Introduction to Business Functions provides an overview of business functions and covers the main business areas, namely human resource management, marketing management, procurement and supply chain management, operations management, financial management and information management. These business areas are discussed within the context of for-profit companies as well as providing some small business perspectives for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The content focuses on applications which take both products and services into account. This will ensure that students understand how the different business areas are interdependent and how they direct the organisation towards its goals. The writing style is accessible and engaging and will be suitable for students studying business management at introductory level. The content has been written specifically for students who have limited prior knowledge of the different business functions and uses local and relevant examples to illustrate theoretical concepts.

The textbook thoroughly covers the first-year business management syllabus. It provides a general introduction to the business environment in South Africa, then moves on to discuss general management principles such as leadership, motivation and control before focusing on management functions such as marketing, finance, operations management and purchasing and supply chain management. The book gives students a solid theoretical grounding using an accessible, practical approach. The book also makes use of features such as information boxes, case studies, critical thinking boxes and glossaries to engage students and facilitate application of learning. Less dense than the bestselling title Introduction to Business Management, Principles of Business Management is aimed specifically at first-year students at universities of technology. It is divided into four parts: Introduction to business management, management tasks, The functional areas of management, and entrepreneurship and the business plan. Features: critical thinking boxes prompt the student to think about issues or problems in the South African business world and offer solutions; information boxes including articles, examples and documents which create interest and relevance for the student; key terminology is highlighted in the text and explained in an end-of-chapter glossary and this provides the students with a useful checklist of terms learnt; case studies to aid understanding and also motivate students to learn; the case study concludes the chapter and allows practical application of the concepts therein.