Economics and business / Year 10 / Economics and Business Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

The ways businesses respond to changing economic conditions and improve productivity through organisational management and workforce management (ACHEK054)

Elaborations
  • describing ways in which businesses can improve productivity (for example, training, capital investment, investment in applications of technology, use of just-in-time inventory systems)
  • exploring ways businesses structure their working environment to provide flexible, efficient approaches (for example, horizontal (flat) or vertical (tall) organisational structures)
  • exploring the use of technology and the extent to which it has driven and allowed innovative responses by business
  • exploring the reasons for triple bottom line business planning and the possible implications for employees, competitors and the broader economy
  • identifying ethical and unethical workplace practices and investigating the impact of these practices on individuals
  • investigating ways that businesses have responded to improving economic conditions (for example, increasing their research and development funding to create innovative products, adjusting marketing strategies to expand their market share, upskilling their workforce to improve productivity)
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Design,  Human resource management,  Productivity

Video

Mouat Farms - an Apple Orchard and much more. Batlow, New South Wales

This is a video about orchardist and jam-maker Kris Mouat and how she and her husband operate a fruit agribusiness. It shows scenes of their 'Wyola' property as she speaks of how she came to orcharding and now makes jam from fruits and berries, and how they operate a roadside shop and a pick-your-own-fruit facility. She ...

Video

A Year on a Farm: producer video

This is a video about operation of an organic orchard near Kalangadoo in South Australia and the commitment to biodiversity of its owners Michelle and Chris McColl. Michelle McColl describes and illustrates the annual cycle of work with the trees and fruit while discussing the economic and agronomical advantages of the ...

Video

Cascades Nursery - focus on growing trees

This is a video about tree grower Mandy McCorkindale and how she and her husband propagate, grow and sell 300 different trees at Cascades Nursery at Batlow, New South Wales. It shows footage of their activities in various parts of the nursery as she outlines the advantages of buying advanced trees that have been hardened ...

Video

Carey Bros Queensland

This is a video about the operation of the Carey Brothers meat production business. Introduced by Greg Carey, the video shows beef cattle at the company's abattoir as he lists the numbers of cattle, lambs and pigs processed in a typical week and the numbers of staff employed at the plant. He praises the resilience of the ...

Video

From Citrus to Almonds: video

This is a video [6:25 min] about growing almonds on a property in the Riverland of South Australia and why the owners switched from citrus to almond production. The first part of the video illustrates the characteristics of the property and explains the long-term strategy and business reasons for the switch. The next part ...

Video

Investigating Australian approaches to producing fish, seafood and meat: producer video

This is a video about the Robarra barramundi aquaculture operations at West Beach and Robe in South Australia. Presented by Lance Vater, Managing Director of the Vater Corporation that includes Robarra, it shows the stages of production from an egg to a 100mm fingerling at West Beach; the feeding and grading of fish in ...

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Investigating key Australian approaches to producing cotton, timber and wool: producer video

This is a video about short wool sheep breeds and how their wool is used at the MiniJumbuck factory at Narracorte South Australia to make quilts, underlays and pillows. Sheep are seen on farms as merino sheep producer Thyne McGregor and Southdown breeder Dee Nolan discuss the strengths of each type of wool and how each ...

Video

CERES Environment Park

This is a video about the sustainable not-for-profit agribusiness operated by the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) in inner Melbourne. CERES Environment Park runs an organic farm, fruit and vegetable delivery business, and delivers educational programs to schools. Presented by the ...

Video

Gilmore Braes Heritage Beef: creating a 'niche market' farming ancient breeds of cattle

This is a video about how Batlow farmers Ian and Mandy McCorkindale produce and market meat from Scottish Highland and Welsh Black cattle. It shows scenes of the cattle on the farm and meat being prepared in the butchery as Ian McCorkindale describes the process, value and rewards of marketing their beef directly to the ...

Video

Producing cattle and sheep...and beef and lamb: producer video

This is a video about the operation of a Southdown sheep stud and olive plantation at Gum Park farm in South Australia. Introduced by farmer Dee Nolan, it shows the sheep in the olive groves, the lambing paddocks and birthing shed as she describes the farm's certified organic approach that starts from the soil up and uses ...

Video

Biomes that produce our food, industrial materials and fibre: producer video

This is a video about the mixed farming operations of Boonderoo Pastoral Company in South Australia. The farm is introduced by owner Lachie Seears who describes its size, family history and how region's Mediterranean climate allows him to diversify across a range of valuable commodities including Angus cattle, cross-breed ...

Video

Out and about on farms: producer video

This is a video about the Willalooka Pastoral Company in South Australia and its annual cycle of cattle and sheep production. Narrated by owner Thyne McGregor, it shows the scale of the company's operations as he describes how its 10,000 ha size came about and how its five staff are deployed. He emphasises the importance ...

Online

From Citrus to almonds

This is a unit of work about the Australian almond industry. It contains a inquiry sequence that includes: background on the almond industry, a short case study of an Australian almond orchard that has transitioned from citrus to almonds; an data analysis activity exploring the growth of the Australian almond industry and ...

Video

Grandvewe - Cheese Farm - cheese also comes from sheep!! Tasmania

This is a video about farmer and cheesemaker Diane Rae and how she and her children established a sheep dairy agribusiness. It shows scenes of Grandvewe farm and cheesery as she speaks of how they learnt to be sheep farmers; researched dairy sheep overseas; and changed production systems as a result of experience. She tells ...

Video

Exploring farms that produce our meat and wool:producer video

This is a video about Mayura Station in South Australia and the full-blood Wagyu beef it produces. It is introduced by owner Scott deBruin who explains the origin of Wagyu cattle in Japan; points to the characteristic marbling of its meat preferred by Asian customers; and outlines the importance of high energy grain feed ...

Video

Farm Diaries: producer video

This is a video about pig production at the Tintinara property of the Mount Boothby Pastoral Company in South Australia. Pigs at various stages are shown, including nursing piglets, weaned piglets weighing between 7 and 10k, and pigs close to a live weight of 100k. Pig producer Alastair Johnson gives statistics about the ...

Video

My Five Cents: What is compound interest?

Compound interest will be one of the most important things you ever learn. Don't believe it? Gen Fricker will explain why. Learn how compound interest works, and why saving now can help you later. Game changer! Then test yourself with ASIC MoneySmart's "Things to think about" classroom exercises.

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The Conversation: innovation

A series of articles exploring the concept of innovation, including how governments can promote innovation, investment, science, and technology. The articles are authored by experts from universities in Australia and around the world. The collection is regularly updated with new contributions.The articles are clearly written ...

Online

IP in everyday life

This is an interactive resource about products that exist in everyday life that have protected intellectual property. The resource is presented as a timeline of one day, beginning at breakfast in the morning through until night. Interactive images appear as the mouse scrolls across the timeline. These images are linked ...

Video

Bruny Island Providore

This is a short clip in which the business owner of a Tasmanian fudge company describes the establishment and development of his confectionery business. Business owner, Michael, explains the production model behind his successful enterprise including the business location, the local sourcing of raw materials, and a world’s-first ...