ASSESSMENT 1: ANALYTICAL ESSAY
ASSIGNMENT TYPE Analytical essay
DESCRIPTION Prepare a report using motivation concepts to analyse an issue or problem at your workplace.
WEIGHTING 30%
WORD COUNT 2500 words (± 10% variation), not including your reference list.
LEARNING OUTCOMES LO1, LO2
TOPIC
Pick a problem or a significant potential improvement at your workplace that relates to employee motivation. Prepare a report using motivation concepts from this course and any additional reading you undertake to analyse the issue and explore how it might be addressed.
PRESENTATION OF ANALYSIS
At a minimum, your essay should:
1. Concisely describe the problem or potential improvement in a way which readers unfamiliar with your organisation can understand. This is a descriptive section, based on your own knowledge of the situation.
2. Apply relevant models of motivation to analyse the situation. This requires you to use motivational theories to understand what is going on in the situation and to identify possible sources of dissatisfaction, poor performance or other factors relevant to your case.
3. Develop an approach for addressing the problem/potential improvement. Be sure to include some reflection on your own role and any barriers or difficulties that you might encounter in actually carrying out the proposed change.
There is no need to use the formal structure of a report (e.g. executive summary, table of contents, etc.). However, you should use headings to separate the main sections of the assessment and you must reference all materials (e.g. journal articles, books or websites) that you use.
Managing People and Organisations: Assessment 1: Analytical Essay
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GRADING CRITERIA FOR THIS ASSESSMENT
CRITERION A RANGE/(80% +) B RANGE / (65-79.99%) C RANGE / (50-64.99%) D-E RANGE/(0-49.99%)
OVERALL DESCRIPTOR Addresses all of the criteria and marking factors to an accomplished level of achievement. Addresses all of the criteria and marking factors to a good /very good level of accomplishment, but with scope for further development. Addresses most of the criteria and marking factors to a satisfactory/good level of accomplishment, but with scope for considerable further development. Does not address the criteria and marking factors to a satisfactory level of accomplishment.
MARKING FACTORS
RELEVANCE (15% WEIGHTING) Highly relevant issue or problem described clearly with relevant detail (interested parties, circumstances, actions, perceptions, objectives, etc.). The issue or problem being analysed is meaningful to student and course learning goals, but description misses some important details. Chooses an appropriate issue, but describes it in general terms with insufficient information to fully appreciate relevance to student and course learning goals. Chooses an issue or problem for analysis which is vague, generic, or tangentially related to course topic.
ANALYSIS (50% WEIGHTING) Demonstrates mastery by appropriately analysing the issue with explicit references to relevant and diverse course content and concepts. The analysis demonstrates attempts to investigate the problem using relevant course concepts, but lacks depth of analysis or uses a limited range of concepts. Student makes attempts at applying some course concepts to the issue but fails to demonstrate a depth of analysis or selects less relevant concepts. Analysis does not move beyond a description of the issue with superficial links to course material.
RECOMMEN- DATIONS (15% WEIGHTING) Makes in-depth recommendations that are consistent with the analysis and address all important identified problems or improvement opportunities. Clearly identifies potential barriers to implementation and addresses their own role in implementing recommendations. Makes sufficient recommendations consistent with the analysis. May lack sufficient detail or may not address all the problems identified. Some comment on their own role in solving the issue. Makes cursory recommendations that need further explanation or do not flow clearly from the analysis. Makes insufficient recommendations or recommendations that are not appropriate to resolve the situation or problem/s.
FORMAT AND ORGANISATION (10% WEIGHTING) Submission is well organised and adheres to all formatting requirements, including referencing, with minimal error. Submission is generally organised and attempts to adhere to all formatting requirements, including referencing, with occasional minor errors. Submission is somewhat disorganised and/or fails to fully address one or more of the formatting requirements. Submission is disorganised and/or disregards one or more of the formatting requirements.
REFERENCES (10% WEIGHTING) All references clearly add value to analysis or recommendations, over and above material in text and readings Most references add value to analysis or recommendations, over and above material in text and readings References not specifically relevant to the chosen issue, or add no new insights References not used; irrelevant or poor quality references relied upon.
Managing People and Organisations: Assessment 1: Analytical Essay
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