Developing Exam Skills - HOW do you achieve GOOD analysis?

As AQA AS Students begin BUSS2 and A2 starts begin to get to grips with BUSS4 I think its useful to look at another way in which students can achieve GOOD analysis. Its never to early to start developing exam skills.If I could offer students one key piece of advice to help them develop their answers to achieve GOOD analysis then it is simply, HOW.Many, many students make leaps in their explanations and leave arguments under-developed. You see it so many times in examiners reports that I wouldnt be surpised if it is just cut and pasted from one examiners report to the next!!In order for students to achieve GOOD analysis then they need to develop arguments. This however, is merely a diagnostic comment. What we need is the prescription. Its all well and good telling students they need to develop their arguments, what they need to know, is how. Ironically, HOW is one way along with WHY.Lets look at an example using an easy example:Analyse TWO consequences of a business operating with high capacity utilisation.'One consequence of operating at high levels of capacity utilisation is that it results in lower unit costs reducing the overall costs of a business and increasing profits'In my opinion, this is a REASONABLE response. HOW can we make it GOOD.'One consequence of operating at high levels of capacity utilisation is that it results in lower unit costs (HOW). This is because the fixed costs are spread out over more units of output. The business could therefore lower the prices in order to increase revenue (WHY). This is because the businesses product is relatively elastic meaning that a reduction in price will lead to an increase of revenue (HOW) etc etc etcThis, is GOOD analysis.When looking at an issue that might increase motivation, say investing in training, you can again, think HOW and WHY. WHY would investing in training increase motivation? HOW would this benefit the business? If we take the current BUSS4 research theme, culture, we can see that HOW and WHY will be crucial in helping develop GOOD analysis.For example, one reason why the Daimler/Chrysler merger failed is because there was a culture clash. HOW did this cause the merger to fail? WHY did this contribute to the failure of this merger.Once students get into the habit of asking themselves WHY and HOW things happen then this will help them start to develop their arguments more fully.