Business Administration Core Top 100 Must-Knows

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms in Business Administration.

Self-Awareness

Understanding your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and how they affect your behavior and decisions.

Self-Management

The ability to control emotions, manage stress, and remain professional under pressure.

Motivation

Internal drive to achieve goals, persist through challenges, and maintain a positive work attitude.

Empathy

Understanding others’ feelings and viewpoints; critical for leadership and customer relations.

Social Skills

Ability to work with others effectively, communicate clearly, and resolve conflict.

Active Listening

Fully focusing on the speaker, asking clarifying questions, and confirming understanding.

Constructive Feedback

Giving helpful, specific suggestions aimed at improvement rather than criticism.

Receiving Feedback

Accepting input professionally and using it to improve performance.

Stress Management

Techniques for handling pressure, deadlines, and workplace challenges productively.

Emotional Triggers

Situations or behaviors that cause strong emotional reactions; recognizing them improves self-control.

Growth Mindset

Belief that skills and intelligence improve with effort; contrasts with a fixed mindset.

Handling Criticism

Responding calmly, not defensively, and focusing on improvement.

Conflict Resolution

Methods such as compromise, collaboration, and problem-solving to resolve disagreements.

Building Trust

Creating reliability, honesty, and consistency in professional relationships.

Professional Attitude

Displaying respect, reliability, accountability, and ethical behavior at work.

Ethical Decision-Making

Choosing actions based on honesty, fairness, and responsibility.

Leadership Influence

How a leader’s emotions and behavior affect team performance.

Cultural Awareness

Understanding how culture influences communication and expectations.

Adaptability

Ability to adjust to change, new tasks, or unexpected problems.

Accountability

Taking responsibility for actions and results.

Revenue

Total money a business earns from sales before expenses.

Expenses

Costs a business pays to operate (rent, wages, supplies, etc.).

Profit

Revenue minus expenses; what remains after all costs are paid.

Cash Flow

Movement of money in and out of a business; positive cash flow keeps a business running.

Break-Even Point

The sales level where total revenue equals total costs (no profit, no loss).

Fixed Costs

Costs that stay the same regardless of sales (rent, insurance).

Variable Costs

Costs that change with production or sales (materials, commissions).

Gross Profit

Revenue minus cost of goods sold.

Net Profit

Gross profit minus operating expenses; the bottom line.

Income Statement

Financial report showing revenue, expenses, and profit over time.

Balance Sheet

Financial snapshot showing assets, liabilities, and equity at one point in time.

Assets

What the business owns (cash, equipment, inventory).

Liabilities

What the business owes (loans, accounts payable).

Equity

Owner’s financial interest in the business.

Current Assets

Assets expected to be used or converted to cash within one year.

Cash Flow Statement

Report showing operating, investing, and financing cash activities.

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Direct cost of producing goods sold.

Contribution Margin

Sales revenue minus variable costs; shows profit potential of each sale.

Markup

Amount added to cost to determine selling price.

Margin

Percentage of selling price that is profit.

Professional Email Writing

Clear subject line, polite tone, concise message, proper grammar, professional closing.

Business Presentation Structure

Opening, key points with evidence, conclusion, call to action.

Audience Analysis

Adjusting message based on who you’re speaking to and why.

Persuasive Communication

Influencing others using logic, emotion, and credibility.

Clear & Concise Messaging

Saying what matters without unnecessary words.

Barriers to Communication

Noise, assumptions, language differences, distractions, emotional bias.

Public Speaking Basics

Eye contact, posture, voice control, pacing, confidence.

Tone & Word Choice

Language should match purpose and audience.

Professional Etiquette

Polite behavior, respect, punctuality, appropriate conduct.

Business Writing Fundamentals

Organized, factual, professional, audience-appropriate writing.

Feedback Loop

Sending message, receiving response, adjusting based on understanding.

Conflict Communication

Calm, respectful discussion focused on solving the problem.

Negotiation Basics

Reaching agreement through compromise and mutual benefit.

Operations Management

Managing processes that produce goods and services.

Efficiency

Doing tasks with minimal waste of time, money, or resources.

Effectiveness

Achieving the intended goal or result.

Workflow Design

Organizing tasks for smooth and efficient production.

Process Improvement

Identifying ways to increase speed, quality, or reduce costs.

Productivity Measurement

Output per unit of input (labor, time, cost).

Supply Chain

Flow of materials from suppliers to customers.

Inventory Management

Controlling stock levels to avoid shortages or excess.

Quality Control

Ensuring products meet standards and customer expectations.

Lean Operations

Eliminating waste to improve efficiency.

Capacity Planning

Determining how much a business can produce.

Data vs Information

Data are raw facts; information is organized data used for decisions.

Data Security

Protecting information from unauthorized access.

Records Management

Storing, maintaining, and retrieving business documents.

CRM System

Software for managing customer relationships and sales data.

MIS

Management Information System that supports decision-making.

Data-Driven Decisions

Using facts and analysis rather than guesses.

Data Accuracy

Information must be correct and reliable.

Data Integrity

Information remains complete and unaltered.

Ethical Data Use

Using information responsibly and legally.

Cybersecurity Awareness

Protecting systems from digital threats.

Career Planning

Setting career goals and identifying steps to reach them.

Resume Components

Contact info, education, experience, skills.

Interview Preparation

Research, practice answers, professional appearance.

Workplace Ethics

Moral principles guiding behavior at work.

Time Management

Planning tasks to meet deadlines efficiently.

Goal Setting

Establishing clear, measurable objectives.

Workplace Expectations

Employer standards for behavior and performance.

Personal Branding

How you present yourself professionally.

Networking

Building professional relationships.

Professionalism

Reliability, respect, integrity, accountability.

Leadership Development

Building skills to guide and motivate others.

Supply & Demand

Prices rise when demand exceeds supply; fall when supply exceeds demand.

Opportunity Cost

Value of the next best alternative you give up when making a choice.

Scarcity

Limited resources require choices.

Market Structures

Types of competition: perfect, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic.

Inflation

Rise in overall price levels reducing purchasing power.

GDP

Total value of goods and services produced in a country.

Fiscal vs Monetary Policy

Government spending/taxes vs central bank control of money.

Customer Satisfaction

Meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

Customer Loyalty

Repeat business and long-term relationships.

Service Recovery

Fixing problems after service failures.

Handling Complaints

Listening, apologizing, solving the issue.

Customer Retention

Keeping existing customers.

Contracts Basics

Legal agreement between parties.

Employment Laws

Regulations protecting workers and employers.

SWOT Analysis

Evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats of your business in the marketplace.