LO1: Improve abilities of strategic problem identification, analysis, and solution.
ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
|
Assessment |
Coursework |
|
Assessment code: |
011 |
|
Academic Year: |
2023/2024 |
|
Trimester: |
1 |
|
Module Title: |
Executing Business Strategy |
|
Module Code: |
MOD003337 |
|
Level: |
6 |
|
Module Leader: |
|
|
Weighting: |
50% |
|
Word Limit: |
3000 This excludes bibliography and other items listed in rule 6.83 of the Academic Regulations. |
|
Assessed Learning Outcomes |
Knowledge and Understanding LO1: Improve abilities of strategic problem identification, analysis, and solution. LO2: Integrate business capabilities and functions in an analytical manner. LO3: Improve oral and written presentation abilities. LO4: Improve the ability to work as part of a team. Intellectual, practical, affective, and transferrable skills LO5: Demonstrate an understanding of key strategic management concepts, models and literature and apply knowledge of strategic decision making in a variety of `real world` contexts. |
|
Submission Deadline: |
Please refer to the deadline on the VLE |
WRITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
- This assignment must be completed individually.
- All courses of study must use the ARU Harvard referencing system for written assessments, apart from LLB/LLM courses where OSCOLA should be applied.
- Your work must indicate the number of words you have used. Written assignments must not exceed the specified maximum number of words. When a written assignment is marked, the excessive use of words beyond the word limit is reflected in the academic judgement of the piece of work which results in a lower mark being awarded for the piece of work (regulation 6.74).
- Assignment submissions are to be made anonymously. Do not write your name anywhere on your work.
- Write your student ID number at the top of every page.
- Where the assignment comprises more than one task, all tasks must be submitted in a single document.
- You must number all pages.
- In order to achieve full marks, you must submit your work before the deadline. Work that is submitted late – if your work is submitted on the same day as the deadline by midnight, your mark will receive a 10% penalty. If you submit your work up to TWO working days after the published submission deadline – it will be accepted and marked. However, the element of the module’s assessment to which the work contributes will be capped with a maximum mark of 40%.
- Work cannot be submitted if the period of 2 working days after the deadline has passed (unless there is an approved extension). Failure to submit within the relevant period will mean that you have failed the assessment.
- Requests for short-term extensions will only be considered in the case of illness or other cause considered valid by the Director of Studies Team. Please contact DoS@london.aru.ac.uk. A request must normally be received and agreed by the Director of Studies Team in writing at least 24 hours prior to the deadline. Students will need to provide evidence to support their extension request. See rules 6.64-6.73:
SUBMITTING YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/academic_regs.pdf
- Exceptional Circumstances: The deadline for submission of exceptional circumstances in relation to this assignment is no later than five working days after the submission date of this work. Please contact the Director of Studies Team - DoS@london.aru.ac.uk. Students will need to provide evidence to support their EC claim. See rules 6.112 – 6.141:
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/academic_regs.pdf
ASSIGNMENT QUESTION
Based on the outcome of the Group Strategy Simulation, write a 3000-word individual strategic report. Using key strategic concepts, models, and literature, as well as data and evidence from the strategy simulation where appropriate, the report must include the following themes and sections:
1. Evaluation of the strategic management, business model, and performance
- Explain your strategy and evaluate the strategic management of your company, reflecting on the lessons learnt.
- Explain the company’s business model and evaluate your company’s performance.
2. Analysis of the business environments
- Evaluate the main trends and factors as well as principal risks and uncertainties in the external, competitive, and internal environments likely to affect the future position of your company.
- Analyse your company’s internal resources and capabilities and the extent to which they provide sustained competitive advantage.
3. Evaluation of strategic priorities
- Critically evaluate the impact of innovation on the future of your business.
- Outline two areas of focus to drive growth through your commitment to innovation.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
|
Task / Assessed LOs / Assessment Criteria / Points to consider |
Marks |
|
LO1, 5: You are expected to demonstrate an understanding of key strategic management concepts, models and literature and apply strategic decision-making in ‘real-life’ contexts, as well as to identify and analyse key strategic problems, suggesting realistic and well- supported solutions. LO2: You are expected to demonstrate an understanding of integrating business capabilities and functions in an analytical manner. LO3,4: You are expected to demonstrate written presentation abilities and the ability to work as part of a team. |
|
|
30 |
|
30 |
|
|
|
30 |
|
10 |
READING REQUIREMENT
Barney, J. (1991) Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17, 1, 99–120.
Chesbrough, H.W. (2003) The era of open innovation. MIT Sloan management review, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 35.
Harvard Business Review, Porter, M.E., Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R.A. (2011) HBR`s 10 Must Reads on Strategy (including featured article "What Is Strategy?" by Michael E. Porter). Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. (2007) `Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system`, Harvard Business Review, 85(7-8), pp. 150
McKinsey & Co (2022) Choosing to grow: The leader’s blueprint. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our- insights/choosing-to-grow-the-leaders-blueprint (Accessed 21 June 2023)
Tidd, J. and Bessant, J.R. (2021) Managing innovation: integrating technological, market and organizational change, Wiley, Chichester.
Thompson, A.A., Peteraf, M.A., Gamble, J. E., and Strickland, A.J. (2021) Crafting and executing strategy: the quest for competitive advantage: concepts and cases. 23rd edn., New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Whittington, R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., Scholes, K. (2021).,
Fundamentals of Strategy 5th edn., Pearson: Harlow.
Whittington, R, Regner, P, Angwin, D, Johnson, G, and Scholes, K. (2023). Exploring Strategy – Text and Cases 13th edn., Pearson; Harlow.
Please note that the sources listed are expected for your written assessment. These sources will be part of the module and their content is deemed necessary to produce a relevant assessment. Module markers will expect to see them integrated into your work and appropriately referenced.
Failure to include these sources may result in a “Viva Voce” meeting during which you would be required to explain your work and your reasons for not including these key sources. LO1: Improve abilities of strategic problem identification, analysis, and solution.
ARU GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND MARKING STANDARDS: LEVEL 6 –
the Depth stage
|
Level 6 is characterised by an expectation of students’ increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets. Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism. |
|||
|
Mark Bands |
Outcome |
Characteristics of Student Achievement by Marking Band for ARU’s Generic Learning Outcomes (Academic Regulations, Section 2) |
|
|
Knowledge & Understanding |
Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable Skills |
||
|
90-
100% |
Achieves module outcome(s) |
Exceptional information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with extraordinary originality and autonomy. Work may be considered for publication within ARU |
Exceptional management of learning resources, with a higher degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. Exceptional structure/ accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination. Exceptional team/practical/professional skills. Work may be considered for publication within ARU |
|
80-
89% |
Outstanding information base exploring and analysing the discipline, its theory and ethical issues with clear originality and autonomy |
Outstanding management of learning resources, with a degree of autonomy/exploration that clearly exceeds the assessment brief. An exemplar of structured/accurate expression. Demonstrates intellectual originality and imagination. Outstanding team/practical/professional skills |
|
|
70-
79% |
Excellent knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem- solving in theory/ practice/ethics of |
Excellent management of learning resources, with degree of autonomy/research that may exceed the assessment brief. Structured and creative expression. Excellent academic/ |
|
|
|
|
discipline with considerable originality |
intellectual skills and practical/team/ professional/ problem-solving skills |
|
60-
69% |
Good knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem- solving in theory/ practice/ethics of discipline with some originality |
Good management of learning resources, with consistent self-directed research. Structured and accurate expression. Good academic/intellectual skills and team/practical/ professional/problem solving skills |
|
|
50-
59% |
|
Sound knowledge base that supports some analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ethics of discipline |
Sound management of learning resources. Some autonomy in research but inconsistent. Structured and mainly accurate expression. Sound level of academic/ intellectual skills going beyond description at times. Sound team/practical/professional/problem-solving skills |
|
40-
49% |
A marginal pass in module outcome(s) |
Adequate knowledge base with some omissions at the level of ethical/ theoretical issues. Restricted ability to discuss theory and/or or solve problems in discipline |
Adequate use of learning resources with little autonomy. Some difficulties with academic/ intellectual skills. Some difficulty with structure/ accuracy in expression, but evidence of developing team/practical/professional/ problem-solving skills |
|
30-
39% |
A marginal fail in module outcome(s) . Satisfies default qualifying mark |
Limited knowledge base. Limited understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline |
Limited use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Limited academic/ intellectual skills. Still mainly descriptive. General difficulty with structure/ accuracy in expression. Practical/ professional/problem-solving skills that are not yet secure |
|
20-
29% |
Fails to achieve module outcome(s) Qualifying mark not satisfied |
Little evidence of knowledge base. Little evidence of understanding of discipline/ ethical issues. Significant difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline |
Little evidence of use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Little input to teams. Little evidence of academic/ intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Significant difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Little evidence of practical/professional/ problem- solving skills |
|
10-
19% |
Deficient knowledge base. Deficient understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Major difficulty with theory and problem solving in discipline |
Deficient use of learning resources. Unable to work autonomously. Deficient input to teams. Deficient academic/intellectual skills. Work significantly descriptive. Major difficulty with structure/accuracy in expression. Deficient practical/professional/problem-solving skills |
|
|
1-
9% |
No evidence of knowledge base; no evidence of understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Total inability with theory and problem solving in discipline |
No evidence of use of learning resources. Completely unable to work autonomously. No evidence of input to teams. No evidence of academic/intellectual skills. Work wholly descriptive. Incoherent structure/accuracy and expression. No evidence of practical/professional/ problem-solving skills |
|
|
0% |
Awarded for: (i) non-submission; (ii) dangerous practice and; (iii) in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief (eg: answers the wrong question) and/or related learning outcomes |
||
