Assessment 2: Individual Report (20%) and Presentation (20%)

Background

You are appointed as a business consultant, recruited by the company allocated to you in week 6 by your tutor.  Your role is to undertake research on the company, the allocated topic and an issue identified in the media in relation to your company and the topic.  Using the findings from your research you develop a recommendation on an alternate process that could be taken by your client.

The content for the presentation and the written document will be drawn from the relevant theories and aspects of Enterprise Leadership that are assigned from the topics covered in weeks 6,7 & 9.

Research for the presentation will need to encompass the use of business databases, scholarly and non-scholarly articles and current media.  A minimum of 8 scholarly and non-scholarly references is required for this assessment.  Students should refer to the readings and resources list in vUWS and access the reading material for their allocated topic; research the company allocated and ensure they are providing useful and accurate sources to justify their argument. Failure to provide sufficient resources will impact students’ overall grades.

When researching the company and compiling your report and presentation, you will need to make sure you have included:

1. Background about the company,
2. A literature review about the topic and theory(area of research),
3. The issues and challenges identified in the media (what you think the company is not doing well)
4. Finally, make recommendations that the company may consider improving based on the area of research you have been allocated.

Students are required to act as enterprise leaders and therefore the contemporary issues you identify should be based on elements you have identified from the research.

The recommendations should not be based on what the company is already doing but rather what you, as enterprise leaders, think the company can do better.

Students are encouraged to use as many resources as needed to achieve a great outcome in this assessment.  The requirement of 8 scholarly and non-scholarly references is a minimum requirement.

Hints for your research:

In addition to the subject readings, students must use peer-reviewed articles, business databases and relevant media sources.

Company annual reports should not be seen as the sole source of information; your research should use other sources such as Factiva (e.g. articles from the [Australian] Financial Review) and IBIS (which provides reports on companies) – both of which are available through e-resources on the WSU Library site.

Other sources such as the ASX company information and announcements database etc. could be useful for specific presentation topics.

Week 7 Research Session

Week 7 is a Research Session and students will be required to complete a Library Hunt and Progress Report.  Students must attach their these documents as an

appendix of their final report.  Attendance to this session is compulsory.

Written Component of Assessment 2

Individual written report summary component (700 words) (10%)

• Students are required to follow the exemplar template when preparing their reports.
• Submission of the written report must be online only, using the appropriate vUWS Turnitin assignment drop box and the appropriate assignment template. That is, no teaching academic or any other WSU staff member will accept a hard copy submission no matter what reason is put forward by the student. You must also retain a copy of the
• Turnitin Receipt as evidence of submission – no receipt means non-submission which means ZERO marks. Ensure you allow enough time to complete and submit this assessment.
• Demonstrated use of a minimum of 8 scholarly and non-scholarly references is required for this assessment.
• Students should refer to the readings and resources list in vUWS and access the reading material for the topic they choose.
• Students are required to research the company they are allocated and ensure they are providing useful and accurate sources to justify their argument.
• Failure to provide sufficient resources will impact students’ overall grades.
• The late submission Turnitin link will close 10 days after the due date. A penalty of 10%
• per day late is levied including weekends.
• Submissions must be realistic and appropriate to be counted as having attempted the assessment. Simply uploading a cover page is not considered a realistic or appropriate submission and will result in a mark of ZERO and an FNS grade for the subject regardless of whether you have completed all the other assessments.
• In order for students’ assignments to be marked, students must submit their final version to the relevant Turnitin assignment drop box on the Enterprise Leadership vUWS site.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit the CORRECT assessment for the subject.
• The assignment should conform to the word (plus or minus 10 per cent) limits specified. References, in-text citations, tables, figures and abstracts are excluded from the word count.

Self-reflection component (300 words) 10%

• The purpose of the reflective component of the assessment is two-fold.
• Firstly, it allows you to reflect on your experience working as a consultant.
• Secondly, this reflection allows you to think about the elements of making verbal presentations to larger audiences and the development of public speaking skills.
• The aim of reflection is to help you gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses in a professional environment.
• To complete your reflection please do the following:
• Your reflection starts with an awareness of the learning situation or event. This awareness might trigger some emotional reaction (positive or negative) or thoughts about the learning event.
• The second stage of the process is to undertake a critical analysis. This involves critically analysing the relevant knowledge and experience you have as well as how you can apply this new knowledge. Self-awareness becomes the focus of this stage.
• The third stage relates to how this changed perspective has changed your emotional, cognitive (thoughts) and behaviour as a result of your critical analysis.
• The main objective of reflective writing is to ’translate theory into practical action, that is, a praxis’ (Loo & Thorpe2002, p.135).

Written Report Summary and Reflection Structure

You should use the following template when preparing the written document for this assessment:

• Individual cover sheet
  • Title page – include full name, student ID, and assessment title
  • Abstract – 150 word summary of the content of your document – not included in your word count.
  • Contents page – include all headings and page numbers
  • Introduction – background of the company you were allocated and researched (100 words)
  • Literature Review – About your topic (area of research), include a discussion of the relevant theories as related to the company you are researching (use the readings and other peer reviewed academic journals) (200 words)
  • Discussion – What issues and challenges have you identified in the contemporary media based on your area of research with the company you have been allocated? – (200 words)
  • Recommendations – What do you recommend for the company to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in your area of research? (100 words)
  • Self-reflection – on the learning you accomplished in this assessment (10%) (300 words) – refer to instructions
  • below.
  • Conclusion – summary of your findings – (100 words)
  • Reference list – make sure you include all citations in your reference list – remember to include in-text citations throughout your report. (These are not included in the word count)
  • Appendix – Progress report and library hunt activity

The written report summary and reflection is 1,000 words combined – 700 words for the report and 300 words for the reflection that is included in the report.

Students who do not include the reflection component in their written report summary will lose 10% of their total mark in this assessment.

Individual presentations (1 x 5-minute presentation per person)

The presentation is to be recorded in zoom and incorporates your presentation slides and a video of you presenting.

Students will be assessed on their individual contributions.

Length: 5-minute presentation (20%)

Individual Presentation Power-point Structure

You should use the following structure when preparing the presentation slides for this assessment:

• Title Slide – Include full name and Student ID and presentation title
  • Background company information – About the company, financial position and current share price.
  • Topic – review of the literature about the topic, what theories are relevant (use the readings in vUWS and other scholarly sources)
  • Discussion of the issue – analyse and examine the issue identified for your company and synthesise these with the topic and relevant theories.
  • Recommendations – what do you recommend for the company to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in your area of research?
  • Conclusion – summary of your presentation
  • Reference list – include all sources used for the presentation

Students must adhere to the 5 minute time limit – presentations that exceed the time limit plus or minus 10% will impact the overall mark received. This requirement is reflective of real world business presentations.

Practice your presentation.  Reading from the screen during your presentation will impact on the mark received.  The best results will be achieved through a constant and rigorous rehearsal of both material and timing.

Where individuals fail to present, a zero mark for that presentation will be recorded.

Comments for formative feedback will be available in Turnitin in week 14.

Snapshot of key dates while developing Assessment 2

Key Dates	Details	Instructions
Week 6	Assessment 2 is discussed in class. Company and topic allocated by the tutor	Students must record the name of the company and the area of research they have been allocated. You cannot choose your own company. Attendance of this tutorial is compulsory.
Week 7	Research session for Assessment 2 – Library Hunt and Progress Reports	Students must complete the Library Hunt and Progress Report. Students must include their library hunt and progress reports in the appendix of their final reports. Attendance to this tutorial is compulsory.
Week 11	Assessment 2 due	Read your learning guide for instructions on how to complete and submit Assessment 2.Do not take shortcuts, and do not assume what needs to be done.

IMPORTANT

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is not permitted in this assessment task without appropriate acknowledgement. See advice on acknowledging the use of generative AI on the Library web page.

Working with another person or technology in order to gain an unfair advantage in assessment or improperly obtaining answers from a third party including generative AI to questions in an examination or other form of assessment may lead to sanctions under the Student Misconduct Rule. Use of generative AI tools may be detected. More information is available on the Library web page.

Marking Criteria for Individual Presentation – 20%

Criteria	High Distinction (85-100%)	Distinction (75-84%)	Credit (65-74%)	Pass (50-64%)	Fail (0-49%)
Presentation – delivery (25%)	Excellent ability to deliver an effective presentation; shows excellent fluency with presentation content; excellent attention to time (5 mins). Meets the presentation brief.	Very good ability to deliver an effective presentation; shows very good fluency with presentation content; sustained audience’s attention. Very good attention to time (5 mins). Meets the presentation brief.	Good ability to maintain the interest of the audience; speaks clearly and maintains eye contact; shows some fluency with presentation content. Good attention to time (within the required time limit +/- 10%). Good attempt to meet the presentation brief.	Some attempt to maintain the interest of the audience; speaks clearly and maintains eye contact; excessive reference to script with basic audience engagement. Some attempt to remain within time limit – however exceeds 10% limit yet within 6 mins. Some attempt to meet the presentation brief.	Failed to maintain the interest of the audience; does not speak clearly or maintain eye contact; mainly reads script. Exceeds time limit beyond 6 mins. Failed to meet the presentation brief.
Presentation – content and communication of ideas (25%)	Excellent knowledge of the content; communication of the information is clear, coherent and logical; demonstrated ability to synthesise and integrate complex ideas. Excellent presentation.	Very good knowledge of the content; communication of information is clear and coherent; well sustained argument; very good presentation.	Demonstrated good knowledge of the content; good attempt to communicate information; clear structure with some coherence in the presentation of ideas; good argument.	Demonstrated sound knowledge of the content; some attempt to communicate information; sound structure; presents a sound argument.	Failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of the content; lacked essential information; poorly structured; fragmented ideas; does not follow a clear argument.
Knowledge of theory (25%)	Excellent knowledge of theory; demonstrated in-depth understanding going beyond the obvious; excellent synthesis and integration of theory with content.	Very good knowledge of theory including additional sources; very good synthesis of theory with content.	Good knowledge of theory however limited to the information in the textbook; attempts to synthesise theory with content.	Demonstrated some knowledge of theory; some attempt to synthesise theory with content.	Failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of theory; does not synthesise theory with content.
Critical thinking and research (25%)	Excellent background of the company; the issues presented were central to the discussion; demonstrating in-depth understanding going beyond the obvious; excellent summary of the material; identified limitations; comprehensive reference list included.	Very good background of the company; identified complex issues and displayed very good critical thinking skills; recommendations were comprehensive and well sustained; very good summary of the material; identified limitations; very good reference list included.	Presented a good background of the company; identified the main issues with some attempt to be critical; recommendations make sense in the context of the topic; good summary of the material; good reference list included.	Demonstrated some attempt to present a background of the company; sound attempt to identify the main issues; recommendations make sense in the context of the topic; provides a summary of the material presented; reference list included.	Failed to provide a background of the company; does not identify the main issues; recommendations were fragmented; conclusion does not summarise the material presented; reference list not included.

Marking Criteria for Written Report Summary and Reflection – 20%

CRITERIA	HIGH DISTINCTION (85-100%)	DISTINCTION (75-84%)	CREDIT (65-74%)	PASS (50-64%)	FAIL (0-49%)
ABSTRACT (5%)	As previous and within 150 words.	As previous with clear summary of all the important elements of the document.	The summary given briefly describes a background of the company and a summary of the content but does not portray the methods or discussion.	The summary given briefly describes a background of the company but does not portray a summary of the content.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.
INTRODUCTION (10%)	As previous with the addition of what is included in the written document.	The purpose of the study was clearly articulated, comprehensive background of the company and adequate information of the topic.	The purpose of the study was briefly described; good background to adequately ensure the reader has an understanding of the company; adequate information of the topic.	The purpose of the study was briefly described; brief background to adequately ensure the reader has an understanding of the company; brief information of the topic.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.
LITERATURE AND THEORY (10%)	As previous but with an excellent analysis of topic and theoretical underpinnings.	As previous but with the addition of contrasting information regarding topic and theories.	The material was reviewed in enough detail to adequately ensure the reader has an understanding of the topic and relevant theories.	The material was not reviewed in enough detail to adequately ensure the reader has an understanding of the topic and relevant theories.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.
DISCUSSION (10%)	As previous with broader explanation of the issues and challenges that synthesises the topic and theories.	As previous but the analysis of the issues and challenges goes beyond what was found from the research; very good critical analysis.	Identified current issues; some attempt to be critical; good analysis of the issues discussed.	Identified some current issues; no attempt to be critical; no analysis of the issues discussed; simply describing	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.
RECOMMENDATIONS (10%)	As previous with the addition of suggesting further improvements for the company researched.	Very good description of the recommendation; good synthesis of content; relevance to theory and practice.	Good description of the recommendation; some attempt to synthesise content; displays some relevance to theory and practice.	Brief description of the recommendations; does not synthesise content.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.
INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION (50%) – (300 WORDS)	As previous but with the inclusion of conveying the more abstract ideas and synthesising them into the description of the learning event. Highly developed analytic and critical skills of both content and relationship to self- development. As previous with the addition of critically analysing benefits of possible implementation based on theoretical bases. Excellent writing style with excellent “flow” of ideas as well as faultless grammar and spelling.	As previous with the addition of the arguments made to why the learning event provoked associated thoughts and feelings. Good analytic and critical skills of both content and relationship to self- development. A good understanding of how to implement possible “changed perspective” and associated aspects of self. Generally good grammar and spelling, as well as “flow” of ideas.	The learning event was described well with description of thoughts and/or feelings. Some analysis but a persistent tendency to describe content. Satisfactory understanding of how to implement possible “changed perspective”.  Relatively good grammar and spelling, but occasional errors. Has good “flow” of ideas.	The learning event was adequately described with little explanation given to thoughts and/or feelings. Entries are largely descriptive. Some understanding of how to implement possible “changed perspective”.  Satisfactory expression; some spelling errors and reasonable “flow” of ideas.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.  The learning event was poorly described.  Merely described concepts with little or no effort to critically appraise/ evaluate.  Little or no description possible “changed perspective” Unintelligible expression; unacceptable number of spelling errors and poor “flow” of ideas.
CONCLUSION, REFERENCE LIST AND APPENDIX. (5%)	As previous but within 100 words. Has included a reference list that is consistent with the Harvard WesternSydU guidelines.  Has included an appendix as per assessment brief. Has shown an excellent level of research.	The conclusion summarises the report, restates the issues and recommendations. Has included a reference list that is consistent with the Harvard WesternSydU guidelines. Has included an appendix as per assessment brief. Has shown a very good level of research.	The conclusion briefly summarises the document but with limitations to the research.  Has included a reference list that is consistent with the Harvard WesternSydU guidelines.  Has included an appendix as per assessment brief. Has shown a good level of research.	The conclusion briefly summarises the document. Has included a reference list that is consistent with the Harvard WesternSydU guidelines. Has included an appendix as per assessment brief. Has shown a sound level of research.	Missing/ absent or have submitted irrelevant material or failed to address the requirements or have plagiarised.