Business Management Extended Essay Exemplar: Nvidia Market… | RevisionDojo
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IB Business Management SL Extended Essay Example
Which factors are likely to impact Nvidia as it tries to maintain market leadership in AISL
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B
Official IB Result
22/34
Criteria A: Focus and Method
3/6
0
3
6
Criteria StrandsPro
A.1Topic communication and explanation
Moderate
A.2Research question formulation and focus
Poor
A.3Research methodology
Poor
Criteria Feedback
You state a clear investigation topic and keep the report centred on Nvidia’s position in AI.
You include relevant background information that helps establish why the company matters strategically.
You use several business tools and sources to organise the investigation.
The question is too broad and would benefit from a narrower time frame and a more precise definition of market leadership.
The method is described only in general terms and does not explain how sources were selected or judged.
Some contextual explanation is repetitive or only loosely connected to the specific research focus.
1.1·Weakness
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The phrase “which factors” is too open-ended. To strengthen focus, the student should narrow the scope by defining a time frame and a measurable idea of “market leadership,” so the discussion can prioritize a small number of key drivers rather than listing many possible influences.
1.2·Strength
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The research question is clearly signposted and stays close to a real business problem. This gives the investigation a purposeful direction and makes it easier to connect later evidence back to Nvidia’s competitive position.
1.3·Weakness
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This general statement does not yet explain how the chosen factors connect to the investigation. The student should link the background more directly to the specific AI-leadership question, otherwise the introduction reads as broad company history rather than a focused rationale for the study.
1.4·Strength
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The opening context is relevant and informative. By briefly explaining Nvidia’s origins, the student helps the reader understand why the company’s later move into AI is strategically significant.
1.5·Suggestion
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Consider stating the specific criteria used to judge evidence, such as authority, date, and direct relevance to Nvidia’s AI market position. This would make the methodological choice more transparent and easier to defend.
1.6·Weakness
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The method is identified, but the description is too vague. The student should explain how sources were selected, compared, and evaluated for reliability and relevance, because that is what shows informed methodology rather than just naming “secondary research.”
Criteria B: Knowledge and Understanding
4/6
0
3
6
Criteria StrandsPro
B.1Application of source material
Moderate
B.2Subject knowledge
Moderate
B.3Use of terminology and concepts
Poor
Criteria Feedback
You show a clear understanding of several relevant business issues, including competition, partnerships, R&D, regulation, and switching costs.
You use source material on Nvidia, its products, and its AI ecosystem in ways that are often relevant to the topic.
You make generally appropriate use of business terminology, with some strong moments such as the discussion of CUDA and strategic advantage.
Some source material is applied too confidently or without enough explanation of what it actually shows.
There are a few conceptual inaccuracies, including problems with some strategic framework definitions and financial interpretation.
At times you treat broad observations as if they were direct proof of market position or financial strength.
2.1·Strength
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The student has selected a relevant business tool and clearly signals how it will support the investigation. This is effective because SWOT provides an organized way to connect evidence to internal and external factors affecting Nvidia’s position.
2.2·Weakness
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The source is not being applied carefully here. A security vulnerability does not automatically mean a competitor can “create the same type of chip.” The student should separate technical weakness from competitive response and explain the business consequence more precisely.
2.3·Weakness
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This overstates what a balance sheet can show. It can indicate financial position, but not market position compared with AMD on its own. The student should use the statement of financial position for liquidity, leverage, and asset structure, then combine it with market-share or revenue data if comparative market position is the claim.
2.4·Strength
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This is a useful application of source material because it links pricing power to a concrete competitive advantage. The student is beginning to explain why Nvidia can sustain leadership, not just state that it is successful.
2.5·Weakness
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This claim needs more careful support and more precise wording. Being an early innovator does not by itself prove it is the biggest seller, and “19 brands” is unexplained. The student should cite a clearer market comparison and distinguish between historical first-mover advantage and current market share.
2.6·Weakness
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The increase in total assets is accurately observed, but the interpretation is too strong. Asset growth alone does not prove operational efficiency or a “very strong financial position”; the student should relate this figure to liabilities, cash flow, and the purpose of the assets before drawing that conclusion.
2.7·Weakness
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The gearing formula is written unclearly and appears incomplete. The student should define exactly which gearing ratio is being used and present the formula with clear numerator and denominator labels, because financial terminology must be precise for the calculation to be credible.
2.8·Weakness
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The wording is confused, and the business logic is unclear. The student should explain how expanding into AI reduces customer-concentration risk, rather than implying that a partnership itself removes the weakness. Correct terminology and a clearer causal link would improve the analysis.
2.9·Strength
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The student attempts to connect visual evidence to an opportunity for Nvidia, which is a good analytical habit. This works because it moves from description of growth in AI to a business implication for future demand.
2.10·Question
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What evidence shows that performance and efficiency are the main reasons customers choose this GPU, rather than price, supply, ecosystem compatibility, or switching costs? A more specific comparison would make this claim much more convincing.
2.11·Weakness
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This source is being used too confidently. The student should verify that the article actually supports the claim of being “the most trusted supplier,” because the strength of the evidence depends on whether the source is a ranking, an opinion piece, or a general industry article.
2.12·Weakness
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This conclusion is too general and imprecise. The student should restate the key findings in business terms and tie them directly back to the research question, rather than opening with a broad statement about AI growth.
Criteria C: Critical Thinking
9/12
0
6
12
Criteria StrandsPro
C.1Research quality
Poor
C.2Analysis depth
Poor
C.3Discussion and evaluation
Poor
Criteria Feedback
You attempt to build an argument around several important strategic risks and opportunities rather than simply describing the company.
You connect some evidence to implications for Nvidia’s market position, especially around ecosystem lock-in, AI demand, and competitive pressure.
You show moments of real evaluation when weighing strategy, partnerships, and external threats.
The discussion is often split into separate frameworks instead of developing one sustained comparative argument.
Several analytical claims are asserted more strongly than the evidence supports.
Some key ideas are weakened by conceptual inaccuracies and by limited comparison between factors.
3.1·Strength
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The student is trying to move beyond summary and connect market trends to a strategic risk. This is promising analytical direction, because it shows an attempt to interpret evidence as a possible warning sign rather than simply reporting it.
3.2·Weakness
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This conclusion is far stronger than the evidence presented. The student should avoid dramatic language unless it is backed by sustained quantitative analysis; otherwise the argument risks sounding speculative instead of reasoned.
3.3·Weakness
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The idea is relevant, but the analysis is still hypothetical. The student should support the claim with evidence about revenue concentration, customer dependence, or demand trends so the risk of a downturn is not just assumed.
3.4·Weakness
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This is too sweeping for the evidence given. The student should show the mechanism of risk more carefully: what specific change, through which competitive channel, would affect Nvidia’s market position? Clearer causal reasoning would make the analysis stronger.
3.5·Weakness
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The gearing interpretation is not sufficiently supported. The student should connect the ratio to what it means for Nvidia’s financial risk and compare it with a benchmark or with previous periods before claiming the balance is beneficial.
3.6·Strength
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This sentence clearly transitions from internal limitations to external opportunities, which is good analytical structure. It helps the reader see that the student is trying to evaluate both sides of the SWOT rather than only listing positives.
3.7·Weakness
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The strategy is reversed here. Red ocean strategy refers to competing in existing, crowded markets, not creating new market spaces. The student should correct this conceptual error because it affects the credibility of the entire strategic analysis.
3.8·Weakness
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This is also reversed. Blue ocean strategy is about creating uncontested market space, not fighting directly in an existing one. The student should swap the definitions and then reapply them to Nvidia’s actions more accurately.
3.9·Weakness
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This judgment is asserted rather than evaluated. The student should compare policy against the other VPEC-T factors using evidence, because a superlative claim like “by far” needs direct justification.
3.10·Weakness
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The conclusion identifies a priority, but it is not well defended. The student should explain why strategy matters more than competition, regulation, or ecosystem lock-in, and should point back to evidence from the body to support that ranking.
3.11·Question
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How does this limitation affect the reliability of the conclusions? The student could improve the evaluation by distinguishing between a limitation of the topic itself and a limitation of the evidence or method used.
Criteria D: Presentation
3/4
0
2
4
Criteria StrandsPro
D.1Structure appropriateness
Moderate
D.2Layout and formatting
Good
Criteria Feedback
You include the major structural elements expected in a formal investigation, including a title page, contents, introduction, main body, conclusion, references, and appendix.
Your report is generally readable, with headings, numbered pages, and visual material that help the reader navigate it.
The overall layout shows effort to present the work in an organized way.
The investigative flow is uneven, and some sections feel like repeated framework descriptions rather than part of a developing argument.
Some headings, captions, and reference formatting could be more precise and consistent.
The conclusion does not yet synthesize the investigation as fully as it could.
4.1·Weakness
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This section is visually clear, but its role is not fully effective in the argument. The student should use the tools as methods for analysis rather than as a list of frameworks, so the structure leads the reader through evidence and evaluation more purposefully.
4.2·Weakness
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This heading is engaging, but it is not yet specific enough for an academic investigation. A more precise heading would help signal how the historical comparison is being used to answer the research question.
4.3·Strength
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The inclusion of a table of contents improves navigability and makes the report easier to follow. This is a strong organizational choice because it signals a clear structure before the reader enters the main investigation.
4.4·Strength
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The opening of this section creates a clear link between historical precedent and present strategy. That helps the essay maintain a sense of direction rather than treating the dot-com discussion as a disconnected background story.
4.5·Weakness
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The figure is introduced, but the caption is too vague to support the argument well. The student should explain what the diagram demonstrates and why it is relevant to Nvidia’s opportunity in AI, otherwise the visual feels inserted rather than analysed.
4.6·Suggestion
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Consider ending each strategic subsection with a short evaluative sentence that explains how strongly that strategy supports the research question. This would turn a mostly descriptive structure into a more clearly argumentative one.
4.7·Weakness
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The references are present, which is important, but the title should be aligned consistently with the rest of the document’s naming conventions. More importantly, the student should ensure the references are formatted in one clear style throughout so the report looks more professionally controlled.