Curriculum Commerce Senior Secondary NIOS

COMMERCE (Business Studies)

RATIONALE

The trend today in business is towards globalization. The entire world has become one big market. Development in transportation and communication has played a significant role in unifying various countries of the world.

Business activities play a vital role in the development of a country. Its increasing contribution to production of goods and services measures the level of growth in an economy. Today goods are produced and sold in anticipation of demand.

Business as an activity has become more complex and sensitive. It is also exposed to greater risks and uncertainties. Hence the activity requires a systematic learning and professional handling.

The current syllabus is designed to cater to the needs of National Open School students in various areas of business studies. It aims at creating an interest and understanding in the area of trade and its auxiliaries, management, finance and marketing.

The scope of business as a career is also highlighted. The entire course content is divided into core and optional modules. Learning experiences considered essential for business studies are described in core modules, whereas practice-oriented areas have been covered in optional modules.

The optional modules of the syllabus are based on vocational areas such as office procedures and practices, banking, setting up factories and agency services. These modules help learners enter the world of employment or self-employment.

DISTRIBUTION OF MARKS

OPTIONAL MODULES (Choose any one)

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• To prepare the learners for activities related to trade and commerce.
• To enable learners to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills in business and management.
• To create an interest in trade, auxiliaries and service sectors.
• To educate learners about the role of business in the economy and its social obligations.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To acquaint learners with the nature and scope of business and forms of business organisation.
• To develop understanding of internal and external trade and auxiliary activities.
• To create awareness of managerial skills such as planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling.
• To explain business finance, sources of finance and role of financial institutions.
• To develop understanding of marketing, distribution channels, advertising and sales promotion.
• To introduce learners to career opportunities, self-employment, office practices, banking, factory set-up and agency services.

CORE MODULES

MODULE – I: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS

Time: 40 Hours    Marks: 16

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with the nature and scope of business, and the different forms of business organisations.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: Understanding of human activities and knowledge of various forms of business organisation.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Nature and scope of Business
• Unit 2: Forms of Business Organisation:
  • Sole Proprietorship
  • Joint Hindu Family
  • Partnership
  • Joint Stock Company
  • Co-operative Society – characteristics
  • Suitability of different forms of business organisation

MODULE – II: BUSINESS AS A CAREER

Time: 10 Hours    Marks: 8

Approach: This module explains business as a career, need for employment, avenues of employment and concept of self-employment. It analyses and identifies various job opportunities in offices and business in general. It also describes the procedure of establishing a small enterprise.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: Understanding of the nature and scope of business.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Concept of career, need for employment, avenues of employment and career in business through wage-employment
• Unit 2: Self-employment in business and qualities required for success in business
• Unit 3: How to establish a business enterprise

MODULE – III: TRADE AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES

Time: 40 Hours    Marks: 16

Approach: This module is designed to familiarise the learner with the importance of the different types of trade and its auxiliaries.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General knowledge of various concepts of trade and its auxiliaries.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Trade and auxiliaries to trade
• Unit 2: Internal Trade
  • Meaning of Retail and Wholesale Trade
  • Services of Wholesaler and Retailer
  • Specialised Retailing Agencies:
    • Departmental Stores
    • Multiple Shops
    • Mail Order Houses
    • Super Bazaars
    • Their characteristics, merits and demerits
• Unit 3: External Trade
  • Procedure of Export and Import Trade
  • Main documents used in Foreign Trade
• Unit 4: Service Activities
  • Transport
  • Communication
  • Postal Services
  • Banking
  • Insurance

MODULE – IV: MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS

Time: 40 Hours    Marks: 16

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with the concepts, general principles and functions of business management.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General idea about management and role of managers.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Introduction to Management – Definition, nature and scope of management, concept of scientific management and principles of general management
• Unit 2: Planning – Meaning and process
• Unit 3: Organising – Process of organising
• Unit 4: Staffing – Recruitment and selection of employees, training and development, appraisal and promotion
• Unit 5: Directing – Meaning and importance of communication, motivation, leadership and supervision
• Unit 6: Co-ordination and Controlling – Meaning and process

MODULE – V: FINANCING OF BUSINESS

Time: 30 Hours    Marks: 12

Approach: This module is to introduce the learner with different sources of finance and financial institutions.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General understanding of the basic concepts of financing of business.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Introduction to Business Financing
• Unit 2: Sources of Short-Term Finance – Nature and characteristics
• Unit 3: Sources of Long-Term Finance – Nature and characteristics
• Unit 4: Role of Specialised Financial Institutions – Objectives and functions of IFCI, IDBI, ICICI, UTI and SFCs related to financing of business

MODULE – VI: MARKETING

Time: 30 Hours    Marks: 12

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with various elements of marketing mix.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General idea of market, marketing, advertisement and selling.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Meaning, objectives, nature and scope of marketing
• Unit 2: Marketing mix
• Unit 3: Channels of distribution
• Unit 4: Sales promotion
• Unit 5: Advertising
• Unit 6: Personal selling

OPTIONAL MODULES

Choose any one out of four

MODULE – VII: OFFICE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES

Time: 50 Hours    Marks: 20

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with the concept of office and its set-up, various office activities and use of office equipments and machines.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General understanding of office functions.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Nature and Functions of Office
• Unit 2: Office set-up – Types of jobs in a modern office
• Unit 3: Handling inward and outward mail
• Unit 4: Systems of filing and indexing
• Unit 5: Office equipments and machines

MODULE – VIII: PRACTICAL BANKING

Time: 50 Hours    Marks: 20

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with various transactions and services of commercial banks.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General idea about banks and their functions.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Nature and scope of Banking; Types of Banks
• Unit 2: Functions of Commercial Banks
• Unit 3: Opening and operating of Deposit Accounts
• Unit 4: Loans and Advances
• Unit 5: Other Banking Services

MODULE – IX: INTRODUCTION TO FACTORY SET-UP

Time: 50 Hours    Marks: 20

Approach: This module is designed to acquaint the learners with the service, working conditions and provisions of health, safety and welfare measures in factories.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General understanding of the concept of a manufacturing unit.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Nature and characteristics of factories
• Unit 2: Health and welfare measures in factories
• Unit 3: Safety measures in factories
• Unit 4: Working and service conditions in factories

MODULE – X: AGENCY SERVICES

Time: 50 Hours    Marks: 20

Approach: This module identifies the key activities involved in rendering various agency services. It also acquaints the learner with relevant documents and proforma.

Pre-requisite Knowledge: General idea about various agency services and their relationship with business.

Content Units

• Unit 1: Meaning, characteristics and importance of Agency Services
• Unit 2: Types of Agency Services (Agency Avenues):
  • Insurance Agency
  • Saving Agency
  • Advertising Agency
  • Tours and Travel Agency
  • Property Agency
  • Couriers and Packing Agency
• Unit 3: How to secure agencies:
  • Insurance Agency
  • Saving Agency
  • Tours and Travel Agency