IB Docs (2) Team
The BM Extended Essay
The popularity of Business Management for the Extended Essay is highlighted in the line graph above, which illustrates an impressive growth rate of 493.2% during the period shown above. Business Management is now the fifth most popular EE subject (after History, English A, Psychology, and Biology).
Overview of the IB Business Management Extended Essay
"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."
- Jim Rohn (1930 - 2009), American entrepreneur and motivational speaker
“When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.”
- Enrique Jardiel Poncela (1901-1952), Spanish playwright and novelist
All extended essays require both a title and a research question (RQ).
The title should be a clear and focused summative statement that provides the the reader with an indication of the research topic. This must not be phrased as a question.
The research question must be phrased as a probing question, i.e., one that demands inquiry and is worthy of study (investigation). It indicates the specific topic of research.
The research question should allow students to show and use a variety of analytical tools, theories and techniques.
The research question should have a clear focus that allows the application of Business Management theory, tools and techniques. This is often supported by statistical data to assist discussion and evaluation.
The essay should also allow students to engage in broad and detailed research, requiring the selection and use of a range of secondary sources (backed up by primary research only if relevant and purposeful).
ATL Activity 1 (Thinking skills) - Good, bad or ugly?
Examine the essay titles below and suggest whether they are good or bad - and why? If you feel they are not good titles for the EE, based on the advice above about formulating essay titles, suggest one way to improve the research question.
Essay 1 - What strategies has Tata Coffee used to gain market share in India?
This is a poor EE title, i.e. unsuitable. 'Strategies' is far too broad, as is 'India'. A better, more focused research question might read like this:
Which promotional strategy has proved most effective in enabling Tata Coffee to gain market share in Mumbai in the past three years?
This revised research question is focused as it refers to promotional strategies and Mumbai, rather than business strategies in general and the whole of India. It would probably be too challenging for any student to answer the original research question.
Essay 2: To what extent has the product extension strategy of Apple helped the company to remain competitive in Hong Kong?
Questions that start with 'To what extent' are generally on the right track, as such a question would require students to answer in one of three ways:
To a large extent, because...
To a small extent, because...
To (only) some extent, because...
However, in this particular case, the question would be better if there was clearer focus - if the student is referring to the entire portfolio of Apple, then this is highly unsuitable and unrealistic to do within 4,000 words. The research question would be improved by focusing on a specific product, such as the iPad or Apple TV. Hong Kong is a small enough market / economy for the student to collect relevant secondary data sources. An improved title could be:
To what extent has the product extension strategy of Apple for its Apple TV service helped the company to remain competitive in Hong Kong?
The context of the above title, used by one of my students, was written in the context of the growing competition from Netflix and local online TV streaming service providers.
Essay 3 - How effective has McDonald's marketing strategies been in improving its market share in Spain?
This is also a highly unsuitable research question, because:
It is too broad - McDonald's has more than 515 branches in Spain, according to Statista
"Marketing strategies" is far too vague and would potentially entail coverage of the marketing mix, the extended marketing mix, market research, marketing planning, and so on
The research question is likely to lead to a highly descriptive essay
There is not much scope for critical thinking (worth 12 out of the 34 marks).
The one positive thing is the student has identified something that is measurable, i.e. market share. This would make it more straightforward to reach a conclusion, perhaps by gathering data to judge the change in the company's market share in Spain over the past X number of years.
An improved version of the research question might be:
How effective has McDonald's franchise growth strategy been in improving its market share in Malaga, southern Spain?
With the above / revised research question, the student has decided to focus on Unit 1.6 (external growth strategies, namely franchising) for McDonald's in one province of Spain where there is a population of around 571,000 people. This is a lot more manageable than an essay that examines the 515+ McDonald's restaurants across Spain, a country with a population of more than 47 million people!
Essay 4 - To what extent has Starbucks' use of social media marketing (SMM) increased its brand awareness in Singapore?
This is, perhaps, the best of the research questions so far. Again, having 'To what extent' in the question may help to encourage research that is more balanced and considered. The focus on social media marketing is relevant to Unit 4.5 of the syllabus - Promotion: The impact of changing technology on promotional strategies (such as viral marketing, social media marketing and social networking). Singapore is a relatively small market / economy, so gathering and conducting the necessary secondary research should be feasible. However, the student could be asked to answer the following questions before the teacher approves the EE research question:
Which secondary sources are to be used? There must be breadth and depth to ensure the essay scores well in Criterion C for critical thinking.
Which tools, theories and techniques are to be used? SMM is insufficient for an extended essay.
Essay 5 - To what extent will Virgin Media's proposed merger with O2 enable the company to challenge BT and Sky as market leaders in the UK?
Not all 'To what extent' questions are good! This title is more suitable for the Higher Level Internal Assessment than an extended essay. See here for advice about the HL IA. However, a potentially disastrous situation for the student is if, at the time, the proposed merger did not go ahead or if the UK government did not approve the proposal based on competition laws in the country. Although the proposal was not hypothetical, as reported by the media in May 2020, it is best if students can avoid such titles until any acquisition or merger is confirmed.
Essay 6 - Was Amazon's $580 million purchase of Souq the most appropriate strategy for the company's growth plans in the Middle East?
Research questions that start with "Was" tend to lead to descriptive essays and do not generally leave many opportunities for demonstrating evaluative and critical thinking skills. Also, the scope of the essay is far too broad as "the Middle East" is a transcontinental region; success in Turkey does not necessarily mean success in Kuwait or Qatar, for example. An improved version of this research question might be something like this (depending on the ability to access appropriate data from secondary research):
To what extent has Amazon's acquisition of Souq.com contributed to its growth in Saudi Arabia?
It would also be useful for the students to include a time frame, either in the title question or the introduction of the essay.
Essay 7 - What motivates certain businesses to implement philanthropy programmes?
This title is far too broad (covering "businesses" in general, across multiple industries); even "philanthropy programmes" could be too broad. The essay would be more focused if the student chose to write about a specific company's philanthropy programme in relation to specific aspects of the IB Business Management course, such as corporate social responsibilities, business strategy, Ansoff's matrix, the triple bottom line (sustainability), and the importance of branding / brand image. An improved version of this research question might be something like this:
To what extent has McDonald's Ronald McDonald House Charities philanthropy programme motivated the company's workforce in Chicago, Illinois?
or
To what extent has Volkswagen’s five-year $2.1 million “Partners in Education” program with schools in the Washington, D.C. helped to motivate the company's US workforce?
In short, the research question should enable the student to focus on a specific business (in a specific industry) and scope to analyse the philanthropy programme as part of its corporate strategy for a desired outcome.
Essay 8 - How did Nike's marketing strategies contribute to the company's operations?
This is another poor EE title and is unlikely to score more than a "C" grade. The research question is likely to promote a descriptive, rather than evaluative, response. In addition, "contribute to the company's operations" is vague, especially as marketing is an aspect of the operations of all businesses. It can be difficult to get any meaningful data to address this question. Having a quantitative or measurable aspect to Nike's operations would be better. For example, a better, more focused research question might read like this:
To what extent has Nike's marketing strategies contributed to the company's market share in the basketball sports apparel industry in the USA?
or
To what extent has Nike's above the line marketing strategies contributed to the company's overall profitability?
Essay 9 - How did LVMH's acquisition of Tiffany & Co. prove advantageous in terms of the multinational company's annual profits?
This research question is likely to be a descriptive piece of work as it has been phrased in such a way that a two-sided argument is not required. Unless the candidate is able to get hold of the financial accounts for Tiffany & Co. after the takeover, it could be challenging to answer this question, especially as LVMH reports its consolidated accounts.
In addition, it is highly debatable whether any academic research is required so this research question does not seem to adhere to the aims of the Extended Essay. Perhaps such a research question is better suited to the SL internal assessment.
Essay 10 - To what extent is Ryanair's corporate success in the European low budget airline industry attributed to its "no-frills" strategy?
This essay question works for the purpose of the EE, although the student would need to be very clear about the meaning of a "no-frills" strategy used by the airline company. This is to ensure a clear focus, e.g. is the student focusing on a no-frills marketing strategy (which might be a little too broad for an EE) or a no-frills pricing strategy (which gives better scope for the student to focus on a particular aspect of Ryanair's corporate strategy, such as the company's investment in e-commerce). This is particularly important given that Ryanair is one of Europe's largest airlines, so numerous factors would contribute to its corporate success.
Also, having a specific timeline would also help the student as this provides more specific parameters for her/him to research and write the essay.
So, perhaps a more refined research question could be:
To what extent is Ryanair's corporate success in the European low-cost airline industry attributed to its "no-frills" pricing strategy?
Please note that it is not uncommon for students to change the topic and RQ following the completion of the initial research. It is better to tweak the title and RQ based on the research than to continue down the wrong path.
ATL Activity 2 (Thinking skills) - IA vs EE Research Questions?
Consider whether each of the following research questions below are better suited to the IA or EE.
| No. | Research question | IA or EE? |
| 1. | To what extent can Proton increase its market share in Egypt by using through-the-line promotional strategies? | IA |
| 2. | To what extent has product innovation contributed to Apple being a market leader? | EE |
| 3. | To what extent can Oracle's success be contributed to its corporate culture? | EE |
| 4. | To what extent has Nike’s decision to offshore its production to Vietnam improved its international competitiveness? | EE |
| 5. | To what degree has Tesla’s distinct marketing strategies been effective at promoting its automotive business in the USA? | EE |
| 6. | To what extent has Amazon’s expansion into the physical grocery retail industry been a successful growth strategy? | EE |
| 7. | To what extent has Pep Guardiola’s reign as head coach of Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) changed the organization’s management culture? | EE |
| 8. | To what degree does Google’s corporate culture contribute to its financial success? | EE |
| 9. | To what extent have JustEat’s growth strategies been effective in a thriving food delivery gig economy during the COVID-19 pandemic? | EE |
| 10. | To what extent is IKEA’s local and global supply chain practices aligned with the company's sustainability goals for 2030? | IA |
FAQ 1 - Can students use tools, theories and techniques that are not in the syllabus?
Yes; indeed they are actually encourages to do so. The EE is a highly challenging academic piece of work, and as such students are expected to carry out thorough research - which can include reading beyond the syllabus. Take a look here for further advice and some suggestions of tools, theories, and techniques that can be used in the Extended Essay.
FAQ 2 - Are tables placed in the Extended Essay considered to be part of the word count?
It depends - tables of statistical data are not considered part of the word count in the EE. However, if students put their SWOT or PEST / STEEPLE analysis (or any analysis) into a table, for example, then it is part of the word count; students cannot circumvent the 4,000 word limit by putting text into a table.
FAQ 3 - What is the tolerance level on the word count for the Extended Essay? Is it true that students can exceed the word limit by up to 10%?
The tolerance on the word limit is zero tolerance. Examiners are instructed not to read beyond the 4,000th word.
It is false that students are allowed to exceed the word limit by to to 10% (or any other percentage beyond the word limit). Tell students to stick to the official word limit of the Extended Essay. They need to make a declaration of the word count, and falsely declaring the number is an infringement of academic honesty.
The same rule applies to the word count limit in the RPPF (which has a 500-word limit). If the RPPF is longer, examiners will only mark the first 500 words, which means that reflections beyond the 500th word will not be considered - which is a self-penalising approach.
FAQ 4 - What is the tolerance level of an originality report from turnitin.com?
First, the IB does not insist on any originality report for the purpose of checking potential academic malpractice. Many schools choose to use turnit.com, but this is not a recommendation nor is it a requirement by the IB.
Second, and more importantly, Extended Essay supervisors need to be able to authentic that the EE is entirely the work of the student, and anything in the essay that needs citing, referencing and/or acknowledging must be done so. A turnitin.com originality report might help in this process, but there is no formal requirement nor is there a stipulated tolerance level in the originality report. After all, supervisors must conduct three reflection sessions, including the final vice voce, as methods to authenticate the student's essay.
If you use turnitin.com (or any other plagiarism detection software programme), use your professional judgement and examine the information and data in the originality report. If in doubt, get your IB Diploma Programme Coordinator to support you with this.
Please note and warn EE students that the IB will check all Extended Essays for plagiarism by using their own processes and software systems.
FAQ 5 - What is the recommended style for citation and referencing for the EE?
The IB does not recommend any particular style for citation and referencing (C&R) for the Extended Essay. Many schools choose to use the MLA style, whilst others use the APA, Harvard or Chicago style.
What is important is that students use a consistent style for all C&R in the completion of their Extended Essay.
It can be very useful (for the students) if the school adopts a consistent C&R style across all subjects, as part of its academic integrity policy. It can be extremely challenging and confusing for students if different teachers/supervisors/subjects do different things about C&R in the Extended Essay.
FAQ 6 - Can students use the same business organization for their EE as their chosen one for the Internal Assessment (IA)?
Whilst there is no specific rule against this, and it may certainly make sense to do so for some students, academic integrity must be observed at all times. What the IB prohibits is "double dipping" to gain an unfair advantage, such as re-using market research conducted for the IA in the Extended Essay. If students do choose the same organization for both forms of assessments, they need to ensure the following:
The HL Internal Assessment is based mainly or exclusively on primary market research, whereas the Extended Essay must focus on the use of secondary data / research.
The 3 - 5 supporting documents in the SL Internal Assessment must not be reused for the Extended Essay - this could be considered as double dipping to gain an unfair advantage.
The topic chosen for investigation must be different, e.g. marketing for the SL IA, or finance for the HL IA, and a completely different focus for the Extended Essay (such as human resource management or operations management). In any case, students must avoid the same topic area (e.g. investment appraisal or the marketing mix) using the same business organization for the IA and the EE.
There is no double dipping, i.e. reusing materials conducted in one assessment component for the other.
FAQ 7 - Is there an expectation by the IB for the viva voce to be recorded (audio format) or is it simply a conversation between the student and supervisor without any audio recording of the meeting needed?
The term viva voce is Latin for "with living voice" or "by word of mouth", rather than by written communication. In the IB context, it is an oral examination or assessment of the student's level of engagement and understanding of the completed Extended Essay. Whilst there is no formal requirement by the IB for schools to record the viva voce in an audio format, the third and final reflection (formally referred to as the viva voce) must be recorded by the EE supervisor on the official RPPF for formal examination by the IB.
FAQ 8 - Are acknowledgements needed in the Extended Essay?
If students choose to include an acknowledgement at the beginning of the Extended Essay, it is important to note that they must not include the teacher’s name (or the name of their school). This is because the EE must be anonymized. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that every page in the EE is anonymized (including the front cover page). This means that there are no footers and/or headers that contain the name of the school, the school (centre) number, the candidate name, or the candidate number.
FAQ 9 - How does the Extended Essay differ from the Higher Level & Standard Level Internal Assessments?
The table below highlights some key differences between the IB BM EE and the HL IA:
IB Business Management Extended Essay | Internal Assessment (Higher Level) | ||||||||||||
Essay format, with subheadings allowed (at the discretion of the student writing the essay) | Prescribed report format, including an executive summary, research proposal and action plan, and written report | ||||||||||||
Focus on the use of secondary research methods, although primary sources can be used for support | Focus on the use of primary research methods, although secondary data sources can be used for support | ||||||||||||
Can be backwards looking (but must be analytical and evaluative, rather than descriptive in nature); recommendations are not required | Based on a current real-life issue, problem or decision faced by a business; recommendations must be made, which must add value to management | ||||||||||||
4,000 max. words for the essay Additional 500 words max. for the RPPF (the three mandatory reflection sessions of the EE process) | 2,700 max. words (200 for the executive summary, 500 for the research proposal and action plan, and 2,000 for the written report) | ||||||||||||
| Does not require any recommendations | Requires recommendation(s) to be made | ||||||||||||
In both the EE and the HL IA, students must demonstrate the appropriate use and application of selected Business Management tools, theories, and techniques using appropriate terminology throughout. However, students writing an EE can (and are encouraged to) go beyond the scope of the IB Business Management syllabus. In addition, the EE requires a critical evaluation with a literature review of the tools, theories, techniques, and concepts used. Take a look here for further ideas about the use of tools, theories, and techniques for writing the Business Management Extended Essay. So, for example, the following title (which does not require any recommendations to be made, would work for an EE but not the HL IA: Title: An investigation into the changing nature of ethical marketing at Unilever. Research question: How successful was Unilever’s decision to withdraw “normal” from its packaging as part of its ethical approach to promotion?" This EE research question was in response to more than half the respondents of a global poll saying that the use of the term ‘normal’ to describe hair or skin made them feel excluded. Source: Aljazeera.com Top tip 4Make sure that students are fully aware of the differences between the HL IA and the EE, especially in terms of the formal requirements of the two different tasks. It is not atypical for the timings of the IA and EE to overlap, and with so many different sets of rules within the Diploma Programme, it is no wonder that students often get confused. It is the supervisor's role and responsibility to ensure that students do not mix the two assessments and end up producing, instead of an EE, an extended HL IA task - this is a self-penalising approach that can be easily avoidable with careful planning from the outset. The table below highlights some key differences between the IB BM EE and the SL IA:
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FAQ 10 - How long should supervisors spend with their students in the EE process?
In order to support students through the process of undertaking independent research for the Extended Essay, they must be allocated an appropriate supervisor. It is recommended that students are given between 3 and 5 hours of supervision time.
This time allocation must also include time for the 3 compulsory reflection sessions. These sessions must be recorded on the RPPF document.
The RPPF document must be completed by students after each of their mandatory reflection sessions. Supervisors must sign and date this document after each reflection is completed. At the end of the process, once the viva voce has taken place (the third reflection session), the EE supervisor must write their summative comment.
Finally, note that the RPPF must be submitted electronically, along with the essay, for external assessment by an EE examiner.
Top tip 5
The cover page for the Extended Essay should contain the following information:
Subject, i.e., Business Management Extended Essay
Session, e.g., May 2024
Title
Research question
Personal code*
Declaration of authenticity*
Word count declaration
* check with your DPC about school protocol for these two items.
The Extended Essay requires students to carry out extensive secondary research, including the use of primary research where appropriate. Before embarking on the writing process, students must ensure there is sufficient secondary resources and materials to address the research question. Primary research can be used, but only if specifically relevant to the research question and is purposeful.
If students choose to also include primary research, they must ensure that this:
Adds value to the topic and research question.
Complements the secondary research that has been conducted.
The secondary sources used must have breadth and depth to ensure the essay scores well in Criterion C for critical thinking, so try to question the validity of the secondary research data in order to write a meaningful discussion.
Examples of secondary sources include, but are not limited to the following. Do remember the need to use a range of suitable secondary sources which provide balance in addressing the research question. Do not rely purely on IB Business Management textbooks or online sources.
Academic journals, e.g., Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, or Journal of General Management
Company annual reports
Documentaries
Encyclopedias, e.g., EBSCO, JSTOR, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management, International Encyclopedia of Business and Management, or The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management
Generic business management books, e.g. Michael E. Porter's Competitive Strategies, Charles B. Handy's The Changing Work of Organisations, or Geert Hofstede's Culture's Consequences: comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations
Internet websites*
Management magazines, e.g., Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Week, or Business Insider
Newspapers
Textbooks.
* All sources must be fully cited, not just the website (URL) address
Top tip 6
Avoid general Internet reference sites or non-specific sites such as Wikipedia or Investopedia – these tend to be too basic for academic research purposes.
Top tip 7
When selecting your topic and research question for the EE, keep the following in mind:
Choose a topic that genuinely interests you
Construct a research question that is worth of study and has academic rigour
Ensure there is sufficient secondary resources and materials to address the research question
Ensure the topic is neither too narrow (see point 3) nor too broad (due to the word count limit).
Download this poster, created by my IBEN colleague Önder Şit, to help your students in formulating their EE research question.
InThinking resources for the IB Business Management EE
Read Paul Clark's (a former Chief Examiner for the IB Business Management course) excellent blog on OSC to find out more about the IB Business Management Extended Essay.
Return to The Extended Essay homepage
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