| Submission Deadline | Marks and Feedback |
| Before 10am on: | 20 working days after deadline (L4, 5 and 7) 15 working days after deadline (L6) 10 working days after deadline (block delivery) |
| Unit title & code | Strategy and the Global Competitive Environment BSS058-6 |
| Assignment number and title | 1: Report on a Contemporary External Strategic Environment |
| Assignment type | WR-I |
| Weighting of assignment | 40% |
| Size or length of assessment | Up to 2400 words |
| Unit learning outcomes | 1. Nature and purpose of strategy, strategic analysis, its theoretical underpinnings and implications for marketing. Demonstrate an, analytic and persuasive understanding of the strategy process
2. Think strategically and increased confidence handling and discussing complex, current events; Deploy analytical tools of strategic and marketing management, synthesise, evaluate and develop appropriate strategic and marketing options. |
| What am I required to do in this assignment? |
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Produce FOUR plausible future Scenarios for a selected industry in which you have identified interesting issues. You must explain why one of these scenarios is in your opinion (supported with evidence-based argument) the most plausible. These should be indentified from an article published in a quality newspaper during the past month. The Scenarios should be based on through analysis of current trends and take into account informed opinion about potential future developments. The analysis should be conducted using appropriate tools selected from your Strategy Toolbox and should form the appendices. The report will focus on the Scenarios and the justification of why one of the scenarios is the most likely for that industry. Key words: Scenarios (potential future situations) Plausible (realistic and evidence-based) Justification (evidence-based argument that refers to analysis to support it) |
| What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF) |
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Collect and critically analyse, to an acceptable level, relevant data to identify and analyse the given strategic environment from the perspective of a real firm Select and apply relevant strategic frameworks or approaches to generate critical insights relevant to the organization. Note: You do not analyse the firm but you will find it useful to identify a firm in order to select a particular industry for this assignment. In this assignment there is no need to make reference to the firm, although a brief description may help (see Assignment Guidance) |
| How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade? |
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Produce a professional and compelling evaluation of a contemporary external environment and develop alternative scenarios based on this analysis. Produce an evidence-based justification of one of the strategies as the most plausible. Assignments attracting the highest marks will be focused, analytical and evidenced thoroughly. Presented professionally, make sure your submission analytical throughout and draws on a good range of quality sources. You should reference properly throughout. You will need to interpret the brief and remember that the work will help to inform your A2. You will attract marks for good, critical analysis. Make strategic judgments and produce a convincing case. Organise your work and communicate professionally. Please ensure your submission is all your own work. Poorly referenced work or work purchased from an external source will result in the work being submitted as a potential academic offence. In summary, to achieve the highest marks you will need to evaluate and critically analyse. The assignment needs focus and to provide a clear direction, which is argued and evidenced well. It is not enough to present a series of facts, discoveries and description – however well researched. Try to generate good academic discussion and avoid presenting findings as a series of bullet points. You will need to go further than just describing what has been happening strategically. |
| How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions? |
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The sessions are about thinking strategically and making strategic judgments about both the changing world around us and the strategies of all sorts of organisations in a variety of uncertain contexts. |
| How will my assignment be marked? | ||||
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Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page. You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit. |
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| Pass – 40-49% | Pass – 50-59% | Commendation – 60-69% | Distinction– 70%+ | |
| 1. Organization and presentation of the report and use of appropriate high quality references | An assignment organized competently and showing evidence of referencing. | A good assignment organized and communicated well. Correct referencing, for the most part drawing on a range of appropriate sources. | A professional assignment organized and communicated well. Accurate referencing, drawing on a range of quality sources. | A professional assignment organized and communicated to a high standard. Full and accurate referencing, drawing on a full range of up to date quality sources. |
| 2 Use of appropriate methods from the strategy toolbox to generate a meaningful analysis | Addresses the task set showing some awareness of the strategic environment and use of appropriate strategic frameworks. | Addresses the task set. Appraisal of the issues shows indications of evidence. Some effort to produce an analysis of the strategic environment. Relevant approaches adopted, but deployed largely mechanically rather than analytically. Strategic issues are central but over emphasizes the operational. Likely to be too descriptive | Addresses the task set. Evaluation of the issues stemming largely from evidence. Clear analysis of the strategic environment identified. Relevant approaches deployed to support critical analysis. Emphasis is balanced towards strategic analysis rather than operational. | Addresses the task set in a comprehensive fashion. Clear and focused analysis of the strategic environment identified. Evaluation of the issues stemming from the evidence. Relevant approaches deployed effectively to strengthen sophisticated critical analysis. Emphasis is placed firmly on strategic analysis rather than operational. |
| 3 Development of evidence based scenarios. | Competent assignment which shows that makes use some use of analysis to develop scenarios. Tending towards the descriptive. | Competent assignment which shows some strategic insight into the external environment. Scenarios are developed and they are largely based on analysis. The range of scenarios may be too narrow. The lack of underpinning analysis tends to make the scenarios less plausible | Critical evaluation which shows strategic insight into the identified external environment, The comparison between scenarios is presented in a useful way to support the narrative The assignment represents a piece of analysis generation of scenarios that are identifiably different but also plausible. | Critical and sophisticated evaluation which shows strategic insight into the identified external environment. The comparison is presented in such a way that it really drives the insights generated. The assignment represents a strong piece of analysis that develops scenarios that include extremes that are still plausible and conveyed in a concise but convincing way. |
| 4. Identification of and justification for the most plausible scenario. |
A scenario is chosen but the justification lacks evidence and conviction |
The scenario is chosen as the most plausible but the argument requires more evidence in its support. |
A strong evidence-based argument is presented to justify the selection of the most plausible scenario. |
The argument presented in justification for the most likely scenario is compelling and is underpinned by rigourous and evidence-based argument and also evidence to ‘undermine’ the likelihood of the other scenarios. |
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