Assessment Brief
Academic year and term: |
2022/23 – Semester A |
Module title: |
Strategy in Practice |
For further module description see Module Brief. |
|
Assessment
deadlines: |
Online
test (25%) due in week 7 Individual
Poster (4 pages, 750 words max.): TBA |
Instructions
for assessment: Summative components overview
Components of summative
assessment
|
Individual or group
submission? |
Word count |
Weighting |
Must Attempt Y/N |
Must Pass Y/N |
Sub-components |
Online test (multiple choice questions) |
Individual |
N/A |
25% |
N |
N |
n/a |
Poster (4 pages, 750 words) |
Individual
|
Max. 750 |
75% |
N |
N |
n/a |
Online test
Test will be open
on 5 November at 8:00AM and will close on 13 November 10:00PM. You can take the
test at any time in that period (but only once). You will have 75 minutes to
answer 25 multiple choice questions. Note that once you start the test it
CANNOT be paused (you have to compete it in one go). If you do not submit
within 75 minutes your test will be submitted automatically.
Instructions for assessment: poster
For the purpose of this assessment component, you should select one firm
from the list of 5 companies given (the list can be found on moodle in the
Assessment section).
Please note that you are not asked to provide an in-depth analysis and
discussion, it is a poster. You will still need to carry out research and
analysis in order to address the requirements. Also, marks will not be
allocated for displaying generic models or discussing these, so do not waste
your words on description (or critical appraisal) of models you have been asked
to use. It is all about application and marks will be allocated only for
that. Please follow the brief and do exactly what you were asked to do!
USE THE PROVIDED
TEMPLATE TO SUBMIT THE POSTER!
For the chosen company, address the following:
Task 1: Business Environment (20%)
External analysis (business
environment).
(In total list 6
to 8 external issues in the business environment. Each issue should be named
and concluded as an O or a T. No need to address each category.)
Clearly state the industry the chosen company is competing in and the
context of your research (e.g. geographical location). Then identify 6-8
external business issues in that environment (clearly naming each and
concluding each as an Opportunity or a Threat). There is no need to cover each
category (e.g. if there are no important legal issues do not list any).
Concentrate on important issues specific to that business environment. Provide
a short explanation for each issue listed (200 max. in total for the whole
PESTEL; provide sources – in-text references). Use PESTEL table in the template
provided (on moodle in the Assessment section) to address this task.
Task 2: Organisation’s
resources (20%)
Resources (human, physical, intangible) (10%)
Identify 5
specific and unique resources for the firm (from the following categories:
human, physical and intangible) naming each and concluding it as a Strength (S)
or a Weakness (W) for the organisation.
Provide a short discussion/explanation for each (why do you think it is
an S or a W), a maximum of 200 words in total. Use Resources table in the
template provided (on moodle in the Assessment section) to address this task
and do not forget to provide in-text references as appropriate.
Financial resources (10%)
Calculate each
ratio (or provide references if obtained from elsewhere) and interpret each
ratio (what does it mean for the financial position of the organisation). Is
financial position of the organisation their Strength or their Weakness)? Use Financial
analysis table in the template provided (on moodle in the Assessment section)
to address this task.
Task 3: Organisation’s capabilities
(activities/competences) (20%)
Identify important distinctive competences (activities/capabilities) for
the organisation using the following models:
·
Value Chain: List 7-10 distinctive activities (competences) of
the organisation (use Value Chain table in the template provided, on moodle in the
Assessment section, to address this task).
·
VRIO: Select 5 activities from the Value Chain and apply VRIO to these (copy these 5
activities to VRIO table) in search of Core Competences. Use VRIO table
in the template provided, on moodle in the Assessment section, to address this
task.
·
Select
one of the competences listed in VRIO table and discuss your reasoning behind
V, R and I for that competence (100 words max.). Use a table in the template
provided, on moodle in the Assessment section, to address this task.
Task 4 (40%)
Apply the TOWS matrix (TOWS
is provided in the template on moodle in the Assessment section) to recommend a
set of new strategic options (at
least ONE no more than THREE) for the organisation from 2022 to 2027 in one or
more beige/yellow fields of the TOWS. Note that there
should not be any new issues listed in blue fields (those are issues you
already identified as Os, Ts, Ss and Ws in tasks 1, 2 and 3).
Then choose one of the new strategic options and check its Suitability. While
justifying your recommendation (Suitability), make references to findings from Task
1 – PESTEL (reflect upon Opportunities and Threats) and Tasks 2 and 3 (reflect
upon what resources and competences/capabilities/activities the company should
utilise to ensure successful implementation of your recommendation).Clearly demonstrate what issues have been
linked while contemplating each recommendation (e.g. S1,S2,S5,S6-O1,O4).
Poster
structure and presentation (10%)
You must use the provided
template (it can be found on moodle in the Assessment section).
You should produce a professional, well written and organised poster (not
an essay or a report). You still need to provide evidence to support your
arguments (all data should be appropriately referenced). To reduce the word
count, it is recommended that you mark in-text references in brackets, for
example (1) and then provide a list of references at the end.
It is important to write in a clear and concise manner. You need to
demonstrate that you understand the models by applying these to the chosen
company (resources, financial analysis, Value Chain, VRIO) and its business
environment (PESTEL). You also need to make at least one recommendation and
demonstrate its suitability (TOWS).
An example will be provided
on moodle, please make sure that you look at it!
Please see the marking
scheme (rubric) on the next page.
Additional instructions for Re-sit
The same assignment task
as for the main assignment period applies to the re-sit, with further
instructions see below.
Re-sit deadlines will be published via Moodle.
Visit the module’s Moodle site and check your Roehampton email account on a
regular basis. The school is not obliged to check whether you have noticed re-sit
deadlines.
You are required to improve your original work (according to the feedback given) and resubmit it using the specific re-sit Turnitin link/s on Moodle.
Marking scheme (rubric)