University Stamp

Business
ASSIGNMENT FRONT SHEET
To be completed by student

Name .....................................................(print) ID # .

Date Submitted: .......................... Student Signature : .

Certification: I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort and that all quotations from books, periodicals etc. have been acknowledged.

Student email address : Programme : MBA Academic Year : 2010/11 Module title : Research methods Module code: BUS725 Percentage Weighting of this assignment for the module: 70% Issue date : June 2011 Lecturer : Dr. Leslie Davies
Notes for students :
1. Hard copy of assignment should be stapled in the top left corner and submitted to the Business School. No plastic cover unless module tutor instructs otherwise. 2. Electronic copy of assignment must be submitted through the Turnitin software and a hard copy of the Turnitin summary, including similarity index, attached with submission. 3. 10% of marks are awarded for satisfactory use of language and/or good presentation. 4. 5% of marks are awarded for satisfactory referencing and/or presentation of a bibliography where either is required. Note that all referenced work should be obtained from credible sources. 5. Students should ensure that they comply with Glyndr Universitys plagiarism policy. 6. Students should make correct use of the Harvard referencing method. Guidelines for the Harvard method are included in the Student handbooks and are also available from the Student & Programmes Office.

Level : 7 Semester : Assignment no. : Referral #1 Word guide: 3,500 10%

Return date : 19 August 2011 Second Marker :

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Comments

Grade %

Would students please note that achievement of the learning outcomes for this assessment is demonstrated against the assessment criteria shown below (which are not necessarily weighted equally). All marks/grades remain indicative until they have been considered and confirmed by the Assessment Board

Assessment Criteria
1. To undertake critical assessment of both the strategic management and change management processes 2. The ability to think critically and analyse various sources of information relating to the development and implementation of strategy and business policy in organisations 3. To understand and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of strategic models and tools of analysis, both theoretical and applied, prior to application. 4. To analyse and critically evaluate the principal causes of organizational change and range of organizational responses available to successfully manage and learn from the change

Marks Available

Marks Awarded

Q1

n/a n/a

Additional comments from second marker (if required):

Additional comments from External Examiner (if required):

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Additional comments from second marker or External Examiner (if required)

Master Level Marking Criteria

No work has been submitted in the time allowed, or the work submitted Fail: demonstrates little or no understanding of the task or the subject matter. This Marks below may be evident where the work is substantially incoherent, irrelevant or lacking in 30% factual content, or where these shortcomings are present in combination such that the work as a whole is unsound. Major errors of fact, or evidence of substantially poor cognitive or other relevant skills will also lead to a fail. The work shows some knowledge and required skills are present to a degree. There may be appreciable error or omission of facts, poor structure, misdirection to the task, or poor conceptualisation or illustration of the work. Evidence of analysis and evaluation is weak. There will be indications in the work that the candidate is capable of improving it by further application to the task The work contains sufficient descriptive information. There is some analysis and explanation with appropriate illustration and example, and some attempt to evaluate. The work will generally be coherent and relevant, it will contain some useful proposals or solutions related to familiar solutions and there will be some attempt at originality. It will be communicated clearly. The work contains all the necessary contextual information. There will be adequate analysis, explanation and conceptualisation, with appropriate illustration and example, and sound attempts to evaluate and judge. The work will be substantially coherent and will contain relevant and feasible proposals or solutions related to familiar situations, some responses to uncertainty or ambiguity and some acknowledgements of the implications of change. The work will contain complete explanations using most available information. There will be substantial analysis; the ability to recognise evidence, use ideas, conceptualise, evaluate and judge in familiar situations will be clearly demonstrated. Proposals or solutions will be contextually relevant and useful, with substantial evidence of the skill necessary to operationalize them in a variety of situations, including those in which uncertainty, ambiguity or change are present. The work will provide evidence of originality and of useful knowledge transfer to novel situations. It will be coherent and convincing. Fail: Marks in the range 30% 39%

Pass: Marks in the range of 40% 49%

Pass: Marks in the range of 50% 59%

Pass: Marks in the range of 60% - 69%

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The work will clearly demonstrate the ability to analyse accurately, reliably and fully, all relevant information; to use evidence; to conceptualise, evaluate and judge; to propose and operationalise effective solutions, and to show substantial originality and creativity in a variety of familiar situations or in the face of ambiguity, uncertainty or change. It will demonstrate valuable knowledge transfer and propose feasible solutions for a wide range of situations. Evidence of the ability to innovate will be present.

Pass: Marks in the range of 70% and above

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MBA Full Time 2010-11

Strategy & Change Management Module BUS725
Referral assignment 1: August 2011 Case study: CRH plc
(The case is located in the text: Exploring Corporate Strategy, Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 8th edn. 2008)

This assignment carries 50% weighting: 2,500 words 10% Presentation will be taken into account. Excess word count may be penalised. All elements of the question should be attempted. Turnitin report summary with similarity index must be attached to submission Marks given below are only a guide to the weighting of each section of the question.

Question
1. Isolate and critically evaluate the main elements of the successful approach to competitive strategy employed by CRH in a difficult industry environment. (30 marks) 2. Explain the concept of parenting within an organisation. Outline and critically discuss the nature of the parenting advantage provided by the centre in CRH and the extent of the value created. (20 marks)

3. Analyse and critically discuss the style of corporate level management employed by CRH plc.
(30 marks) 4. Determine and critically assess the challenges to CRHs corporate-level management style. What changes, if any, would you recommend? (20 marks)

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