COLLEGE OF Business, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship

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COLLEGE OF Business, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

ASSESSMENT BRIEF

MODULE TITLE: Strategic Management

MODULE CODE: MAN6073

LECTURER(S): Sayed Abdul Majid Gilani

ISSUE DATE: 2nd February 2024

ASSESSMENT DATE:7th May 2024 by 12pm.

FEEDBACK DATE: 11th June 2024 at 12pm.

Learning Outcomes:

LO1: Apply strategic concepts and techniques of competitive strategy to given businesses.

LO2: Critically assess concepts and techniques relevant to competitive business situations in order to develop strategic planning skills.

LO3: Critically appraise the importance of strategic concepts and choice as a contributor to enhance organisational performance.

LO4: Compare and contrast a range of strategic management theories.

Transferable skills

This assessment will assist in development of the following transferable skills:

Transferable Skill 1: Independence

You will be engaging with independent learning throughout the module in organising your own work/learning schedule. In addition, your assessments will require independently researching, presenting, and answering questions about the outlined area.

Transferable Skill 2: Critical thinking and problem solving.

You will learn to think critically about multiple contexts of Business including scenarios which you may face as a Manager that will require solving strategic problems in the workplace. You will develop skills to evaluate an organisational strategy based on whether it is producing the desired results and to identify developmental areas for improvement.

Transferable Skill 3: Self-awareness

In this module you will naturally develop your sense of self-awareness as you reflect on your own experiences and how they have impacted your own wellbeing. On the whole, this is a positive outcome but support is clearly signposted to within the module should your reflections cause discomfort in any way.

Transferable Skill 4: Communication

You will develop communication skills through regular in class activities, engagement with the featured organisation and during the preparation and execution of the individual PowerPoint component.

Transferable Skill 5: Ability to work under pressure.

You will have deadlines for formative assessment, and you will need to work consistently throughout the module to do well. As this is a wholly applied module, there is a pressure on you to develop a high standard of understanding as well as knowledge to meet the learning objectives.

Transferable Skill 6: Planning skills

You will be able to adapt your planning based on the different scenarios that the organisation may be in, conduct detailed problem analysis, look at different strategic options, and then decide on which is the most optimal strategic option for the business. This skill would also include you developing the skills to translate strategy into operational plans that can be implemented to business unit level.

Transferable Skill 7: Leadership

Each week you will be offered the opportunity to take the lead in class and small group discussions, where you will engage topics through debates where you will learn to reflect on your own views and appreciate those of others which is a key skill in good leadership. You will be expected to propose strategic directions to the featured company from a leadership stance.

Transferable Skill 8: Reflection

In the written assessment you will have the opportunity to share a reflection of your learning during your individual PowerPoint component which will involve critically analysing the featured business to establish future strategic directions.

Summative Assessment Overview:

(A) Individual PowerPoint [50%].

This item will assess LO: 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Merlin is an internationally renowned organisation which is the parent company to businesses like Legoland, Alton Towers and Cadbury World. The aim of this assessment is for the student to critically analyse Merlins internal and external environment through the use of appropriate frameworks/models to identify the key strategic issues faced by the business based on which the students will propose future strategic directions for the business that may involve addressing areas like introducing new product lines, refining operations, hiring personnel, changing cultural practices, or entering new markets. Students cannot exceed 10 slides.

(B) Individual Essay [50%].

This item will assess LO: 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The practice of critical analysis has established itself as a centrepoint for working professionals in organisations around the world in highlighting developmental areas and also outlining action plans towards improving such areas. Therefore, the purpose of this assessment is for students to execute a critical analysis on the strategic management based concepts and theories outlined in the PowerPoint component. Students will be expected to refer to peer-reviewed studies while reviewing the concepts and theories. The word limit for the essay will be 1500 words +/-10%.

Marking:

Marking is completed using the marking grid provided on page 6. The detailed mark scheme identifies what percentage each LO contributes to the overall grade, and what percentage each marking criteria contributes to assessing the stated LO (out of 100%). For this module each LO contributes 25% to the overall grade, and there are either one or two marking criteria contributing to the grade for each LO:

LO1: Criterion 2(50%) = 35/2 = 17.5% contribution to module grade

LO2: Criteria 2(50%) & 4(100%) = 35/2+10/1 = 27.5% contribution to module grade

LO3: Criterion 1(100%) & Criteria 3(50%) = 10/1 + 35/2 = 27.5% contribution to module grade

LO4: Criteria 3(50%) = 35/2 = 17.5% contribution to module grade

To ensure clarity and transparency about how each of the criteria for each class of grade can be achieved you should read through the cells on the detailed mark scheme. The marking criteria will be discussed further in class to ensure transparency of the process.

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment is given through regular feedback designed to help you improve your work. This form of assessment does not contribute towards your grade.

Penalties for late submission

At time of publication the rules regarding late submission of work are:

Assessments submitted up to 1 hour after the published deadline will receive no penalty.

Assessments submitted between one and 24 hours after the published deadline will be reduced by 5% of the actual mark given by the tutor.

Assessments submitted between 24 hours and five working days after the published deadline will be reduced by 10% of the actual mark given by the tutor.

Work submitted more than five working days after the published deadline will not be marked and the student will be deemed to have failed an attempt at the assessment.

If a student has a support statement specifying additional time to complete coursework, the penalties will only apply from the alternative deadline provided by the statement.

Importance of Taking Assessments

It is important that you complete your assessment, otherwise it is classed as a failed attempt (unless you have made a successful EC claim relating to Extenuating Circumstances).

If you fail any of your modules you will have to re-take it, although there are limits on the number of times that you can re-take and you may even have to re-study a module you have failed. Having to re-sit or re-study modules means that your workload will be increased and you will be putting yourself under more pressure. You may even be liable to incur more fees if you are required to re-study a module.

The university does appreciate that there are times when you may be unable to take an assessment due to circumstances outside your control such as illness. If this is the case you need to make a formal claim for an extension or deferral, as without this you are expected to submit within the standard guidelines.

No tutor, module leader or course leader can grant any form of extension to the published deadlines - this is done by a separate team within the university to ensure consistency and fairness for all. For full guidance on what constitutes an exceptional circumstance and how to make a claim, please visit the Extenuating Circumstances page on iCity; you can also contact the Student Support Team for help.

Plagiarism

You are reminded of the Universitys Disciplinary Procedures that refer to plagiarism. A copy of the Disciplinary Procedure is available from iCity. Except where the assessment of an assignment is group based, the final piece of work that is submitted must be your own work. Close similarity between assignments is likely to lead to an investigation for cheating. You must also ensure that you acknowledge all sources you have used. Submissions that are considered to be the result of collusion or plagiarism will be dealt with under the Universitys Disciplinary Procedures, and the penalty may involve the loss of academic credits. If you have any doubts about the extent to which you are allowed to collaborate with your colleagues, or the conventions for acknowledging the sources you have used, you should first of all consult module documentation and, if still unclear, your tutor.

Please note that submissions are run through Turnitin to check for plagiarism, this includes a ChatGP and AI detection software.

If you have a Support Summary that tutors must take account of when marking your work, please check the appropriate box on the coversheet. Contact the Enablement and Wellbeing team for further advice if required https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/student-affairs/health-and-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing

If there is something outside your control that is affecting your ability to complete an assessment or has affected your performance in an assessment, then you can make a claim for extenuating circumstances: https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/student-affairs/appeals-and-resolutions/extenuating-circumstances-procedure

If you are experiencing problems, you should contact Student Affairs staff via https://icity.bcu.ac.uk/essentials/support

Additional information about electronic submission:

All work submitted electronically needs to be submitted in accordance with the following guidelines:

Submission means that a correctly formatted electronic copy has been submitted in the correct method via Moodle, by the deadline set. Failure to do so may result in a mark of zero being awarded.

Your work must be submitted via Moodle - please refer to the Module Moodle site for further details on where to upload your work.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your work is successfully submitted. You will receive an email receipt confirming your submission. Please check this and keep it for your reference.

Submissions using file formats other than those listed above may affect your work being marked, and the feedback you may receive.

The work you submit must not be password protected.

You must retain an electronic copy of your work. Failure to produce a copy on request will result in a mark of zero for the assessment task.

You can use the Turnitin at BCU Moodle page to learn more about software that assists in detecting collusion, AI and plagiarism. On this page you can upload a draft of your work to view a Turnitin Originality Report.

Mark Scheme:

This is the marking scheme your tutors will use when marking your assessment.

This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes.

Criterion* 0-39%

Fail 40-49%

Third 50-59%

2:2 60-69%

2:1 70-79%

First 80-100%

First

Introduction

(10% of grade)

LO 3 The background and purpose have been explained to a limited level. The background and purpose have been explained to a satisfactory level. The background and purpose have been explained to a good level. The background and purpose have been explained to a very good level. The background and purpose have been explained to an excellent level. The background and purpose have been explained to an outstanding level.

Critical Analysis

(35% of grade)

LO 1 and 2 Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to a limited level. Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to a satisfactory level. Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to a good level. Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to a very good level. Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to an excellent level. Relevant theories and Concepts have been applied with related examples to an outstanding level.

Evaluation

(35% of grade)

LO 3 and 4 An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to a limited level. An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to a satisfactory level. An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to a good level. An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to a very good level. An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to an excellent level. An understanding and rationale of the applied theories, concepts and examples have been demonstrated to an outstanding level.

Conclusion

(10% of grade)

LO 2 The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to a limited level. The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to a satisfactory level. The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to a good level. The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to a very good level. The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to an excellent level. The key findings are summarized, and relevant recommendations are outlined to an outstanding level.

Presentation and Structure

(5% of grade) The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to a poor level. The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to a satisfactory level. The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to a good level. The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to a very good level. The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to an excellent level. The presentation and structure of the work has been addressed to an outstanding level.

Referencing and quality of sources

(5% of grade)

The referencing and the sources are of a poor level. The referencing and the sources are of a satisfactory level. The referencing and the sources are of a good level. The referencing and the sources are of a very good level. The referencing and the sources are of an excellent level. The referencing and the sources are of an outstanding level.