Business Management Assignment : 3 Tasks due 9th Oct.

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EduQual Diploma in Business and Marketing Management (SCQF Level 8) COMBINED ASSIGNMENT SIX: Operations, Strategic Management and Personal Development

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Contents

Assessment Guidelines 2

Context 2

Confidentiality 2

Assessment Criteria and Mark Sheets 2

Tutor Guidance 2

Word Count 2

Referencing and Professionalism 3

Plagiarism and Collusion 3

Combined Assignment Six: Operations, Strategic Management and Personal Development 4

Task 1 4

Task 2 4

Task 3 5

Assignment Word Count 5

(Combined) Assignment 6: Criteria and Mark Scheme 6

Assessment Criteria for all Assessments 8

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Assessment Guidelines Learners of EduQual qualifications must complete the tasks given in the assignment brief approved by EduQual. Learners are able to request assistance from tutors about completing the tasks, mark schemes and grade descriptors. Learners are expected to adhere to policies and guidelines set out by the centre, which includes word/page/slide count and plagiarism/collusion.

Context Learners are required to refer to the guidance notes and assignment brief in order to present an answer that would fall within the required context.

Confidentiality Learners must seek permission and advice when using organisational/business information that would be considered sensitive or confidential within their assignments. If the organisation’s consent is given, and anonymity is a given requirement of the organisation, then the learner must respect this.

Assessment Criteria and Mark Sheets The assignment brief will include the mark scheme along with grade descriptors for learners to refer to if needed. The guidance notes before the assignment questions should be used for reference in order to ensure that learners are equipped with the information and formats required. Learners are requested to obtain necessary advice on assignment context, format and other supporting information to clarify and help understand the requirements.

The assessment criteria and the mark sheets will help learners identify how and where the marks have been allocated and allow them to structure their answers accordingly. Please note that learners must achieve a minimum of 40% of the marks allocated for each task and that the average mark awarded to all tasks of an assignment must be a minimum of 40% of the overall marks awarded.

Tutor Guidance Learners are allowed one piece of feedback for draft answers they present. Any subject-related questions relating to the module can also be directed to the tutor.

Word Count It is mandatory that learners adhere to the specified word count given in the assignment brief within a margin of -/+10%. For certain tasks, the assignment brief may specify the page count depending on the task requirement and, although a word count may not always be applicable for these, the page count must be adhered to at all times. All tables, charts, diagrams, referencing (in-text) will be considered a part of the assignment word count.

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If the task requires learners to make a presentation, the word count will only be applicable to the notes provided. The assignment questions may also specify the number of slides, in which case the learners are also required to adhere to this.

Any supporting documents used to reinforce a learner’s answer need to be attached at the end of the report as appendices. Such supplementary material will equip the examiner with the required background knowledge on the information provided within the report. However, these will not be considered for grading nor as part of the word/page count.

All assignments submitted with clear disregard for the stipulated page/word counts may be discounted, and the learners may have to resubmit his/her work for assessment pending revision/review of their work.

Referencing and Professionalism To ensure that they follow a professional stance at all times, learners must:

 Use the Harvard system of referencing for all citations and references (including in-text)

 Use professional, formal English in presenting their work

 Refrain from writing in a first-person perspective (i.e. ‘I’, ‘We’, ‘Me’, etc. should not be used within the answer).

Learners should bear in mind that marks are awarded for professional format and presentation, and that considerable marks can be awarded for validity and quality of referencing. Therefore, referencing and professionalism will be assessed in every task.

Plagiarism and Collusion Plagiarism and collusion will be considered an academic offence and will be dealt with as a serious issue.

Plagiarism can be defined as: the presentation of the work of another author without appropriate referencing and/or attribution (leading to the false assumption that the learner is the originator of the text).

Collusion can be defined as a circumstance in which: two or more learners present work with distinct similarities in concept and ideas.

Learners must have access to valid plagiarism software (i.e. Turnitin) to assess ‘similarity index’ between their work and work that has been published elsewhere. This Turnitin report must be submitted along with their final assignment scripts for reference purposes.1

Excessive referencing (i.e. where unneeded/irrelevant) will also be considered an academic offence, which will lead to learners being penalised in marks awarded for structure and format of their work or, in serious cases, leading to the work of learners being discounted as unfit for assessment. Such matters will be decided by academic panel along with EduQual.

1 Note that centres must provide their learners with access to Turnitin software or else submit learners’ work for analysis via Turnitin upon receiving learner assignment scripts. In either case, the Turnitin report must be included with the submission of any learner work for assessment.

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Combined Assignment Six: Operations, Strategic Management and Personal Development The three tasks shown below constitute 90% of the overall mark (see Marking Scheme). 10% of the

overall marks for the assignment must be given to ‘Structure and Format’.

Assume the role of the Operations Manager for a company of your choice and, through working

with relevant managers, prepare a report, for your Chairman and CEO, on Operations and Strategic

Management effectiveness by addressing the following requirements:

Task 1 Explain and evaluate how operations management activities contribute to your organisation’s business strategy and customer demands. Within your response you should:

 Explain the significance of the five performance objectives that underpin effective operations management and analyse the operations functions of a selected two selected organisation.

 Assess the roles of staff and the different departments in your organisation when implementing the business strategy.

 Select and evaluate SMART targets to use in monitoring progress of staff within the new strategy.

 Construct and present the importance of personal development plans which cover:

 Assessment of own skills and competencies

 Identification of personal development needs

 The importance of individual time management skills and ability to work with others

 Evaluate and summarise key findings of the benefits of self-managed learning to individuals and their organisations.

Strategic Management: LO 3; Personal Development: LO1, LO 2, LO3; Operations Management: LO 1

Task 2 Explain and evaluate:

 The quality of systems and operations in two selected organisations and identify possible improvements that may be made.

 The role of organisational values (mission, vision, goals and competencies in strategy formulation and:

 The factors to be considered when deciding strategic planning and the monitoring of that plan’s effectiveness and for a given organisation.

 Carry out an environmental audit of a selected organisation and evaluate its strategic position, using PESTEL and 5 Forces analyses.

 Use stakeholder analysis to identify stakeholder needs and the impact this has on the strategic position for the organisation.

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Operations Management: LO 2; Strategic Management: LO 1; Strategic Management: LO 2

Task 3 Explain and evaluate the contribution of information systems to procurement and supply chain efficiency in chosen organisations. Within your response, you should cover the advantages of e- procurement and IT systems for supply chain efficiency using a minimum of two other organisations for examples, as appropriate.

Operations Management: LO 3

Assignment Word Count Task 1 Presentation with notes and of 20 slides maximum

Task 2 1500 words maximum

Task 3 1000 words maximum

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Combined Assignment 6: Criteria and Mark Scheme Assessment Criteria Marks

allocate d

Typical Content Mark Given

Task 1: Explain and evaluate how operations management activities contribute to your organisation’s business strategy and customer demands. Within your response you should:  Explain the significance of the five

performance objectives that underpin effective operations management and analyse the operations functions of a selected two selected organisation.

 Assess the roles of staff and the different departments in your organisation when implementing the business strategy.

 Select and evaluate SMART targets to use in monitoring progress of staff within the new strategy.

 Construct and present the importance of personal development plans which cover:  Assessment of own skills and

competencies  Identification of personal

development needs  The importance of individual time

management skills and ability to work with others

Strategic Management: LO 3; Personal Development: LO1, LO 2, LO3; Operations Management: LO 1

60 Operational efficiency and strategic operations: Time, resources, external analysis (e.g. PESTLE); links and differences between operations management and strategic planning; the 3 Es: Economy, Efficiency (thrift) versus Effectiveness (quality). The five OM performance objectives: Cost; dependability; flexibility; quality and speed; internal and external benefits of excelling in each performance objective; trade-offs between objectives. Operations function: The role of OM in achieving strategic objectives; activities of core functional areas and their interrelationships; business process modelling, lean management techniques, integration of supply chain (e.g. Just in Time or ‘JIT’). Resource allocation to achieve the strategy: allocation of finance, human resources, time and materials.

Setting SMART targets and milestones; benchmarking; operational and individual targets and sequencing. Self-appraisal: Skills audit (personal profile using appropriate self-assessment tools); evaluating self- management; personal and interpersonal skills; leadership skills; preferred learning styles; formal and informal learning; mentoring. Development plan: Current performance; future needs; opportunities and threats to career progression; aims and objectives; achievement dates; review dates; learning programme/activities; action plans; personal development plan. Learning styles: personal preferences; activist; pragmatist; theorist; reflector, e.g. reflexive modernisation theory; Kolb’s learning cycle.

Approaches: learning through research; learning from others, e.g. mentoring/coaching, seminars, conferences, secondments, appraisal interviews, use of the internet, social networks, use of bulletin boards, news groups. Assessment of learning: evidence of improved levels of skill; feedback from others; learning achievements and disappointments.

Task 2: Explain and evaluate:

 The quality of systems and operations in two selected organisations and identify possible improvements that may be made.

 The role of organisational values (mission, vision, goals and competencies in strategy formulation and:

50 Measurement of quality: Systems documentation; comparisons with past performance/competitors/industry standards/benchmarks; quality circles, TQM, Six Sigma etc. Product/service/procedure improvements: Staff consultation and engagement; continuous improvement; customer satisfaction.

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 The factors to be considered when deciding strategic planning and the monitoring of that plan’s effectiveness and for a given organisation.

 Carry out an environmental audit of a selected organisation and evaluate its strategic position, using PESTEL and 5 Forces analyses.

 Use stakeholder analysis to identify stakeholder needs and the impact this has on the strategic position for the organisation.

Operations Management: LO 2; Strategic Management: LO 1; Strategic Management: LO 2

Role of strategy; missions; visions; strategic intent; objectives; goals; core competencies; strategic architecture; strategic control. Strategic thinking: future direction of the competition; needs of customers; gaining and maintaining competitive advantage; Ansoff’s growth-vector matrix; portfolio analysis. Planning systems: informal planning; top-down planning; bottom-up planning; behavioural approaches; impact on departmental managers, targets, planning techniques-BCG and Ansoff matrices. SWOT analysis; Porters 5 forces; Ansoff matrix. PESTEL; benchmarks; product positioning; value-chain analysis; demographic influences; mergers and acquisitions; entering new global markets. Stakeholder analysis mapping and grids.

Strategies for market entry; substantive growth; diversification; limited growth; disinvestment; turnaround; evaluation of appropriateness; feasibility and desirability of each alternative strategy.

Task 3: Explain and evaluate the contribution of information systems to procurement and supply chain efficiency in chosen organisations. Within your response, you should cover the advantages of e- procurement and IT systems for supply chain efficiency using a minimum of two other organisations for examples, as appropriate. Operations Management: LO 3

25 Components of supply chain management: Order processing; e-procurement of products/services; logistics including supply and transport; handling of goods and fulfilment function. E-procurement: buyers or sellers may specify costs or invite bids; types of e-procurement; web-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning); e-MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul); e- sourcing; E-tendering; web auctions. Logistics services and international trade: Role of logistics services; use of internet to communicate information (availability, delivery, invoices); the flow of demand information to back up the supply chain; Tracking and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID); return mechanisms; payment systems.

Structure and Format  Relevance to the tasks,

professional tone and format of response (2 marks).

Harvard Referencing (8 marks)

 In-text citation

 Bibliography, listed correctly and correlates to references made

 Accurate, correctly-formatted footnotes

 Integration of: supporting concepts, frameworks, critical thinking.

Total Mark 150

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Assessment Criteria for all Assessments

Marks Criteria 70-100  The answer submitted has an outstanding result with negligible amount of mistakes.

 The answer shows an appreciative level of knowledge and clear understanding of related models, theories and frameworks. Analytical techniques used show the wide area of knowledge the learner has.

 The ability to apply and contextualise the models, theories and frameworks is clearly recognisable.

 The analysis and the use of research data, as well as the ability to use the data to reach acceptable and accurate conclusions, is exceptional.

 Answers show independent thought and clarity of the learner has led to an overall focused and evaluative answer.

 The answer has followed proper Harvard referencing.

60-69  The answer shows an above average standard with few errors.  The answer shows a decent level of knowledge and fairly clear understanding of related models,

theories and frameworks. There is a very good level, and use of, analytical techniques that is obvious throughout the answer.

 The ability to apply and contextualise the models, theories and frameworks is of a good standard.

 The analysis and the use of research data, as well as the ability to use the data to reach acceptable and accurate conclusions, is above average level.

 Answers show independent thought and clarity of the learner answer has led to an overall focused and evaluative answer with little inconsistency.

 The answer has followed proper Harvard referencing.

50-59  The answer shows an above average standard with errors.  The answer shows a general level of knowledge and a fairly clear understanding of related models,

theories and frameworks. There is a good level, and use of, analytical techniques that is obvious throughout the answer.

 The ability to apply and contextualise the models, theories and frameworks is of a reasonable standard. However, the link between theory and practical knowledge appears to be restricted/limited.

 The answer shows more assumptions than conclusive deductions/evidences and valid arguments. However, the ability to interpret and evaluate is evident.

 Answers show independent thought and clarity of the learner answer has led to an overall focused and evaluative answer with some inconsistencies.

 The answer has followed Harvard referencing at an acceptable level.

40-49  There are several shortcomings throughout the answer.  The knowledge level reflected in the answer is limited, especially in understanding of related

models, theories and frameworks.

 The case material has been repeated instead of evidencing knowledge.

 The use of analytical techniques is inadequate.

 A certain level of relevance is evidence in Harvard referencing.

30-39  Answer submitted is quite weak and lacks proper focus.  The answer shows a number of spelling errors and/or poor grammar/syntax.

 The lack of understanding in subject knowledge, related models, theories and frameworks is evident.

 Contextualisation, interpretation, and evaluation are of a poor standard.

 Reflects only basic levels of Harvard referencing.

0-29  Requires more work on answering skills; overall output is well below the required standard. Answer has little relevance to the assignment briefs. Spelling/syntax poor.

 Little or no evidence of appropriate subject knowledge.

 Use of models, theories and frameworks is quite poor.

 Little to no evidence of, and/or unacceptable mistakes in, Harvard referencing.

The overall Pass Mark must be a minimum of 40% when averaging together the marks

obtained for each task. Marks given to each task of the assignment must be an

absolute minimum of 40% of the marks available for that task.