five-year period competitors have reported increased sales from trade
customers and the general public.
• Staff are paid below the industry average wage.
• Many staff work regular overtime at a premium rate.
• During peak periods or when there is a shortage of staff, full-time staff are required
to work overtime.
• Although staff turnover is low, recently Weber Building Supplies Ltd has struggled
to fill vacant positions increasing the need for staff to work overtime.

Table 2: Extract of Weber Building Supplies Ltd staffing and staff turnover data 2020–2024

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Full-time staff and

195 189 187 185 183
managers
Turnover of full-time staff
6 8 10 11 15
and managers (%)

Part-time staff 19 21 24 24 23

Turnover of part-time staff

9 12 12 14 15
(%)

Trade customers have stated:

• “We like coming here when we are not busy, the staff always have time to talk.”
• “Weber Building Supplies struggles to match the price of competitors.”

Members of the public stated:

• “I didn’t feel welcome, staff treated me like a builder.”
• “The staff are not very knowledgeable and never offer advice.”

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 Staff stated:
• “I don’t like working overtime, but need it to pay my bills.”
• “Trade customers are like friends.”
• “The general public always ask for advice – if I was a builder, I wouldn’t work here.”
• “The managers don’t know how to manage.”
Managers stated:
• “None of us have been taught how to manage.”
• “Daniel blames us for all of the company’s issues.”
• “Elsa is great – she always backs us.”
Daniel and Elsa recently held a directors’ meeting and identified the need to make
changes in the business. They have approached a management consultancy
company to investigate and make recommendations to help the business improve its
performance. Daniel and Elsa understand that implementing any recommendations
from the management consultancy company will cause a period of change within
the business. They know that this change will need to be managed if Weber Building
Supplies Ltd is to become successful again. As a researcher with the management
consultancy company, you are assisting one of the senior partners who is working on
the consultancy for Weber Building Supplies Ltd.

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 Set Assignment
You are working as a researcher for a management consultancy company. Your line
manager will soon be meeting with the owners of Weber Building Supplies Ltd. At this
morning’s team meeting you were asked to prepare the papers your manager needs to
take to the meeting.
Your manager asked you to familiarise yourself with the given industry sectors (building
supplies and retail) and scenario information in advance of producing these documents.
You must complete ALL activities.

Activity 1 – Research
Conduct relevant research into the given scenario information – building supplies
and retail industry sectors, use of management and leadership models and change
management within business organisations.

Activity 2 – Report
You are to prepare a report for your manager to give to the owners in the given scenario.
Your report must:
• show your understanding of the management and leadership issues at the given
business
• show your understanding of the functions of management and leadership, and the
skills needed for the different roles in the given scenario
• show your understanding of the management and leadership issues facing Weber
Building Supplies Ltd and how these influence business performance
• make recommendations on the actions that the management and leadership team
of Weber Building Supplies Ltd should take to improve the business performance
• use examples from the scenario information to illustrate concepts, or from your own
research or experience, not just repeat theory
• cover concepts/theories of management and leadership.
This activity covers learning aims A and B.
A.P1, A.P2, B.P3, B.P4, A.M1, B.M2, A.D1, B.D2
Set Assignment Format
The report should be word-processed and in size 12-point font.

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 Activity 3 – Presentation slides and speaker notes
With reference to the information and data in the scenario, you are to prepare a
presentation, to be given to the owners and directors of Weber Building Supplies Ltd.
The presentation must be accompanied by detailed speaker notes/script.
The presentation should:
• show your understanding of the need to manage the forthcoming changes at
Weber Building Supplies Ltd to ensure business success
• show your understanding of the wider environment and the internal and external
factors, and the needs and motivations of the stakeholders who will influence
change at Weber Building Supplies Ltd
• recommend the actions to be taken by the owners, directors and managers to
manage the necessary changes.
In your presentation make sure that you:
• apply a change management model or theory relevant to the scenario to illustrate
concepts, or from your own research or experience, not just repeat theory.
This activity covers learning aim C.
C.P5, C.P6, C.M3, C.M4, C.D3.
Set Assignment Format
This assignment should be prepared using presentation software and contain slides and
speaker notes.

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 Assessment Criteria
Learning aim A: Explore management and leadership principles, concepts, key terms, functions
and theories
A.P1 Explain functions of management and leadership using different theories and concepts in a
given business context.
A.P2 Examine the skills and attributes needed for different management and leadership roles in a
given business context.
A.M1 Analyse the functions and skills of management and leadership using different theories and
concepts for different leadership roles in a given business context.
A.D1 Evaluate functions and skills of management and leadership for different management and
leadership roles in a given business context, through the application of theories, models and
concepts of management and leadership.

Learning aim B: Examine management and leadership styles and skills and their impact on
organisational performance
B.P3 Explain how different management and leadership styles can influence business performance.
B.P4 Explain how management and leadership skills could be improved in a given
business context.
B.M2 Analyse management and leadership issues that impact business performance in a given
business context.
B.D2 Evaluate management and leadership issues that impact business performance in a given
business context.

Learning aim C: Prepare proposals for business improvement to meet the needs of stakeholders in
given business contexts
C.P5 Explain factors and stakeholders that influence change in a given context using an
appropriate format.
C.P6 Explain your own recommendations for actions to be taken to improve business performance
for a given context, using an appropriate format.
C.M3 Analyse factors and stakeholders that influence change in a given context using an
appropriate format.
C.M4 Justify your own recommendations for actions to be taken to improve business performance
for a given context, using an appropriate format.
C.D3 Evaluate the potential success of different strategies used for improving business
performance in a given context, providing concise, reasoned recommendations for change using
an appropriate format.
Key
P = Pass
M = Merit
D = Distinction

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