Developing a Professional Mindset (4IM510)
REFER Coursework 1 – Assessment Guidance
• Coursework 1 Assessment: Individual written REPORT(1400 – 1650 words)• Submission date: (Uploaded to Turnitin) Monday 26thApril, 2021 by 11.59pm
Scenario
Each functional department can be thought of as a link in the company’s internal value chain in that each functional department carries out value-creating activities to design, produce, market, deliver and support the company’s products/services. The company’s success depends on not only how well each functional department performs its work but also on how well the various functional departments coordinate their activities. Therefore, it is essential that functional departments work together in order to achieve a company’s objectives.
Task
Using appropriate theoretical underpinning, examine how different functions work together to achieve the objective of profit maximization and how their respective activities and processes may be influenced by each other.
Assessed Learning Outcomes:
Learning Outcome 1: Identify the functions of and interactions between different departments needed in any successful business.
Considerations in Preparing Your Work:
1. Do not include your name anywhere on the report only use your student number. This is to ensure conformity to the university’s anonymous marking policy.2. Provide a header page for your work. An example is provided on page 12 of this document.3. Write your assignment in Microsoft Sans Serif or Verdana font (use minimum size 12 font).4. Please use line and half (1.5) margins.5. Use page numbers on your work.6. Use the following structure for your work:a. Contents Page with page numbers for each section of the reportb. Introduction – this should provide an outline of what you plan to do. It will provide the reader with an indication of a couple (probably two, but possibly three) of the key models or theories that you will use in greater detail in the work itself (this section will be approximately 150 – 200 words). Such models should include but are not limited to PESTLE, Porter’s Value Chain model, and the importance of communication and information in the value chain. c. Main Analysis – needs to link the departments / business functions outlining how each might help or influence decisions in the others. d. Conclusions – outlines the key points from the main analysis and must include academic citations from those used in your main analysis. It must not include any new academic models or theories (this section will be approximately 150 – 200 words)e. References – please note it is NOT a Bibliography, only include sources cited in the body of the report.7. Only the sections 6b, 6c and 6d are included in your work count.8. You should include a minimum of ten (10) academic sources (references) in your work. While there is no maximum number, it is not likely to be more than eighteen (18). This can include a maximum of five (5) web sources. This consequently requires you to read books and journals to supplement your subject knowledge and understanding.9. Please do not use single sentence paragraphs as they will not help the flow of your ideas.10. Do not use first or second person narrative (e.g. I think; they said; we believe etc.). Approach in terms of the analysis, the report, the examination, the evaluation etc. (i.e. use third person narrative).11. Work within the word tolerances shown at the top of page 1.
Constructing the Report
a. You must discuss a minimum of three (and not more than four) business functions and examine how they might engage with each other in terms of working relationships.b. You must acknowledge through the use of academic models and theories how that relationship can or does work. Finding practical published examples from books and journals will add value to your work and is more likely to earn higher grades.c. In each point you construct, think about using at least two (2) or ideally three (3) different academic sources to create a more robust argument and appreciation of that working relationship.
DO NOT:
• Ignore the guidance provided. Doing so is likely to cost you grade points.• Use anything other than Harvard style citing and referencing• Write subjectively about the business functions without bringing academic models and theories into the discussion• Write using single sentence paragraphs
Work outside the word tolerances for the assessment (shown on page 1 of this document)
