Contemporary issues in business

Module Title: Module Code: 6WBS0010

and management
Assignment Format &
Maximum Word count
Essay structure 2,000 words Weighting: 60 %
Submission Date/Time & Wednesday 2nd August at Tutor/s
Di Moolenaar
Method: 11.30pm on StudyNet Marking:

Assessment Criteria
Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding tested in this assignment:
1. Theoretical frameworks that underpin research.
2. Alternative research methodologies.
3. Selected key contemporary issues in the field of business and management.

Learning Outcomes: Skills and Attributes tested in this assignment:

1. Analyse the different theoretical frameworks that underpin research and inform alternative
research methodologies.
2. Apply their advanced research skills to the field of business and management, and reflect on
the outcome.
3. Analyse views on the specific contemporary issues identified, synthesise and communicate
their own views appropriately.

Feedback /Marking criteria for this Assignment

Performance will be assessed using HBS grading criteria (showing the mark allocations)
attached. Guidance for completing this assessment will be provided online. If you need further
support, please contact the module leader by email to make an online appointment OR use the
discussion forum to post any queries or check your understanding Late work and plagiarism will
receive standard penalties.

Detailed Brief for Individual Assessment

The title of the assignment...
Critical evaluation of your chosen topic using a variety of sources.

For this assignment, you will need to select one of the options below for your assignment:

Option 1: Risks associated with overseas ventures

Using a large multinational company of your choice, consider two alternative methods of market
entry they have used in order to enter overseas markets. The methods of market entry must be
at a higher level than simply exporting in to the market themselves. For example, you must use
a business that has entered markets through methods such as greenfield venture, acquisition,
joint ventures, franchising or licensing.

Option 2: Understanding the business environment

Unit 6 explores the importance of understanding the micro and macro environment for an
organisation as it allows a company to accommodate variables, over which it has no control, in
business planning.

There have been some surprising changes in a number of countries over recent years including
the election of Donald Trump, continued conflict in Syria, growing pressure on the Greek
economy and the UK choosing to leave the EU. These have led to some surprising policy
decisions and a rapidly changing environment for businesses that operate in these and similar
countries

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 Select a large business which will be, or has been affected by current environmental turbulence
and identify what analytical tools you would recommend the company use to fully explore the
current risks it faces.

Detail and justify the teams of staff that should be responsible for monitoring the environment
and gathering the information needed to inform future decision making.

Note that at the end of your essay you must include a reflection on how the feedback
from your first assignment has informed the preparation of your second assignment.
Issues that you might want to reflect on could include;

How you used the feedback to strengthen your work;

extra study you have undertaken to work on some of the identified weaknesses;
the elements of your work that you have concentrated on more to continue improving

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Context for the task

Business leaders are working in ever more complex arenas as they manage the needs of
various stakeholders in differing countries that they operate in. They also have to manage the
dynamics of differing markets and countries which in turn are impacted by the macro
environment.

Further guidance
Guidance for option 1:

In order to write a fully rounded assignment you must explore the reasons why the company
has selected the differing market entry methods that it has. For example a business may select
franchising to reduce their own financial risk and overcome host country cultural issues rapidly,
whereas they may have selected a greenfield venture in a highly attractive, stable country
because of the long term benefit offers.

Please ensure that simple exporting is not considered viable for this assignment as one of the
methods.

Before selecting your company, research carefully to ensure you can discuss at least two
distinct and varying methods of entry in detail, considering it against the choices made by
competitors and whether this has offered any advantages or risks to the business.

Ensure you critically analyse the choices made for the business and the risks of these
approaches along with the benefits it has offered.

It is quite feasible to select a business which has experienced a market entry failure which has
led to withdrawal as this allows you a good opportunity to explore why the entry method failed
and how the company has attempted to overcome it. Should you select this route, please
ensure the second market entry discussion is a success.

Guidance for option 2

Unit 6 explores the importance of understanding the micro and macro environment for an
organisation as it allows a company to accommodate variables, over which it has no control, in
business planning.

There have been some surprising changes in economies over recent times including the
election of Donald Trump as US president, unrest in Syria, the political turbulence in France,

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 continuing terrorism, pressure in the Greek economy and the UK leaving the EU. These have
led to some surprising policy decisions and a rapidly changing environment for businesses.

In order to identify the key risks you think the business is facing, briefly discuss the top
analytical tools you would recommend it to use to effectively scan this changing environment.
Such tools could include Porters, BCG, PESTLE, 5 Ms, 3Cs etc. You will need to research and
identify common analytical tools used within industry. When you discuss the tools, tie them
back directly to the benefit offered to your business, rather than having a generic discussion
about the tools.

Select a large business which will be, or has been affected by current environmental turbulence
and ensure you research it sufficiently well that you can identify how it has/will affect the
business as well as addressing the key issues it needs to try to influence to improve its
position.

When considering the teams of people that should gather and report on the environment,
consider how businesses commonly manage this. Customer facing teams (sales staff) will
gather some customer and market information, the marketing or analytics team may gather
macro environmental data, while internal sales scan competitors (but consider the ethics of
this).

Students should identify and justify how your company should/does collect their information,
identify the key information areas that are the most important for your company to collect along
with an explanation of why. Discuss the frequency with which it needs to be updated to keep it
current and valid and the key decision making areas that the information should support.

Your Specific Instructions:

Your essay should include the following:

1. Clear identification of sources using Harvard referencing system as you are required to
read widely on your chosen topic.

2. Ensure you critically analyse the companys approach to the issue under review.

Your essay should be up to a maximum of 2,000 words.

Approach to the assignment:

The essay should be written in your own words. When you have referred to a text this must be
referenced. If you quote short phrases directly from text books (you are allowed to do this
occasionally) these MUST be referenced correctly following the Harvard style of referencing.
The Centre for Academic Skills Enhancement (CASE) provides a sample of this form of
referencing. It is unlikely that these short quotations will exceed ten words. A essay which
contains lengthy quotations will be marked down. Where you quote techniques and theories
they must be supported through adequate and rigorous referencing. It is expected that you will
refer both to the suggested texts and further self-researched sources.

You may wish to check your draft for plagiarism by using the Turnitin system. This checks the
originality of your work. Instructions will be provided on Studynet Module site in the Assignment
section. University regulations are strictly applied in the area of plagiarism. When you submit
your essay you will confirm the following: I certify that this piece of assessment is my own work
that it is has not been copied from elsewhere, and that any extracts from books, papers, or
other sources have been properly acknowledged as references or quotations.

Tips: always refer to the Assessment and grading criteria

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ESSAY Presentation & structure
Task details Follows essay structure &
keeps to word limit of 2,000
with evidence of an articulate
and fluent writing style.
/marks / 5 Marks
80-100 Outstanding... Presentation &
essay structure, with numbered
Outstanding paragraphs, list of
contents/figures &appendices.
Articulate & fluent academic
writing style with ideas cross
referenced. No grammatical /
spelling errors.
70-79 Excellent ... Presentation &
essay structure, with numbered
Excellent paragraphs, list of
contents/figures, appendices &
cross referencing. Articulate &
fluent academic writing style.
Only a minor error.
60-69 Very good... Presentation &
essay structure, paragraphing,
Very Good use of numbering, list of
contents/figures, appendices &
cross referencing.
Fluent academic writing style.
Very few grammatical errors &
spelling mistakes.
50-59 Good... Clear presentation &
essay structure, use of
Good numbering & appendices.
Writing is mainly clear but some
spelling &/ or grammatical
errors.
40-49 Satisfactory... Basic essay
structure.
Satisfactory Not always written clearly & has
grammatical & / or spelling
errors.
30-39 Weak... Essay format, limited or
poor structure.
Marginal Muddled work with many
Fail spelling & / or grammatical
errors.
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Use & presentation of Harvard
Referencing
Follows Harvard style for in-text
citation & Reference
List Students should
minimally use 15-20
sources including at
least TWO textbooks
and TWO journal
article
/ 10 Marks
Outstanding... Standard of
referencing within text &
consistent use of Harvard
referencing system.
Accuracy of in-text references &
full details shown in Reference
list.
Excellent... Standard of
referencing within text &
consistent use of Harvard
referencing system.
Accuracy of in-text references &
full details shown in Reference
list.
Very good... Standard of
referencing within text &
consistent use of Harvard
referencing system.
Accuracy of in-text references &
full details shown in Reference
list.
Good... Standard of
referencing within text &
consistent use of Harvard
referencing system.
Accuracy of in-text references &
full details shown in Reference
list.
Satisfactory... Basic
referencing within text &
consistent use of Harvard
referencing system.
Accuracy of in-text references &
full details shown in Reference
list.
Weak...Use of Harvard
referencing system with errors
& inconsistently applied.
Limited referencing within the
text. Limited accuracy of in-text
references compared to those
in the final Reference list.
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Assessment and grading criteria
Content/ Terms/ Findings/
Definitions/ Calculations
Content included Full exploration
of industry context and
critical detail of company
actions/decisions in relation
to the key topic.
/ e.g. 25 Marks
Outstanding... Exploration of topic
showing excellent knowledge &
understanding through thorough &
appropriate research.
Impressive choice and range of
appropriate content.
Excellent ... Level of knowledge &
understanding demonstrated.
Evidence of appropriate reading.
Covers all relevant points & issues.
Very good... Level of knowledge &
understanding demonstrated.
Covers most relevant points &
issues.
Few errors / omissions in
content/calculations.
Good... Grasp of the topic & some
of its implications presented.
Knowledge & understanding is
demonstrated. Minor errors /
omissions in content/ calculations.
Satisfactory... Content / level of
knowledge of the topic. Addresses
part of the task. Some errors /
omissions in content/ calculations.
May benefit from further research.
Weak... Limited content /
knowledge/ calculations. Limited or
muddled understanding of the
topic/question.
Does not meet all the learning
outcomes.
Business Application & Integration
of Data/Literature
Integration & application of
information Thorough review of
key constraints/issues that affected
the organisation and the decisions
made in relation to the topics
/e.g. 25 Marks
Outstanding... Business insight
& application.
Breadth, depth & integration of
literature/data into work.
Excellent ... Business insight &
application.
Breadth, depth & integration of
literature/data into work.
Very good... Business insight &
application.
Breadth, depth & integration of
literature/data into work.
Good... Business insight &
application.
Breadth, depth & integration of
literature/data into work.
Satisfactory... Business insight &
application. Limited integration
with literature/ data.
Use of literature/data but limited
in breadth OR depth.
Weak... Unsatisfactory evidence
of business application & insight
Work needs to show better links
between practical application and
theory.
Discussion /Analysis /Critical Reflective element
evaluation &/or Reflection
Line of argument, development Ability to reflect on assignment
of discussion Critical one feedback and how it
review of the has informed approach
success/failure or the to assignment two.
main topic area.
/e.g. 25 Marks /e.g. 10 Marks
Outstanding... Level of
discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection.
Highly developed/ focused work.
Excellent... Level of
discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection clearly
developing points in the
appropriate way with thorough
consideration of all possibilities.
Very good... Level of
discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection & a
few ideas/points could benefit
from further development &/or
evaluation/comparison.
Good... Level of
discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection but
more ideas/points could be
addressed /developed further.
Satisfactory... Basic evidence
of discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection but
some points superficially made
so need further development.
Weak... Limited evidence of
discussion/analysis/ critical
evaluation &/or reflection.
More development & comment
needed. May need to do more
than describe.
 Assessment and grading criteria
20 29 Inadequate... Essay format and Inadequate... Use of Harvard Inadequate... Lacking in relevant Inadequate... Lacks evidence of Inadequate... Lacking /
poor paragraphing / referencing with many errors content/ knowledge/calculations. business application & insight. inadequate level of discussion/
Clear Fail signposting. &/or inconsistencies. Content irrelevant / inaccurate. Some literature irrelevant to topic. analysis/critical evaluation & /or
Inappropriate writing style Does not meet all the learning reflection. Descriptive.
Poorly written &/or poor spelling Must see ASU outcomes. Must see ASU
& grammar. Must see ASU
1 19 Nothing of merit... Poorly Nothing of merit... No or little Nothing of merit... Unsatisfactory Nothing of merit... No evidence Nothing of merit...
written work, lacking structure, attempt to use the level of knowledge demonstrated. of appropriate business Unsatisfactory level of
Little or paragraphing / signposting. recommended Harvard Content used irrelevant / not application & insight. discussion/analysis/critical
Nothing of Many inaccuracies in spelling & referencing system. appropriate/ to the topic. Does not evaluation &/or reflection
merit grammar. Must see ASU meet the learning outcomes.
Must see ASU Must see ASU
Feedback
from
lecturer

This form is used by staff & students to provide feedback to assist students future work.

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