BA (Hons) Business Contemporary Management Issues Assignment (Part 1)

Date for Submission: Please refer to the timetable on ilearn (The submission portal on ilearn will close at 13.59 UK time on the date of the submission)

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Assignment Brief As part of the formal assessment for the BA (Hons) Business you are required to submit a Contemporary Management Issues assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments. Learning Outcomes: After completing the module you should be able to: 1. Exhibit a critical understanding of the key dynamic forces impacting on business and society and the relationship between the two in terms of effective strategic decision making 2. Critically analyse the relevant theoretical foundations to support the identification and application of effect corporate responses to contemporary management issues. 3. Prepare a critical evaluation of an organisations responses to key dynamic forces in the contemporary business world. 4. Select and use decision making tools to address contemporary drivers for change. 5. Question the accuracy and relevance of differing sources of information and opinion relating to global issues impacting upon corporate decision making. 6. Utilise judgement to draw appropriate conclusions and make recommendations when faced with conflicting information or data. Structure of the Assessment This assessment is divided into two parts. Each of these parts comprises a separate piece of assessed work and should be written as a separate assignment. Please note you may submit both parts of the assessment for this module at the same assessment deadline, or you may choose to submit Assignment 1 alone, and wait to submit Assignment 2 at a later submission deadline. Assignment 1 will assess learning outcomes 1 & 2 as shown above and will be allocated 25% of the marks available for the assessment of the module. Assignment 2 will assess learning outcomes 3,4,5 & 6 as shown above and will be allocated 75% of the marks available for the assessment of this module. Your submitted document should include a title page containing your personal details, the module name, and the submission deadline.

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Each individual assignment should be clearly marked as Assignment 1 or Assignment 2) and display a word count. It should also include a contents page; appendices if relevant; and a full bibliography in Harvard format. You should address all the elements of the various assignment tasks listed below. Once the assessment brief is released you will be given support via online briefing materials and a tutorial on Adobe Connect to help you develop your ideas on how the tackle the assignments. In addition you may send a onepage summary of your intended approach for each of the assignments (i.e. one for each assignment) to you tutor for feedback. Please note your tutor is not able to give feedback on full drafts of individual answers or completed assignments. Assessment Tasks

Assignment 1 (25%) Select any one driver for change discussed in the online module materials. Critically review the evidence, from academic, commercial and interest group sources, to support the view that this contemporary management issue is likely to have a significant impact upon business strategy in the next decade.

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Guidelines: You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the Harvard system (See Referencing Guide in the Study Skills Guide in My Resources). You must use the Harvard referencing method in your assignment. Additional notes: Word Count: Part 1 2000 words (maximum); Part 2 - 4000 words (maximum). The word count excludes the title page, executive summary, reference list and appendices. Where assessment questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count. Printed words include those contained within charts and tables. See Word Count Policy in My Resources for more information. Assignments submitted late will be marked as a 0% fail, unless you have withdrawn your intent to submit for this module in advance of the deadline. Your assessment should be submitted as a single word or pdf file. For more information please see the Guide to Submitting an Assignment document available on the module page on iLearn. You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments that show evidence of academic unfair practice. (See Dealing with Plagiarism in the Study Skills Guide in My Resources).

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Level 6 is characterised by an expectation of students increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets. Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism.

Generic Learning Outcomes (GLOs) (Academic Regulations, Section 2) Mark Bands Outcome Knowledge & Understanding Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills
Exceptional management of learning resources, with a higher degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. Exceptional structure/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination. Exceptional team/practical/professional skills. Work may be considered for publication by either RDI or the validating partner Outstanding management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. An exemplar of structured/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination. Outstanding team/practical/professional skills Excellent management of learning resources, with degree of autonomy/research that may exceed the assessment brief. Structured and creative expression. Very good academic/ intellectual skills and practical/team/professional/problemsolving skills Good management of learning resources, with consistent self-directed research. Structured and accurate expression. Good academic/intellectual skills and team/practical/ professional/problem solving skills Satisfactory management of learning resources. Some autonomy in research but inconsistent. Structured and mainly accurate expression. Acceptable level of academic/ intellectual skills going beyond description at times. Satisfactory team/practical/professional/problem-solving skills Basic use of learning resources with little autonomy. Some difficulties with academic/intellectual skills. Some difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression, but evidence of developing team/practical/professional/problem-solving skills

90-100%

Exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with extraordinary originality and autonomy. Work may be considered for publication by either RDI or the validating partner

80-89%

Outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with clear originality and autonomy

Characteristics of Student Achievement by Marking Band

70-79%

Achieves module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level

Excellent knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ethics of discipline with considerable originality

60-69%

Good knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/ practice/ethics of discipline with some originality

50-59%

Satisfactory knowledge base that supports some analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ethics of discipline

40-49%

A marginal pass in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level

Basic knowledge base with some omissions at the level of theoretical/ethical issues. Restricted ability to discuss theory and/or or solve problems in discipline

30-39%

A marginal fail in module outcome(s) related to GLO at this level. Possible compensation. Satisfies qualifying mark

Limited knowledge base. Limited understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline

Limited use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Weak academic/ intellectual skills. Still mainly descriptive. General difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Practical/professional/ problem-solving skills that are not yet secure

20-29%

Little evidence of knowledge base. Little evidence of understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Significant difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline

Little evidence of use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Very weak academic/ intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Significant difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Little evidence of practical/professional/problem-solving skills Inadequate use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Inadequate input to teams. Extremely weak academic/intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Major difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Inadequate practical/professional/ problem-solving skills No evidence of use of learning resources. Completely unable to work autonomously. No evidence of input to teams. No evidence of academic/intellectual skills. Work wholly descriptive. Incoherent structure/accuracy and expression. No evidence of practical/professional/ problemsolving skills

10-19%

Fails to achieve module outcome(s) related to this GLO. Qualifying mark not satisfied. No compensation available

Inadequate knowledge base. Inadequate understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Major difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline

1-9%

No evidence of knowledge base; no evidence of understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Total inability with theory and problem solving in discipline

0%

Awarded for: (i) non-submission; (ii) dangerous practice and; (iii) in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief (eg: answers the wrong question) and/or related learning outcomes

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