Assessment - Report

Applying Contextual Factors

Objectives

This assessment item relates to course learning outcomes numbers 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.

Purpose

This is an individual assessment task in which students will examine and apply critical issues related to business and management context. The purpose of the task is to assist you in gaining a greater understanding of the internal contextual factors that impact on a business and the way that decisions are made in an organisation.

Before starting this assessment please read the marking criteria (shown on Moodle, and in the Unit Profile) and refer to other resources provided on the Moodle site for this course.

Description
Building on the business idea you detailed in Assessment 1 (Part A), you will prepare a report that outlines how your idea may be impacted by one of the contextual factors discussed in weeks 6, 7 and 8. This could include potential benefits as well as possible challenges.

As Masters students, you are required to engage in research as per the Australia Quality Framework (AQF) guidelines. Two specific requirements need to be considered. 1. Students need to demonstrate "a body of knowledge that includes the understanding of recent developments in a discipline and/or area of professional practice, and 2. Students must demonstrate "knowledge of research principles and methods applicable to a field of work and/or learning".

This unit has a number of required weekly readings in terms of academic texts, journals and business publications that represent the appropriate body of knowledge and recent developments referred to by the AQF. In order to demonstrate the ability to engage in appropriate research, students should read and utilise these texts and journals and publications. As Masters students, you are expected to research beyond this minimum standard through additional texts, journals and studies to demonstrate an ability to engage in independent research.

Details

You will prepare a report designed to explain how your business idea could be improved through better consideration of a chosen contextual factor. This includes capitalising on the potential benefits associated with the factor, along with addressing the potential challenges. You can choose one of the following contextual factors to have as the main focus of your report:

- Regional Economic Issues OR
- GlobalisationOR
- Cross Cultural Management

The course coordinator will provide a video that explains the requirements of the task in greater detail, along with several other useful pieces of information about the assignment, and this video will bemade available on the Moodle site.

The marking criteria is also provided on the Moodle site, but is shown below as well for convenience. Your assessment will be marked based on how well it addresses the following areas:

Students are to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter by:
- Defining key terms and utilising the theories and concepts presented in topics 1-8 (with the specific use of topic 6, 7 or 8).
- Explaining major internal and external contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
- Providing well justified and feasible business recommendations based on the analysis conducted.
- Demonstrating a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources.
- Correctly using the APA referencing system to cite academic sources in-text and in the reference list.
- Correctly using the report structure and using appropriate conventions of academic writing.

These are the minimum requirements as outlined in the marking criteria available on the moodle site and in the unit profile. However, students should note that satisfactorily meeting the minimum requirements will typically only result in the minimum pass grade being awarded. Higher grades will be awarded for students that exceed these minimum requirements. See the marking criteria for further details.