Grade 9

Commercial organisations – distinctions between the various types, merits and demerits
(a) Understanding of what is meant by commerce, business, industry, trade,
organisation, firm, company.
(b) Commercial organisations grouped according to activities; industrial groupings.
(c) Grouping according to sectors – primary, secondary and tertiary.
(d) Profit-making and non-profit organisations.
(e) Ownership structures - proprietorship, partnership, joint stock company, public
limited company, public corporation, co-operative society, franchise, charitable
organisation.

functions of a commercial organisation
The following topics should be studied as departments in a typical firm only:
(a) Marketing and Sales.
(b) Finance.
(c) Human Resources (personnel, training).
(d) Production.
(e) Purchasing and Stores.
(f) General Administration and Legal.
Communication
(a) The need for communication in commercial organisations.
(b) Verbal (written, spoken) and non-verbal communication.
(c) Interpersonal skills in communication.
(d) Different methods of communication (letter, facsimile, e-mail, videoconference, memo, telephonic conversation, etc.)
Accounting – objectives and basic accounting terminology
(a) Objectives – to maintain records of business, calculation of profit and loss, depiction of financial position, to make the information available to various groups and users.
(b) Basic accounting terminology – capital, liability, asset, revenue, expense, purchase, sales, stocks, debtors, creditors.
(c) Simple understanding of the use of journals, ledgers, cashbook, petty cash book, trial balance, bank reconciliation statement (no questions are to be set on recording of entries or on calculations – merely an understanding of the use of the above is required).
Trade
(a) Meaning and types of trade.
(b) Home trade and international trade, import, export and entrepot trade, role of WTO.