1. MGMT20144 - Management and Business Context
Assessment Item 1 – Individual Essays
Parts A and B

2. Specifics – Part A Written assessment 1500 words (+ - 10%)
Essay format
Due 11:45 pm, Friday 11 August 2017
Weight 15% (30 marks converted to 15 marks)
Uploaded through the unit Moodle site
Submitted through TurnItIn
Submit as a word document or pdf only
Spell check and proof read prior to submission

3. Task
Identify a ‘hypothetical’ business opportunity that if you had the funds, time and drive you would pursue as a business start-up.
This could be an idea you believe has the potential to become a business for you to own and grow.
Provide a brief description of your organisation: its size, the industry and country/countries in which it will operate, the strategy and vision that it will adopt.

4. Task
Describe the organisational structure that best suits your new business start-up.
Discuss the external and internal environmental forces that will impact your business organisation.
Analyse the risks that will confront your business organisation.
Describe the business practices that you will adopt to enhance organisational performance.
Discuss the most important functions within your business organisation and how these relate to its performance.

5. Meaning of words
Organisational structure: would the structure of your business be a sole trader, partnership, company, trust, or association for example? Why?
External and internal environmental forces: what environmental trends, industry and market levels, strategy, skills or threats would you consider?
Impact: what would be the effect or influence of the environmental forces?
Risks: what are the common, global economic, societal, or financial risks that you would need to consider?
Business practices: in what way would high performing work practices, benchmarking, best practices, or employee engagement be important?
Important functions: what would you need to consider in relation to the operational, financial, human resource, marketing, or sales functions of the business?
You could incorporate all of this information into a PESTLE or SWOT or other analysis of your hypothetical business.

6. Specifics – Part B Written assessment 1500 (+ - 10%) Essay format
Due 11:45 pm, Friday 8 September 2017
Weight 15% (30 marks converted to 15 marks)
Uploaded through the unit Moodle site
Submitted through TurnItIn
Submit as a word document or pdf only
Spell check and proof read prior to submission

7. Task
Extending on Part A, select one of the following contextual factors.
Using information from Topics 6-8 on the Moodle site provide an overview of the contextual factor and assess how you would utilise it to enhance the business practice of your organisation or business.
Governance and legal requirements OR
Innovation and Entrepreneurship OR
Knowledge Management and eCommerce

8. Meaning of words
Overview - a short description of the contextual factor that provides general information about it, but there is no need to give extensive details.
Assess - to judge or decide the importance of the contextual factor.
Enhance - to improve the quality, effectiveness or outcomes of the business by using the contextual factor.
Practice - the actual application or use of the contextual factor in a business setting. For example, how would the contextual factor affect the structure, strategy or decision making of the business?

9. Assessment criteria and rubric = 30 marks
Defining key terms and utilising the theories and concepts presented in Topics 1-5 or Topics 6-8 (8 marks).
Explaining major internal and external contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy (8 marks).
Explaining major internal and external contextual factors and how they affect business decision making (7 marks).
Demonstrating a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of academic sources (3 marks).
Correctly using the APA referencing system to cite academic sources in-text and in the reference list (2 marks).
Correctly using the essay structure and using appropriate conventions of academic writing (2 marks).

10. Meanings of words
Key terms: words that are being used in this unit such as sole trader, structure, SWOT analysis, governance, functions etc.
Theory: is a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something. For example, increasing employee engagement will increase performance, customer satisfaction, profitability and productivity, and reduce employee turnover.
Concept: this is an abstract idea that someone has named and defined. For example, in Reading 1, Topic 3 the concept of employee engagement is discussed. It is defined as the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organisation, and put discretionary effort into their work. It has a cognitive, affective and behavioural component.

11. Meaning of words
Contextual factors: are characteristics of the internal and external environment, such as structure, environmental forces, risks, knowledge management, e-commerce, etc.
Minimum: if you only use references you will receive 1.5 out of 3 marks.
Academic: refers to peer reviewed journal articles and university level texts; it does not refer to Wikipedia or general websites and magazines.
APA referencing system: you must only use this referencing system in the body of the essay and in the reference list at the end. Ensure you familiarise yourself with it!
Essay structure: discussed on the next slides.
Appropriate conventions of academic writing: this is quite a formal style of writing discussed later.

12. Essays Have an introduction, body and conclusion.
Must be written in paragraph form with full sentences.
Generally do not have headings other than the title of the essay.
If you do use as heading to delineate the introduction, body and conclusion make these headings creative!
Do not contain tables or figures, these can be placed in the appendix but must be briefly discussed in the body.
Your essay must be clearly referenced in-text to indicate the sources of information. It must also include an alphabetical reference list with full publication details that exactly match the in-text citations.

13. Essay structure Title page Introduction (10-15%) Discussion (70-80%)
Background
Aims/ objectives
Scope
Discussion (70-80%)
Contextual factor/s and their impact
Conclusion (10-15%)
Reference list

14. Appropriate writing conventions
Must be within the word limit (first word of introduction to last word of the conclusion).
Write in paragraph form with full sentences. A paragraph is more than one sentence.
Introduce a new topic in a new paragraph, don’t write overly long paragraphs.
Make the first or last sentence the topic sentence.
Write using formal academic language and specific Management and Business Context words, theories, concepts and terms.
Avoid using casual conversational language. For example, instead of writing “it’s a good idea to think about . . .” write “an important consideration is . . ”
Write in the third person not using “I”, “we”, “one”, “he/she”.

15. APA citation author prominent
Direct quote example:
Unterhalter (2007, p. 5) argues that “gender equality in schooling is an aspiration of global social justice.”
Paraphrase example:
Unterhalter (2007) suggests that equal treatment of the genders in education should be an issue of justice for every society.
When paraphrasing, providing a page number is optional.

16. APA citation information prominent
Direct quote example:
It has been argued that “gender equality in schooling is an aspiration of global social justice” (Unterhalter, 2007, p. 5).
Paraphrase example:
Equal treatment of gender in education should be an aim of every society (Unterhalter 2007).

17. APA page numbers
Always give the page number for a direct quotation, or when referring to a specific diagram, table or chart.
Again, when paraphrasing, providing a page number is optional.
The word “page” is abbreviated to p. If there are two or more pages, use pp. For example: (Smith, 2012, p. 6), or (Smith, 2012, pp ).
Always write the beginning and end page of the document in the reference list. But note that in the reference list this is written 12-15; there is no pp.

18. APA use of et al.
For references with two authors, give both authors’ names in every in-text reference.
For references with three, four or five authors, list all the authors’ names in your first in-text reference. In second and subsequent references to the same work, give only the first author’s name followed by ‘et al.’
For references with six or more authors, give only the first author’s name followed by ‘et al.’ in every in-text reference.
Use “&” inside the brackets and “and” outside the brackets in a citation.

19. APA Journal article in reference list

20. APA books in reference list
Russell-Bowie, D. (2005). MMADD about the arts! An introduction to primary arts education. South Melbourne, Vic: Pearson Education Australia.
Wyn, J., & White, R. (2008). Youth and society (2nd ed.). Sydney, NSW: Oxford University Press.
or more authors Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., & Tiesdell, S. (2003). Public spaces - urban spaces: The dimensions of urban design. Oxford, UK: Architectural Press.
Note all capitals, font styles, punctuation and brackets in the format of the references.

21. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the intentional use of someone else’s ideas, words or concepts in your assignment work without appropriate acknowledgment. It is considered serious misconduct at university and should be avoided at all times.
Committing plagiarism can carry very serious penalties for students, including expulsion from the university.
Past penalties include zero marks or a reduction of marks for an assignment. This reduction of marks on one assessment item has even lead to failure of the entire unit!
TurnItIn is the first place that we look for when assessing plagiarism. This score may increase even after you submit your assignment as more comparisons are made between your work and other students’ work, journal articles or information on the www.

22. Plagiarism
CQUniversity has a policy on plagiarism and you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with it.
Not having read the policy is no excuse when you are reported for plagiarism.
The following URL will lead you to CQUniversity’s Plagiarism Procedures.

23. Uploading your assignment
Please ensure you upload the correct assignment to Moodle.
You will not have the opportunity to remove and replace your assignment because you:
received a high TurnItIn score or
accidently uploaded an assignment from another unit or student or
have submitted the wrong copy of your assignment.

24. Extensions
Only the unit coordinator can approve extensions on assignments; but, do not the unit coordinator directly.
All extensions must be applied for via the AES on Moodle.
Criteria for deciding assessment extension requests:
a) the extension request is in writing and includes sufficient details, such as relevant grounds and supporting documents, to enable an informed decision;
b) when the extension request was received . . .
c) any other relevant circumstances.
The act of applying for an extension is no guarantee that it will be granted. Late penalties apply when an extension is not granted.