The Integrated Management Project (IMP)

How the Unit works

IMP - spans across two semesters.

There are two submissions in IMP 1 in Semester 3:

1.  The first submission is a short proposal of 350-500 words which describes the nature of the problem being identified; what theories, tools and techniques are available to provide a business solution; and how the various parts of the business/ organisation come into play, i.e. the integrated nature of the problem is critical here. 

This means drawing on your previous and current units in your MBA - Leading and Managing People, Leadership styles and qualities from LP 1 & LP2, Accounting & Finance, Marketing, Competing in a Global Context, Operations and Project Management, Strategy, Entrepreneurship etc.  It is important that you should identify the problem within your own organisation. 

In-text references and citations are not required at this stage. 

This submission is due on or before Thursday6th Aprilvia a BREO ink.  The link will not work after this date and submissions will not be accepted by email. 

Your unit tutor will assess the proposal and indicate whether it is in the right direction. This submission is not graded.  It is, however, important to make this submission, as it informs the unit tutor how you are progressing towards your second submission. 

You will receive feedback on your assignment within 15 working days of the assessment due date.

2. The second part of IMP -1 is a 3000-word submission that addresses the assessment brief, which is to produce a report that:

Identifies an issue in your organisation that has multiple and varied approaches to its resolution. The issue need not be one of failure but may be a challenge facing an organisation. This should be current or impending but not a past issue. You will identify and integrate a range of theories and techniques drawn from multiple appropriate disciplines from your MBA in the creation of appropriate solutions.

So, how will you approach this assessment? 

By elaborating on the proposal and addressing the areas that the unit tutor has indicated in the feedback to your proposal.   Explain which theories, tools and techniques are being used and justify their choices.

Also, explore the approaches to manage the change that you are going to recommend - Hard and Soft methodologies.  Remember the integrated nature of the problem is critical here. 

In-text references and citations are required at this stage.

Once you have framed the problem you will identify and discuss theories, models and paradigms related to the problem.  Make sure that you look at the problem from different points of view and relate them to your learning from as many different units of the MBA.  For example:

• People - LMP, LP, MCI - how does your problem/ solution impact on the team & company? Performance, leadership, managing creativity/innovation etc.
• Financial aspect - AfL - How will your solution improve/ impact positively on the financial aspect of the company?
• Marketing - How does your problem/solution impact on the marketing dimension?
• Strategy - From the Strategy unit (Business Strategy) TCGC (locating your problem / organisation within the wider context of global business/ sector - macro-environmental impact - PESTEL, etc.) or business models and strategies from the unit on Entrepreneurship and Small Business
• Operations Management - How does the problem/solution impact on the supply chain, procurement and operational management issues?
• Project management - Consider the models for managing change and other project management theories or models. Can any of these be applied to your problem area? You may use the soft and hard systems approach within this context. Is there any other approach that would be appropriate? If so, present it (with appropriate referencing) and explain how and why it is more suitable to the task at hand.

This is not an exhaustive list and you may want to broaden the range of theories as you see fit.

Again, the unit tutor will be assessing the submission and indicating broadly whether it is headed in the right direction.  This is not a graded submission. It is, however, critical that all students make this submission as it ensures that they are well on track to have worked on a substantial part of the unit's final assessment.