Assessment details MBA8000 Semester 2 2015
Description Marks out of Wtg% Due Date
Assignment 1: Research Design (2,500 words 100 25 1 September 2015
Assignment 2: Ethical essay and critical reflection 100 40 20 October 2015
Examination 100 35 End of semester
Notes
1. All written assessment MUST be submitted electronically via the study desk link. No hard copies will be accepted.
2. Submissions are to be labelled with your surname first, your initials, and the last three digits of your student number; for example, SMITH_JA_789.
3. Work is to be submitted using a Word format (2010 or earlier). Assignments submitted in a PDF format cannot be marked and will be returned to students un-assessed.
4. Assignments are expected to have a title page which includes your student name (as it appears on your enrolment record), your student number, the course name and the assessment task as prescribed in the Communications Skills Handbook. You do not need to have a formal USQ assessment coversheet if you have this information on your title page. You will need to copy the declaration onto your title page or you can copy and paste the formal USQ coversheet information.
5. Times and dates refer to Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
6. Late submissions will incur a penalty unless a request for an extension has been made prior to the due date and such an extension has been granted. Please note the USQ policy on extensions found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/documents.php?id=14749PL particularly section 4.2.4 which states:
4.2.4 Late submission of Assignments
Students can apply for an extension of time to submit an Assignment at any time up to the deadline. Students are strongly advised to make a request for an extension as soon as their need becomes apparent. Delay in making a request involves the risk that there will be insufficient time (with consequential loss of Marks) if the request is refused.
The Course Examiner may grant a short extension of the deadline for submission of an Assignment. Extensions are usually granted only in cases of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances in accordance with the Assessment of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances Procedure. Generally, extensions will be limited to a maximum of five University Business Days. A Student requiring an extension for a period of time in excess of this should consider applying for a Deferred Assessment as per section 4.4 'Deferred, Supplementary and Varied Assessment Items and Special Consideration' of these procedures.
Granting of an Assignment extension is considered a significant concession. Applications may be rejected if there is reason to believe that the Student is seeking an unfair advantage as might be suggested by a pattern of repeat requests for Assignment extensions.
Applications for extensions must be made in writing to the Course Examiner together with accompanying documentation as specified in the Assessment of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances Procedure.
The application and all supporting documentation must be submitted electronically.
An Assignment submitted after the deadline without an approved extension of time will be penalised. The penalty for late submission without a pre-approved extension will be specified in the assignment instructions. At the very least, the penalty for late submission is a reduction by 5% of the maximum Mark applicable for the Assignment, for each University Business Day or part Business Day that the Assignment is late. An Assignment submitted more than ten University Business Days after the deadline will have a Mark of zero recorded for that Assignment.
Course Examiners may refuse to accept Assignments for Assessment purposes after Marked Assignments and/or feedback have been released. If Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances appear to exist, Course Examiners must consider these before refusing to accept an Assignment.
Examination
The final exam will be of 2 hours duration and will consist of a number of short answer questions relating to various topics that have been discussed and explored during the semester. Responses should take the form of short essays of approximately 300 words. Students who participate in the course discussion forums, submit all assessment tasks and who read widely and engage with the course activities will be well placed to perform well on the final examination.

Assignment 1 – Research Design
Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date Word limit
Assignment 1 100 25 1 September 2015 2,500
Assignment Background
Health and fitness have become increasingly important issues in the twenty-first century. With concerns about rising obesity levels and a greater understanding of the importance of good nutrition, consumers have been demanding healthier food options from their out-of-home dining choices.
Responding to the market – assignment overview
A local fast-food restaurant has recently been put into receivership and the receivers want to collect more information about the operating environment of this business ultimately to determine if it has a viable future or not. To do this they want to know the answers to 3 main questions. They have decided to tender a contract for a research company to get these answers and as luck would have it you have just started your own research company.
Food Receivers Inc, has put out a tender for research companies to provide answers to ONE of the following questions. Food Receiver’s Inc is very clear that it wants a different research company for each question so your bid only needs to address one of these questions.
1. What are the current attitudes and values of the general population toward the consumption of fast food and how can this be used to identify any opportunities or gaps in the market that this business could exploit?
OR
2. What are the issues related to quality productivity and professionalism amongst employees in this industry given the high reliance on casual and part-time workers who are often teenagers and who do not see these jobs as careers?
OR
3. How does the local community feel about this business, given that the previous owners have left people without jobs and suppliers unpaid for services? What do people think in terms of the social responsibility of this company and will it have any negative impact on the company for future trading business models.
The Assignment Task
You are required to pick ONE of these questions to focus on for your assignment. You are to write a bid to conduct a program of research for Food Receiver’s Inc. to uncover the answers to one of these questions. In your bid you need to outline the research design you would recommend and what data collection and statistical tests, if any, should be used to answer the question and you need to defend your recommendations with appropriate theory.
When research companies bid for work in these cases they expect their proposals to be compared to other organizations. You need to therefore consider this in the way you present the information in your proposal, in the language you use and in ensuring that all recommendations are well supported and defended. Remember that Food Receiver’s Inc is looking for this information to determine whether and under what business models, the business should continue. So your research proposals need to consider the managerial decisions that are going to be made with this information.
Assignment Structure
Your report should include the following elements:
1. A brief introduction identifying the question you have focused on and the background for your bid (keep this short and to the point).
2. A short literature review or summary of secondary data from existing sources that relates to your research question (approximately 500 words) for example if you are exploring people’s fast food eating preferences then you might explore what is already known about the changes in food preferences, food values and society’s reaction to fast food. By contrast if you were exploring consumer sentiment about social responsibility you would investigate what currently we know about this issue. This literature review is specifically designed to provide background information on the issue (what we already know so that you can build on this knowledge); what previous research has been done in this area (what techniques and tools were used that you might also use); and what remains still unknown (the focus of this research). You should look to build on the research designs previously used in any existing studies;
3. A statement of the research question(s) and objectives for this piece of research – what is it you intend this research program to achieve and what questions it will address – keep this focused and brief;
4. A recommended research design and methodology justified and supported with appropriate theory (from the applied business research literature) and evidence that will best address the research question and provide answers to the receivers. This includes discussion about whether you are recommending a qualitative or quantitative approach (and why – justified and supported with theory), and within this what specific methods you are recommending (from the list of possible options) and why;
5. Recommendations about the most appropriate sample unit and sampling methodology (also with justification) to match the design you are recommending and in this discussion show you have identified issues related to the research ethics of this proposed research and how you will address these;
6. A discussion of the data (questions) that would need to be collected – being as specific as possible and showing evidence of an understanding of the form and level of data required to answer the research questions and how these ultimately will allow you to address the overarching research objective or question;
7. A discussion of the type and level of analysis that should be conducted with this data to address the research questions (supported with theoretical justification); and
8. A discussion about the validity and reliability elements of your proposed research plan and any limitations of the research that should be considered by the Food Receivers Inc board when viewing your findings and suggestions.
9. Finally, a summary statement about how this design will address the issue that Food Receivers Inc is interested in exploring and will provide the answers to their questions – about one or two paragraphs at most.
You DO NOT have to collect data, actually design a questionnaire or conduct any primary research for this assignment.
Format of the Assignment
This assignment is to be presented as a full formal report (including letter of transmittal, executive summary etc) See the Communications Skills Handbook for more information if you are unsure of this format and the requirements. The assignment needs to be submitted through the study desk by the due date (see the study desk).
Marking Criteria for Assignment 1
Below the standard required.
0 – 49% Meets acceptable standard.
50 – 65% Exceeds acceptable standard.
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Introduction of the program of research
10 marks The student has failed to provide a sound overview of their proposed program of research and does not clearly align it to one of the three key question areas proposed. The student has provided an acceptable overview of their proposed program of research and it aligns it to one of the three key question areas proposed. The student has provided a sound overview of their proposed program of research and clearly aligns it to one of the three key question areas proposed. The student has provided a comprehensive overview of their proposed program of research and clearly aligns it to one of the three key question areas proposed.
Short literature review
25 marks The student has presented a literature review that is below the standard required based on the following:
• Does not provides an adequate coverage of known research.
• Does not clearly identify the gaps that are linked to this program of research.
• Does not show evidence of a depth of analysis
• Shows little evidence of an appropriate standard of information literacy techniques.
• Is largely descriptive with limited attempt to review and critique the information provided.
• Does not evidence alignment to the overall research objective and questions. The student has presented a literature review that is acceptable based on the following:
• Provides an adequate coverage of known research.
• Generally identifies the gaps that are linked to this program of research.
• Evidence of an acceptable depth of analysis.
• Shows emerging mastery of appropriate level of information literacy techniques .
• Is largely descriptive with some attempt to review and critique the information provided.
• Shows some alignment to the overall research objective and questions.
The student has presented a literature review that is very good based on the following:
• Provides and sound coverage of known research.
• Clearly identifies the gaps that are linked to this program of research.
• Evidence of a good depth of analysis.
• Shows some mastery of appropriate level of information literacy techniques.
• Is generally not descriptive with a high standard of review and critique of the information provided.
• Shows clear alignment to the overall research objective and questions.
The student has presented a literature review that is excellent based on the following:
• Provides an excellent and detailed coverage of known research.
• Clearly identifies the gaps that are linked to this program of research.
• Evidence of an excellent depth of analysis.
• Shows mastery of appropriate level of information literacy techniques.
• Is critical and analytical and reviews the information provided to a high standard
• Shows clear alignment to the overall research objective and questions.
Below the standard required.
0 – 49% Meets acceptable standard.
50 – 65% Exceeds acceptable standard.
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Statement of the research question
10 marks The student has largely failed to identify one focused research project that aligns with their identified key research question areas.
The student may not have provided a clear statement of the research question and objectives for this piece of research.
The objectives do not appear to be measurable, rational, focused and or clearly relevant for the main program of research identified in the first section.
The student has identified one focused research project that aligns with their identified key research question areas.
The student has provided a clear statement of the research question and objectives for this piece of research.
In general, the objectives are measurable, rationale, focused and relevant for the main program of research identified in the first section.
The student has identified one focused research project that aligns with their identified key research question areas.
The student has provided a clear and well-articulated statement of the research question and objectives for this piece of research.
The objectives are measurable, rational, focused and are clearly relevant for the main program of research identified in the first section.
The student has clearly justified one focused research project that aligns with their identified key research question areas.
The student has provided a clear, well-articulated and succinct statement of the research question and objectives for this piece of research.
The objectives are measurable, rational, focused and are clearly relevant for the main program of research identified in the first section.
Recommended research design and methodology
25 marks The student has presented a research design and methodology recommendation lack lacks many or all of the elements required as follows:
• theoretical justification for the design and methods proposed
• Consideration of the various merits and disadvantages of the various methods provided as further evidence of the final recommendation
• Alignment of final recommendations to the research question and objectives. The student has presented a satisfactory research design and methodology recommendation and has included most of the elements required as follows:
• Attempted to use theoretical justification for design and methods proposed
• Some consideration of the merits and disadvantages of the various methods provided as further evidence of the final recommendation
• Attempted to show how final recommendations align to research question. The student has presented a good research design and has included all of the elements required as follows:
• Good use of theoretical justification for the design and methods proposed
• Discussion and critique of the various methods provided as further evidence of the final recommendation
• Final recommendations show consideration of alignment to the research question and objectives The student has presented an excellent research design and has included all of the elements required as follows:
• Consistent and detailed theoretical justification for the design and methods proposed
• Discussion and critique of the various methods provided as further evidence of the final recommendation
• Final recommendations show clear alignment to the research question and objectives
Below the standard required.
0 – 49% Meets acceptable standard.
50 – 65% Exceeds acceptable standard.
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Discussions about the sampling unit and methods of sampling
10 marks The student has provided insufficient evidence of their understanding of issues related to sampling methods.
• Sample unit is either not discussed or poorly presented
• Sampling method does not clearly align to research question and objectives
• Appropriate and relevant theory has not been used to support and defend recommendations. The student has provided sufficient evidence of their understanding of issues related to sampling methods.
• Sample unit is adequately discussed and defended
• Sampling method aligns to research question and objectives
• Attempt to use appropriate and relevant theory to support and defend recommendations. The student has provided good evidence of their understanding of issues related to sampling methods.
• Sample unit is clearly and fully discussed & defended
• Sampling method aligns clearly to research question and objectives
• Appropriate and relevant theory used to support and defend most recommendations. The student has provided sufficient evidence of their understanding of issues related to sampling methods.
• Sample unit is discussed and defended to an excellent standard
• Sampling method aligns clearly to research question and objectives
• Appropriate and relevant theory used to support and defend all recommendations.
Discussions about data and analysis methods including issues of validity and reliability
10 marks
The student has provided an unsatisfactory level of discussion about the data to be collected and analysis techniques required for the research proposed.
• Little or no attempt to identify the questions to be answered
• Little or no attempt to address issues of levels of data and types of data
• Little or no attempt to align discussions about data requirements to data analysis
• Little or no attempt to discuss data analysis issues and recommendations made
• Few if any recommendations are supported with theoretical justification.
• No discussion on validity and reliability issues. The student has provided a satisfactory level of discussion about the data to be collected and analysis techniques required for the research proposed.
• Attempted to identify the questions to be answered
• Attempted to address issues of levels of data and types of data
• Attempted to align discussions about data requirements to data analysis
• Attempted to discuss data analysis issues and recommendations made
• Most recommendations are supported with theoretical justification.
• Issues of validity and reliability discussed in brief. The student has provided a good level of discussion about the data to be collected and analysis techniques required for the research proposed.
• The questions to be answered by the research plan have been mostly identified
• Discussion regarding levels of data and types of data has been presented
• Discussions about data requirements mostly align to data analysis recommendations
• Data analysis issues and recommendations have been made
• Recommendations are supported with some form of theoretical justification.
• Issues of validity and reliability discussed in detail. The student has provided an excellent level of discussion about the data to be collected and analysis techniques required for the research proposed.
• The questions to be answered by the research are well documented and clearly aligned to the research objectives
• Issues of levels of data and types of data have been explored and discussed fully
• Discussions about data requirements align closely and clearly to data analysis recommendations
• Data analysis issues have been identified and recommendations made
• All recommendations are supported with sound and appropriate theoretical justification.
• Issues of validity and reliability comprehensively discussed.
Below the standard required.
0 – 49% Meets acceptable standard.
50 – 65% Exceeds acceptable standard.
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Structure and format
10 marks The student has not submitted an error free manuscript and/or has failed to adhere to the required format as follows:
• incorrect formal report style
• not within the word limit
• does not contains labelled tables, graphs and figures to present data;
• contains grammatical and/or typographical errors
• contains referencing style errors The student has mostly submitted an error free manuscript and has generally adhered to the required format as follows:
• correct formal report style
• within the word limit
• contains labelled tables, graphs and figures to present data;
• contains few or no grammatical and/or typographical errors
• few or no referencing style errors The student has submitted an error free manuscript and has adhered to the required format as follows:
• correct formal report style
• within the word limit
• contains labelled tables, graphs and figures to present data;
• contains few grammatical and/or typographical errors
• few referencing style errors. The student has manuscript that is exemplary and adheres to the required format as follows:
• correct formal report style
• within the word limit
• contains labelled tables, graphs and figures to present data;
• contains no grammatical and/or typographical errors
• no referencing style errors.
Total / 100
Less marks for lateness (up to 5% per working day or 5 marks per day)
General feedback:
Assignment 2 – Ethical essay and critical reflection
Description Marks out of Wtg(%) Due date Word limit
Assignment 2 100 40 20 October 2015 3,000
Background
Reflective writing is the evidence of reflective thinking and reflective thinking is part of the critical thinking process where people analyse, evaluate and make judgements about behaviour, events, experiences and outcomes to make sense of what happened and to learn how to do things differently in future situations. The practice of reflective thinking will be introduced in this assessment task along with critical analysis skills for determining ethical conflicts and how to deal with them in a business context.
Reflective thinking is an intellectual exercise that not only requires people to think about past happenings, but to also identify and acknowledge how their personal bias, beliefs and assumptions impact the process. This course has exposed you to the realisation that different ethical perspectives or models exist and that there is a need to bridge the gap between Normative Ethics and Applied Ethics in everyday business practice. Business people often become so enmeshed in the practice of business that they lose the ability to discern and react to possible ethical dilemmas and they can forget that different ethical perspectives will result in different and justifiable courses of action in the workplace.
This assessment requires you to demonstrate the development of techniques required to evaluate and comment on business scenarios in terms of their surface and deep ethical issues. This assessment task presents you with a case study and asks you to consider the different ethical issues and conflicts presented and to prepare a position paper on the issue to those in more senior roles. In order to do this however you first need to have developed an understanding of your own personal ethical theory and how this influences how you perceive and interpret information.
Step 1 – Identify your own ethical perspective or theory and the principals associated with it
The first step in being able to deeply evaluate and critique a potential ethical dilemma is to have a sound understanding of your own ethical theory or perspective. Whilst the process of developing an ethical theory perspective can take years, in this course you have been exposed to the work of many great thinkers and practioners in this area. The process of choosing and recognising your own personal ethical theory requires introspection and evaluation to determine what you think is best and the most correct theory for most applied situations. This process forms the first stage of this assessment task. You are to write a personal reflection of your thinking, of your reading and of your testing the various moral and ethical maxims presented to you in this course to reach a conclusion about your personal ethical theory. What ethical model you subscribe to and why? How your background, religion, culture and experiences have led you to this conclusion.
This course has presented you with normative theories of ethics as a starting point for your reflective journey. These have been further divided into consequentialist (Egoism and Utilitarianism) and non-consequentialist (Deontological – Kant & Ross) theories as well as the concepts of Virtue Ethics and Duty of Care. Read about each of these perspectives in some detail and think about their overriding principles and the views of these different approaches in relation to ethical thinking and practice. Decide which one you think best reflects your thinking about ethics, right and wrong and professional practice.
For example if you are inclined to view reality as an extension of evolutionary biology or that group advantage immediately entails a moral aught, then you have a tendency to lean toward Utilitarianism. If, on the other hand you think that people should act from pure duty alone without reference to anything except the rightness of the action then a Deontological perspective fits more with your thinking. Finally if you consider yourself a communitarian where you believe that specific virtues such as courage, wisdom, self-control and piety consistently exist across every society then you are likely to choose Virtue Ethics as your model. To assist you in this task the first stage of this assessment requires you to complete the following task:
Consider the following scenario:
You are on the executive committee of the XYZ Corporation of health care professionals. Each year the committee gives and award to one of its members who display high moral character in his or her work. This year you are among the four judges who will determine the recipient of the award. There is some disagreement among the judges. However. About what constitutes a good person? The judges, besides yourself, are Ms Smith, Mrs. Taylor and Mr Jones. The candidates for the award are Mr Little and Mrs Big.
Ms Smith thinks that the award should go to Mrs Big because she saved a man from drowning. However Mr Jones does not agree. He has suggested that Mrs Big’s motives are suspect because the man she saved was in the midst of a very big financial deal with Mrs Big. If he had drowned Mrs Big would have lost a lot of money. Ms Smith has suggested that the motives for the action are not important nor of relevance to this judging as it is the goodness of the act that should count and the man who was saved runs a large business that employs many people. In her mind many people besides Mrs Big would have been harmed if Mrs Big had not saved the man.
Mr Jones wants the award to go to Mr Little because he performed a kind act of charity in chairing the town’s United Way Campaign last year and raised thousands of dollars toward improving the town’s schools for everyone to share. Surely such an act could not be said to have benefits Mr Little in any way – unlike Mrs Big.
Mrs Taylor is unsure about whether Mrs Big or Mr Little should get the award as they have both been recommended on the basis of one single good act. Mrs Taylor believes it would be better to choose a candidate who has shown over time to have performed many good actions and to be of good character. After all, she says, ‘a single swallow does not make a spring!”. Mrs Smith and Mr Jones scratched their heads at this remark and turned to you to make a decision. Who is right and what do you decide?
1. Describe how you might approach this situation using a consequentialist view, a non-consequentialist view and a virtue ethics view showing clearly how the decision would differ using each different perspective and why?
2. State your own assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each theory or approach; and
3. Make a conclusion from this exercise about which approach would be most consistent with your personal worldview or your own personal ethical theory perspective and why. You are then to use this perspective as the lens to consider the next scenario.
Step 2 – Using your understanding of your own ethical theory, find the conflicts and identify the professional practice issues versus the ethical issues in this business scenario.
You are the operations manager for XYZ Sports Apparel. This company has recently opened a factory in Guadalajara, Mexico to make various casual sports apparel. Your product advantage is that XYZ’s clothes are impregnated with a special chemical that will completely block harmful UV radiation from sunlight. This will protect the wearers from developing melanoma from long-term exposure to sunlight through the pursuit of outdoor activities.
The problem is that this chemical has been anecdotally linked to miscarriages. Your company has met all of Mexico’s published safety standards even though the chemical has not been approved in the Australia or the USA and is banned in Europe. You believe that there is not enough conclusive evidence to suggest that exposure to this chemical will result in increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women who wear the clothing. There is however, considerable evidence that melanoma is the number one cause of skin cancer deaths in the USA and in Australia. The potential “health” benefit appeal will be tremendously profitable for the company and there are no laws being broken in any country by manufacturing this product.
In spite of this your management team is still concerned. You have been asked to write a memo to your vice president of marketing in the US home office with your recommendations about what the company should do. In your memo you will need to justify your view with your own ethical theory, your view on the rights and responsibilities of an organisation (does it have the same rights and responsibilities as an individual?) and any other practical and ethical considerations particularly the likely costs involved to make changes to this practice now.
Format
Your total essay and critical reflection should be no more than 3,000 words in length and take the format as described below.
Section 1 – Your own personal reflection and identification of your personal ethical theory using the scenario provided. This should be approximately 1,000 words and should include appropriate ethical theory to support your thinking.
Section 2 – Write a memo as outlined in the second scenario (approximately 2,000 words), addressed to the Marketing Manager of XYZ Sports Apparel with your recommendation about this scenario. In your memo you need to ensure you:
1) Identify and justify the ethical issues presented in the case supported by your own ethical theory (from section 1) and appropriate theory;
2) Identify and differentiate professional practice issues from the ethical issues in the case, using appropriate theory to support your claims;
3) Ensure you have clearly outlined your view on what is a corporation and what its ethical rights and responsibilities should be using appropriate theory; and
4) Your final recommendations for what the company should do.


Marking Criteria for Assignment 2
Below the required standard
0 – 49% Meets the required standard
50 – 65% Exceeds the required standard
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Section 1 - Self-reflection of ethical theory (40 marks) : Did the student:
• Describe how they approached this situation showing clearly how the decision would differ using each different perspective and why using:
• a consequentialist view,
• a non-consequentialist view; and
• a virtue ethics view.
• State their own assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each theory or approach; and
• Make a conclusion from this exercise about which approach was the most consistent with their personal worldview and why. (0 – 19 marks) (20 – 26 marks) (27 – 34 marks) (35 – 40 marks)
Section 2 - Case Evaluation (40 marks): Did the student:
• Provide insight into their own personal beliefs/biases/values and ethical perspectives and show how this has influenced their evaluation of event and its outcomes as developed in section 1;
• Identify and differentiate professional practice issues from the ethical issues in the case, using appropriate theory to support claims;
• clearly outline their view on what is a corporation and what its ethical rights and responsibilities should be using appropriate theory; and
• provide recommendations that considered both the ethical and professional practice issues in this case?
• Appropriate theoretical support for their recommendations.
• Evidence of further reading and research on this topic to inform their recommendations (0 – 24 marks) (25 – 32 marks) (33 – 42 marks) (43 – 50 marks)

Below the required standard
0 – 49% Meets the required standard
50 – 65% Exceeds the required standard
66 – 85% Far exceeds the required standard
86 – 100%
Use of Theory to support the discussion (20 marks): Did the student:
• provide evidence through this assignment that they had learned from their reflection and reading of ethical theory;
• provide adequate and relevant theoretical support and information to support their evaluation and discussion; and
• provide evidence of deep reflection and critical thinking (0 – 9 marks) (10 – 13 marks) (14 – 17 marks) (18 – 20 marks)
Total marks /100
Format and Presentation – deduct up to 10 marks
If the student did not provide their assignment in the required essay format, evidencing an appropriate level and mastery of written communication and referencing style and by the due date.
General Feedback: