MGT604 Strategic Management

MGT604 Assessment 2 Brief Page 1 of 7

Assessment Task

This is an individual assessment with a component of the work to be conducted in stakeholder teams

allocated by the lecturer.

In your stakeholder team, you are required to:

• Meet, discuss and agree on three strategy options • Apply strategy concepts in your stakeholder meeting discussions to identify options. • Produce a teamwork log

Individually, you are required to produce a white paper:

• Nominate the preferred strategy option and apply a strategy framework/s • Discuss the implications specifically relating to your part of the business • Include the team log in your paper’s appendix

Please refer to the Task Instructions for details on how to complete this task.

ASSESSMENT 2 BRIEF

Subject Code and Title MGT604 Strategic Management

Assessment Stakeholder Meeting Simulation and White Paper

Preliminary Outline

Individual/Group Individual

Length 500 word outline

Learning Outcomes The Subject Learning Outcomes demonstrated by successful completion of the task below include:

b) Critically evaluate different strategy formulation processes utilised by organisations and evaluate their relevance to particular organisational contexts

c) Develop and plan the implementation of a selected strategy for different organisational levels including for change management processes

Submission By 11.55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday End of Module 3.1 (Week 5)

Weighting 10%

Total Marks 100 marks

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Context

The assessment of this subject supports students in developing their skills and knowledge in

topics that include environmental assessment, problem diagnosis, strategy development, and

cultural and ethical contexts. Stakeholder meetings are a critical element in strategic

management. This assessment task provides experience and immersive understanding of the

complex interactions involved in the development of strategic choices, and the need to take

an integrative approach to problem solving.

Instructions

You are required to perform a simulated stakeholder meeting to discuss the scenario below.

Students will be assigned a role to play in the simulated stakeholder meeting. Roles will be

assigned to ensure each team has one of each of the stakeholders.

To do this assessment, it is necessary for you to know the responsibilities and interests of

the stakeholder that you are assigned to be. To assist you with this knowledge, each

stakeholder’s general scope of responsibilities is described below. It is suggested that

you take some time to research more about each stakeholder’s responsibilities so that

you can contribute effectively to the meetings and write your white paper.

The white paper is to be completed individually by each member of the team reflecting the

impact of the proposed strategy on their particular part of the business and should be

completed to the professional standard that would be required if the scenario were real.

Please Note: You will be placed in your stakeholder team by your facilitator and are

expected to conduct at least one (1) stakeholders meeting per week. Times and location are

to be arranged by the team.

The submission must be in Word document format.

Stakeholders description and interests

a) General Manager (GM) of the company

The GM has the final accountability to the CEO. The GM takes responsibility of the of the

company’s successes and failures of the company. The GM brings together the different

functions in the company (HR, Finance, Operations, etc.) and the interests of all the

stakeholders. A key issue for the GM is to maximise shareholder value and the long-term

sustainability of the company.

b) General Manager of key supplier

Obviously, the GM of the supplier has the same responsibilities in his company as the GM of the

case company below. The supplier is in the business of supplying goods and services which the

case company requires. The successes and failures of the supplier company are linked to the

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successes and failures of the case company.

c) Union official

General responsibility of the Union official is to represent the interest of workers. It also

includes conflict resolution between the employer and the workers and bargaining of behalf

of workers. It goes without saying that the workers would want the company to be financially

sustainable while they receive appropriate remuneration.

d) Operations manager (OM)

The general responsibilities of the OM are to ensure that productions of goods and services is

running efficiently. Therefore, the role includes both planning and implementing

production/manufacturing schedules including material and energy inputs among other

things. The OM understands the feasibility of attaining certain production levels and quality of

products/services.

e) Senior finance manager (SFM)

The general responsibilities of the finance manager are to ensure that the company is

financially sound. Therefore, the finance manager plans the long and short-term allocation of

resources as well as produce financial reports. For example, the SFM would be interested in

issues such as risk, capital availability, likely timing and amount of returns, etc.

Skuta Pty Ltd Scenario

The scenario provides you with a brief overview of a hypothetical company, ‘Skuta’ and a

contemporary scenario. Be aware that the scenario may not cover every detail that you will

need to address in the White Paper, in which case, you will need to conduct additional

research, including further research into the industry concerned.

[Skuta Pty Ltd is a privately-owned manufacturer of compact, high-quality electric scooters (e-

scooters) based in Sunbury, Victoria. Founded in 2018 it has enjoyed continuous year-on-year

growth until the last financial year. Skuta has a track record of innovation, and technology that

provides excellent value for money commuting in a compact foldable design able to operate

with rechargeable batteries for extended periods of time. The flagship ‘Skuta-way” models are

marketed on the basis of their extreme ruggedness, low maintenance cost, and reliability.

Features include front and rear LED safety lights, disc brakes, LCD display and rechargeable 56

volt lithium-ion battery. Much of the technology used in the product has been patented by

Skuta and is not currently available to other manufacturers.

The Skuta management team recognises that e-scooters are still being trialled in some states in

Australia but believe that some states will legalise privately-owned e-scooters soon. The future

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of e-scooters in Australia is uncertain, so Skuta’s CEO has requested the executive team meet

independently to develop a strategy to guide the company over the next five years.

Deliverables

The stakeholder meeting will discuss and agree on three strategy options for Skuta. In

doing so, the Stakeholder meeting may consider strategy options that exist in

adjacent markets or with related but different products or technologies. Remember

to apply strategy concepts in your stakeholder meeting discussions to identify

strategy options.

The deliverables required of each student are to produce a white paper covering the following: 1. Nominate the preferred strategy option and apply a strategy framework(s) to analyse and

justify why you believe it is the best strategy option for the company; and

2. Discuss the implications specifically relating to your part of the business, and

what challenges these might represent. Separate the discussion into short-term

and long-term issues.

Students are to address the assessment task from the perspective of their own functional

area of responsibility. Integrate theory in your white paper.

Suggested format

Your 500 word, individual, Preliminary Outline of your White paper should be structured as follows:

• Introduction - Provide background and context to the report. Tell the reader

what has happened in the past that has led to this report being needed. Be very

brief.

• Aim - State in a single sentence what this report is seeking to achieve.

• Discussion - Cover the key deliverables of the assessment described above.

Remember, you are providing an outline only. Adhere to the word limit and be thoughtful in

your response. The first attempt at an outline is rarely comprehensive or correct. Please

recognise that this will likely need to be revised through several iterations to arrive at an

outline that is of impact.

Teamwork Log

Students should also keep a log of how they have worked together as a team in the delivery of

this project. This includes meeting dates and times, meeting minutes/notes, a detailed

description of how tasks were allocated and completed (and by whom), copies of emails

and/or written discussion regarding the project, and any other evidence of teamwork that

students would like to include. All students involved in the project need to check the log before

submission. It is assumed that the final submission has been agreed between students as being

an accurate record of the work that has taken place for the project.

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The Teamwork log needs to be submitted with the assessment but is not a part of the overall

word count.

Referencing

It is essential that you use appropriate APA style for citing and referencing research. Please see more

information on referencing here in the Academic Writing Guide found via the Academic Skills

website.

Academic Integrity

All students are responsible for ensuring that all work submitted is their own and is appropriately

referenced and academically written according to the Academic Writing Guide. Students also need

to have read and be aware of Torrens University Australia Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure

and subsequent penalties for academic misconduct. These are viewable online.

Students also must keep a copy of all submitted material and any assessment drafts.

Submission Instructions

Assessment 2 Preliminary White Paper is to be written according to academic writing

guidelines and must be submitted in compliance with the following;

1. You should make significant references to the subject material and substantial wider

reading. A minimum of five (5) academic (books & peer-reviewed journal articles) &

two (2) other sources (newspaper article, trade publications, websites, etc.) must be

used. These should be referenced in the APA style, both in-text and in a reference list.

References to

‘Wikipedia’ or similar unsubstantiated sources will not be accepted. The assignment

is to include in-text citations and a reference list following the latest APA referencing

style. The APA referencing guide can be located in the Academic Writing Guide at

http://library.think.edu.au/ld.php?content_id=1882254

2. Students will also need to participate in the stakeholder meeting. Some class time

(for class-based students) will be allocated to this discussion. Online students will

need to participate in pre-organised forums/sessions. In addition, a summary of

notes and ideas discussed during team work sessions needs to be attached to your

submission as an appendix - see ‘Teamwork Log’ above (but will not form part of

your final word count).

3. Submit Assessment 2: Preliminary Submission (with references) via the Assessment

link in the main navigation menu in MGT604 Strategic Management on the Student

Portal

Students should use the brief to guide what to include in the assessment and the following

rubric to inform the standard required. The Learning Facilitator will provide feedback via Grade

Centre in the Student Portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades.

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Assessment Rubric

Assessment Attributes

Fail (Yet to achieve

minimum standard) 0-49%

Pass (Functional)

50-64%

Credit (Proficient)

65-74%

Distinction (Advanced)

75-84%

High Distinction (Exceptional)

85-100%

Research and comprehension Percentage for this criterion = 30%

Content does not adequately

demonstrate a postgraduate standard of detail and thought

Content somewhat superficial or with some gaps in understanding

Good coverage of the topic with clearly articulated explanation of the topic. Reasonable fit between

theory and practice

Thorough coverage of the topic. Good application of theory. Good use of credible sources

Comprehensive understanding; insightful discussion; excellent and relevant application of theory. Multiple and credible references used

Analysis and synthesis

Percentage for this criterion = 30%

Reader cannot understand the foundations of the topics from the information provided. Poor logic. No evidence provided to support arguments

Basic intent covered; analysis and arguments could be more convincing with some evidence provided

Reader understands the arguments presented through focused analysis and evidence

Reader has a good sense of the analysis and

evidence, which is well discussed in argument. Insights are drawn from synthesised information

Readers’ understanding of the analysis and arguments is clear; logical and well organised; detailed and insightful analysis; structured arguments; synthesis and understanding of links between issues

Writing mechanics

Percentage for this criterion = 15%

Layout is confusing; logic, flow and use of language difficult to follow; numerous spelling and

grammatical errors

Layout is adequate with acceptable logic flow and use of language. Some misspellings and grammatical errors

Overall presentation is easy to digest; language succinct and well chosen; less than four spelling and grammatical errors

Good presentation content and language; easy to read and draw conclusions; no more than two spelling and

grammatical errors

Overall style, use of language, figures and tables encourages comprehension; creative and engaging report

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Reflection and conclusions

Percentage for this criterion = 25%

Little reflection evident; unclear conclusions

Poor reflections and generic or somewhat irrelevant conclusions

Good reflections highlighting key aspects; relevant conclusions which are a mix of generic and specific conclusions

Rich reflections drawing from good research, analysis and synthesis. Relevant and specific conclusions

Insightful conclusions drawing well from the discussion and evidence; creative and insightful reflection with relevance to the topic

The following Subject Learning Outcomes are addressed in this assessment

SLO b) Critically examine how strategic management and core competencies can build and sustain competitive advantage in different organisational contexts

SLO c) Develop and plan the implementation of a selected strategy for different organisational levels including for change management processes