ASSESSMENT BRIEF AND MARKING RUBRIC

Module title: Business Simulation with Professional Development (SG7003)

Assessment point: Assessment point 1 – PART A (Week 6) Assessment task: Individual Simulation Evaluation Report

Word count limit: 3000 words +/- 10% (excluding references and appendices) Width: 50% of overall module grade

Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause (extenuating circumstances)

If you believe that:

• your performance in assessment or reassessment has been impaired, or;
• you were unable to attend for an assessment or reassessment, or;
• you were unable to submit assessed or reassessed work by the scheduled date due to

illness or other valid cause (as defined in the Procedures Governing Extenuating Circumstances), may submit an application for extenuation for the relevant component(s) to Unicaf Extenuating Circumstances team (extenuating.circumstances@unicaf.org).

*Once a component has been capped, extenuation does not uncap it.

Academic misconduct including plagiarism

Ensure that you are familiar with the relevant regulations regarding academic misconduct. By submitting the assignment, you declare that it is your own work and that the material and sources of information used, including internet sources, have been fully identified and properly acknowledged. In addition, you confirm that the presented work has not been submitted for any other assessment. You also acknowledge that the faculty reserves the right to investigate allegations of plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct which, if proven and dependent on the severity level of the offence, may result in a penalty that could affect your progress.

By submitting your work, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed with the above statements.

General Guidance

Your assignment should be MS Word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted), using Times New Roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student number printed as a footer on every page. Note this is a report supported by academic research so you should adhere to the appropriate referencing guidance. The word limit stated for this assignment excludes the list of references at the end of the assignment but includes all text in the main body of the assignment (including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables, diagrams and graphs). Please be aware that exceeding the word limit will affect the academic judgement of the piece of work and may result in the award of a lower mark. Appendices are not considered a supplement and will not be assessed as part of the content of the assignment. As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded; however, it may be appropriate to use an Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the reader. Please note that appendices are not included in the word count. The majority of references should come from primary sources (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also utilise area specific textbooks. You must ensure that you use the Harvard style of referencing. Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.

Marking and assessment

This assignment will be marked out of 100% and contributes to 50% of the total module mark. The pass mark is 50%. Nevertheless, in order to pass this module, you must both achieve an aggregate mark of 50% and also meet the assignment threshold marks.

The marking rubric is included below, which offers guidance on the assessment criteria and weighting.

Late Submission

There will be a stipulated deadline date for all assignments. All assignments will need to be submitted by the set time on the stipulated deadline date. Assignments submitted up to 24 hours late will be accepted, but the assignment mark will be subject to a deduction of 5 marks from the mark awarded.

Learning outcomes applied in this assessment

Knowledge

LO.1 explain the theory and practice of businesses (COI, CID, SID)

LO.2 describe a range of current problems and changes that organizations face in being successful (COI, CID, IC, SID).

Thinking skills

LO.3 critically evaluate research and theory to support decision-making and explain progress (COI, CID, SID).

LO.4 analyse complex issues, make reasoned judgments with incomplete data, and communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences (COI).

Subject-based practical skills

LO.5 students will discuss good practice for organization success (COI, CID, SID). LO.6 undertake a critical audit of skills and capabilities for a professional career and identify areas required for improvement (COI, CID, EID).

Skills for life and work (general skills)

LO.7 developing and communicating critical evaluations of organization progress (CID, EID, SID).

Assessment guidelines

Produce a 3000-word report (+/- 10%) (excluding the list of references) which offers students the ability to demonstrate their developing knowledge and application of the teaching and learning material covered in weeks 1 to 7. It also encourages students to develop their thoughts and perspectives on contemporary business issues, and be intellectually creative (underpinned by credible resources).

Task

You are required to prepare a 5-year strategy review to shareholders for evaluating the business simulation activity of a listed (registered) company of your choice.

In your report you should cover:

• Vision and Strategy (e.g. vision, values, mission, HR, Culture)

–            Performance review of each year’s progress including:

• Competition analysis: Porter’s Five Forces; market choice/ share; competitors; internal capabilities; industry trends/ attractiveness;

✓    Simulation performance results

• Performance analysis (evaluation of strategy, decisions – Marketing/ HR/ Logistics / Finance / Product development / Event response

–            Future Plans and Recommendations (Key decisions for next 5 years, identify any changes to current strategy, why and how to achieve, recommendations based on your performance and analysis, potential growth, internalisation/ diversification or acquisition)

• Appendix (include full Business Plan) Further Details:

Performance review:

• Assess the success of the strategy or strategies compared to industry conditions and competitors

o   Analyse company performance e.g. comparing actual performance with targets in Business Plan, financial data analysis, decision analysis, and justification of performance measures and strategy, application or business scorecard etc.

Performance analysis further details:

o   Explain why business plan achieves / missed, why performance better/ worse than competitors.

• Explain differences from competitors/ industry

o   Explain any changes made to business plan and company, why, any impact.

***

Report Format What is a report?

A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence are presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow.

When you are asked to write a report, you will usually be given a report brief which provides you with instructions and guidelines. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience and problem or issue that your report must address, together with any specific requirements for format or structure. This guide offers a general introduction to report writing.

What makes a good report?

Two of the reasons why reports are used as forms of written assessment are:

• to find out what you have learned from your reading, research or experience;
• to give you experience of an important skill that is widely used in the work place. An effective report presents and analyses facts and evidence that are relevant to the specific problem or issue of the report brief. All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout, in accordance with the preferred method of your department.

The style of writing in a report is usually less discursive than in an essay, with a more direct and economic use of language. A well written report will demonstrate your ability to:

• understand the purpose of the report brief and adhere to its specifications;
• gather, evaluate and analyse relevant information;
• structure material in a logical and coherent order;
• present your report in a consistent manner according to the instructions of the report brief;
• make appropriate conclusions that are supported by the evidence and analysis of the report;

• make thoughtful and practical recommendations where required.

The structure of a report

The main features of a report are described below to provide a general guide. These should be used in conjunction with the instructions or guidelines provided by your department.

Title Page

This should briefly but explicitly describe the purpose of the report (if this is not obvious from the title of the work); remember to add your name and student number/assessment number, and which assessment it pertains to.

Summary (Abstract)

The summary should briefly describe the content of the report. It should cover the aims of the report, what was found and a brief review of the conclusions. Aim for about 1/2 a page in length and avoid detail or discussion; just outline the main points. Remember that the summary is the first thing that is read. It should provide the reader with a clear, helpful overview of the content of the report.

Contents (Table of Contents)

The contents page should list the different chapters and/or headings together with the page numbers. Your contents page should be presented in such a way that the reader can quickly scan the list of headings and locate a particular part of the report. You may want to number chapter headings and subheadings in addition to providing page references. Whatever numbering system you use, be sure that it is clear and consistent throughout.

Introduction

The introduction sets the scene for the main body of the report. The aims and objectives of the report should be explained in detail. Any problems or limitations in the scope of the report should be identified, and a description of research methods, the parameters of the research and any necessary background history should be included.

Methods

Information under this heading may include: a list of research methods used (e.g. literature review using ProQuest resources and the filter criteria applied for each search) and other sources of information and details of selection/rejection; reference to any problems encountered and subsequent changes in procedure.

Discussion

The main body of the report is where you discuss your material. The literature and evidence you have gathered should be summarised, analysed and discussed with specific reference to the problem or issue. If your discussion section is lengthy you might divide it into section headings. Your points should be grouped and arranged in an order that is logical and easy to follow. Use headings and subheadings to create a clear structure for your material. Use bullet points to present a series of points in an easy-to- follow list. As with the whole report, all sources used should be acknowledged and correctly referenced (remember to use the most credible resources available).

Conclusion

In the conclusion you should show the overall significance of what has been covered. You may want to remind the reader of the most important points that have been made in the report or highlight what you consider to be the most central issues or findings. However, no new material should be introduced in the conclusion. Remember to specifically answer the initial questions posed.

Appendices

Under this heading you should include all the supporting information you have used that is not published. This might include tables, graphs, questionnaires, surveys or transcripts. Refer to the appendices in the body of your report.

List of References

A key feature of academic writing, the list of references should list – in alphabetical order by author – all published sources referred to in your report. There are different styles of using references so be sure to refer to the study guide and check your departmental handbook for guidelines.

Assessment Criteria

Your assignment will be marked according to the following criteria:

• Understanding and Reading: The depth of your reading (number, range and quality of sources) and understanding of it. You are expected to read the

essential and further readings for the question that you choose. You need to use these readings to support your argument/discussion; you cannot rely on personal opinion or unsupported statements.

• Critical Analysis: The level of critical analysis in your writing and the quality of the argument developed. You cannot rely on simple description, but have to apply knowledge and theory from the readings to critically engage with the material.

• Structure: Your ability to develop a clear, logical structure for your essay which addresses the question and guides the reader. Your essay and outline should include a clear introduction, a cogently argued main body, and a conclusion that summarises the argument and answers the overall question.

• Presentation and Referencing: Your ability to express yourself clearly in English using appropriate terminology, correct spelling and grammar. The extent to which your essay is correctly referenced using the Harvard system of referencing in-text and with a reference list.

Section/aspect	Content to cover	Marks available
Introduction	General background on the	5 Marks
300 words	topic you are going to discuss.
	Possible definitions for terms
	relating to the question.
	What the essay will include and/or
	leave out (scope).
	What themes the essay will
	discuss and the order they are
	presented.
	What the essay will argue /
	demonstrate.
Business Description 700 words	Company’s Description Vision and Strategy (e.g. vision, values, mission, HR, Culture)	15 Marks
Performance review of each year’s progress 1300 words	Competition analysis: Porter’s Five Forces; market choice/ share; competitors; internal capabilities; industry trends/ attractiveness;Simulation performance resultsPerformance analysis (evaluation of strategy, decisions – Marketing/ HR/ Logistics / Finance / Product development / Event response	35 Marks
Conclusion, Future Plans, and recommendations 700 words	Key decisions for next 5 years, identify any changes to current strategy, why and how to achieve, recommendations based on your performance and analysis, potential growth, internalisation/ diversification or acquisition	30 Marks
Formatting, Structure and Referencing (list of references not included in word count)	High quality presentation of the material that conforms to principles of academic writing and contains minimal errors in sentence construction, grammar and punctuation.	15 Marks

	A logical structure was followed. The assignment followed appropriate academic conventions regarding in-text citations and referencing.
Total 3000 words		100/100

Masters Grading Scale

Mark Range	Criteria
	Demonstrates an exceptional ability and insight, indicating the highest level of
90-100%	technical competence. The work has the potential to influence the forefront of the subject, and may be
Distinction	of publishable/exhibitable quality.
	Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at the highest possible standard.
	Demonstrates an outstanding ability and insight based on authoritative subject
80-89%	knowledge and a very high level of technical competence. The work is considered to be close to the forefront of the subject, and may be
Distinction	close to publishable/exhibitable quality.
	Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a very high level.
	Demonstrates an authoritative, current subject knowledge and a high level of
	technical competence.
70-79%	The work is accurate and extensively supported by appropriate evidence. It
Distinction	may show some originality. Clear evidence of capacity to reflect critically and
	deal with ambiguity in the data.
	Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a high level.
	Demonstrates a sound, current subject knowledge. No significant errors in the
	application of concepts or appropriate techniques. May contain some minor
60-69%	flaws.
Merit	The work is well developed and coherent; may show some originality. Clear
	evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
	Relevant generic skills are demonstrated at a good level.
	Demonstrates satisfactory subject knowledge. Some evident weaknesses;
50 – 59%	possibly shown by conceptual gaps, or limited use of appropriate techniques. The work is generally sound but tends toward the factual or derivative. Limited
Pass	evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
	Relevant generic skills are generally at a satisfactory level.
	Demonstrates satisfactory subject knowledge to some degree. Some important
45 -49% Marginal	weaknesses; possibly shown by factual errors, conceptual gaps, or limited use of appropriate techniques.
Fail	The work is generally sound but tends toward the factual or derivative. Little evidence of capacity to reflect critically.
	Relevant generic skills are generally at a satisfactory level.
	Demonstrates limited core subject knowledge. Some important weaknesses;
	possibly shown by factual errors, conceptual gaps, or limited use of appropriate
	techniques.
40-44%	The work lacks sound development. Little evidence of capacity to reflect
	critically.

30-39%

20-29%

The quality of the relevant generic skills do not meet the requirements of the task.

Demonstrates inadequate subject knowledge.

The work lacks coherence and evidence of capacity to reflect critically.

The quality of the relevant generic skills do not meet the requirements of the task.

Demonstrates seriously inadequate knowledge of the subject.

	Module Title:
Assessment Title:	Assessment Point 1
Criteria and	90-100%	80 – 90%	70 – 79%	60 – 69%	50 – 59%	40 – 49%	20 – 39%	0-19%
weighting	Highly Exceptiona l Work	Outstanding Work	Excellent Work	Very Good Quality Work	Good Quality Work	Acceptable work with some good aspects	Work does not satisfy assessment criteria	Work fails to meet the assessment criteria
	Exceptional and	Excellent	Very good	Good	Adequate	Some integration	Poor quality of	No integration
outstanding	integration of	integration of	integration of	integration of	of the appropriate	integration of the	of the
integration of the	the appropriate	the	the appropriate	the appropriate	data,	appropriate data,	appropriate
appropriate data,	data,	appropriate	data,	data,	contextualised	contextualised	data,
contextualised	contextualised	data,	contextualised	contextualised	with limited	with very limited	contextualise
with commercial	with good	contextualise	with good	with good	evidence to show	evidence to show	d with very
awareness,	evidence to	d with	evidence to	evidence to	awareness,	awareness,	poor evidence
business maturity	show	evidence to	show overall	show overall	business maturity	business maturity	to show
and skill.	commercial	show	awareness,	awareness,	and skill.	and skill.	awareness,
	awareness,	commercial	business	business			business
	business	awareness,	maturity and	maturity and			maturity and
	maturity and	business	skill.	skill.			skill.
	skill.	maturity and
		skill.

	All relevant theories/concept ual models accurately and extensively presented. Exceptional application of theory and supporting materials.	All relevant theories/conce ptual models accurately and extensively presented. Excellent delivery of applied theory.	Virtually all relevant theories/conc eptual models accurately and extensively presented. High level delivery of applied theory.	Most of the relevant theories/conce ptual models accurately presented. Good level delivery of applied theory.	Some of the relevant theories/conce ptual models accurately presented. A reasonable delivery of applied theory.	Omissions and inaccuracies in the presented of theories/concept ual models. Some level of delivery of applied theory.	Many deficiencies and omissions in theories/concept ual models. Delivery of applied theory is inadequate or wholly absent.	Major deficiencies and omissions in theories/conc eptual models. Delivery of applied theory is wholly absent.
	Exceptionally innovative. Outstanding professional and appropriate delivery and language. Accurate referencing throughout.	Highly innovative. Very professional and appropriate delivery and language. Very well referenced throughout.	Very innovative. Strongly professional and appropriate delivery and language. Well referenced throughout.	High standard of innovation. Professional and appropriate delivery and language. Referencing most accurate.	Good standard of innovation. Appropriate delivery and language. Many referencing errors.	Reasonable standard of innovation. Reasonably appropriate delivery and language. Referencing was inaccurate and/or inconsistent.	Low quality of innovation. Poor and inadequate delivery and language. Referencing very poor.	No reasonable attempt at innovation. Poor and inadequate delivery and language. Referencing absent.

Business Simulation with Professional Development (SG7003)

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