IB Business Management syllabus (2025) - Core Topics and Skills
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Business Management course is part of the rigorous two-year Diploma Programme designed for students aged 16-19. The programme aims to develop knowledgeable, inquiring, and compassionate learners with strong intercultural understanding and open-mindedness. Within this framework, Business Management equips students with essential tools to analyze, plan, and lead in an increasingly interconnected world.
The course prepares students to become confident, creative, and responsible change agents in global business contexts. It encourages the exploration of four key interdisciplinary concepts: creativity, change, ethics, and sustainability. Through these lenses, students gain insight into how businesses operate, make strategic decisions, and respond to internal and external challenges.
Core topics include:
Business organization and environment
Human resource management
Finance and accounts
Marketing
Operations management
Students investigate how decisions made by organizations affect various stakeholders and how they can drive sustainable success in conditions of strategic uncertainty. The course emphasizes real-world application, critical thinking, and ethical leadership - skills vital for future employees, entrepreneurs, and global citizens.
Overall, IB Business Management course is both demanding and dynamic, preparing students to navigate complex business environments and contribute meaningfully to the global economy.
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IB Business Management Syllabus
| Component | Recommended teaching hours |
|---|---|
|
Unit 1: Introduction to Business Management 1.1 What is a business? 1.2 Types of business entities 1.3 Business objectives 1.4 Stakeholders 1.5 Growth and evolution 1.6 Multinational companies (MNCs) |
20 |
|
Unit 2: Human resource management 2.1 Introduction to human resource management 2.2 Organizational structure 2.3 Leadership and management 2.4 Motivation and demotivation 2.5 Organizational (corporate) culture (HL only) 2.6 Communication 2.7 Industrial/employee relations (HL only) |
20 |
|
Unit 3: Finance and accounts 3.1 Introduction to finance 3.2 Sources of finance 3.3 Costs and revenues 3.4 Final accounts 3.5 Profitability and liquidity ratio analysis 3.6 Debt/equity ratio analysis (HL only) 3.7 Cash flow 3.8 Investment appraisal 3.9 Budgets (HL only) |
30 |
|
Unit 4: Marketing 4.1 Introduction to marketing 4.2 Marketing planning 4.3 Sales forecasting (HL only) 4.4 Market research 4.5 The seven Ps of the marketing mix 4.6 International marketing (HL only) |
30 |
|
Unit 5: Operations management 5.1 Introduction to operations management 5.2 Operations methods 5.3 Lean production and quality management (HL only) 5.4 Location 5.5 Break-even analysis 5.6 Production planning (HL only) 5.7 Crisis management and contingency planning (HL only) 5.8 Research and development (HL only) 5.9 Management information systems (HL only) |
15 |
| Business Management toolkit | 10 |
| Research time allocated for the pre-released statement in paper 1 | 5 |
| Internal Assessment | 20 |
