Approach

The business world is present in the media on a daily basis, it is part of the lives of millions of people and has an impact on every home. Knowledge about the business is an essential step in understanding how the economy as a whole works due to the interrelationship that exists between the business and the environment in which it carries out its activity.

The subject Business as a generator of added value and an engine of economic development aims to enable students to study and analyse the business as a generator of value and as an entity that contributes to the movement and development of the economy of a country or region, all with an up-to-date approach and, above all, adapted to reality, considering that the generation of value is a key factor in its activity and that, in many cases, determines its survival.

The learning situation is aimed at 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education and pursues two objectives: to bring students closer to knowledge of the business as a catalyst for economic development, highlighting the generation of value as a fundamental aspect of business activity and integrating the values ​​of corporate social responsibility; and the contribution of value to society that enhances creativity and the spirit of innovation, critical reflection and informed decision-making to design a sustainable business model that contributes to social and economic development.

To immerse students in the business world, the creation of a company is proposed, in this case to produce natural soap. In this sense, we can begin by raising students’ awareness of the importance that soap has in our daily lives: can we imagine a world without soap? From daily cleaning to disinfection and asepsis in hospitals, clinics, restaurant kitchens, etc., soap plays a fundamental role in our daily lives and in public health. But have you ever wondered how soap is made? What chemical processes are involved? What raw materials are used and how are they transformed into the final product that we use every day? How can we carry out its production within a company that is economically profitable, sustainable with the environment, with human potential and capable of satisfying the needs of the market?

The students, organized into collaborative teams, will have to explore each step of the process of creating a company, investigating its viability in the environment in which they live and with the necessary human and material resources, assessing its potential as a company and the impact it will have on the environment, both at an environmental and social level due to the creation of jobs. In this sense, taking soap production as an example, they will analyze from the point of view of profitability, the process of making soap from recycled oils, assessing the collection procedure, selection of other ingredients, and packaging the final product. Along the way, we will learn about essential chemical reactions, such as saponification, and understand the importance of quality and safety in the soap industry.