MGB130 Assessment 1 Key Information (due date-10/12/2023)
MGB130 Assessment 1 Key Information (due date-10/12/2023)
Assessment overview
Assessment type Written Assessment
Weighting 30%
Length 1500 words maximum (no10% +/- leeway)
Submission Online submission via Canvas.
This essay requires you to provide an extended written response to a set essay question. See the attachments for the full details of the assignment and the marking rubric.
The assignment is eligible for the 48-hour extension.
Learning goals By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate that you can
KS1.1Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broader field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
HO2.1Investigate real world business issues and situations through effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
PC3.1Use information literacy skills and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Task
You are employed as a change agent in a company. The CEO (Helen Jones) has been asked to present a paper at a leading university on the advantages of HR interventions compared with organisational culture interventions. She asks you to prepare a short (1500 word) essay setting out the argument and evidence for each in achieving sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) and to form a view as to which is the most effective.
You should base your response on the theory set out in the first two topics of MGB130. Your view must be well supported by academic theory and empirical research.
Format
Cover Page: Please use the course cover page provided.
Body of Essay: Please ensure that the body of your essay has a clear structure, (introduction, body and conclusion) and is written in an academic style. The essay is argumentative. It may be useful for you to consult the librarys website on writing an academic essay as a refresher on the key aspects of this form of assessment
Reference List: Your reference list must be formatted in the current (7th edition) APA Style. Use a hanging indent (paragraph formatting setting).Do not use Wikipedia, consultant websites or online essays.Do not reference the lecture slides. Instead, look at the referencesin each slide or at the end of a set of slides to guide your research for supporting arguments.Do use(reference) journal articles and the textbook to support your arguments ideally you want to use literature which provides insights into relevant theory and empirical findings.
2. Read the Rubric information for this assessment so you know the criteria the marker is using to allocate your mark.
3. Have a quick skim of the recommended readings for that topic week flagging as you go the readings you will need to revisit for a proper read later. Go through the lecture materials and tutorial materials for that week - highlighting anything that might be useful for the topic.Note that recommended readings are set out at the end of the lecture slides.
4. Go to thelibrary websiteto remind yourself on how to structure your essay. Have a go at structuring your essay based on the information you already have. If you have some gaps, go back to the readings you flagged in step 4 in more detail and based on these gaps in your knowledge start your literature search. Try including terms like 'review' or 'meta-analysis' to find papers that will give you a good overview of the topic, and you can then find papers mentioned in these reviews for more detailed information. Ensure that you have some papers which talk about theory, some which talk about empirical studies, with most of your references being within the last 5 years or so, unless the paper is seminal (as is usually the case with theory papers).
5. Try now to piece your argument together in a little more fine-grained detail. Ensure that you provide balanced information (i.e. you can't ignore strong evidence that is counter to your argument, instead, try and incorporate that contrary evidence and state why it's flawed/not that impactful on your argument) and also refer to the CRA as you are writing - that way you know that you are covering all of the criteria that you need in order to get a good mark.
6. It will take you a bunch of drafts before you have a finished product - this is normal. I suggest you first focus on placing the content in roughly the right spot in your essay, then take a break, come back to it after a day or two and then start writing in sentences and articulating your argument more concretely. Don't forget to proofread - if you can get someone else to read it (maybe a fellow student who is doing a different topic or not enrolled in the course) that could be a good way to make sure that your essay is readable, makes sense etc. Remember too that yourassignment has to be referenced as per APA.
7. Once you are happy with it. Double check that you have the relevant information on the first page.
MGB130 2023 Assignment 1 - Tips
MGB130 2023 Semester 1 Assignment 1
Hi
The Task
You are employed as a change agent in a company. The CEO (Helen Jones) has been asked to present a paper at a leading university on the advantages of HR interventions compared with organisational culture interventions. She asks you to prepare a short (1500 word) essay setting out the argument and evidence for each in achieving sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) and to form a view as to which is the most effective.
You should base your response on the theory set out in the first two topics of MGB130. Your view must be well supported by academic theory and empirical research.
The essay is argumentative.
I have extracted the first two CRA elements for marginal fails (40%-50%); Pass and Credit.
Please note the following:
Criteria 1 - Understanding of organisational behaviour constructs:
A basic understanding through description of theory, key principles and importance will not provide a Pass mark. To pass you must demonstrate at least a sound understanding of relevant theory. You can have only limited integration of the key principles, empirical evidence, and limitations.
Criteria 2 - Analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice - Quality of Argument
To pass you need to provide at least a basic argument which uses research (albeit implicit) to support your position. Your conclusions must be based on evidence.
If you wish to ask for advice around this, please use the Discussions facility.
A1: Briefing Paper Details (due date: 15/12/2023)
Overview
Ethical decision-making is increasingly critical to business and professional success, but how should business professionals respond when faced with business situations that challenge their values?
Briefing notes are commonly used by governments and businesses to quickly and concisely convey information, support informed decision-making, and recommend a clear course of action. A written brief ensures theres a record of advice provided and decisions made. Briefs should be concise and only include the most important information to required to support an informed decision.
In this assignment, you are required to analyse a professional ethical situation against theoretical concepts and prepare a briefing paper that concisely summarises the key information and makes a clear recommendation for action. Because the purpose of a briefing note is to provide decision-makers with the information and guidance required to make an informed decision, your content needs to be justified using research, data and theory.
This is an authentic assessment because it applies approaches and models used in industry to a real-world case study and simulates providing advice to the executives of an organisation. This assignment has been designed to assess your ability to
provide an insightful and concise account of an incident andidentify the contributing factors
apply ethical decision-making theory and frameworks
develop recommendations to support ethical decision making
LEARNING OUTCOMES:The following unit learning outcomes apply to this assignment
Identify and analyse how different contexts and Indigenous and other perspectives, world views and values shape decisions and interpretations of issues [BSB250 Learning Outcome 2]
Evaluate and compare different courses of action on the basis of short and long term consequences and impacts on a variety of stakeholders and outcomes [BSB250 Learning Outcome 4]
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension. This means that is eligible for the 48 late submission without penalty. For more information seehttps://qutvirtual4.qut.edu.au/group/student/study/assignments/submitting/late-assignments-and-extensions
What you need to do
SCENARIO:You have been asked to prepare a briefing note to inform the federal governments decision about whether Scyne Advisory or PWC should be able to tender for the 2026 Australian Census based on ethical grounds. You will prepare a briefing paper that clearly describes and analyses the context in a concise, direct, and factual way.Your brief must include analysis, evidence, outline the ethical risks and issues involved and how they should be managed, present options to act and the implications of these, and make a clear recommendation fororganisational decision-making and action.You must prepare the briefing note using the template and formatting instructions provided.
LENGTH:1500 words +/- 10%.The reference listdoes notcount toward the word limit.
Resources provided to complete the task
Briefing paper structure
Your briefing paper must follow this structure. The Subject, Issues Statement, and Context (author block) should appear on the first page of the briefing paper.Do not include a title page -for a briefing paper this first page constitutes the title page. The remainder of the briefing paper should start on the second page, commencing with Background.
SUBJECT:Provide a short, informative title that gives the reader a clear indication of the subject and purpose of the briefing paper
ISSUES STATEMENT:Outline the purpose of the brief. Clearly define the issue, explain why it is an issue based on ethical reasoning, and define the desired outcome.
CONTACT:Name of student and student number should be provided in the author block.
BACKGROUND:The background section provides the decision maker with the facts they need to understand the issue. Clearly and concisely summarise the issue and relevant facts. Explore the nature of the issue and its ethical dimensions, how the decision maker is involved, what events have led to the current situation, what are others doing in relation to the issue. Only include information essential to the analysis and recommendation. Additional subheadings can be included in this section to summarise arguments being made and evidence being presented to assist readers to scan the key points of the argument.
ANALYSIS:Critically analyse the issue and ethical dilemma presented, as well as potential options and associated benefits, challenges and compromises including influential factors, how the issue impacts stakeholders and their positions, and potential risks to the decision maker/organisation. Additional subheadings can be included in this section to summarise arguments being made and evidence being presented to assist readers to scan the key points of the argument.
RECOMMENDATION:Make a clear recommendation and provide a rationale to justify its selection.
IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS:Outline any considerations associated with implementing the recommendation, including ethical risks posed and how to manage them.
REFERENCE LIST:In-text referencing and reference list should follow APA format (author-date).
Briefing paper formatting guidelines & briefing paper template
The rules for font, styles, spacing and margins that must be followed for the briefing paper are detailed in the table below and have been built into the template using the Styles Guide function.
COMPONENT FONT FORMATTING
Section Title bold, black, Arial size 14 ptFull capitals single line spacing, left aligned15 point spacing before, 3pt after
Section Subtitle bold, black, Arial size 12 ptSentence case single line spacingLeft aligned
Content black, Times New Roman, 11 pt 1.15 line spacing, full justified10pt spacing between paragraphs
References black, Times New Roman, 10 pt 1.15 line spacing, left alignedhanging indent 0.5cm
Footer black, Arial 8pt Page numbers x of x pages formatright aligned, single spacing
Margins 2cm
Author block Black, Arial 9pt Present in a table. 3pt spacing before and after
Briefing package
You must use the case scenario provided - youcannotchoose your own case. For the purpose of this assignment, you can assume that the materials provided below reflect the current state of affairs. You are not required to do additional research into the organisations involved but may choose to. However, while all core content and theory required to complete the assignment will be discussed in lectures and practised in tutorials, you will be required to undertake additional research to identify academic sources to support your claims and analysis.This assessment item should be prepared using secondary data only. You should not contact any organisation or individual involved in the case study directly for information - only use information that is publicly available (e.g. websites, media and other reports).
The briefing package contains the following materials:
Ainsworth, K. (2023, 5 June). What is the PwC tax scandal? Who is Peter-John Collins? Who knew about it? Why does it matter?ABC News.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-05/pwc-pricewaterhousecoopers-government-tax-leak-scandal-explained/102409528Links to an external site.pdf of articleDownload pdf of articleBurton, T., & Tadros, E. (2023, 28 May). Tax leak scandal puts PwCs 2026 census hopes in jeopardy.The Australian Financial Review.https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/pwc-s-2026-census-job-in-jeopardy-due-to-tax-leaks-scandal-20230526-p5dbioLinks to an external site. pdf of articleDownload pdf of articleDepartment of Finance. (2022, 1 July). Value for Money.Commonwealth Procurement Rules: Achieving value for money.Commonwealth of Australia.https://www.finance.gov.au/government/procurement/commonwealth-procurement-rules/value-moneyLinks to an external site. pdf of articleDownload pdf of articleHickie, I.B. (2023, 5 June). We must be mindful of ethical consultants, public servants PwC has put in harms way.The Mandarin.https://www.themandarin.com.au/221905-pwc-has-put-ethical-consultants-and-public-servants-in-harms-way/Links to an external site. pdf of articleDownload pdf of articleTadros, E. (2023, 4 July). PwC $1 fire sale to Allegro done, new name revealed.The Australian Financial Review.https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/allegro-completes-1-pwc-government-arm-fire-sale-renames-firm-scyne-advisory-20230703-p5dlhaLinks to an external site.pdf of articleDownload pdf of article
Assessment Marking Rubric
The Criterion Reference Assessment (CRA) Rubric that markers use to grade the assessment task is included. You should use this as a guide when working on the assessment task.BSB250 A1 RubricDownload BSB250 A1 RubricA1: Briefing Paper - FAQs
How should I structure my analysis section?
It often helps to put yourself in the shoes of thedecision maker [the person who will read your briefing note] and make sure you present the information and analysis in a logical way that supports them to quickly access and understand the information and your arguments and therefore to make an informed and ethical decision.So provided the options are clearly articulated, the analysis is aligned and logically presented, and the recommended option is easy to identify and well-defended it should not matter which structural approach you apply [i.e. structured based on options or structured based on ethical lens].
Is the issues statement in the briefing note just an abstract or summary?
The issues statement isnot just a summary of what happened and restatement of the recommendation. Rather it should be approached as a purpose statement intended to ensure that reader has a quick overview of the purpose of the briefing paper and why it is necessary at this time. It should entice them to read it by concisely outlining the broader issue and the desired outcome i.e. what acting on the content of the briefing paper is intended to achieve in relation to the broader issue.
Do I need to adopt a neutral or unbiased position in the briefing paper?
This assignment has been designed to provide you with the opportunity to exercise your own professional, ethical and academic judgement. As a genre,a briefing paper is a form of persuasive writing which will promote a particular action for the decision maker to take. In this context being impartial is associated with not allowing unsubstantiated or inappropriately biased ideas to influence the selection of the recommendation (i.e. you need to be able to back up what you say with evidence or evaluation). Remember, even writing that appears to be neutral has made decisions about what information or evidence is presented; even the application of theory is subjective in nature because it involves applying your own ideas and ethical and professional judgement. So really what you need to aim for is impartiality, integrity and trustworthiness in the presentation of the analysis, options and recommendations.
Do I need to explain who PwC is in the background?
Yes. It is important that the person receiving the briefing paper has all the knowledge they need and we cannot assume that they know who PwC and/or Sycne Advisory are but you should do so concisely focusing only on relevant information.
Do I need to talk about both PwC and Scyne Advisory?
As explained in the briefing materials PWC sold its government consulting business to a newly formed company Scyne Advisory. Scyne Advisory operates independently of PWC, however, many former senior PwC staff were immediately employed by Scyne Advisory to "ensure a smooth transition and minimize client disruption" (see this article fromThe Consulting ReportLinks to an external site.). You may choose to focus your briefing paper on PwC alone or to focus on both Scyne Advisor and PwC. They are not the same company and should not be treated as such but if you consider there to be a high likelihood of similar issues also existing at Scyne Advisory [or even other similar consultancy companies] you may choose to extend your discussion and recommendations to include them.
What is happening with PwC, Scyne Advisory and other big consultancy companies is changing everyday. Does my information have to be current?
Due to the fast-moving nature of this case study, you can complete the assignment as though everything in the briefing materials provided is up to date. Provided you are at least up to date with what was in the briefing materials you will not be penalised for including new information since this was provided. However, while you don't have to source new data about the case if you want to include additional new information to support your claims you can.
Are the 'titles' of relevant stakeholders/people important in the background?
In some respects, it depends on your argument. For example, if someone was a partner at PWC or held a particular position of power it makes a difference to their credibility and your claims. For example, let's say you want to argue that the ethical issue was merely the actions of one bad apple who was just a low-level consultant this would support an argument for offering Scyne/PWC further work. But if you take the position that they were a senior member of staff or partner and that this incident is, therefore, reflective of a pattern or culture of encouraging, rewarding, tolerating or even just turning a blind eye toward unethical behaviour you'd likely come to a different conclusion/recommendation.
Who is the "decision maker"?
The decision maker can either be at the political government level (e.g. a responsible Minister who in this instance would be the Treasurer) or could be at the public service departmental level (e.g. The Australian Statistician the head of the Australian Bureau of statistics). Either would be appropriate in this context with a minister for example having broader scope to make decisions based on "opinion"/ideology than a department head for example. But that level of intimate knowledge of government operations is not one that I would expect students to have. If you are interested, this document provides detail on how these relationships work.https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/ABS_Statement_of_expectations.pdfLinks to an external site.Where do I integrate ethical approaches and theory into my briefing paper?
When you are looking at what happened (the more descriptive background elements of the task), you will likely refer to broader ethical considerations and expectations around things like ethical integrity or respecting client confidentiality. Anything you say about the incident needs to be referenced based to where you got that information (likely newspaper reports) but where you are suggesting that certain ethical principles or issues are important for understanding what happened you should reference these.
When you move into the part of the briefing paper where you are identifying and evaluating options that the decision-maker could take this is where ethical approaches or lenses could come in. The Markkula framework discussed in the lectures (and applied in a few tutorials) recommends that the best decisions are made by running options through a few different ethical lens (e.g. values/virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, etc). You would need to explain what these are if you use them, again citing sources for this.
Finally, when you are thinking about implementation considerations relating to your recommendation again this is where you might bring in broader ethical dimensions and theory associated with any caveats your might have on your recommendations or things that the decision maker might like to consider. For example, if you recommend not to allow PWC/Sycne to tender does this mean that the decision maker will need to reconsider their position regarding other consultancy companies too (or look into whether there is a need to) from a justice perspective? What else might they need to consider? Do they need additional legal advice or to consider potential media exposure? Do they have the resources to implement your recommendation? Again, this will depend on the arguments you make about the cause of the issue, your analysis and your ultimate recommendation.
Do my options analysis and recommendations have to focus on PwC only?
Your options analysis and recommendations can focus on PwC, PwC and Scyne Advisory, or even extend out to encompass other private consultancy firms or government departments. The scope of the recommendations is up to you but they must align with your analysis and options evaluation. You also need to ensure you can justify your choices.
What kinds of things should be covered in implementation considerations?
Another way of thinking about the implementation considerations is in terms of the implications associated with carrying out the recommendation you've proposed. This could be associated with any potential legal, resourcing, media/public relations or other implications as a result of this decision. Implementation considerations can also include matters such as scope [i.e. does this decision relate to a single case or does it have a broader application] or timing for implementation of the decision [i.e. is the decision retrospective or is there a grace period before the decision would come into effect or should it start immediately]. Each of these matters introduces risks and opportunities that need to be managed when the recommendation is being enacted and can shape whether or not the implementation is effective, ethical and responsible in relation to its treatment of the stakeholders involved.
Is there a right answer?
No, there is not one correct answer. With ethical issues there rarely is. You can recommend that they not be permitted to tender (justifying why or providing caveats) or that they should be permitted to tender (justifying why or providing caveats on that) or some combination. Similarly, when you are analysing what precipitated the need for this decision to have to be made it will be based on your analysis and understanding of whether you consider this to be an isolated ethical event (i.e. an individual bad apple), an ethical problem isolated to this company (that may or may not have been resolved by the creation of the new company), or an ethical problem that is sector-wide (i.e. all of these kinds of companies behave this way). You could even take the position that it is not appropriate (i.e. in the public interest) for this kind of work to ever be awarded to consultants and that it is more ethical, efficient and appropriate for this kind of work to be done by public servants rather than the private sector to minimise conflicts of interest, particularly when dealing with sensitive information. All are legitimate positions to take and what matters is the arguments that you make and the evidence and justifications used to support your claims.
Is there a word count for each section of the briefing paper?
No, there is not a mandatory word count for individual sections of the briefing paper. There is an overall word count for the assignment which covers everything except the reference list. You should use the rubric as a guide for the relative importance of the content you are providing in the briefing paper and should ensure that you don't use all of your word count describing the event - ensure you leave enough to articulate and evaluate your options and to clearly indicate your recommendation and any implementation considerations.
How many options do I need to analyse?
You must analyse/evaluate more than just your preferred option. The options you present do not necessarily need to be binary opposites (e.g. permit them to tender vs don't permit them to tender) and you do not have to present all possible options.Given the word count restrictions and the need to provide the decision maker with the information they need to make a decision and trust your judgment regarding the recommended option it is suggested that you analyse no fewer than 2 and no more than 4 options. When you are applying ethical lens/approaches to analyse/evaluate these options it is recommended that you apply more than one. You do not have to apply the same lenses to each option that you analyse and do not need to apply all lenses to all options.
BSB108 Business EnvironmentA1 Insight report: National business environment (due on 07/1/2024)
A2: Ethical Self Assessment Details (due on 10/01/2024)
Overview
Task description
The ability to self-monitor and engage in regular self-reflection and self-assessment has a positive impact on professional development.
In this assignment, you will develop a personal code of ethics based on your values. You will then assess these against the requirements of a specific job you aspire to have in the future and reflect on the alignment and gaps and reasons for these. Finally, you will identify ways to further develop your skills and dispositions and address these gaps in a professional context.
To complete this task you will develop self-awareness by completing self-assessment quizzes and activities, reflecting on your answers, familiarising yourself with the codes of conduct and ethical requirements of your desired profession, and devising strategies for self-development to increase the chances that you will be able to achieve your values and goals for ethical behaviour and persuade a recruiter of the alignment between you and what they are seeking.
This is an authentic assessment because it applies approaches used in industry and focuses on your own personal and professional development as a future professional. This assignment has been designed to assess your ability to
develop and justify a personal code of ethics based on your values
self-assess your skills, biases and assumptions
compare these to the ethical requirements of a desired future professional role
create a personal professional development plan to respond to these
Each element is weighted equally.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:The following unit learning outcome applies to this assignment
Articulate personal and professional values and reflect on their contribution to making moral decisions, acting ethically and effective leadership [BSB250 Learning Outcome 3]
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension. This means that is eligible for the 48 late submission without penalty. For more information seehttps://qutvirtual4.qut.edu.au/group/student/study/assignments/submitting/late-assignments-and-extensions
What you need to do
TASK:This task applies a reflective process referred to as What, So What, No What.
WHAT is your personal code of ethics?An individuals personal code of ethics reflects their beliefs, values and background. In essence it is how they would describe themselves and the way they relate to the world. A personal code of ethics helps you create achievable goals for yourself as you develop personally. It helps you communicate your values effectively, better understand your priorities, clarify decision-making, and improve goal setting and achievement. To create your personal code of ethics, start by thinking about your values and goals for how you want to behave, who you want to be, and what you want your relationships to look like. Then create guidelines for yourself to follow that will help you work toward those goals.
Identify and document your core values using one of the free tests available athttps://personalvalu.es/Links to an external site.orhttps://dfdx.us/core-values-quiz/Links to an external site.Identify and document the traits, characteristics and dispositions you strongly believe represent you as a person and future professional. This should be supported by completing and reflecting on the results of a minimum of three (3) of the activities/questionnaires provided in the unit to support you to identify your ethical preferences, biases, strengths and assumptions.
Create a personal code of ethicsby distilling this information into a list of short statements that can serve as a guide for what sorts of actions you will take to meet your own expectations. Typically, you would not have fewer than three or more than five of these.
SO WHAT is the alignment between your code of ethics and the ethics of your desired future role?
As a future professional you will need to apply your code of ethics in a professional context. Most employers have a code of ethics that is strongly aligned with their organisational value and articulates expectations for the standards of behaviour expected by employees. During the hiring process it is common to be asked to provide a statement of how you will meet the professional code of ethics for the role so that they can assess if you share the same values and ethics as the company. This requires you to engage in self-assessment and self-reflection.
Identify a job you aspire to have in the future. This can be a graduate job or an aspirational role. The job advertisement needs to be downloaded and included as an appendix to your assignment. You should use a recognised job site such as Seekwww.seek.com.auLinks to an external site., Indeedhttps://au.indeed.com/Links to an external site., or Smart Jobshttps://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/Links to an external site.Identify and concisely document the core values, ethical requirements and professional expectations of the job. You will find these in the job description and the companys website. They might also be articulated in a code of conduct related to the job type (e.g. Code of Conduct for Professional Accountants). You should not contact any company for this information only use what is publicly available.
Compare the alignment of your personal code of ethics with those you have identified as important for the role. compare the alignment of your personal code of ethics against the professional expectations and codes of conduct for the job you have selected. Consider how your current ethical skills and dispositions including the potential influence of any personal and professional biases, assumptions and ethical preferences may influence your ability to meet the ethical expectations of that role.
NOW WHAT will you do to close the gap?Reflect on how you could further develop your skills and dispositions or address any gaps so that you can apply your CoE consistently in this professional context. Provide concrete examples of actions you could take to translate your code of ethics into work behaviours that are consistent with what the company values.
LENGTH:1000 words +/- 10%. The reference list, appendix and figures do not count toward the word limit.
A2: Ethical Self Assessment - FAQs
Do I need to include the raw results of all of my quizzes and activities?
No, you do not need to include the raw results of your quizzes and activities. For example, you should not just provide lists of values or strengths. Instead, these should be integrated into your personal code of ethics and reflections. We trust that you have done the quizzes and activities that you say you have done and are more interested in what you do with the results than with the raw results themselves.
Do I need to include a title page, table of contents or introduction?
You do not need to include a title page, table of contents or formal introduction. However you should ensure that you include your name, student number, unit and assignment number some where on your assignment. This could be a header or footer or as a title.
Can I present my content in creative ways?
Yes, you can present content in non-traditional ways if you want to. For example, in the past some students have presented their personal code of ethics as an infographic. Other students have presented the development plan (the "now what" elements) as a table. However, you choose to present your content you must ensure that it is legible and will make sense to the reader. So I strongly recommend not using too many dot points as they often lack context and it is harder to craft a compelling narrative if you use this staccato style rather than writing full sentences which are appropriately linked in paragraphs.
How do you want me to include the information about my job in the appendix?
You can include this information as either screenshot or copied text or a mix of both. What is most important is that you don't just provide a link so that we can read about the job you have selected in case we need extra information to understand it when marking your assignment.
Do I have to reference the tools/quizzes/activities that I used?
You need to make it clear to your marker which tools, quizzes or activities you used. Because the piece is short it is OK if you only reference them by name the first time that you refer to them. If you used an online quiz for example referencing it along the following lines will be enough for your marker to know what you did and how you are using the results from it. In-text example:The VIA Character Strengths Survey results suggested that ....... Reference List example:VIA Institute on Character (2023)VIA Character Strengths Survey.Taken 15 September 2023.https://www.viacharacter.org/Links to an external site.
Do I need to use the headings provided?
No, you do need to use the headings of What, So What, Now What. You can devise your own subheadings that make sense to you and support the reader to understand the content you have included. This model has been provided to show you the kind of content that must be included in your ethical self assessment.
Should I write in the first person?
Because this assignment involves self-reflection and self-assessment it is appropriate to write in the first person [i.e., use words like I, my and me]. However, you should still keep your writing formal. Many students fall into the trap of writing an overly informal, chatty and descriptive assignment. You still need to ensure that you engage in analysis and that your writing is appropriately academic.
Do I need to include references?
Yes, this assignment still constitutes academic work so you should include references as appropriate. At the very least you need to reference/refer to the self-assessment tools or quizzes that you rely on in your assignment as well as things like organisational or professional codes of conduct. You also consider adding references to literature you have read. For example, perhaps you have read about strategies that you could use to address gaps ortranslate your code of ethics into work behaviours that are consistent with what the company values. Using citations here can add to their credibility.
What is included in the word count?
The work count includes all parts of your assignment except the reference list and the job advertisement that you include as the appendix.
A3: CSR Research Report Details (due on 20/01/2024)
Overview
The ability to undertake research and assess performance are fundamental skills in contemporary business.
Universities are increasingly turning to collaboration with the private sector to achieve their research and educational goals. Examples include theUniSA partnership with Accentureto co-develop and co-deliver curriculum in The Innovation Academy in Digital Business and Ciscos funding of theCisco Chair in Trusted Retail and Logistics Innovationin the QUT Centre for Future Enterprise. Making the strategic decision to partner with another organisation can provide many mutual benefits, however, being publicly connected can also present reputational and performance risks. For this reason, an informed decision must be made based on an understanding of the performance of the proposed alliance partner, particularly concerning their CSR performance. The ability to undertake research and assess performance are therefore fundamental skills in contemporary business decision making.
In this assessment, you will examine issues of local and global significance, and assess the extent to which current business practices contribute to collective wellbeing and sustainable and socially responsible outcomes.Selecting from a list of businesses provided to you, you will analyse a business to develop a report which investigates its CSR performance. You are expected to draw on a wide range of academic and other texts to support your claims.This is an authentic assessment because it applies approaches used in industry and focuses on real-world organisations and assessing their CSR performance. This assignment has been designed to assess your ability to
undertake research about a company
critically assess a company's CSR performance
make supported recommendations to inform a course of action
prepare a professional report using a range of high-quality sources
LEARNING OUTCOMES:The following unit learning outcome applies to this assignment
Examine issues of local and global significance and judge the extent to which business practices contribute to collective wellbeing and socially responsible outcomes [BSB250 Learning Outcome 1]
Exercise critical literacy by selecting appropriate evidence, synthesising information, formulating persuasive arguments, and creatively communicating complex ideas and data [BSB250 Learning Outcome 5]
What you need to do
SCENARIO:For this assessment task, you are required to prepare a CSR performance report about one of theAustraliancompanies in the attached article (Dodd, 2022 see figure 2). The purpose of the report is to support the QUT Business School to decide whether or not they should partner with that organisation based on their CSR performance and any reputational risks that might be involved. Your recommendations should also note the alignment between QUTs and that companys values. You can find QUT's values athttps://www.qut.edu.au/connections
LENGTH:2500 words +/- 10%.The reference list and any figuresdo notcount toward the word limit.
Resources provided to complete the task
The following resources are available to assist you to complete the task: Case Study. While all core content and theory required to complete the assignment will be discussed in lectures and practised in tutorials, you will be required to undertake additional research to identify sources to support your claims. The report should be prepared using publicly available data only (e.g. websites, media and other reports) -do notcontact an individual or organisation directly for information.
Below are detailed instructions and resources to help you to submit this task.
Case Study
Dodd, T. (2022, 8 November). The business and universities which collaborate best.The Australian,https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/the-businesses-and-universities-which-collaborate-best/news-story/cef086c914391e15f97d4cc099a566a0#:~:text=But%2013%20other%20global%20companies,than%20does%20local%20leader%20CSLLinks to an external site.pdf of articleDownload pdf of articleRubric
The Criterion Reference Assessment (CRA) Rubric that markers use to grade the assessment task is included and you should use this as a guide when working on the assessment task. BSB250 A3 RubricDownload BSB250 A3 RubricPrescribed structure
The report must follow this structure. You can include additional subheadings for signposting if desired. No table of contents is required. Appendices should not be included
Title:Provide a short, informative title for the report.
Executive Summary:Inform the reader of the purpose of the report, its focus and your recommendation in three or four sentences. You must name your chosen company in the title and executive summary. These are included in the word count.
Company Background:Summarise the company's background in terms of its key activities, mission/vision and the business model it has adopted. This section should include only salient facts and relevant details relating to the report's focus.
Key area of focus 1[you should name it]: Using ISO26000 as a prompt, identify a sustainability or social responsibility issue relating to the company. Describe the issue and explain why it is a focal area for this company. Using evidence (data and references) to support your analysis and linking this to academic literature, evaluate the performance of the company for this issue.
Key area of focus 2[you should name it]: Using ISO26000 as a prompt, identify a sustainability or social responsibility issue relating to the company. Describe the issue and explain why it is a focal area for this company. Using evidence (data and references) to support your analysis and linking this to academic literature, evaluate the performance of the company for this issue.
Key area of focus 3[you should name it]: Using ISO26000 as a prompt, identify a sustainability or social responsibility issue relating to the company. Describe the issue and explain why it is a focal area for this company. Using evidence (data and references) to support your analysis and linking this to academic literature, evaluate the performance of the company for this issue.
Recommendation:Make a clear recommendation as to whether or not the client should partner with this company and under why conditions. Justify this decision based on prior analysis. This section should also identify and succinctly discuss any emerging issues that the client [QUT] would need to monitor in relation to this company if it was to partner with them.
Reference List:You will need to reference throughout your report. In-text referencing and reference list should follow the APA format. As this is a 2nd year unit you will be penalised for not meeting referencing standards or using APA. The reference list does not count toward the word limit.
A3: CSR Research Report - FAQs
Why would QUT Business School want to partner with one of these companies?
Universities are increasingly turning to collaboration with the private sector to achieve their research and educational goals. You can approach this as the Business School choosing to partner (or not) with one of the selected companies for teaching (e.g. co-developing and co-developing curriculum or creating a program of work-integrated learning placements) or research (e.g. funding or contributing expertise to research) or both of these. If you have another idea you'd like to explore or partnership please check first with your tutor.The purpose of the report is to support the QUT Business School to decide whether or not they should partner with that organisation based on their CSR performance and any reputational risks that might be involved. The recommendation must directly relate to this and you must make a clear call.
Should I consolidate issues with a core subject area or should I treat them separately?
The sustainability and social responsibility areas you choose to focus on will be determined by the type of company you choose and the issues you think are most material or important for them. ISO26000, UN SDGs and UN Global Compact are useful guides to identify possible areas of focus and ways of judging their performance. As a result, you could approach the task either way (ie. consolidate similar issues or separate them out).An example of this might be choosing 1 environmental issue, 1 labour issue, and 1 issue about customer privacy.
However, if you have chosen complex issues that have sub-elements or sub-issues it is also appropriate for you to treat these as different issues. For example, all three of your issues might be chosen from the ISO2600 labour core subject area but you want to address 3 different labour issues such as (1) workplace health and safety, (2) underpayment of workers, and (3) workforce training and development.
The extent to which you elect to treat the information that you gather about the company as discrete or connected issues is up to you and will be largely shaped by how much supporting information you are able to gather and the argument that you are trying to make about their performance. For instance, finding lots of different small instances of poor (or good performance) associated with the treatment of workers could add up to make a single general issue about the labour force. However, finding lots of information about a single aspect of the treatment of workers might suggest it is important enough to be isolated as a standalone issue.
So if you can locate enough information to separate them out and make a compelling judgement of the performance go for it. If as you are writing it feels a bit sparse you could collapse the issues and choose an additional issue.
Do my issues need to be connected to each other?
The issues do not have to be connected and you can choose a range of "different" issues. A typical ESG report would often address a span and you can defend this diversityby clearly explaining why this spread of issues is relevant/salient given their span of operations and impact. However, if you think that there is a case to be made for diving deeper into few ISO26000 core subject areas this is also fine.
Should I include the BMC or EMPESTLE analyses in my report?
No, you should not include the BMC or EMPESTLE analyses in your report. For A3 you should treat these as tools for thinking to help you to identify content that you can selectively include. You should only include information from these that you consider to be salient and that the decision-maker might need to know. I encourage you to be highly selective in this regard.
Should I write in the first person?
No, as a formal business report, this assignment needs to be written in the third person (i.e. not use I, me, mine, you, your, etc.)
Do I need to include references?
Yes, this assignment constitutes academic work so you should include references as appropriate. References can include a range of academic sources (e.g. books, journal articles), media articles (e.g. newspaper and media reports), grey literature (e.g. government reports), industry reports (e.g. MarketLine or IBISWorld reports) or company documentation (e.g. its annual reports or strategic plan). You should not use sources such as Wikipedia.
What is included in the word count?
The work count includes all parts of your assignment except the reference list and any figures you might include. All figures should be embedded within the text. No appendices should be included.
Do I have to choose one of the companies on the list provided, or can I choose my own?
You must choose one of the Australian companies from the list provided. These cover a range of mining, technology, medical and biotech, and banking and finance companies. The companies you can choose from are: Altassian; Atmo Biosciences; BHP; Boral; Canva; Commonwealth Bank; CSL; Fortescue; Green Atlas; Grok Learning; Lixia; National Australian Bank (NAB); Newcrest Mining; Nutrifield; PSI Quantum; Quantum Brilliance; Q-CTRL; Rio Tinto; Trajan; Seeing Machines; Seek; Terra15; Woodside; Xero; or Xing Tech.
Can I make up my own structure?
The basic structure has been provided and should be used but you can include additional signposting and subheadings to present information in a logical, coherent and structured way. You can also include infographics, figures and tables to illustrate points, however, you should ensure that your reason for including the content and what it means is provided in words and referenced.
MGB130 Assessment 3 Additional Information
Assessment item No.: 3
Assessment name: Take Home Exam
Length / Duration: Two parts:
1. Case analysis - 1500 words worth 25 marks
2. Ethical dilemma - 500 words worth 10 marks
Is this assessment eligible for an extension? No, you can not get an extension for this exam. If you are unable to submit your work by the due date please apply for a deferred exam.
Relates to learning outcomes: Unit Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 & 4 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), HO (2.1), SE (5.1)
Weighting: 35%
Internal / External: Internal
Individual / Group: Individual
released 10AM 13 February 2024 due at 11:59PM on 20 February 2024
Note:
The word count excludes references but does include intext citations.
Please ensure that you check your work against the Rubric before submitting.
Please ensure that you are familiar with the universitys policies on academic integrity.
Exams submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked and will receive a grade of 1 or 0%. If special circumstances prevent you from meeting the assessment due date, you can apply for deferred exam. If you dont have an approval for a deferred exam you should submit the work you have completed by the due date and it will be marked against the assessment criteria. Please note that a deferred exam is where you sit a new exam it is not an extension.
BSB108 take home exam due on the 20/02/2024
DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION YET
Case analysis- 1500 words
Ethical dilemma- 500 words
