Bachelor of Commerce

Purpose

This Bachelor of Commerce provides learners with a well-rounded education in the Business, Economic and Management Studies fields. It aims to provide access for Grade 12 learners to a Bachelor's Degree that equips them to be effective business people with specific skills in economics, entrepreneurship, marketing and human resource management.

This qualification covers a broad field of study concerned with the theory and practice of planning, managing, marketing and appraising small and large business enterprises and the systematic study of production, conservation and allocation of financial and human resources in the business and commerce sectors.

Graduates with this qualification will

• be familiar with the content and basic theories of a number of disciplines in business, economics and management studies and have a deeper grasp of one or more of these disciplines taken at exit level, as well as the ability to place new knowledge in context and to use appropriate methods for seeking resolution of problems.
• have a variety of cognitive competencies, including the ability to question critically the assumptions of a range of theories and authorities and develop an understanding of elementary research methods used within one or more disciplines.
• be equipped with the ability to give an accurate account of scholarly positions and the competence to express their own opinions clearly and coherently, both in written and oral communication.
• be prepared for further study.
• have a well-rounded and broad education across a number of disciplines in commerce, thus being prepared for a wide range of professions crucial to the welfare of society.
• be able to think laterally, critically and creatively.
• be prepared for life-long learning.
• understand the principles of and are capable of critical citizenship.

The qualification provides the conceptual and theoretical framework for learners in each of five subject areas (industrial psychology, economics, marketing, entrepreneurship and business management) that will enable them to engage with the discourse and develop integrated knowledge of these subjects. and to integrate theory and praxis.

Learners will acquire skills in Ethics, Information and Communication which are regarded as important as these competencies are needed by all people working in commerce and industry.

Rationale

There is a great need in most economic sectors of our country for people who are knowledgeable and skilled in commerce and management to assist organisations to be sustainable and to attain their visions and missions. The commercial aspects of business, such as management, financial management, ethics and human resource management, are particularly pertinent in this regard. This is because people, processes and systems need to be managed and administered to deliver the core mandate of the organisation. In addition, assisting learners along a career path for business-minded individuals, it also develops concepts of entrepreneurship which are important as the key to increasing employment globally and in South Africa and to have active entrepreneurs who create work for themselves and others. The qualification is also designed to provide learners who want to consider careers as teachers. However, upon completion of this qualification aspirant teachers will need to complete an Advanced Diploma in Education to be eligible to teach.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Learners requesting RPL will be assessed by a qualified assessor who will assess the candidate's portfolio of evidence.
• RPL is used for two purposes:

> Access: For learners who have been disadvantaged because of their inability to obtain formal qualifications or who have inadequate entrance qualifications, but who have obtained work or life experience, will qualify them to be admitted as learners.

> Credits: To give learners exemption from the modules in the qualification because of acceptable prior learning earned through formal/non formal/informal learning. If the previous work completed is at the same National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level, then the candidates will be awarded credits.

Entry Requirements

• National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational [NC (V)], Level 4 granting access to Bachelor's Degree studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate (SC) with endorsement.

This qualification comprises compulsory and elective modules at NQF Levels 5, 6 and 7, totalling 374 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 120 Credits

• Information Literacy and Systems, 12 Credits.
• Effective Business Communication, 12 Credits.
• Statistics, 12 Credits.
• Ergonomics, 6 Credits.
• Career Psychology, 6 Credits.
• Introduction to Industrial Psychology, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Economics, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Macro Economics, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Business Management, 12 Credits.
• Financial Accounting, 24 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 32 Credits

• Introduction to Financial Management, 16 Credits.
• Strategic Management and Ethical Leadership, 16 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 6, 96 Credits (Choose 3 from the following)

• Industrial Psychology II, 32 Credits.
• Economics II, 32 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship II, 32 Credits.
• Marketing Management II, 32 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 30 Credits

• Business Ethics, 12 Credits.
• Practical Work-integrated Project, 18 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 7, 96 Credits (Choose 2 from the following)

• Industrial Psychology III, 48 Credits.
• Economics III, 48 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship III, 48 Credits.
• Marketing Management III, 48 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes

• Develop a systematic and thorough knowledge and understanding of important theories, scholarly positions and methodologies within chosen disciplines.
• Act innovatively, pro-actively and responsibly within a career of choice.
• Use critical thinking and communication skills to participate and contribute to the social, cultural, economic and spiritual well-being of society.
• Develop the capacity to interact effectively with others, operate responsibly in variable and unfamiliar contexts and become increasingly self-directed.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome

The following Associated Assessment Criteria are designed separately for each of the four specializations of the qualification and are applied in an integrated manner to the Exit Level Outcomes with a specific focus on competencies in the chosen field:

Economics

• Demonstrate informed general knowledge and understanding of the content and context of Economics.
• Demonstrate systematic and thorough knowledge of the assumptions and theories of Economics.
• Interpret topical issues using different perspectives in Economics.
• Interpret, explain and/or develop an argument around and an understanding of newly-encountered material and demonstrate an ability to marshal an approach used in Economics.
• Engage with a well-defined problem/issue in Economics and write a report on findings.
• Describe the concepts of macro-economics and micro-economic theory.
• Explain how an economy as an entity solves the economic problems and ensures economic growth.
• Analyse and interpret some major macro-economic issues experienced in South Africa by referring to the composition of the national economy, unemployment, poverty as well as the latest government economic strategies and the issue of globalisation.
• Analyse and interpret the concepts and modern theories about price discrimination in the market place.
• Relate macro events and policy issues to the holistic context of Economics as a social science.
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret and apply concepts in acquisition, interpretation and application of knowledge relating to international and financial markets.
• Describe the process of economic development.
• Identify the common barriers to development and the challenges to overcome these barriers in the South African context.

Industrial Psychology

• Demonstrate informed general knowledge and understanding of the content and context of Industrial Psychology.
• Demonstrate systematic and thorough knowledge of the assumptions and theories of Industrial Psychology.
• Interpret topical issues using different perspectives in Industrial Psychology.
• Interpret, explain and/or develop an argument around an understanding of newly-encountered material using an approach used in Industrial Psychology.
• Engage with a well-defined problem/issue in Industrial Psychology and write a report on findings.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge and understanding of the key concepts, principles and contemporary issues related to human behaviour in the world of work, including the foundational components, major theories, models and research techniques in Industrial Psychology.
• Utilise a variety of theories on vocational choice, career development and management in the business sector.
• Apply ergonomic principles to design tools, machines, equipment and workstations for optimal human performance in the workplace.
• Use psychometrics, knowledge of the essence of measurement and the development of measuring instruments, as well as measuring procedures, to apply measurement procedures, the statistical analysis of measurements to decision-making.
• Analyse factors that influence the purchasing decisions of consumers and the main determinants of consumer purchasing in terms of external factors (e.g. culture, social, lifestyle, reference group and family influence) and internal factors (e.g., personality, motivation, perception, learning, attitude and ethics).
• Utilise the latest techniques, legislation and practices needed to address the challenges in human resource management in the workplace in South African.
• Effectively manage the procurement, development, maintenance and leadership of human resources and the relevant procedures and policies that are implemented to ensure optimal utilisation of the Human Resource (HR) function.
• Manage employee relations (labour relations) as an integral part of everyday business management with specific reference to the South African context.
• Identify and analyse training needs, design and implement training programmes and interventions that meet the developmental needs of employers and employees.
• Understand the role and impact that individual behaviour (e.g. emotions; perceptions; values; attitudes and motivation) and group behaviour (e.g. teamwork; communication; leadership; power; politics; conflict and negotiation) have on organizational effectiveness.
• Integrate theoretical HR modalities and practical HR skills.

Marketing Management

• Demonstrate informed general knowledge and understanding of the content and context of Marketing Management.
• Demonstrate systematic and thorough knowledge of the assumptions and theories of Marketing Management.
• Interpret topical issues using different perspectives in Marketing Management.
• Interpret, explain and/or develop an argument around and an understanding of newly-encountered material and demonstrate an ability to marshal an approach used in Marketing Management.
• Engaging with a well-defined problem/issue in Marketing Management and write a report on the findings.
• Develop marketing communications in order to assess strategic and creative strengths of different marketing campaigns, using a number of tools to implement strategic marketing campaigns.
• Explain the fundamental principles of marketing management with emphasises on management principles in dealing with customer service management and marketing research for decision making.
• Define marketing problems and use researching tools to structurally execute, analyse and derive meaningful information from marketing research.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the retail industry, its challenges and the strategic decision making process in retail.
• Develop strategies to effectively communicate with customers.
• Integrate the cultural and social impact on buying behaviour and the legal and ethical issues confronting retailers into marketing strategies.
• Implement service strategies for competitive advantage across industries considering service quality and service recovery and linking customer management to performance measurement.
• Develop, implement and control marketing strategies for an organisation's competitive advantage.
• Identify and use appropriate methods and tools to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate marketing strategies in diverse organisational and market situations.

Entrepreneurship

• Demonstrate informed general knowledge and understanding of the content and context of Entrepreneurship.
• Demonstrate systematic and thorough knowledge of the assumptions and theories of Entrepreneurship.
• Interpret topical issues using different perspectives in Entrepreneurship.
• Interpret, explain and/or develop an argument around and an understanding of newly-encountered material and demonstrate an ability to marshal an approach used in Entrepreneurship.
• Write an extended research-based essay aimed at engaging with a well-defined problem/issue in Entrepreneurship.
• Explain what entrepreneurship and innovation is.
• Utilise the knowledge and insight gained to initiate a new entrepreneurial business venture.
• Demonstrate command of the competencies, organisational principles and participative processes required to manage creative and successful innovation;
• Contribute to building a winning organisational culture that nurtures creativity and innovation in a small and medium sized enterprise.
• Apply creativity and innovation management in a business environment, utilising the integration of the individual tools and competencies, organisational principles and processes required to manage innovation.
• Explain the processes and thinking required in the process of new business development and the creative and organisational aspects that need to be considered.
• Differentiate between entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in medium sized enterprises and corporate businesses respectively.

Integrated Assessment

Learning and assessment will be integrated throughout this qualification. Continuous formative assessment is required to ensure that learners get feedback on their progress towards the achievement of specific learning outcomes. Summative assessment is concerned with the judgment of the learning in relation to the Exit-Level Outcomes of the qualification. Such judgment should include 'integrated assessments' which will assess the students' ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, competencies and attitudes that are represented by the Exit-Level Outcomes, either as a whole or as components of the qualification.

Assignments are designed to meet the requirements of integrated assessment are such as to achieve

• An integration of the achievement of exit-level outcomes in a way that demonstrates that the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved, either in total or in the component parts of the programme of study.
• Evaluation of learner performance to demonstrate applied competence.
• Criterion-referenced assessment, which is clearly explained to and understood by the learners and can be applied in the recognition of prior learning.

It is essential that a wide range of knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes be integrated using innovative methods and in the assessment of outcomes due recognition should be given to criteria and methods of assessment that assess these appropriately and adequately.

General Assessment

Learner assessment procedures differ based on the type of instruction provided. Modules that emphasise theory will utilise reports, case study responses, research papers, quizzes, class tests and oral or written examinations. Practically orientated modules will utilise immediate feedback from faculty during online discussions, peer review in groups and written and oral assessments.

Final Integrated Assessment

Learners are finally assessed in the form of a 6 week practicum (18 Credits). This module assesses whether or not all that has been learnt is fully integrated and the outcomes have been achieved.

This practicum comprises four weeks of active engagement with a wide spectrum of operational functions in the student's chosen study field (entrepreneurship, human resource management or marketing) in a medium sized business enterprise under the direction of a supervisor in the workplace.

Evaluation of the experience is based on the following

• An essay written by the student, reflecting on the experience and integration of knowledge and practical application during the practicum.
• A written report on the performance, insight and knowledge demonstrated by the student from the student's supervisor.
• A personal interview with the student's faculty supervisor after completion of the practicum.

Assessments will take into account the following factors

• Effort expended in planning, organising, executing the fieldwork.
• Depth of insight in the student's personal reflection.
• Personal growth of the student through the fieldwork experience.

The practicum will also assess

• The learner's knowledge of current and conventional insights into the most important aspects of the chosen study field.
• The learner's ability to do research in the above areas, so that he/she is able to interpret and address leadership issues in business, community and national spheres of South Africa.