BUMGT5980 Managerial Decision Making

Assessment Task 3, S2 2015 Information

From the Course Description:
Assessment task 3
Title:
Mock White Paper
Due date:
Mt Helen assignment due in class, week 10, 13 October 2015.
Weighting/Value:
50%
Details of task:
This is an assignment in the form of a report analysing a brief case study, and then recommending
a specific suite of tools to address the solution generation phase as well as the decision making
phase. You will need to defend the use of specific tools you recommend, and also explain the
potential limitations of the tools you recommend and any mitigations that might be used to
overcome them.
See Moodle for more details.
Word limit:
2500 words (2200-2800) not including reference list, appendices, executive summary.
Referencing style:
APA
Grading criteria:
The grading rubric is provided on Moodle

Detailed information
The general theme for this assignment is to respond to the question:
Here is a case scenario important to us, what is best practice to deal with it, in terms
of generating solutions and making an optimum decision making, taking into account
what risks (variations to assumptions/ cognitive limitations) may exist?
Case study: You may create a case scenario that you develop from actual organisations or
issues that exist in the real world that you obtain from your research, or you may develop
your case scenario from your own work experience.
The case analysis should include the background (including any assumptions you need to
make), the stakeholders, the main factors influencing the situation, the main problem issues,
the main issue you will focus on. This section should ideally not be more than 500w.
The solution generation phase should include recommendation of tools for all four phases;
solution identification, solution generation, solution evaluation and implementation. The
recommendation of tools should be fully justified for each tool in terms of what aspects of the
case, and the problematic issue make that tool especially useful. You need to add support
for your recommendation from additional research on these tools from other scholarly
sources. Also consider whether these tools have limitations and what is recommended to
overcome them.
The decision making phase refers to the identification of the various cognitive heuristics,
biases, boundedness and behaviours that tend to restrict or limit the optimum decision being
arrived at. Which of these various heuristics or biases or limitations you think can be
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identified will be supported by reference to your case and to research on similar situations.
Once you have identified a heuristic, bias or limitation you should also then recommend how
the negative effect of it could be minimised. This recommendation should be supported by
research relevant to cases such as yours. You should consider at least three specific
heuristics, biases or other behaviour mentioned in your texts, when you work on this section.
Report style. Use headings relevant to your report. Include an executive summary. Use an
appendix for diagrams, or large tables. Include a signed University coversheet in your
submission.

Grading Rubric
Criteria

Absent/Poor
0-2

Pass +
weaknesses
3-4

Average/Pass
5-6

Pass +
strengths
7-8

Excellent
9- 10

Case
analysis
Solution
generation
phase
Decision
making
phase
Writing
Structure,
argument,
clarity
Research
use made,
type and
number of
sources
Also consult the writing standards document on Moodle.