Assessment 2 Guidance

Module Code: BMA4000-20

Module Title: The Business Environment

Assessment type: Individual Reflective Performance Report

Guidance

This guidance has been prepared to help students approach the second assignment for Business Environment. For this assessment, students are required to write an individual reflective report based on a business case study.

CASE STUDY: FAST FASHION (Available on FSB Connect).

Task 1:

• Take your time to analyse the given case study and answer all the case study questions.


• Collate your answers and include them as an appendix within your reflective performance report. Your case study answers, should not exceed 3-pages of A4.


• You must give enough information to analyse the relationship between any business problem and the solution that was suggested.

Task 2:

• Using your analytical and reflective writing skills, you will write a report (1500 words +/- 10%) which reflects on how you solved the businesss problems and challenges, that were presented within the case study.


• It is important that you do not write a step-by step description of what happened within the respective case study, but rather you will discuss your experiences of engaging with the case study.

Assignment Structure: Reflective Report

Cover Page: This should clearly follow the cover page template in your Module Handbook: Your student ID, Student name, Module Name and Code, Lecturers name, Assignment name and the Word Count.

Introduction: (200 words)

• Outline the content of the report.


• Provide background information on the business case study.

Main Body:

Using the Gibbs Model, you should write a reflective performance report based on your engagement with the case study. Ensure there is a balance of supporting and refuting statements with relevant citations.

Your reflective performance report should include:

• Description (what happened?) (200 words)


• Describe the nature of the case study


• Describe within which industry the case study was situated


• Briefly describe any discussions you had when working on the case study in class time (Refer to group working theory for this e.g., Tuckman and Jensen)

• Feelings (what were you thinking and feeling?) (200 words)

A detailed overview of what you thought and felt when working on the business case study. Consider:

• Describe your thoughts about the specific case subject?


• Reflect on how you feel/ what you think about solving the challenges that were presented in the case? 3 - Did you feel that you were equipped with enough business knowledge to answer the questions?

• Evaluation (what was good and bad about the experience?) (250 words)

An objective overview of what worked, and what didnt work, whilst reading and analysing the case studies.

Consider:

• Describe what was positive about the decisions you made whilst completing the case activities?


• Discuss what was negative about the decisions you made whilst completing the case activities?


• How did working in groups align with Tuckman and Jensens group working theory? (Also refer to other group working theories)

• Analysis (what sense can you make of the situation?) (250 words)

Interrogate your ability to make strategic business decisions.

Consider:

• Provide a detailed explanation of what worked well and what didnt amongst the decisions you made.


• Within which areas of Business & Management did you find it most difficult to make strategic business decisions (e.g., Marketing, Management, Operations, all aspects of the Internal Environment) etc.

(Did you apply Mintzbergs or Porters theories? If so how?)

• Conclusion (what else could you have done?) Draw conclusions about: (200 words)


• Briefly explain the skills you need to develop, to better perform and understand these types of case studies?


• Highlight the skills you need to develop to perform better when working within groups?

Action Plan (If it arose again what would you do?) (200 words)

• Devise an action plan, of actionable steps (e.g., step 1; step 2, etc.) that someone else could follow to better address the problems presented within the business case studies.


• This should address content relative to the internal business environment and business strategic decisions.

References

Alphabetically arrange all cited sources in a reference list using the Harvard Referencing style.

Appendix

Finally create an appendix and place your case study answers within the appendices.