GCSE Business Unit 3: Motivation

We are looking at how and why employers motivate their staff, using a theory of motivation by a Psychologist called Maslow. He believed that if certain needs are met in a certain sequence, people will work harder in their jobs: survival, safety, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. You can find indirect references to many of these in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential inauguration speech: try and spot them.

GCSE Business Unit 1 and AS EconBus Unit 1: Entrepreneur quiz

Both courses have a Unit 1 that is based on entrepreneurial thinking. Here is a test that assesses whether you have what it takes to be a self-starter.

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All courses: unemployment

2.5 million people are now unemployed in the UK. Youth unemployment is particularly high: 1 in 5 people between the ages of 16 and 25 have no job. The video clip tells us how unemployment developed in the last three months of 2010.

All courses: What is the credit crunch

This neat little video is possibly not new news, but as I am still asked: What does the "Credit Crunch" actually mean? I warmly recommend it. It's a really clear, no-nonsense story on how it all started and leaves out the technical stuff. The most obvious question to ask about this video is, why did the banks lend to "subprime" (i.e. not very creditworthy) customers? And the answer is, because they thought they could make money from them. Enjoy - you will need to click the link below, as YouTube's embed code doesn't work for this clip.

The Credit Crunch Video

A2 Macroeconomics: Microfinance

Microfinance, termed microloans in this video, has become a major source of finance for entrepreneurs in the developing world. It gives you a short introduction, but is insufficiently critical. Microfinance has come under criticism too, as it can be poorly organised and regulated.

A2 Macroeconomics: the WTO

There are plenty of good documentaries on the WTO. These two are good intros by the WTO itself. The criticsm are left out of course, but the rationale for the WTO is soundly explained. I have provided the web addresses rather than embedding them as there are several file formats to choose from.

http://www.wto.org/library/flashvideo/video_e.htm?id=9

On the occasion of 15 years of its existence, this video explains the rules of the WTO.

http://www.wto.org/library/flashvideo/video_e.htm?id=65

A2 Macroeconomics: trade bloc - APEC

Here is an explanation of the Asia-Pacific trade bloc, APEC. In its nature, it is similar to NAFTA (see post there) simply pursuing free trade rather than other goals.

APEC from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: Trade blocs Mercosur

A trade bloc is an association of nations who are abolishing, or have abolished, the barriers to trade between them. Not surprisingly, they tend to be the countries in the same region as the benefits of free trade would be partly negated by the cost of transport if they were too far apart geographically.

Trade blocs exist alongside the WTO. This is because it is much easier to abolish trade barriers between a few, neighbouring countries who are culturally and politically close. In comparison, the sheer number of WTO members makes negotiations on trade much more cumbersome, so trade in the regional trade blocs has zoomed ahead.

As a result, some of the negotiations at WTO level are not now between individual countries but between trade blocs. Members have often become quite reach as a result of specialisation and trade within their own trade bloc. Opening up as new markets to countries from outside the trade bloc might displace them as the most efficient producer of a product in the trade bloc. Having become established within the trade bloc, they are reluctant to give up their position as chief exporter of a particular good and so the negotiations to liberate World trade stall.

An example of a trade bloc is Mercosur:

MERCOSUR from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: NAFTA

Nafta stands for North American Free Trade Agreement. It consists of Canada, the USA and Mexico. This is the most simple form of trade bloc, without ambitions to become more than that. This is in contrast to ASEAN and the EU, both of which have developed political union to a greater or lesser extent.

3-1nafta from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: The EU

Here's a 15-minute clip explaining what the EU is. The EU is often seen as a single economic region, especially by China and the USA. It has 27 member countries with a combined annual GDP of £17bn - bigger than any other country or trade bloc. Get tea to watch this.

EU from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: BRIC

What are the characteristics of BRICs? Fast growth rates, physically big countries with large populations, rich in natural resources. Here is our friend Plaid to explain:

6.2 BRIC from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: Trade blocs - ASEAN

Here's our friend Plaid Avenger. Despite the silly outfit, he makes some insightful comments on a trade bloc you might not have heard of yet. ASEA started by facilitating free trade but is now moving closer to political union.

Everybody Loves ASEAN! from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

A2 Macroeconomics: What is the WTO

Here's a short video by an American individual called Plaid Avenger. The first three minutes of this clip give us a brief insight into what the WTO does. The remainder explain two other institutions, the IMF and the World Bank.

6.3 WTO IMF World Bank from Plaid Avenger on Vimeo.

AS Macroeconomics: Benefits of international trade

I'm not really a fan of Country&Western but this video starts off with the benefits of international trade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v57xmcj5DnE
What are some examples of the benefits of :
free trade,
liberal immigration policies
larger markets