need 4&5 points

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 1

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 – SPRING TERM

MBA

(MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION)

BUSI 460 – CONSLTING PRACTICE

INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE

LEARNING TEAM (LT) ASSIGNMENT BRIEF –

LAYERED

TOPIC: LT CONSULTING PROJECT CASE STUDY

35% OF TOTAL COURSE GRADE

(Part 1-5% -W6, Part 2-10% -W7, Part 3 - 15%-W10 &

Part 4 - 5%- W11)

SUBMISSION DATES: VARIES - WEEKS 6, 7, 10 &

11 ONLINE VIA STUDENT PORTAL(MOODLE)

TURNITIN LINK

Self-Selected Learning Team Group (LT Group)

N= Name. Cell = Mobile. e = E Mail Address. f/t/i = Facebook. or Twitter or Instagram Account

Members of Group Written Assignment Learning Team: 1.N:______________ C: __________ e: ___________f/t/i: ___________

2.N:______________ C: __________ e: ___________f/t/i: ___________

3.N:_______________ C: __________ e: ___________f/t/i: ___________ 4.N:______________ C: __________ e: ___________f/t/i: ___________

If you change any of your contact details, such as cell number, you are obliged to let your team members know in advance asap. Important: Sharing such personal contact details is totally optional and up to each individual student but it does make arranging

meetings outside of class time, which you will have to do in this subject must easier. Sharing of such information is on the strict basis

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 2

and understanding that such information will not be misused or passed on to third parties without the individual’s consent. Any breach of this will be reported to the University Authorities.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this assignment the student will be able:

1. To develop abilities to gather, analyse, interpret and evaluate information on a management consulting task and project related topic(s).

2. To strengthen conceptual and analytical skills in the study management consulting.

3. To build tangible links between the theory and practice of management consulting.

4. To heighten awareness and understanding of management consulting in action and gain greater self-awareness of oneself as a consultant.

5. To develop and present thoughts, arguments, and informed opinions in a logical and coherent way.

6. To develop creativity and critical management skills. 7. To develop skills in case study navigation and analysis. 8. To demonstrate academic and management research, proposal, report writing

and composition skills with academic and business integrity.

9. To consistently apply the APA system of academic referencing. 10. To demonstrate word processing and IT skills 11. To develop project and time management skills. 12. To develop team working skills in order to function as a high performance team. 13. To develop healthy and functional work habits in progressing confidently and

consistently towards a defined submission deadline date.

Learning Team (LT) Assignment – Overall Task

Using your LT Ivey Case Study as your client organisation, immerse yourself in the role

of Management Consultant in providing a consulting service which involves the

following key milestone deliverables/tasks/assignments::

Part 1: Learning Team Consulting Skills Analysis (5%)

Part 2: Environmental Scanning and Analysis (10%)

Part 3: Generate Strategies and Recommend A Solution (15%)

Part 4: Communicating Results and Recommendation (5%)

.

This 4 Part Learning Team Assignment is a learning team practice in management

consulting via the use of the case study method and follows the steps outlined in the flow

diagram in Appendix A.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 3

PART 1

PART 1: Learning Team Consulting Skills Analysis and Inventory (5%) -

2,500 Words max. - Week 6

Understanding yourself and your Learning Team (LT) members is vital to working

cohesively and effectively as a team and to deliver the best service to your client

organisation.

All Learning Team members to individually complete a range of Learning Team

Diagnostics and share results to develop an inventory of Learning Team Skills.

Step 1: Self Select a Learning Teams (LT) and arrange a meeting with your

allocated group:

Meet online using any of the tools such as Zoom or MS Team etc. The maximum number

in a team is 4 with ideally a gender balance.

Step 2: Agree a Name for your LT.

Select an appropriate name for the LT that is acceptable to all LT members. The LT

name cannot be offensive or rude or discriminatory in anyway invoke a negative

reaction.

Step 3: Draw Up a Learning Team (LT) Contract-Charter-Constitution:

Compose a Learning Team Charter and Learning Contract using the guidelines below:

Your LT Group Norms, Values, Attitudes and Rules: The Quickest Route to Maximizing

Team Effectiveness & Performance

How to Facilitate the Team Charter on First Meeting of LT Group – U Tube Clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UxZ_e2RQtU (3.5 mins)

Guidelines on Drawing up a Learning Team Contract:

University of Waterloo: https://bit.ly/380Itz4

And

https://bit.ly/2ToVCy4

Work through the above e to help identify relevant issues for inclusion in your

Charter/Contract/Constitution.

At your first LT Group meeting, discuss and agree the norms, values, attitudes and rules

that will apply to your particular learning team so that you can reach performance stage

of team formation as soon as possible. E.g. Practical issues and logistics, Meeting time,

what happens if someone is ‘not pulling their weight’ i.e., social loafing, how many

strikes and you are out, how many last chances, lateness, disagreements and conflict,

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 4

making decisions, etc. Recall the Learning Team-Contract-Charter that was drawn up

for the entire class that was agreed by the Instructor at the first class meeting.

Each LT Group must draw up a Learning Team Contract-Charter mutually agreed

between the group, print it out and each member sign it and submit it with the final

completed assignment.

The format and style of the Charter is not rigid and will be determined by each LT Group.

However, it should cover the following headings:

1. Norms, Values and Beliefs: e.g. We believe that every LT member is responsible for

their own individual learning and for the collective learning of the group. E.g. We

subscribe to the principles of natural and organizational justice in how this LT Group is

run and operates. E.g. We believe in fair play and everyone pulling their weight in terms

of contributions and outputs. i.e. No social loafing.

2. Mechanics and Logistics: We will meet every Thursday at 10 am in the Library Study

Room for one hour maximum, during term. We will take turns in booking the Library

Study Room starting in alphabetical order of surname of LT Members. E.g. We will

meet punctually at 10 am with the preparatory meeting starting at 10.05 am and finishing

on time at 10.55 am. Those who are consistently late or do not attend will be addressed

under the Strikes/Last Chance and Expulsion clause below. E.g. If any LT member

changes their e mail address or mobile number contact, they must notify the rest of the

LT members as soon as possible and no later than 1 day aft the change.

3. Outcomes, & Deliverables: Tutorial Activities: We agree for the following protocol

in how we will prepare for and present all activities.

4. Division of Roles and Work: The allocation and distribution of work and roles will

be done fairly and evenly and will follow the following protocol. Each LT member will

take turns doing ….

5. Decision Making: We will make decisions on a unanimous or majority basis.

6. Conflict Handling and Resolution: e.g. When disagreements and conflict occur, we

agree to discuss the issue quickly and openly with fully transparency with all the LT

members. E.g. When there is a personality clash, we agree that both LT members will

sit down and agree a way to work constructively together for the good of the LT.

7. Strikes, Last Chance and Expulsion: e.g. We agree that an LT member will have two

strikes against them before the LT group decides to expel them from the LT. Before

expelling an LT Member, they must be given an opportunity to give their side of the

story. If they fail to respond to 2 e mails and or texts, then the decision to expel will

proceed. The Instructor must be notified when an LT member is expelled.

8. Changes and Amendments: The LT group can change and amend this Charter and

Contract via the following protocol?

9. Academic Integrity: We will individually and collectively commit and abide to

academic integrity in all written work we submit and follow APA referencing protocol.

10. Declaration and Signatures: Each LT Group member must make a solemn

declaration that they fully understand the Charter and Contract and agree to be bound by

it

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 5

E.g. I as an individual and Learning Team member fully understand and agree with the

contents of this Charter and Contract as drawn up by the LT Group and solemnly declare

that I will abide by it and fully understand the implications and repercussions of not

doing so.

Signed: ____________________ Date: _____________

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive and totally comprehensive list as it will

be up to each LT Group to decide what they wish to include and what best suits them as

a unique and distinctive LT Group.

A sample LT Contract is also attached to the document.

NB: Incorporate a screen shot of the signed LT Contract into your completed

document. Do not put in as a word document as it will drive up the Turnitin similarity

score.

Successful and Effective Learning Teams:

To optimise the learning that can be achieved through this activity, it is essential that

ever LT member:

• Agree norms and rules for the learning team and stick to them as mutually agreed by all LT members in your written Learning Contract-Charter. (See below)

• Prepare adequately in advance for all your LT meetings.

• Actively participate in your LT meetings by freely contributing thoughts and ideas

• Working effectively as a learning team in pooling and presenting ideas.

• Taking ownership for individual and group learning, understanding, quality and success.

• Work through the stages of team formation as quickly as possible so that you can reach the ‘performing’ stage and get the best results as early as possible.

• Recognise any difficulties or conflict within the group as soon as possible and commit to resolving it immediately.

• Coming to any LT meeting having read any required material.

• Committed to fully participate and engage in all LT activities and sub tasks.

Readings and Literature on Working in Teams:

1. Woolley, Anita. et al. (2015) Why Some Teams Are Smarter Than Others - It’s

about Listening, Empathy and Having More Women in The New York Times January,

18th

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/18/opinion/sunday/why-some-teams-are-smarter-

than-others.html?mwrsm=Email

Step 4. Individually Complete Each of the Following Team Building Exercises

and Self Diagnostics and Record and Collate the LT Results in in the LT Team

Skills Table.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 6

Each LT member must individually complete each of the following diagnostics below

and then collate all the individual results onto a Table, like the one below in order to

paint a collective profile of your LT in terms of skills and competencies.

LT Diagnostic and Skills Inventory Table for LT Called ____

Diagno

stic / LT

Membe

r Name

D. #1

Team

Roles

D. #2

Conflict

Manage

ment

D.#3

Decision

Making

D.#4

Communic

ation Skills

D.#5

Problem

Solving

Skills

D#6

Functional

Expertise –

Top 2

D#7

Other

LTM 1

LTM 2

LTM 3

LTM 4

NB: Incorporate a screen shot of this completed table into your completed document.

Do not put in as a word document as it will drive up the Turnitin similarity score.

LT Diagnostic No. 1: Team Roles Test:

There are a variety of roles a person can adopt when working on a team. Determining

your natural tendencies can help you in your career planning and allow your employer

to place you in an environment where you would thrive. The Team Roles Test provides

information about the role or roles that would suit you best and the rest of the Learning

Team so that each LT member can play to their strengths.

See: http://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/3113.

Record your results on the table.

LT Diagnostic No.2 – Conflict Management Style:

Everybody is exposed to stressful situations, both positive and negative. Your

perception and interpretation of the stressor and how you react to it can have a

significant impact on your ability to cope and to work effectively in a team. The

Coping Skills Test determines the type of methods you are most likely to use to deal

with stressful situations and also compare with our LT members.

See: https://tools.mheducation.ca/college/mcshane4/student/olc/4obm_sa_13.html

Record your results on the table.

LT Diagnostic No.3 – Decision-Making Style Inventory:

This self-assessment exercise is designed to help you estimate your preferred style of

decision making and to discover how your LT members make decisions.

See: https://tools.mheducation.ca/college/mcshane4/student/olc/4obm_sa_10.html

Record your results on the table.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 7

LT Diagnostic No. 4: Communication Skills

Please complete individually and share results with LT via the Table.

How Good Are Your Communication Skills? -

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm

Record your results on the table.

LT Diagnostic No. 5: Problem Solving Skills

Please complete individually and record on table

How Good Are Your Problem-Solving Skills?

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_72.htm

Record your results on the table.

LT Diagnostic No. 6: Functional Expertise

Please complete individually and record on table

Identify in order of priority your top two area of functional expertise that you can

contribute to the LT. e.g. Finance, Management Accounting, Marketing, Digital

Marketing, HR, Talent Management, Supply Chain Management etc.

Record your preference on the table.

Other Skills:

You are free to add additional skills to the inventory table if you so wish, particular if

you feel your learning team has some unique skills and competencies.

Suggested Format for Assignment:

1. Table of Contents 2. Executive Summary 3. Introduction 4. Completed Inventory Table of 6 Skills for the LT. 5. SWOT Analysis of LT including Fault lines 6. LT Reflection 7. Conclusion 8. References

NB: Again, remember to Incorporate a screen shot of the completed diagnostics chart

into your completed document. Do not put in as a word document as it will drive up

the Turnitin similarity score.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 8

PART 2

PART 2: Environmental Scanning and Analysis - 10% - 4,000 words max –

Week 7

Similar to your individual assignment, environmental scanning is the process of

gathering information about events and their relationships within an organization's

internal and external environments. The basic purpose of environmental scanning is to

help management and you as an advising consultant to determine the current status and

possible future direction of the organization. It’s like a health check before an operation

or checking the weather forecast before going on a voyage ! It should be approx. 3,500

words in length.

Simple Guide to Environmental Scanning: http://bokeconsulting.com/strategy-

ethics/environmental-scanning/

It primarily entails environmental scanning and diagnosis and will include the

following heading:

1. Table of Contents 2. Introduction 3. Purpose and Goal of the environmental analysis. 4. Client Profile and Company Background 5. Internal Analysis: Structure, System, Policies, Resources etc. 6. External Analysis: PESTLE analysis, Stakeholder analysis, Industry and Sector

SWOT – Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats and Issues Priority

Matrix

7. Discussion and Conclusion 8. References 9. Appendices

Submit via Turnitin on Moodle by due date.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 9

PART 3

PART 3: Generate Strategies and Recommend A Solution - 15% - 4,500 words

max – Week 9:

This part directly builds upon Part 2 above where based on facts and evidence you now

generate different strategy options, s and possible solutions your client could pursue.

This must be based on evidence and facts and presented in a rational and logical manner

including stating any assumptions upfront.

and will include the following heading:

1. Table of contents 2. Executive Summary 3. Introduction 4. Purpose and Goal of this part. 5. Strategy Alternative and Justification 6. Recommended Solution and Justification (and Assumptions) 7. Implementation and Execution 8. Discussion and Conclusion 9. References 10. Appendices

Submit via Turnitin on Moodle by due date.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 10

PART 4

PART 4: Communicate The Results, Recommendation and Solution As a

Learning Team (LT) Via Online Presentation - 5% - 10 Minutes (4-5 slides) –

Week 10:

Building on Parts 1, 2 and 3 the Learning Team communicates the findings and

recommendations of your consulting team to the client audience. All LT members

must contribute and speak via allocation of various tasks, eg LTM1 Introduction etc.

Be creative and consider using Infographics, like Canva with or instead of PowerPoint.

Submit your final PP presentation file to Moodle on the day before your

presentation.

Guidelines on Effective Presentations:

• There are numbers resources available on making effective presentations, public speaking and best practice use of PowerPoint.

1. Rock Your Talk – Public Speaking for the Social Media Generation. A Blog

edited by Jonathan Downie who is a public speaker, researcher and conference

interpreter from Edinburgh in Scotland

http://rockyourtalk.wordpress.com/

2. Overson, Catherine. (2014) Applying Multimedia Principles to Slide Shows for

Academic Presentation http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php

3. Ludwig, Thomas E. (2002) Using Multimedia in Classroom Presentations: Best

Principles. Pdf available at:

http://teachpsych.org/Resources/Documents/otrp/pedagogy/classroommultimedia.p

df

4. Kosslyn, S. M. (2007). Clear and To The Point: 8 Psychological Principles for

Compelling PowerPoint Presentation. Oxford University Press.

5. Dogin, Seth- Really Bad PowerPoint (and How to Avoid it) - Book and Blog

Access at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/01/really_bad_powe.html

6. Durso, F. T., Pop, V. L., Burnett, J. S., & Stearman, E. J. ((2011). Evidence-

Based Human Factors Guidelines for PowerPoint Presentation. Ergono0mics in

Design. DOI 10.1177/106480461416583

7. Jones, A. M. (2003). The Use and Abuse of PowerPoint in Teaching and

Learning in the Life Sciences: A Personal overview. BEE-j Volume 2 (November)

Access full pdf at:

https://www.csun.edu/science/ref/presentation/powerpoint/powerpoint_use_abuse.p

df

8. Bensassi V. et al. (2014) Applying Science of Learning in Education: Infusing

Psychological Science into the Curriculum (2014) E-Book American

Psychological Association.

http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 11

• Endeavour to make the presentations as informative and entertaining as possible. Remember the Broadcaster’s Mantra: Relevant, Understandable and

Memorable. You need to have the right combination of the 2S’s – Style and

Substance.

LEARNING TEAM PRESENTATION - POINTS TO REMEMBER

The purpose of a presentation is three fold:

1. To inform the audience 2. To convince or persuade the audience to your point of view 3. To entertain

Broadcaster’s Mantra: Relevant, Understandable and Memorable 2 S’s – Style and Substance

Each time you present, think in advance of one particular aspect of your presentation style that you wish to develop and

strengthen. Eg. Voice, delivery, diction, pace, breathing, use of PP, eye contact with the audience, etc. It’s like a sport, if you

do not practice, you cannot improve. ! See guides on making effective presentations. Content

-Topic is relevant and addresses fully the assignment/question specifications & brief given. - Fully answer the question. -Content presented is comprehensive, accurate, and believable -Key points are noted and appropriately highlighted

Supports answer with good examples or case studies. - Demonstrates links between theory, tools and practice. -Topic is researched adequately and current and draws from readings in the text and other current sources, such as Journals.

Organization/Structure

-Presentation is well-organized, clear, logical and effectively structured

and audience friendly flow -As a multiple person presentation, it shows seamless integration rather than being a disjointed series of individual presentations - Each person spoke & contributed -There is an introduction to gain the audience’s attention and explain the purpose of the presentation

Style / Presentation / Platform

-Non-verbal cues/gestures/body language are appropriate to presentation and flow of ideas -Content knowledge/confidence are evident - Ability to Ad-Lib & not read solely from notes -Voluble, prolix, loquacious, articulate, fluency, ready flow of speech - Use of oratory & rhetorical devices – rhetoric, pleonasm, alliteration, assonance, irony, hyperbole. See: http://www.yourdictionary.com/rhetoric-and-rhetorical-devices

- Confident eye contact with the audience - Clear, audible delivery & pronunciation - Presenters were professional and business like at all times - Appropriately entertaining & a sense of humour -Time was used well/not rushed

Use of Visual Aids -Visual aids (OHP or PP of Flipchart, Audio-Visual and U Tube clips

are used where appropriate. -Visual aids are appropriately professional given the presentation’s context -They are easy to see/read – not cluttered - Innovative use of visual aids eg colour etc. -Media are used correctly--i.e., PP and/or any other media such as charts, posters etc. -Visual aids contribute to the overall effectiveness of the presentation

Audience Participation – Qs & As -The presenter(s) involved the audience and solicited feedback -Questions from the audience are effectively addressed and answered correctly and answered by more than one person

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 12

- NB: There must be at least one question from the audience before moving on to the next presenting group.

Adherence to Time Limit -The presenter(s) stayed within the allotted time limit - 10 minutes max.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 13

ISSUES and GUIDELIENSS RELEVANT TO ALL PARTS OF THIS

LAYERED ASSIGNMENT

1.Research the assignment topic and organization and write up the assignment

using the suggested format.

Finding Relevant Information:

Research additional and more current information on your Ivey case study organizations

such as company websites, annual reports, strategic reports, industry and sector reports

and umbrella organizations. Social media and digital media searches for current

information may also be useful. Also search within the Big 3 MBB publications and

magazines.

There is a significant amount of resources to draw from and should include the

following: UCW Library – on shelf and academic online resources should be your first

post of call.

See Core Textbook and other Texts books on strategy and management consulting.

- On Line and On Shelf Journals, preferably peer reviewed.

- Online Databases and Portals which contains many relevant strategy and peer

reviewed journals.

- Set up a “Google Alert” or a “Journal Article Alert” Updates” to get information

on a particular topic be mailed to you on a regular basis.

- Secondary References: chase up relevant references listed in the Footnotes &

Bibliographies of Journal Articles and at the back of Textbooks.

- Also consider YouTube and Social Media searches.

-

So, use the various academic sources and resources at your disposal such ad UCW

physical and online library and the various academic databases to find relevant

information including peer reviewed journal articles. Ensure you cite each source

correctly using the APA style. Read generally on the topic first starting with your core

textbook and then funnel your research into the specifics and micro-aspects of the

topic(s).

Writing Up the Assignment: Style and Substance:

Follow the suggested format under each Part. This is not rigid and allows for some

variation to suit your client needs.

Assignment Format and Checklist:

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 14

Word Count: As indicated under each part. This excludes any footnotes, references,

bibliography or appendices. The word count should be indicated on the pro-forma cover

page.

Format:

The assignment should be presented in word processed format adhering to the following

guidelines:

- Report style formal structure.

- Word only format, not PDF

- See the APA Template on the Library section.

- Clear paragraphing with headings and sub-headings.

- Use of plenty of white space, breaking up the text with visual aids, diagrams,

graphs, etc. If too bulky, put in Appendix.

- Double line spacing

- Numbered paragraphs 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 etc.

- Times New Roman 12

- Pages Numbered

- Table of Contents at front

- Executive Summary

- Consistent Style of APA Citation Referencing.- see Library Workshops

- Minimum of 4 references per part

- Proof Read and Spell Checked

- Contain completed Cover Sheet and signed Academic Integrity Declaration Form

(at end of this document) which includes the Assignment Title, Student Number, Year,

Course Part & Program and Word Count and which verifies that you have acknowledged

all references, the work is yours and that you have not plagiarised.

2. Academic Integrity:

Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct policy in the University

Canada West website located in MyUCW under the Registrar section. Plagiarism and

lack of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to:

• Submission of another person’s work as original;

• Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated in

the student's work; and

• Paraphrase or use of material verbatim from a source without sufficient

acknowledgement.

Falsifying Materials: includes, but is not limited to:

• Fraudulently manipulating laboratory processes, electronic data, or research data

in order to achieve desired results;

• Submitting work prepared by someone else (e.g., commercially prepared essays)

as one's own;

• Citing a source from which material was not obtained; and

• Submitting false records, information or data, in writing or orally.

Cheating: includes, but is not limited to:

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 15

• Submitting the same work for different courses without prior permission from the

faculty member;

• Copying another person’s answers or other work;

• Sharing information or answers when doing take-home assignments, tests, and

examinations except where the instructor has authorized collaborative work;

• Having any unauthorized materials or equipment in an examination or test;

• Submitting an assignment completed (or partially completed) by someone else;

• Falsifying or making up data or bibliographic information;

• Impersonating a candidate in an examination or test, or being assigned the results

of such impersonation;

• Reproducing, sharing or otherwise making unauthorized copies of UCW materials

in any format;

• Using technological means such as cell phones, data storage units and other

electronic devices without prior permission from the faculty; and

• Assisting others or attempt to help others to engage in any conduct described

above or any other activities prohibited by UCW.

Penalties for Academic Misconduct:

Penalties for academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• At the course level:

o Written reprimand for retention in the student file (no transcript entry)

o Repetition of the assignment or completion of a different, but similar, assignment

(no transcript entry)

o Failing grade for the assignment (no transcript entry)

o Failing grade for the course (recorded on transcript)

• At the program level:

o Disciplinary probation for a defined period with written documentation retained

in the student’s file (transcript notation for period of probation)

• At the University level:

o Suspension (permanent transcript entry)

o Expulsion (permanent transcript entry)

o Rescission of degrees granted (permanent transcript entry)

3. Follow and Double Check Each Part of Your Final Work Against the Assessment

and Critical Thinking Rubrics and Marking Scheme:

Assessment Rubrics:

To check your critical thinking, following dimensions will be considered: clarity, relevance, depth of

discussion, breadth of discussion, integration and internal consistency.

Assessment Rubrics:

Written Communication Assessment 20%

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 16

1

Did not meet

expectations

2

Met expectations

3

Exceeded

expectations

Writing

Conventions

(grammar, word use,

punctuation,

mechanics)

Frequent

grammatical errors

and misspellings

inhibit readability

Informal language,

abbreviations and

slang is used

Few grammatical

errors

and misspellings

(e.g.

three or fewer per

page)

Correct verb tense

used

Paragraphs flow

from

one to another Active

voice pervasive

Free of grammatical

errors

and misspellings

Effective verb tense

used

Uses phrases and

construction that

delight as

well as inform the

reader

Primarily active

voice

Overall

Effectiveness of

Piece (professional

appearance,

expression and

format)

Not formatted to

Specifications,

Lacking professional

appearance

Formatting is

generally

correct, acceptable

professional

appearance.

Assigned format

followed

explicitly:

Exceptional

professional

appearance

Critical Thinking Assessment 80%

Intellectual Standards

Elements of Reasoning Clarit

y

Relevan

ce

Depth Breadt

h

Integratio

n

Consiste

ncy

Information

(situation analysis;

important data, facts,

observations for analysis

and decision making)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Concepts

(theories, principles, models

to be applied in the analysis

or exercise)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Points of View

(important stakeholders to

consider in the analysis and

resulting decision(s))

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Assumptions

(presuppositions, values or

beliefs that must be

explicitly stated)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Implications

(potential +/- outcomes or

consequences of decisions

or

strategies)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Interpretation

(articulation of conclusions,

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 17

interpretation,

recommendation

based on information,

concepts,

POV, assumptions and

Implications)

Critical Thinking and Written Analyses Rubric – Scale Description

Levels

Criteria 1

Did Not Meet

Expectations

2

Met Expectations

3

Exceeded

Expectations

Clarity Writing is not clear. It

is

difficult to understand

points

being made. The

writing lacks

transitions, and few

examples and/or

illustrations are

provided to support

explanation or

recommendations.

Writing is generally well

organized and

understood. Transitions

are used to facilitate

clarity. Some examples

and/illustrations are used

to support explanation or

recommendations.

Writing is succinct,

precise,

effectively organized

and

without ambiguity.

Transitions, explanation

and elaboration are

extensive to elucidate

points. Detailed

illustrations and/or

examples are used to

support explanation or

recommendations.

Relevance Critical issues/questions

are

omitted or ignored in

the

writing.

Most of the critical

issues/questions are

addressed in the writing.

All critical

issues/questions

are addressed

completely in

the writing

Depth of

Discussion

Ignores bias; Omits

arguments

Misrepresents issues;

Excludes data; Includes

but does not detect

inconsistencies of

information; Ideas

contain

unnecessary gaps,

repetition or extraneous

details; Sees no

arguments and

overlooks

differences

Detects bias; Recognizes

arguments;

Categorizes content;

Paraphrases data;

Sufficient detail to

support conclusions

and/or recommendations

Analysis includes

insightful

questions;

Refutes bias; Discusses

issues thoroughly

Critiques content ;

Values

Information

Examine inconsistances

;

Offers extensive detail

to

support conclusions and

recommendations;

Suggests

solutions or

implementation

Breadth of

Discussion

Omits arguments or

perspectives; Misses

major

Covers the breadth of the

topic without being

superfluous

Considers multiple

perspectives;

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 18

content areas/concepts;

Presents few options

Thoroughly delves into

the issues/questions;

Thoroughly discusses

facts relevant to the

issues

Integration

of all

Elements of

Reasoning

Fails to draw

conclusions or

conclusions rely on

author’s

authority rather than

strength of presentation;

Draws faulty

conclusions; Shows

intellectual dishonesty

Formulates clear

conclusions with

adequate support

Assimilates and

critically

reviews information,

uses

reasonable judgment,

and

provides balanced, well

justified conclusions

Internal

Consistency

There is little

integration across

the sections of the

paper.

Several inconsistencies

or

contradictions exist.

Few of the issues,

recommendation and

explanations make

sense and are well

integrated.

Sections of the paper are

generally well

linked/connected. Only

minor contradictions

exist. Most of the issues,

recommendations and

explanations make sense

and are well integrated.

All sections of the

paper are

linked. There are no

contradictions in the

writing. All issues,

recommendations and

explanations make

sense

and are well integrated

Values: Level 1: 10%, Level 2: 50% and Level 3: 100%

Grade Point and Letter Grades:

DESCRIPTOR GRADE

Exceptional: Normally achieved by a small minority of students who have consistently exceeded performance expectations in all evaluation criteria.

90-100% A+ (4.33)

Excellent: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at high levels of performance in almost all of the evaluation criteria.

85-89% A (4.00)

Very good: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at well above average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

80-84% A- (3.67)

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 19

Good: Demonstrates substantial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average to above average performance levels in most of the course evaluation criteria

76-79% B+ (3.33)

72-75% B (3.00)

Satisfactory: Demonstrates sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

68-71% B- (2.67)

Pass: Demonstrates acceptable knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at low to average level of performance in many of the course evaluation criteria.

60-67% C (2.00)

Fail: Unacceptable performance in most or all of the course evaluation criteria

0-59% F (0)

Given the nature of “relative grading” (competition), your grades will normally follow

a normal distribution curve which means Grade A and A+ will be very rare and few as

will Fail Grades.

4. Complete and Sign the Academic Integrity Declaration Form.

All LT members should kindly fully complete the Assignment Cover Sheet including

the Academic Integrity Form. (a copy is on the last page of this brief.) An electronic

signature is acceptable, or you may physically sign and scan. Attach a signed copy of

this cover sheet to the final document before final submission.

NB: Screen shot the completed cover sheet and insert into the appendix of the

completed assignment. Do not insert as a document as it will drive up the Turnitin

Similarity score.

5. Put Each Part Through Turnitin With a Similarity Score of 20% Or Less.

If the Turnitin similarity score is greater than 30% it is an automatic fail. Between

20% and 30% incurs a penalty in marks and under 20% is fine. Please do NOT submit

the final document until at least 20% or less. You may submit as many times as you wish

in Turnitin, until you get it below 20%, before the final deadline.

This course requires you to submit your assignment in electronic form. The electronic

material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This

is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 20

in North American universities. For additional information please visit:

https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questi

ons_and_Answers.pdf

Having competed the Academic Integrity Certificate in Step No. 1 and you are still

unsure what plagiarism means, then please visit www. Plagiarism.org

The Turnitin Company has recently re-launched Plagiarism.org, an educational and

informative resource on plagiarism and best practices for ensuring originality in written

work. This site, geared toward students and writers in general, offers a wealth of

information specifically about plagiarism, as well as information on how to properly

attribute and cite sources. On Plagiarism.org, you'll also find an "Ask the Experts"

feature, FAQs, and a resource section with downloadable handouts. Also please visit

the UCW Library website.

On the Moodle page for this course part and assignment you will find the location where

you upload the assignment to Turnitin.

If you look at the assignment of a previous student who took this course, even just as a

reference, this is still plagiarism and cheating. Always use your own words and your

own voice as its your assignment and your ideas only. Even if your English is not

perfect it is always best to put in your own words rather than risk breaching academic

integrity. During exam, you’re not allowed to look at other people’s work under any

circumstances and the same rules apply for assignments.

Consequences and Penalties of Plagiarism:

• Explicit:

o 1st Offense: Zero on the assignment and one strike on your permanent student

record.

o 2nd Offense: Automatic failure of the course

o 3rd Offense: Expelled from the school

• Implicit

o UCW is a relatively small academic community of faculty and students where

everyone knows each other. Any blemish or damage to your reputation and your

personal and academic integrity will impact your professional standing and future

academic and professional options.

o If you are found guilty of cheating, you will be labelled as a “cheater” and you will

carry this reputation for the rest of your stay in this school and it may appear on your

academic record/transcript when looking for academic references in order to pursue

further studies and or when seeking employment.

Troubleshooting Turnitin:

If you encounter difficulties with your Turnitin submission, try one of these two

strategies (solves it 99% of the time)

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 21

1. Wait an hour or two or three and try submitting again

2. Try using a different web browser or computer.

Important: Please note the Instructor has no control or authority over the Turnitin system

so they are unable to help you if you have trouble with submission. You must contact

the IT department. So, allow sufficient time for any obstacles or delays. It is wise to

submit your assignment couple days before the due date, so you still have time to fix it

if you experience submission problems. If you submit your assignment at the last

moment and experience submission problems, there is nothing the instructor can do, and

you will incur a penalty for a late submission. If you email an Instructor on the weekends

with problems, they will not be able to reply to you until Monday. So, resolve issues in

a timely manner before the weekend and during the office hours of the Instructor and

UCW IT Department.

Turnitin Similarity Score 20%:

You may upload your assignment up to three times maximum, before the final

submission deadline so that you are below the 20% comparability score.

An assignment with a comparability score of greater than 20% will be penalized. So

please ensure you have a score of 20% or less before final submission.

Between 20 to 30%: A deduction of up to 30% of your grade will be made depending

on the case.

Over 30% is an automatic fail of the assignment and this will be reported to the Head

of Department for review and further action and possible sanctions.

If you use Grammerly as an initial check for similarity score, remember that Turnitin

will add a minimum of extra 15%-20% to the score you get from Grammerly so don’t

rely on it or trust the result.

If you believe you completed an honest assignment but still went over 20%? Then you

need to revisit your refences. If you did an inadequate job of researching for

references, you will end up including many references that other students have already

used, and this will increase your similarity score. There are millions of articles

available to enable you to complete a robust and rigorous literature review and a

systematic research process. Consult the UCW Librarians for help. They are the

experts on finding resources and hey are they to help you and make you a better

researcher.

If you go over 20% regardless of the reasons, penalties will apply and if you exceed

30% you will automatically fail the assignment.

Tips on Lowering Similarity Scores

1. No direct quotes from references (not even one sentence). Always paraphrase

everything and include proper citation. It is only fair that you acknowledge and give

credit to where you got the idea or concept from.

a. In other words, DON’T COPY ANY QUOTES from the references.

b. DO NOT directly copy the assignment questions to your assignment as this will

increase your similarity score.

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 22

2. Carry out a comprehensive review in researching so your references are not going to

overlap with other students’ assignments,

a. If it only took you 30 minutes to find a particular reference, chances are very

high that previous students already used those so if you use the same reference, it

will increase your similarity score. That is why Google Scholar should not be your first

port of call.

b. Avoid searching through Google and even Google Scholar and don’t include online

news articles and magazines.

c. Go to the library (not just our school but also other libraries) and search for

books

d. Search for online for peer reviewed journal articles from scholarly portals and

databases such as EBSCO and JSTOR

e. Sign up for “Journal Article Alerts” from such journal article publishers as “Wiley

Online”.

6. Submit Each Part of the Assignment, Online Via Student Portal(Moodle) by the

Stipulated Deadline.

The stipulated deadline for this assignment is on the cover page as well as in the

syllabus. Please double check the date and submit on time. Put the date in your cell

phone calendar. Please build sufficient time into your planning to allow for Turnitin to

produce a comparability report and % in time. One member of the LT should take

responsibility for submitting the final assignment.

Submit on the Moodle page for this course section, on the Turnitin link.

Late Assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10% of the final assignment grade, per

day.

Start Your Assignment Part 1 NOW! - One Step at a Time!

Do not wait until your assessment topic is covered in a lecture, if applicable, as it may

be too late. So, start your essay NOW with planning and information gathering. Work

on it every day, even if only for 15 minutes.

Be pro-active in your planning and not to rely on JIT (Just in Time) or last-minute

syndrome which is often part of the deadline-procrastination doom loop. Please read

these articles below to gain more insight into the psychology of procrastination and the

negatives of a last-minute approach to work.

1. Thompson, Derek (2014) The Procrastination Doom Loop—and How to Break It?

Delaying Hard Work is All about Your Mood. In the Atlantic August 26th Access full

article at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/the-procrastination-loop-and-

how-to-break-it/379142/

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 23

2. Jaffe, Eric (2014) Why Wait? The Science Behind Procrastination: After a Long

Delay, Psychological Science is beginning to Understand the Complexities of

Procrastination in Observer-Association for Psychological Science Access full article

at:

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2013/april-

13/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination.html

How to Create Instant Motivation and Break the Procrastination Habit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d7hf11XQns

Marking/Grading and Feedback Timeline:

Assuming a class size of 20 students it will take two weeks for the Instructor to grade

your assignment.

Feedback from the Instructor will be posted under the “feedback” section on the course

website.

Instructor, Contact Details and Appointments:

Dr. Pauric P. O’Rourke

PhD, MSc, MBS, LLM, B.A, CTLHR, PGC (Blended Learning), Fellow HEA, CMBE,

CPHR (Canada), SPHR (USA), Chartered MCIPD (UK)

If you wish discuss any issue with the Instructor please speak to them before or after

class. If at all possible, face to face communication is easier, quicker and clearer. If

you need to set up an appointment to meet in person with with the Instructor please give

adequate notice and indicate at least two suitable times. Please use the e mail message

facility in Moodle or MS Team/Zoom if you have to communicate in writing with the

Instructor.

E-Mail Etiquette:

If as a last resort, you choose to contact the Instructor by e mail, please ensure that the e

mail is written in a professional, courteous and business-like manner with proper

business English and format, such as Dear Pauric and Best regards etc. Cell phone Text

English/Slang is not acceptable. Failure to do so, will mean that you will not receive a

reply. Sending of any inappropriate or disrespectful communication, attachments or

commentary via e-mail or any form of social media, such as Twitter etc, will be

automatically reported to the University authorities for further action and possible

discipline and sanction.

When the Instructor answers your e mail and addresses your issue, it is considered

professional courtesy and basic good manners to reply with an e mail of thanks and

appreciation.

*****

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 24

Appendix A:

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 25

Appendix B:

STUDENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGMENT SUBMISSION COVER PAGE

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 – SPRING TERM

DEGREE PROGRAM: __MBA__________(VAN0 _)

YEAR/TIER: ________________________________

BUSI 640 – CONSULTING PRACTICE

LEARNING TEAM ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION (Indicate which one )

PART 1 - 5% _________

PART 2 - 15% _________

PART 3 - 10% _________

PART 4 - 5% _________

LT MEMBERS NAMES and STUDENT #: (print for clarity)

1. Name:________________________________Student #: ________________ 2. Name:________________________________Student #: ________________ 3. Name:________________________________Student #: ________________ 4. Name:________________________________Student #: ________________

WORD COUNT: ___________________

(excluding references/bibliography and appendices)

INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY DECLARATION:

We fully understand that plagiarism is a serious offence and we have read and understood the University’s policy

on plagiarism and academic integrity. We fully understand the consequences in terms of penalties and sanctions

that may be imposed by the University if we have not identified and properly attributed sources that have been

used, referred to or have in any way influenced the preparation of this assignment. Furthermore, we fully understand the consequences in terms of sanctions and penalties that the University may impose if we have

knowingly allowed others to plagiarise our work in any way.

We hereby declare that this assignment is solely our work based on our personal study and /or research and that we have acknowledged all material and sources used in its preparation. We also declare that this assignment has

not been previously submitted for assessment by us or by any other student at this or any other University or

college.

1.Signed: _____________________________ Date: _________2020_

2.Signed: _____________________________ Date: _________2020_

3.Signed: _____________________________ Date: _________2020_

4.Signed: _____________________________ Date: _________2020_

(Electronic Signature is acceptable)

BUSI 460 – LT Assignment Brief 26

Sample LT Contract/Charter – Please Create Your Own LT Personalised One :