Assignment 1 Choose a newspaper or trade journal article that is corporate governance related and complete the following: Outline and summarize the arguments made. Discuss in the context of your readings, the issues raised in relation to corporate governance Why are these arguments being made in the media? Conclude by providing your opinion about the issues raised in the article words 30 marks Due date: 21 March 2016

Assignment 1 Introduction Body section – Outline and summarize the arguments made: – Short introduction about the company – Brief summary of the arguments made by the author of the article – Discuss in the context of your readings, the issues raised in relation to corporate governance CG issues – Related literature review – Analysis in light of the issues being discussed in the article – Why are these arguments being made in the media? – Conclude by providing your opinion about the issues raised in the article. Conclusion

Some examples of CG issues Key CG issues may include (but are not limited to): Executive remuneration practices Transparency and disclosure Committee composition Shareholder rights Board diversity Quality of directors Corporate social responsibility Audit Internal control Risk Management Community engagement

Marking criteria Your submission will be assessed according to the following criteria: – Fulfilment of overall task intent 20% – Use of information (including evidence and examples): 20% – Structure and organisation : 20% – Language use 20% – Presentation 20%

Three key skills to develop: Research Where do I find the information that will help me form my argument? Reading How do I read articles to assist with my understanding? Writing How do I compose an analysis or argument that is thorough, convincing and compelling?

Building a skills base Assessment tasks give you the opportunity to: – Develop expert knowledge in a particular area – Develop skills that you’ll need in the workplace in a structured environment Generic skills addressed: – Logical presentation of materials/argument – Critical analysis of information – Synthesis of ideas, written expression – Referencing – Problem solving skills (higher order)

Writing your paper Stages of writing: – Finding the appropriate material – Reading material and note-taking – Planning your essay / report / analysis – Writing it – Editing and Revising – References and quotations – Presentation of paper Writing

Step 1: Reviewing the published material You need to differentiate between good and bad sources of information – Focus on material which is Current Relevant Reputable Factual – Include academic studies [found in academic journals or research monographs] Research

What is scientific research? Research published in academic journals is scientifically rigorous: – Validity – Reliability To publish in an good academic journal, a paper is subject to ‘peer review’: – That is, reviewed by two or more experts in the area For us, an acceptable journal article is one that is subject to this peer review process See list in LMS Literature Review folder for a non- exhaustive list of acceptable journals Research

Old Rifle New Rifle New Rifle Sun glare Low ReliabilityHigh ReliabilityReliable but Not Valid (Target A) (Target B) (Target C) Reliability and Validity on Target

Where can I find scientific research? – Conduct searches of the Library’s: – catalogue to find research monographs [books reporting academic research] – electronic journal databases to find journal articles: – ABI Inform [Proquest] – Expanded Academic Search – Emerald – Use Google Scholar Tip: if you find a good article, look at its bibliography … it will point you to other studies. Research

How many articles should I include? Tough question to answer. Depends on: – Relevance of the research identified to the question – Quality of the articles used – Breadth of arguments/ideas covered by the articles identified – What kind of mark you want to get! Ten high quality, relevant sources would result in a ‘pass’ score on the research criteria Your research is very important – without a solid foundation of research, it will be hard to meet the other criteria It will take longer than you think... START NOW! Research

Step 2: Read the Literature Think about the following: – Defining the key terms [from the essay question] – What are the classical (seminal) works that everyone refers to? – Are there conflicting ideas about the relationship between the concepts of your topic? – What is the dominant view about the topic? How do you know this is the prevailing view? Does that minimise the views of others? Make notes from the articles: – Don’t plagiarise – Take down the publication details for your reference list – Note which articles the author is citing – may lead you to other relevant articles Reading

Anatomy of a journal article Most journal articles will have the following: – Abstract – Introduction – Literature Review – Methodology – Results – Discussion – Conclusion – Bibliography Read with a purpose! Reading

Organise ideas into categories Use mind maps to develop connections between ideas Think about how the ideas develop and connect Develop an argument or point of view Develop a ‘paragraph plan’ – Introduction – Main body (many paragraphs) – Conclusion Step 3: Planning your Review Writing

Step 4: Write the Review Use the ‘paragraph plan’ you developed as a guide Try to stick to ‘one point per paragraph’ Consistently ask yourself: – Am I answering the question? – Am I presenting the various views in the literature accurately and appropriately? – Am I presenting the various arguments in the literature in a logical way? – How is this paragraph relevant to the question? – Am I writing these ideas in my own words and acknowledging the source? Writing

Step 5: Editing and Revising Read your work – ask the following: – Have I answered the question? – Have I discussed the different viewpoints? – Is my argument clear? – Does my paper have the appropriate structure? Check your spelling, punctuation and grammar If possible, ask someone (not a fellow student) to read over your paper – does it make sense to them? Writing Reading

Step 6: Citations, quotes, references Ensure that you: – Provide in-text citations wherever you have used the ideas of another (even when you have paraphrased) – Make it clear to the reader if you have directly quoted from a source (word for word, by using ‘quotation marks’ and citing the page number) – That you have the full citation of any in-text citations in the reference list – Only works cited in-text should be listed in the reference list – Where you have used quotes, make sure you provide the page numbers in the in-text citation. Refer to Havard Referencing style Writing

In-text citations Be consistent in your citation style Wherever you obtain an idea, fact or argument from a source, acknowledge it in text: – Blyton (1999) argues that ……. – ………………. (Rimmer, 2000) Provide a list of the full citations of every source you have cited in text in the reference list Remember: style must be – Logical, consistent and systematic Specific details can be found at Note: Reference list must be started on a new page Writing

Step 7: Presentation of paper Your paper should have the following characteristics: – Be written in 12 point, in Arial font – Paragraphs must be fully justified at both the left and right margin1.5 line spaced – Reference list should start on a new page – Any subheadings should be clearly defined (bold or underlined) – Stapled in the top left-hand corner of the page Information about plagiarism detection strategy will be outlined on the subject website prior to essay submission Writing

Plagiarism