ACCA Pakistan Strategic Business Leader (SBL) Syllabus

Strategic Business Leader (SBL) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Strategic Business Leader (SBL) in ACCA Pakistan, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Leadership and Governance

   3 topics

   • Concepts of Leadership
   • Corporate Governance
   • Stakeholder Management
2. 2

   Strategy

   3 topics

   • Strategic Position
   • Strategic Choices
   • Strategy Implementation
3. 3

   Risk

   3 topics

   • Identification and Assessment of Risk
   • Risk Management and Internal Control
   • Ethics and Professionalism
4. 4

   Technology and Data Analytics

   3 topics

   • Cybersecurity and Information Risk
   • Data Analytics and Big Data
   • Disruptive Technologies
5. 5

   Organisational Control and Audit

   3 topics

   • Management and Internal Control Systems
   • Audit and Compliance
   • Performance Measurement and Reporting
6. 6

   Finance in Planning and Decision Making

   3 topics

   • Finance Function Transformation
   • Cost and Management Accounting for Strategy
   • Financial Analysis and Decision Making
7. 7

   Innovation, Change and Project Management

   3 topics

   • Enabling Success and Change Management
   • Managing Strategic Change
   • Project Management

Strategic Business Leader (SBL) flashcards for ACCA Pakistan

20 of 53 cards from the Strategic Business Leader (SBL) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three core leadership skills in the 'leadership pyramid' relevant to SBL?

   Setting direction (vision/strategy), aligning people (communication and influence), and motivating/inspiring (energising people to execute). Effective leaders also adapt style to context.

2. Distinguish between leadership and management.

   Management is about coping with complexity: planning, budgeting, organising, controlling. Leadership is about coping with change: setting direction, aligning people, and motivating/inspiring. Organisations need both.

3. What are the main leadership styles in the Tannenbaum and Schmidt continuum?

   A continuum from boss-centred (autocratic: tells, sells) to subordinate-centred (democratic/laissez-faire: consults, joins, delegates). The right point depends on the manager, subordinates, and situation.

4. What is transformational leadership versus transactional leadership?

   Transformational leaders inspire change through vision, charisma and intellectual stimulation, raising followers' motivation. Transactional leaders use exchanges (rewards/punishments) for performance, focusing on routine and stability.

5. Define corporate governance.

   The system by which companies are directed and controlled; it concerns the relationships and accountability between an organisation's management, board, shareholders and other stakeholders.

6. What are the key principles of the UK Corporate Governance Code (OECD-aligned)?

   Board leadership and company purpose; division of responsibilities; composition, succession and evaluation; audit, risk and internal control; and remuneration. Underpinned by 'comply or explain'.

7. What is the difference between a rules-based and a principles-based approach to governance?

   Rules-based (e.g. US Sarbanes-Oxley) sets legally enforceable detailed requirements. Principles-based (e.g. UK Code) sets broad principles applied via 'comply or explain', giving flexibility but relying on disclosure and judgement.

8. What is the agency problem in corporate governance?

   A conflict of interest where managers (agents) may act in their own interest rather than that of shareholders (principals), due to separation of ownership and control and information asymmetry.

9. What is the role of non-executive directors (NEDs)?

   To provide independent judgement, scrutinise management performance, monitor risk and controls, determine executive remuneration, and protect shareholder interests. They strengthen board objectivity.

10. Name the three principal board committees and their roles.

    Audit committee (oversees financial reporting, internal control, external/internal audit); Remuneration committee (sets executive pay); Nominations committee (oversees board appointments and succession).

11. What is the unitary versus two-tier board structure?

    A unitary board (UK/US) has executives and non-executives on one board. A two-tier board (Germany) separates a supervisory board (oversight, includes stakeholders) from a management board (operations).

12. Define a stakeholder and give Mendelow's two-dimensional classification.

    A stakeholder is any group/individual affected by or who can affect the organisation. Mendelow's matrix classifies stakeholders by power and interest: Key players, Keep satisfied, Keep informed, Minimal effort.

13. In Mendelow's matrix, how should you manage each quadrant?

    High power/high interest = Key players (manage closely); high power/low interest = Keep satisfied; low power/high interest = Keep informed; low power/low interest = Minimal effort.

14. Distinguish internal, connected and external stakeholders.

    Internal: employees, managers, directors. Connected: shareholders, customers, suppliers, lenders (contractual link). External: government, community, pressure groups, regulators.

15. What is the difference between primary and secondary stakeholders?

    Primary stakeholders have a direct contractual/transactional relationship essential to survival (shareholders, employees, customers). Secondary stakeholders influence or are affected but are not essential to survival (media, communities).

16. What does a SWOT analysis assess in strategic position?

    Internal Strengths and Weaknesses, and external Opportunities and Threats. It links internal capability (resources) with the external environment to inform strategy.

17. List the factors in a PESTEL analysis.

    Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental (ecological), and Legal factors of the macro-environment.

18. What are the five forces in Porter's Five Forces model?

    Threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry among existing firms. They determine industry profitability.

19. What is the resource audit / value chain used to analyse strategic capability?

    Porter's value chain splits primary activities (inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing & sales, service) and support activities (firm infrastructure, HR, technology, procurement) to find where value and margin are added.

20. What does the RBV / VRIO framework test for sustainable competitive advantage?

    Resources/capabilities are tested for whether they are Valuable, Rare, costly to Imitate, and the firm is Organised to exploit them. Meeting all gives sustained competitive advantage.

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