FOUNDATION DEGREE IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT MODULE ASSESSMENT PACK

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1 FOUNDATION DEGREE IN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT BSR MODULE ASSESSMENT PACK 1

2 Contents Module Descriptor Assignment Brief Submission Feedback Sheet Contact Details Explanation of Assessment Process Specific Module Guidance 2

3 Module Descriptor The complete, electronic, version of the module descriptor can be found through this link; Contact VLE Gordon Leach Blackboard Pattern of Delivery Credits Contact Hours Independent Study Hours Total Learning Hours Pattern Year Span Period Study % Initial Grid Contributing Faculty Business School 100% Site STOKE STAFFORD TAMWORTH & LICHFIELD COLLEGE STAFFORD COLLEGE BURTON COLLEGE STOKE-ON- TRENT COLLEGE NEWCASTLE COLLEGE CWT CHAMBER TRAINING Cost Centre Cost Centre Description Subject Subject Description Subject % Hesa Subject % Registration Conditions Date Approved Date Implemented 3

4 Learning Outcome 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of concepts and principles of organisational policy and design development in contemporary management practice 2. Develop coherent line of argument and suggest solutions to organisational dilemmas 3. Demonstrate the ability to analysis, evaluate and apply business theories and concepts to business decision making 4. Communicate effectively information and arguments in an appropriate written format Knowledge and Understanding Learning Problem Solving Analysis Application Problem Solving Reflection Communication Module Details Indicative Content The aim of this module is to introduce the leaner to various decisions relating to change culture and direction for Business organisations. The Module looks at the dilemmas faced by managers in making decisions at each stage of development of the organisation. The module will cover a wide range of area that includes economic environment in which business has to operate, organisation culture, organisation structure and the impact of globalisation on businesses. Because of the nature of the module there will be an element of integration with other specialist area (e.g. Strategy and HR). The decision about organisation design, including: Approaches to, and elements of organisation design The factors, which determines how organisations choose, or are forced to behave The various constraints that are faced by different types of organisation Introduction to Cultural Influences on organisations, including: The impact of the globalisation and the role of international bodies The impact of the information technology revolution Moral and ethical dilemmas for organisations Corporate social responsibilities Introduction to strategic management, including: The purpose of the organisation, e.g., mission, vision, etc Examination of the structure of an organisation, e.g. the functional areas of the business (including resources) and how they inform policy An Economic analysis of the business environment including: Basic understanding of the principle of demand and supply Elasticity of demand and supply Aggregate spending and demand Trade and Globalisation Competition and monopoly Exchange rates and European monetary union 4

5 Assessment Details An individual 1500 work based assignment, (100%) covering Learning Outcomes 1-4. Learning Strategies The learning strategy for this module requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessment). This will include 10 hours of class support and 140 hours of independent and self directed study. There will be an initial class session to introduce the key aspects of the module content, including a summary of the blended learning material, the type of formative feedback available both through Blackboard and the Module Tutor. The nature of the summative assessment will also be examined. There will be additional tutorial support available, for students to address queries regarding the module content and to clarify any issues arising from the coursework assignment. Referring to Texts Students are expected to regularly engage with the blended learning material on Blackboard. This will include reading the material, undertaking additional research and formative exercises to reinforce the learning. Students will have additional support from the Module Tutor via and phone. Core texts Worthington, I & Britton C, The Business Environment, 4 th Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN Sloman J, (2006) Essentials of Economics, 3 rd Edition, Prentice Hall 2003, ISBN Campbell, D.J. (1997), Organisations & the Business Environment, Butterworth Heinemann, Additional Reading Begg, D, Fischer, S & Dornbusch, R. (2002) Economics, 7 th Edition, McGraw-Hall Brooks, I, Weatherston, J. (2000) The Business Environment Challenges and Changes, 2 nd Edition, Prentice Hall Ferguson, K. (2002) Essential Economics A Guide for Business Students, Palgrave Hornby, W. Gammie, B. & Wall, S. 1(997) Business Economics, Longman, Mulhearn, C. et al, (2001) Economics for Business, Palgrave Accessing Resources Staffordshire University electronic resources and off-campus library facilities Module website Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Employers for Work-life Balance Department for Trade and Industry

6 Assignment Brief BUSINESS SCHOOL STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY Module Name: Understanding the Business Environment Module Code: BSR Module Leader: Gordon Leach Checked by: Sanchia Barker Assignment Title: Understanding the Business at Work Weighting: 100% Submission Dates; RAF Cranwell 1600hrs Friday 16 th December 2012 Submission Details All work should be submitted electronically to and be accompanied by the assignment submission feedback sheet which can be found in this assessment pack. You must complete the required sections of the feedback sheet. All submissions are to be anonymous, so please ensure you do not mention your name either on the feedback sheet or within the assignment itself. You will be provided with an electronic receipt as proof of submission. Assignments must be submitted by the due date. The only circumstance in which assignments can be submitted late is if an extenuating circumstances form is submitted before the due date. If the extenuating circumstances are upheld, the assignment will be graded; otherwise a grade point 0 will be awarded. You are strongly advised to keep your personal tutor informed of any circumstances that might give rise to an extenuating circumstances claim. Information on the extenuating policy and procedure can be found at the following website; There has been an important change to the academic regulations that came into force for all on-campus and UK partner students from September In essence, if you fail to submit any assessment for a module you will be given a grade point N (Fail due to non-submission) for that module and you will no longer have a guaranteed re-sit entitlement. Any further attempt entitlement will be at the discretion of the Award Board. This regulation applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate awards and at all levels. The regulation change has been incorporated into the University s published academic regulations available on the website at the following website; 6

7 Learning Outcomes This assignment will assess learning outcomes as follows: Word Length Maximum word length of the assignment is 1500 words (excluding the contextualisation and PESTLE and SWOT analyses). You are allowed to use an additional 500 words to explain the context (ie. the background to your workplace) in which this proposal is being considered. These additional words can only be used for this purpose and cannot be used to increase the overall word count for the assignment A sliding scale of penalties for excess length above the page count will be imposed according to the amount by which the limit has been exceeded. 1-10% excess no penalty 11-20% excess 10% reduction in the mark 21-30% excess 20% reduction in the mark 31%+ excess the work will be capped at a pass i.e. 40% or grade point 4. NB. None of the above penalties will be used to change a student mark which is above the pass mark, to one that is below the pass mark. Therefore the maximum penalty for exceeding the word limit will be a reduction to a pass grade. Plagiasism Warning Summary Plagiarism occurs if you use somebody else's work in an assignment or exam answer, but fail to state where you got the material from. It can happen in any type of assessment where you are given the questions or tasks in advance. If another student uses your work in their answer(s), both you and they will be punished when caught. Punishments for committing plagiarism can be very severe students get caught in the Business School every year. The Details Plagiarism is a form of cheating in which students use the work of others and present it as their own. The University publishes a fully detailed description of what the term plagiarism means on the University s main web-site under the heading Procedures for dealing with suspected cases of academic dishonesty. We strongly recommend that you go and read the full document at the above address. Meanwhile, here is an extract of some of the relevant content. You will have committed plagiarism and may be caught, reported and punished (as described below) if you: Copy extensively from the work of others (from sources such as books, magazines, journals, web-sites for example) and submit the work as your own. NB It is acceptable to refer to the work of others as long as you do not use too much, and reference your sources properly. If 7

8 you do not know how to do this, please follow the guidelines given in the document entitled Adding quotations and references to your written work at this web-site address: Copy another students work and submit it for assessment under your own name. Allow another student to copy your work and they then submit it for assessment under their name. This last item is of particular importance; few students seem to understand what it means. If, for example, you allow another student to borrow your work and they subsequently copy some that work and present it as their own, you and they will both be punished even though someone else copied your work. The risks of working with other students Some assessment tasks are explicitly designed for group work, and it will be made clear that a group answer is expected from you. All other tasks are intended as an assessment of your individual comprehension and performance, and group answers are not permitted. In individually assessed forms of assessment your work must be different from that of every other student. Plagiarism can occur in assignments and any examination where the questions are issued to students in advance. In both cases it is possible for you to ask other people about how best to answer the questions or complete the necessary tasks You should be aware that different modules and subjects may have different requirements. In some subjects, answers to questions may, for example, require every student on a module to employ or refer to the same diagram(s), concepts and the like in order to construct an acceptable answer. You should note, however, that even in these circumstances your explanations of what the diagrams mean, and any other writing referring to any common diagrams and concepts should all be in your own words. Moreover, the situation may be very different on other modules, where the submission of work that has a very similar structure, or the use of very similar materials such as concepts, diagrams, quotations and the like, to that of another student, may lead to you being accused of plagiarism. The picture is complicated and, unfortunately, it is not possible to give advice that is directly relevant to every module you study. If you are unsure about how to avoid plagiarism in any specific module, then rather than hoping and guessing, you should ask for guidance from the CWT Tutor who delivers that module. Our overall advice is straightforward; by all means discuss how best to answer questions or complete tasks with your colleagues, but when it comes to actually writing your answers - DO IT ALONE! What happens if you get caught? Contrary to some student rumours, getting caught and being punished for committing plagiarism is not an extremely unusual student offence. The Business School typically uncovers and reports for disciplinary action 25 to 30 students each year for plagiarism. Examination Boards may punish offending students in any manner that they deem fit. Typical punishments Boards may choose range from reducing grades, making students re-sit modules, through to failing students on a module or an entire award. The University regards this form of cheating as a serious offence. Full details of the range of likely punishments can be found on the University s web-site under the heading Procedures for dealing with suspected cases of academic dishonesty. 8

9 STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL SESSION 2011/12 MODULE TITLE: MODULE NO.: Understanding the Business Environment BSR LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the external and internal environment and the impact of strategic decisions on the organisation and its operational management. 2. Develop coherent lines of argument and suggest solutions to organisational dilemmas. 3. Demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and apply business theories and concepts to business decision making. 4. Communicate information effectively and offer arguments in an appropriate written formats.. This assignment will require the students to demonstrate their understanding of the business environment and the implications to the business and their job roles. TASKS In order to complete this assessment you will first be required to describe the organisation you work for in sufficient depth to allow the reader to put your answers in context. NOTE: This is not part of the assessment and a maximum of 500 words is permitted exclusively for this contextualisation. Task 1 a) You are to carry out a PESTLE analysis on the business environment in which your company operates. (15% of marks) b) Having carried out this analysis describe how the current external environment will affect your company. Conclude this section by explaining which of the external factors you consider will have the most impact on your organisation and explain why. (25% of marks) Task Two a) Having decided on the most significant external change in relation to your company carry out a SWOT analysis. (10% of marks) b) Now refer to the elements of the SWOT model and recommend how you consider your organisation should respond to external pressures. (15% of marks) 9

10 c) You are aware that any actions proposed by management impacts on you as a leader/manager and on the employees who work for you. Should the strategic management team accept your recommendations how would you facilitate and communicate these directives to your team. Provide evidence of this process. (35% of marks) 10

11 Submission Feedback Sheet I have read and understood the University Regulations on Plagiarism and I declare that the work I am submitting does not breach those regulations. I understand that software may be used to verify this. Student Registration No. Name of Tutor Module Title Award No of words used Date Due Date Submitted Tutors Comments Feedback on assessment tasks; General comments on current performance; How to improve future performance; 11

12 Use of Sources & Correct Referencing Assessment Grade Marker Date Second Marker Comments (if applicable) Assessment Grade Second Marker Date Contact Details Award Leader Gordon Leach Module Leader (University) Gordon Leach Administrator Chloe Griffiths 12

13 Explanation of Assessment Process This assignment requires you carry out two analyses; one for the external environment and one for the internal environment. You will also be assessed on your fundamental understanding of how external factors impact on an organisation and how consequential change within the organisation should be managed. As part of the process you will evidence an awareness of strategic management dilemmas and offer recommendations in your area of operational management. You must be mindful of how marks are allocated based on your ability to define, analyse and apply the key concepts. The chart below demonstrates how the marks (in percentages) will be allocated according to the criteria shown. You will notice that the pie chart shows the importance of the application of knowledge for this assessment. Also it indicates a level weighting for analysis and understanding. Hopefully this will guide you to placing emphasis as appropriate to achieve the best outcome. 13

14 Specific Module Guidance To achieve a pass level mark you must ensure that you fully understand how to apply the management tools and analyse the external and internal environment. You must have the ability to relate your findings to the role of the strategic and operational manager. Your work should show a clear linkage between the analyses that you have carried out and the considerations at operational level. To gain higher marks, in addition to the requirements to achieve a pass mark, you will need to complete accurate analyses and offer pragmatic solutions both at strategic and operational level. However, your work should fully reflect the theory and concepts which you have studied. 14