WESTMINSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL
5071952500
WESTMINSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING
Module title: Introduction to Organisational Behaviour for Marketing
Module code: 4HURM012W
Assessment title: Reflection and Essay (Assessment 2)
Assessment weighting: 75%
Assessment deadline: 11th April 2024 at 13:00 UK time.
Submission method: MS Word document via Blackboard Turnitin
Assessment format: Reflection and Essay
Word limit: 3,000 words (excluding reference list/bibliography)
Semester 2, 2023/2024
ASSESSMENT BRIEFING
ASSESSMENT SUMMARY:
Assessment Two (Individual piece of work) should be divided as follows:
a) Reflection on your motivation/passion and how you might take your first steps towards achieving it. (700 words)
b) Essay plan (approximately 500 words). This will be looked at during the seminar session in week 10 and given some peers and tutor feedback)
c) Essay (1,800 words)
All three stages must be fulfilled, and all must be included in your final piece of work you upload to Turnitin. You should upload them as one MS Word document. Remember, the total WORD COUNT: 3000 words (excluding reference list/bibliography). Do not exceed 3,000 words.
Parts a) and c) are assessed in the mark and part b) is an essential stage towards completing a better essay (Part c), allowing you to build on your learning from the first assessment.
DETAILED ASSESSMENT GUIDE AND STRUCTURE:
a) Reflection on your motivation and passion and first steps to achieving your goal (700 words).
On the module we consider motivation and passion and how work environments can facilitate creativity or hamper it. Please write approximately 500 700 words outlining your motivation and passion as it is currently in relation to a desired work environment/career that you think you would like to pursue, contemplating where your motivation for this stems from. We would like you then to explore how you might try to take a first step towards achieving your motivation/passion goals during the work-based learning (35 hour) requirement between levels 4 and 5 of your degree. This may be through voluntary work for example, and you might cite some examples of organisations that you could approach. This part of the assessment 2 is designed to encourage you to reflect on your own capabilities in an organisational context and start to define your motivational goals in relation to work.
b) Essay plan (approximately 500 words)
This draft essay plan is aimed at improving the structure and development of your argument in your essay (something we have found students can find difficult). You can use any presentation you wish (linear, mind map, etc), as the aim is for you to gain peer feedback in the seminar and tutor feedback during the seminar and through this to improve the final essay.
The essay plan will not be given a mark, but it is compulsory to include it as part of the assessment submission and it is a vital stage in effective academic writing. It will help you to improve your essay style, which will help you to gain higher marks in discursive subjects.
c) Essay (1,800 words).
Choose ONE of the following essay questions to answer.
Please note that you should make reference to some of the reading you have done and some of the theory we have covered on the module when answering the questions.
Q1. Perceptual distortions can be extremely detrimental and lead to serious misunderstandings between certain groups within organisations. Discuss this statement, using theory and examples, to show how perceptual errors can impact different groups and the effectiveness within an organisation. Discuss how organisations might manage perceptual errors in the workplace.
Q2. Choose ONE contemporary leadership theory, discuss its advantages and challenges, using examples illustrate the impact this leadership theory has in todays business world.
Q3. Choose one organisation (either from the module or your own reading/research) and discuss how it tries to motivate and retain talented staff, drawing on aspects of the main motivational theories to illustrate why it might be effective.
Q4 Choose an organisation that has launched a marketing campaign to address ONE of the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals and discuss how it is managing its workforce to make a positive social impact to address this UN goal.
Useful resources for this assessment:
https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/essaywriting/essaysLEARNING OUTCOMES ADDRESSED:
LO2 Reflect on your own capabilities in an organisational context and start to define your motivational goals in relation to work.
LO3 Identify Key areas of the knowledge base and terminology of Organisational Behaviour in relation to managing others.
LO4 Identify concepts and approaches that can help you to explore contemporary organisational issues, such as sustainability, and changing organisational forms.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The assessment criteria and weightings show you what is important in the assessment and how marks are shared across each criterion. When you are completing your assessment remember you need to fulfil the brief and the assessment criteria below. At the end of this document, we have provided you a more detailed marking grid, which describes both the expectation for each criterion and how marks would be awarded based upon performance.
The assessment will look at to what extent you have shown an ability to:
Outline relevant concepts/ideas and theories covered from the field of organisational behaviour;Demonstrate relevant knowledge from reading and research;Write clearly, effectively and concisely in an essay format and use sources/references appropriately;Describe and apply some of the organisational behaviour theories and writers, which have influenced our thinking about individuals in organisations; for example, in relation to perception, stress, motivation, structures, personality, organisational structures or leadership.
Criterion Reflection and Essay Weighting
Reflection:
Ability to reflect on motivational goals and plan for short term actions towards these.
Essay:
Structure and Development of argument.
Use of reading/research/ appropriate writers;Use of relevant case studies and examples to illustrate understanding;Writing style and referencing;
Understanding of concepts/ideas presented on the module. 100%
The University has arrangements for marking, internal moderation and external scrutiny. Further information can be found in Section 12 of the Handbook of Academic Regulations, westminster.ac.uk/study/current-students/resources/academic-regulations
4HURM010W: Assessment 2 Outstanding (80%+)
Excellent (70%+) Very Good (60%+) Good (50%+) Minimal Pass (40%+) Poor (30%-39%) Fail (less than 30%)
Reflection Part A:
Ability to reflect on motivational goals and plan for short term actions towards these. Outstanding ability to reflect on your motivational goals and plan for short term actions, showing advanced reflection and analysis Your work shows a deep and thoughtful reflection on your motivational goals and excellentability to plan in the short term for actions. Clear evidence ofreflective ability on motivational goals and short-term actions towards these
Your work shows the development of reflective skillsbut needs more thought and work. Your work shows the beginnings of reflective ability but overall is descriptive rather than analytical, with reflection under-developed. Inadequate use of reflection with no clear understanding of motivational goals and/or no action plan for the short term No evidence of reflection/planning.
Essay Part C:
Structure and Development of argument.
Clear evidence of independent and original thinking in the development of argument and sophistication in expression Excellent ability to compare critically different arguments/theories and arrive at some conclusion in your arguments and structure Clear focus on question set and a suitable and fluent structure Mostly focused on question and evidence of an attempt at logical essay structure Only partially focussed on question and rather disjointed in presentation of ideas and linking the ideas A lack of appropriate structure and/or understanding of question set and material used so that overall it is disjointed Disorganisation and/ or inadequate length
Use of reading/research/ appropriate writers;Evidence of extensive reading/research, drawing on a wide set of sources and an ability to connect to different perspectives in the literature Evidence of wide or in-depth reading/research to support points madeSelective and appropriate use of research and reading material which shows evidence of engagement and wider reading than the module material Some correctly referenced research material/reading used, relevant to the question set Little use of reference material and evidence of appropriate reading
Very little appropriate research/reading No evidence of sufficient appropriate reading
Use of relevant case studies and examples to illustrate understanding;Numerous examples showing sophisticated ability to connect theory/concepts to practical experiences/case studies in an integrative way Several examples which show ability to connect theory/concepts to practical examples/case studies Some relevant, well-chosen examples/case studies which demonstrate practical implications of concepts/theory A few relevant examples but not sufficiently explored Little evidence of being able to relate the ideas to examples Absence of examples which show understanding No suitable examples included
Writing style and referencing;
Mastery of academic style and referencing Fluently written and well-argued essay with very good referencing Well-written answer in clear English with appropriate referencing Writing and/or referencing style could be improved to be more academically appropriate Writing style needs to be improved as it is difficult to understand. Inadequate referencing
Inappropriate writing style for academic work Writing very difficult to understand, substantial errors.
Understanding of concepts/ideas presented on the module.
Excellent awareness of the subtlety of concepts and ideas presentedWide or deep understanding of relevant concepts and ideas presented Very good identification and grasp of appropriate concepts and ideas
Evidence of identification of some of the issues but largely descriptive rather than analytical. Ideas presented as unsupported opinions. Some gaps in knowledge Entirely descriptive, with ideas presented as unsupported and generalised opinions. Significant gaps in knowledge Poor understanding of ideas and concepts presented on the module.
Misunderstanding of questions and concepts covered on the module
DEFER / REFER ARRANGEMENTS IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT PASS THE ASSESSMENT AND THE MODULE
As per the University Calendar, the refer / defer period for this module will be in July 2024. More detailed information will be available on Blackboard site by the 21st June 2024.
ANONYMOUS MARKING
Do NOT include your name or student number within the file name or anywhere within your submission. The submission will be subject to anonymous marking. Having logged into blackboard the system will record your details anonymously and tutors will only see your name after the entire submission has been assessed and provisional marks have been released to all students at the same time.
REFERENCING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ASSESSMENT
Statements, assertions and ideas made in coursework should be supported by citing relevant sources. Sources cited in the text should be listed at the end of the assignment in a reference list. Any material that you read but do not cite in the report should go into a separate bibliography. Unless explicitly stated otherwise by the module teaching team, all referencing should be in Cite Them Right referencing format. If you are not sure about this, the library provides guidance (available via the library website pages): https://libguides.westminster.ac.uk/referencing
THE DEADLINE AND SUBMITTING YOUR COURSEWORK - CHECKS
Unless indicated otherwise, coursework is submitted via Blackboard.
The deadline for this assessment is 11th April 2024 at 13:00 UK time. This means that your work should be fully uploaded before 13:00. The University would treat your submission as late, if your work has not been fully uploaded and stored on the server before 13:00. In order to avoid your submission being marked as late, you should upload your work as soon as possible before the deadline and must not wait until or just before the deadline to start uploading your work.
At busy times the coursework submission process may run slowly. To ensure that your submission is not recorded as a late submission, avoid submitting very close to the deadline.
To submit your assignment:
Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk;
Go to the Blackboard site for this module;
Click on the Assessment area for the module;
Click on the link Reflection and Essay for the assignment to submit.
Follow the instructions, ensuring that you have selected the correct file to upload.
PENALTIES FOR LATE SUBMISSION AND ADVICE ABOUT MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES
Any assessment submitted late online will be penalised unless you submit a claim for Mitigating Circumstances (MC) and the claim is accepted by the Registry. Check this page for more information about mitigating circumstances: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/current-students/guides-and-policies/assessment-guidelines/mitigating-circumstances-claims
If you do not submit an MC claim or if your MC claim is rejected, then your work will be penalised. If you submit your assessment late but within 24 hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that assessment will be deducted as a penalty for late submission, except for work which is marked in the marginal pass rate range 40-49%. In this case the mark will be capped at the pass mark 40%.
If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours late after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question, unless the Mitigating Circumstances claim has been accepted officially by the Registry.
DIFFICULTIES IN SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME
If you are having technical difficulties with submission, please email the Student Centre: studentcentre@westminster.ac.uk. For any other issues regarding submission email the module leader Kamala Balu (email baluk@westminster.ac.uk and ask for advice.
If you have difficulties for reasons beyond your control (e.g. serious illness, family problems etc.) that prevent you from submitting the assessment, make sure you apply to the Mitigating Circumstances board with evidence to support your claim as soon as possible. Further details can be found on the following URL: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/current-students/guides-and-policies/assessment-guidelines/mitigating-circumstances-claimsIf you do not submit the coursework on time log a call via the IT Service Desk that can be found on this webpage: https://servicedesk.westminster.ac.uk/support/homePlease make sure that your message is very specific. The Service Desk will then email you confirmation that you will be able to use as supporting written evidence for your MC claim. You should take screenshots or make short videos that capture the issue, such as the error messages on the screen, as you may use them as supporting written evidence for your MC claim.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT & FEEDBACK ARRANGEMENTS For this assessment there will be an opportunity for an academic support & feedback drop-in session, where you will receive support and feedback on your assessment prior to submission. Further details are provided in the module handbook. There will also be opportunities to receive academic support during seminars and through the discussion board on the module blackboard site.
After submission, summative feedback will be provided online via blackboard, where feedback takes the form of an indication of performance on the provided making grid. You will also receive a number on key points of strength, weakness and academic skills you can improve upon. We aim to provide you this feedback within 15 working days and after the feedback has been released online there will also be an opportunity to meet with marker for oral feedback [16th May 2024 at 13.00 UK time]. If you are unsure about how to see your provisional marks and feedback, the following LINK will explain how you cand do this - https://blog.westminster.ac.uk/blackboardhelp/marks-and-feedback/
We would strongly encourage you to read this feedback to improve your understanding of the module and potentially areas of weaknesses in your academic skills which you could develop before your next submission within your course.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
What you submit for assessment must be your own current work. It will automatically be scanned through a text matching system to check for possible plagiarism.
Do not reuse material from other assessments that you may have completed on other modules. Collusion with other students (except when working in groups), recycling previous assignments (unless this is explicitly allowed by the module leader) and/or plagiarism (copying) of other sources all are offences and are dealt with accordingly. If you are not sure about this, then speak to your class leader.
University of Westminster Quality & Standards statement
Plagiarism is a particular form of cheating. Plagiarism must be avoided at all costs and students who break the rules, however innocently, will be penalized. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand correct referencing practices. As a University level student, you are expected to use appropriate references and keep carefully detailed notes of all your sources of material, including any material downloaded from the www.
Plagiarism is defined as submission for assessment of material (written, visual or oral) originally produced by another person or persons, without acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be your own. Plagiarism may involve the unattributed use of another persons work, ideas, opinions, theory, facts, statistics, graphs, models, paintings, performance, computer code, drawings, quotations of another persons actual spoken or written words, or paraphrases of another persons spoken or written words.
Plagiarism covers both direct copying and copying or paraphrasing with only minor adjustments:
a direct quotation from a text must be indicated by the use of quotation marks (or an indented paragraph in italics for a substantive section) and the source of the quote (title, author, page number and date of publication) provided;a paraphrased summary must be indicated by attribution of the author, date and source of the material including page numbers for the section(s) which have been summarized.
Generative AI in your Studies
The University insists on original work from students, requiring independent thought and proper source citation. Outsourcing assignments to machines or third parties constitutes cheating, undermines critical thinking skills, hinders student development, and diminishes their potential contributions in both the academic and professional world.
The University recognizes that students may legitimately use GenAI in a number of ways including for example: Assisting with grammar and spelling, utilizing it as a search tool for researching assignment topics, helping with planning and developing the outline structure of a written assessment, generating ideas for graphics, images, and visuals, obtaining explanations of concepts, debugging code, overcoming writers block. These specific applications of GenAI can support students in their academic endeavours. However, its important to note that while these uses are permissible, students must still adhere to the principles of academic integrity and properly cite any sources or references derived from the assistance provided by GenAI. For more information on the Universitys position on the use of AI, please check the Student Hub.
Please note that some subject areas/specific taught modules will potentially have other legitimate ways for you to use GenAI and that details of this will be communicated to you by module leaders where necessary.
