Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines
Trimester T2 2019
Unit Code HC1062
Unit Title Decision Making and problem solving
Assessment Type Group Assignment and presentation, Group size: 3 to 4 members
Assessment Title Research Report and presentation
Purpose of the assessment (with ULO
Mapping) Students are required identify a management problem for a selected organization. (Excluding a market research problem) and Prepare a persuasive report showing how the management problem/decision should be managed.
Weight 30 % of the total assessments
Total Marks 20 marks – research paper and 10 marks for presentation
Word limit Not more than 2,000 words
Due Date Friday Week 10 – 5pm
Submission Guidelines • All work must be submitted on Blackboard by the due date along with a completed Assignment Cover Page.
• The assignment must be in MS Word format, no spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings and page numbers.
• Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed appropriately
at the end in a reference list using Harvard referencing style.
Note: an in-class presentation will be required. Please ensure you check with your lecturer when your presentation will be held.
Assignment Specifications
Purpose:
In a group of 3 to 4 students, prepare a persuasive report showing how the management problem/decision should be managed. Prepare and deliver a persuasive presentation of the key points in your report. Each group will also make a 10-minute presentation of their research and findings from week 8 to week 11 and there would be an additional 5 minutes for questions and answers. Groups may also submit video presentations if they wish after confirmation and agreement with lecturer. Details about that should be confirmed with your lecturer. Please, note it is the responsibility of the group members to ensure that the video and audio is clear should you opt for video submission. Any video that cannot be properly assessed would result in no marks been awarded to members of such groups
This assignment aims at ensuring that students have familiarised themselves with a general framework of at least one management related topic. Students will be required to apply relevant theoretical concepts with the use of practical examples in most cases in a written research paper and discuss their topic via a live presentation.
Details:
1. Written report – worth 20% of your final grade and must be submitted Week 10 at 5pm.
Identify a company.
Identify a management problem. (Note: not a market research nature).
Specify research questions which address the management problem/decision.
Design a research program.
Carry out the research.
Sourcing from ONLY secondary data.
Analyse the findings.
Identify alternatives and make recommendations to improve the performance of the organisation.
Your report is to be written as a business report. It must include;
• Executive summary
• Table of contents
• Section headings
• Paragraphing
• Page numbers
• Reference list at the end of the report
2. Presentation – worth 10% of your final grade and will be presented at a date chosen by the lecturer commencing week 8.
These presentations must be organised as a business presentation. Power points for the presentations must be submitted via link on blackboard. If video options is chosen after agreement with lecturer, only the link (not the full video) must be submitted via the blackboard link.
Strict adherence to the 10 minute limit is expected. You should allocate your time to allow for a very short introduction on the broad topic followed by a few minutes allocated to each student to present their individual component.
Marking Rubric – Written Report
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Clear evidence of Clear evidence Some evidence Limited No executive
Executive Summary a summary which of a summary of a summary evidence of a summary
(2 marks) summaries the which which summary of the included (0
entire report summarises summarises the entire report marks)
(2 marks) the entire entire report (0.25-1 mark)
report (1.5-1.75 marks) (1.25 marks)
Discussion on Demonstration of Demonstration Demonstration Demonstration Demonstration
allocated general outstanding of very good of good of satisfactory of little or no
framework knowledge of the knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of knowledge of
(6 marks) chosen topic and the chosen the chosen the chosen topic the chosen
has included topic and has topic and has and has topic and
significant included some included included no discussion has
research which research minimal research little or no
are beyond areas beyond areas research beyond areas relevance to
covered within covered within beyond areas covered within the topic
the lecture notes. the lecture covered within the lecture chosen. ( 3.5
(6 marks) notes. the lecture notes. marks)
(5-5.75 marks)
notes.
(4 - 4.75 marks) (3.5 - 4 marks)
Application of Your Your Your Your Your
theory on Individual interpretation of interpretation interpretation interpretation interpretation
component theory is of theory is of theory is of theory is very of theory is
discussion accurate and accurate and somewhat general and has missing or not
(6 marks) insightful and has has some accurate and included no relevant to the
included insight and has included research which topic. No
significant included some minimal is beyond areas identification
research which research which research which covered within of the author
goes beyond goes beyond is beyond areas the lecture had been given
areas covered areas covered covered within notes. (3.5-4 marks)
within the within the the lecture Identification of
lecture notes. lecture notes. notes. the author has
Identification of Identification Identification of been identified.
the author has of the author the author has (3.5-4 marks)
been identified. has been been identified.
(6 marks)
identified. (5-5.75 marks) (4-4.75 marks)
Overall presentation Report is Report is well Report is Report is Poorly
and quality of exceptionally structured somewhat structured with presented.
report structured with with clarity, structured with some clarity, Report is not
(4 marks) clarity, use of use of clarity, use of and use of some structured with
paragraphs and paragraphs paragraphs and paragraphs and any clarity, and
subheadings. and subheadings. subheadings. does not use of
(4 marks) subheadings. (2.75 - 2 marks) (1.75 - 2 marks) paragraphs and
(3-3.75 marks)
subheadings. ( 1.75 marks)
Referencing (2 marks) Clear systematic referencing using Harvard style for all sources. At least 6 relevant references were used from good sources. All intext referencing done correctly and relevant. (2 marks) Clear systematic referencing using Harvard style for all sources. At least 5 relevant references were used from good sources. All intext referencing done correctly and relevant. (1.5 -1.75 marks) Clear systematic referencing using Harvard style for all sources. At least 4 relevant references were used from good sources. Most intext referencing done correctly and relevant. (1.25 marks) Limited attempt at formatting references. References largely unrelated to the topic area. At least 3 references were provided. Most
intext referencing done correctly and relevant. (0.25-1mark) Poorly presented, no apparent structure. No use of Harvard referencing style.
References were unrelated to the topic area. Only 0 r 1 relevant reference given
(0 marks)

Marking Rubric - Presentation
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Excellent Very Good Very Good Satisfactory Little or no
Discussion of the discussion from discussion discussion from discussion from discussion
allocated all speakers. from all most speakers. all speakers. from speakers.
frameworks and Discussion was speakers. Discussion was Discussion was Discussion not
individual relevant and Discussion was relevant and relevant and relevant to the
components insightful at all relevant and insightful some provided no topic being
(3 marks) times. insightful most of the time insight discussed.
(3 marks)
of the time (2-2.75 marks) (1.75-2 marks)
(1.5-1.0 marks)
( 1 mark)
Overall presentation Excellent use of Very good use Good use of Satisfactory use No visual aids
clarity visual aids. of visual aids. visual aids. of visual aids. used.
(3 marks) Presentation Presentation Presentation Presentation Presentation
structured well structured well structured well structured had no
to ensure that all to ensure that to ensure that whereby most structure and
topics were all topics were all topics were topics were most topics
covered equally. covered mostly covered covered were not
(3 marks) equally. equally. (1.5 - 1 marks) covered.
(2-2.75 marks) (1.75-2 marks) ( 1 mark)
Overall impression Outstanding Very good Good Satisfactory No impression
(4 marks) impression left impression left impression left impression left left on
on audience. on audience. on audience. on audience. audience.
Each speaker had Each speaker Each speaker Most speakers Most speakers
a thorough had a had a had some had little
knowledge of the somewhat somewhat knowledge of knowledge of
areas discussed thorough thorough the areas the areas
and contributed knowledge of knowledge of discussed and discussed and
equally. the areas the areas contributed did not
Exceptionally discussed and discussed and somewhat contribute
professional contributed contributed equally. equally. No
delivery and somewhat somewhat Somewhat professional
audience equally. Very equally. professional delivery or
engagement. professional Professional delivery and audience
Adherence to the delivery and delivery and audience engagement.
time constraints audience audience engagement. No adherence
of 10 minutes engagement. engagement. Adherence to to the time
(4 marks) Adherence to Adherence to the time constraints of
the time the time constraints of 10 minutes
constraints of constraints of 10 minutes ( 1.5 marks)
10 minutes 10 minutes (1.5-2) marks
(3-3.75 marks) (2-2.75) marks