Global Business and Strategy – 6EC513
Contents
Key Dates and Details
Description of the Assessment
Assessment Content
Assessment Rubric
Anonymous Marking
Assessment Regulations
Key Dates and Details
| Assessment Type: | IndividualReport |
| Assessment weighting: | 50% |
| Word count/Length: | 2500 words +/- 10% |
| Learning Outcomes: | 2: Apply appropriate and relevant theories to complex business situations to determine future strategic direction and provide recommendations for implementation. |
| Submission Method: | Turnitin |
| Submission Date: | 23:59 UK time, 15/01/2022 |
| Provisional Feedback Release Date: | 13:00 UK time, 14/02/2022 |
6EC513 GLOBAL BUSINESS AND STRATEGY ASSESSMENT BRIEF
Description of the Assessment
This assessment asks you to consider the long-term sustainability of a business in the ever-changing, and often hostile, global business environment. You should weigh up a range of complex issues, such as the business environment, culture, leadership, corporate governance and others when developing a strategy for an international business.
Assessment Content
You will be given a choice of five organisations and given some basic information to introduce you to each business’ fundamentals. You will be asked to choose your case study organisation in the first seminar of the Strategy part of this module, and you are encouraged to work in groups in your seminars to apply the strategic management concepts and frameworks discussed in lectures to your chosen case study organisation. This sharing of information and discussion will help you in the appropriate application of the concepts and frameworks.
Discussion in groups will support you, but you will then write an individual management report analysing the situation of the business and making strategic recommendations for the future direction of the business. You should use a variety of theoretical materials as well as company/market/sector data to complete the report.
The suggested structure of your report is as follows:
Title Page
Title should be specific to the report
Contents Page
Introduction to the Report (50 words)
Here you should explain to the reader what will be covered in the report.
Brief Background to Case Study Organisation (50 words)
This should be a short section on the fundamentals of the business. Do not go into too much detail here, as it is likely that information on the business’s successes (and failures) can be better used in the following analysis sections.
External Analysis using one external analysis tool (15%) (375 words)
Here you will give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which external analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. You will apply that analysis tool to your organisation, and use company, market or sector information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation).
6EC513 GLOBAL BUSINESS AND STRATEGY ASSESSMENT BRIEF
Internal Analysis using one internal analysis tool (15%) (375 words)
Here you will give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which internal analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. You will apply that analysis tool to your organisation and use company information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation).
From the Analysis, write a Summary of the organisation’s key Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats using a SWOT (15%) (375 words)
Plan a Strategic Approach using a TOWS (15%) (375 words)
Make two Strategic Recommendations Based on your Analysis. For each, apply the SAF tool to decide which would be most appropriate for implementation (30%) (750 words)
Here we will want to see the use of strategic management vocabulary, and the use of academic texts, to explain the type of strategic recommendation you are making, and to debate its pros and cons.
Conclusion (50 words)
Summarise what has been covered in the report. 6EC513 GLOBAL BUSINESS AND STRATEGY ASSESSMENT BRIEF
Reference List
Appendices
10% of the mark is for the overall presentation and structure of a coherent argument from analysis through to recommendations.
Tables and diagrams represent 150 words for half a page and 300 words for a whole page. You will want to put more complex diagrams and tables in appendices.
ASDA
Asda is the UK arm of an international group: Walmart. It comprises different sizes of stores across the UK from supercentres to convenience stores. It sells food and non-food items and has fashion line, ‘George’. It operates home delivery options and ‘click and collect’.
NETFLIX
Netflix is a subscription-based entertainment streaming service, operating virtually everywhere except in China. Members can watch and download TV shows and movies without commercials. It has a number of pricing plans based around the number of screens/devices used. Netflix also produces its own original content. Recommendations are made to viewers based on their viewing history.
TESLA
Tesla builds all-electric vehicles, solutions for renewable energy generation and energy storage products. It manufactures its products in the US and China and a factory is under construction in Germany. They are developing autonomous driving solutions, vehicle software and there is also a used vehicle market.
TIKTOK
TikTok is a Chinese owed, global social media platform on which users create and share videos. Douyin is the Chinese version, owned by the same parent company. Revenue comes from advertisements and in-app purchases.
ZARA
Zara is part of the Inditex group and specialises in ‘fast fashion’ (which includes clothing, accessories, perfumes and beauty products) which it sells online and through physical stores.
6EC513 GLOBAL BUSINESS AND STRATEGY ASSESSMENT BRIEF
Assessment Rubric
| Section | Exceptional – 90 – 100% | Excellent – 80 – 89% | Extremely Good – 70 – 79% | Very good – 60 – 69% | Good – 50 – 59% | Satisfactory – 40 – 49% | Limited – 35 – 39% | Extremely Poor – 5 – 34% | Fail |
| External Analysis – 15% – Use one external analysis tool. Give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which external analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. Apply that analysis tool to your organisation, and use company, market or sector information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation). | The work is creative and illustrates a thoroughly in-depth understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work shows an exceptional, critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts. There is an outstanding appreciation of all of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows an exceptional level of evaluation and illustrates incisive conclusions based on that evaluation. | The work illustrates an in-depth understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work shows an excellent, critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts. There is an excellent appreciation of almost all of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows an advanced level of evaluation and illustrates some solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. | The work illustrates an advanced understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work shows an extremely good, critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts. There is an extremely good appreciation of almost all of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows an extremely good level of evaluation and illustrates a few solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. | The work illustrates a good understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work shows a very good, critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts. There is a very good appreciation of some of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows a very good level of evaluation and, perhaps, illustrates a few solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. The work reflects an attempt at applying knowledge in unusual and/or novel circumstances as well as to more typical work-based scenarios. | The work illustrates a good understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work has a fairly good level of critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts. There is a fair appreciation of some of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows a fairly good level of evaluation and, perhaps, illustrates a few solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. | Demonstrates a satisfactory level of knowledge. The work has a fair level of critical engagement with complex ideas and concepts, and there is a little appreciation of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows a fair level of evaluation but rarely illustrates any solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. | The work illustrates little understanding of content as well as issues and problems. The work lacks much critical engagement with any ideas and concepts. There may be virtually no appreciation of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows inadequate evaluation and does not refer to any solution-focused conclusions based on that evaluation. | The work illustrates no understanding of content or of issues and problems. The work lacks any critical engagement with ideas and concepts. There is no appreciation of the relevant competing perspectives. The work shows no evaluation and does not refer to any conclusions based around an evaluation. | Nothing of merit in submitted work, or designates work where an academic offence has occurred. Where no work has been submitted the NS notation will apply. |
| Internal Analysis – 15% – Use one internal analysis tool. Here you will give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which internal analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. You will apply that analysis tool to your organisation and use company information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation). | |||||||||
| Summary – 15% – From the Analysis, write a Summary of the organisation’s key Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats using a SWOT. | As above | ||||||||
| Strategic Approach – 15% – Plan a Strategic Approach using a TOWS | As above | ||||||||
| Strategic Recommendations – 30% – Make two Strategic Recommendations Based on your Analysis. For each, apply the SAF tool to decide which would be most appropriate.Here we will want to see the use of strategic management vocabulary, and the use of academic texts, to explain the type of strategic recommendation you are making, and to debate its pros and cons. | As above | ||||||||
| Presentation – 10% – This refers to your writing style and incorporates the Introduction, the Background to the Organisation, the Conclusion, and your use of References and Appendices. Spelling and grammar should be accurate and presentation should be clear. Most importantly, the report should have structure, with a coherent argument from analysis through to recommendations. | The work is exceptional in that it is logically presented and error-free. The work is communicated with an exceptional degree of authority that comes close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | The work is excellent in that it is logically presented and almost error-free. The work is communicated with an excellent degree of authority that comes reasonably close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | The work is extremely good in that it is logically presented and reasonably error-free. The work is communicated with an extremely good degree of authority that sometimes comes reasonably close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | The work is very good in that it is mainly logically presented and reasonably error-free. The work is communicated with an occasional glimpse of authority that comes reasonably close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | The work is of a good standard in that there is an attempt to present it logically and it is reasonably error-free. The work is communicated without very much authority. It requires development to come close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | Although soundly presented, the work lacks authority. Due to some weaknesses in style, it does not come at all close to that expected of a professional in the discipline. | The work is limited in that it is not logically presented and has errors. | The work is extremely poor in that it is poorly presented and has errors. | Nothing of merit in submitted work, or designates work where an academic offence has occurred. Where no work has been submitted the NS notation will apply. |
Anonymous Marking
You must submit your work using your student number to identify yourself, not your name. You must not use your name in the text of the work at any point. When you submit your work in Turnitin you must submit your student number within the assignment document and in the Submission title field in Turnitin.
Assessment Regulations
The University’s regulations, policies and procedures for students define the framework within which teaching and assessment are conducted. Please make sure you are familiar with these regulations, policies and procedures.
