AS1 – Assessment Brief
Module Code
Module Name
Global Business and Investment
Level
Module Leader
James Mshelia
Module Code
BUS3027
Assessment title:
Weighting:
1
6
Management report – AS1 Word count – 2000 words excluding the
final reference list, tables and figures (+10% deviation is allowed)
60%
Submission dates:
Please see NILE under Assessment Information
Feedback and
Grades due:
Please see NILE under Assessment Information
Please read this assessment brief in its entirety before starting work on the Assessment Task.
Check the marking rubric at the end of this brief for details on how you will be
assessed.
The Assignment Task
You are expected to write a management report following the board of directors’ business
meeting simulation covering these six questions:
1)
What strategies would the company use to increase its profitability in the new
market? (e.g. you will have to consider reducing cost or adding value to the existing
market). Use relevant theories and empirical examples to support your answers.
2)
What are the company’s global production considerations, and how can its supply
chain management be improved to lower the cost of value creation for better servicing
customers’ needs?
3)
What strategies could the company use to avoid foreign exchange risk
considering that exchange rates have become much more volatile and less predictable
in the international monetary system?
4)
What international staffing policy would you recommend for the company that is
consistent with its strategy, and how will this improve its performance and
competitiveness?
5)
Considering how your company could configure its marketing mix, what are its
initial international marketing entry decisions? Recommend a 2-year post-entry
marketing strategy.
6)
Critically analyse decisions taken in the meeting and reflect on what could have
been done differently by making final recommendations for the company’s foreign
market entry plan?
You must use relevant business theories/models to support your answers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:
a) Evaluate theories and debates on the nature, processes, and systems of conducting
business globally.
c) Critique the role played by multinational enterprises, governments, and global institutions
in promoting responsible and sustainable investment practices and policies.
2
e)
f)
Identify a problem and devise a range of alternative solutions drawing from accepted
problem-solving techniques.
Critically analyse decisions taken and reflect on what could have been done differently.
Assessment Support
Specific support sessions for this assessment will be provided by the module team and
notified through NILE. You can also access individual support and guidance for your
assessments from Library and Learning Services. Visit the Skills Hub to access this support
and to discover the online support also available for assessments and academic skills.
Academic Integrity and Misconduct
The work you produce must be your own, with work taken from any other source properly
referenced and attributed. This means that it is an infringement of academic integrity and,
therefore, academic misconduct to ask someone else to carry out all or some of the work for
you, whether paid or unpaid, or to use the work of another student whether current or
previously submitted.
For further guidance on what constitutes plagiarism, contract cheating or collusion, or any other
infringement of academic integrity, please read the University’s Academic Integrity and
Misconduct Policy. Other useful resources to help with understanding academic integrity are
available from UNPAC – the University of Northampton’s Plagiarism Avoidance Course.
N.B. The penalties for academic misconduct are severe and include failing the
assessment, failing the module and even expulsion from the university.
Assessment Submission
To submit your work, please go to the ‘Assessment and Submission’ area on the NILE site and
use the relevant submission point to upload the assessment deliverables. The deadline for
this is 11.59pm (UK local time) on the date of submission. Please note that essays and textbased reports should be submitted as word documents and not PDFs or Mac files.
Written work submitted to TURNITIN will be subject to anti-plagiarism detection software.
Turnitin checks student work for possible textual matches against internet available resources
and its own proprietary database.
When you upload your work correctly to TURNITIN you will receive a receipt which is your
record and proof of submission. If your assessment is not submitted to TURNITIN, rather than
a receipt, you will see a green banner at the top of the screen that denotes successful
submission.
N.B Work emailed directly to your tutor will not be marked.
Late submission of work
For first sits, if an item of assessment is submitted late and an extension has not been
granted, the following will apply:
3
•
•
Within one week of the original deadline – work will be marked and returned with full
feedback and awarded a maximum bare pass grade.
More than one week from original deadline – grade achievable LG (L indicating late).
For resits there are no allowances for work submitted late and it will be treated as a nonsubmission.
Please see the Assessment and Feedback Policy for full information on the processes related
to assessment, grading and feedback, including anonymous grading. You will also find
Guidance on grades and resit opportunities from the main University website. Also explained
there are the meanings of the various G grades at the bottom of the grading scale including
LG mentioned above.
Extensions
The University of Northampton’s general policy about extensions is to be supportive of
students who have genuine difficulties in meeting an assessment deadline. It is not intended
for use where pressures of work could have reasonably been anticipated.
For full details please refer to the Extensions Policy. Extensions are only available for first sits
– they are not available for resits.
Mitigating Circumstances
For full guidance on Mitigating circumstances please go to Mitigating Circumstances where
you will find information on the policy as well as guidance and the form for making an
application. Please also see Extensions & Mitigating Circumstances guide that compares your
options.
Please note, however, that an application to defer an assessment on the grounds of mitigating
circumstances should normally be made in advance of the submission deadline or
examination date.
Feedback and Grades
These can be accessed through clicking on the “Gradebook” on NILE. Feedback will be
provided by a rubric with summary comments.
4
Grading Rubric
Grading Rubric Marking Rubric /Grade Criteria (A+ to D- indicate work of a pass standard; grades of F+ below are fails).
LEARNING OUTCOMES
D+ to D- (PASS)
C+ to C- (COMMENDED)
B+ to B- (MERIT)
No submission / no Evidence
included
or
evidence.
provided but missing in some
very important respects.
Of
satisfactory
quality,
demonstrating evidence of
achieving the requirements of
the learning outcomes.
Of sound quality, demonstrative
which
is
sufficient
and
appropriate to the task or
activity.
Of high quality, demonstrating
evidence which is rigorous and
convincing, appropriate to the
task or activity.
Of
very
high
quality,
demonstrating
evidence
which is strong, robust and
consistent, appropriate to the
task or activity.
INTRODUCTION
Work submitted is of
no academic
value/nothing
submitted
Poorly written introduction
without
a
background,
purpose/aim of report and a
brief discussion of the
company’s FDI and how the
report will be structured.
An introduction with clear
deficiencies in the background,
purpose/aim of report and a brief
discussion of the company’s FDI
and how the report will be
structured.
An introduction with some
limitations in the background,
purpose/aim of report and a brief
discussion of the company’s FDI
and how the report will be
structured.
Good introduction with a
background, purpose/aim of
report and a brief discussion of
the company’s FDI and how the
report will be structured.
Very good introduction with a
background, purpose/aim of
report and a brief discussion of
the company’s FDI and how
the report will be structured.
Evaluate theories and debates on
the nature, processes, and systems
of conducting business globally.
Work submitted is of
no
academic
value/nothing
submitted
Poor awareness of a business
strategy that your firm could
use to increase its profitability
either reducing cost or adding
value in the new market with
the use relevant theories and
empirical examples to support
your answers. Poor evaluation
and use of appropriate
evidence
and examples
Very Limited awareness of a
business strategy that your firm
could use to increase its
profitability either reducing cost
or adding value in the new
market with the use relevant
theories and empirical examples
to support your answers. Very
limited evaluation and use of
appropriate
evidence
and
examples
Limited awareness of a business
strategy that your firm could use
to increase its profitability either
reducing cost or adding value in
the new market with the use
relevant theories and empirical
examples to support your
answers.
Limited evaluation and use of
appropriate
evidence
and
examples
Good awareness of a business
strategy that your firm could use
to increase its profitability either
reducing cost or adding value in
the new market with the use
relevant theories and empirical
examples to support your
answers.
Good evaluation and use of
appropriate evidence and
examples
Very good awareness of a
business strategy that your
firm could use to increase its
profitability, either reducing
cost or adding value in the
new market with the use
relevant
theories
and
empirical examples to support
your answers.
Very good evaluation and use of
appropriate
evidence and examples
LEARNING OUTCOMES
NO SUBMISSION
F+ to F- (FAIL)
D+ to D- (PASS)
C+ to C- (COMMENDED)
B+ to B- (MERIT)
5
NO SUBMISSION
F+ to F- (FAIL)
A+ to A- (DISTINCTION)
A+ to A- (DISTINCTION)
Poor
understanding
of
considerations
in
international production and
the concept of supply chain
management and how new
technologies,
cost
management initiative, better
customer services can lower
valueadding activities cost
within a value chain for
competitive advantage.
Very limited understanding of
considerations in international
production and the concept of
supply chain management and
how new technologies, cost
management initiative, better
customer services can lower
value-adding activities cost
within a value chain for
competitive advantage.
Limited
understanding
of
considerations in international
production and the concept of
supply chain management and
how new technologies, cost
management initiative, better
customer services can lower
value-adding activities cost
within a value chain for
competitive advantage.
Good
understanding
of
considerations in international
production and the concept of
supply chain management and
how new technologies, cost
management initiative, better
customer services can lower
value-adding activities cost
within a value chain for
competitive advantage.
Very good understanding of
considerations in international
production and the concept of
supply chain management and
how new technologies, cost
management initiative, better
customer services can lower
valueadding activities cost
within a value chain for
competitive advantage
Identify a problem and devise a
range of alternative solutions
drawing from accepted problemsolving techniques.
Poor awareness of the
impact/functions of foreign
exchange market, types of
risk, exchange rates regimes
and mitigating strategies.
Very limited awareness of the
impact/functions of foreign
exchange market, types of risk,
exchange rates regimes and
mitigating strategies.
Limited awareness of the
impact/functions of foreign
exchange market, types of risk,
exchange rates regimes and
mitigating strategies
Good
awareness
of
the
impact/functions of foreign
exchange market, types of risk,
exchange rates regimes and
mitigating strategies
Very good awareness of the
impact/functions of foreign
exchange market, types of
risk, exchange rates regimes
and mitigating strategies.
Identify a problem and devise a
range of alternative solutions
drawing from accepted problemsolving techniques.
Inadequate subject focus.
Lacks understanding of the
staffing policy of MNEs (the
different approaches) that is
consistent with the firm’s
strategy
and
how
performance/
competitiveness could be
improved.
Lacks
subject
focus.
Understanding of the staffing
policy of MNEs (the different
approaches) that is consistent
with the firm’s strategy and how
performance/ competitiveness
could
be
improved.
Little subject focus. Limited
understanding of the staffing
policy of MNEs (the different
approaches) that is consistent
with the firm’s strategy and how
performance/ competitiveness
could
be
improved.
Good understanding of the
staffing policy of MNEs (the
different approaches) that is
consistent with the firm’s
strategy and how performance/
competitiveness
could
be
improved.
Very good understanding of
the staffing policy of MNEs
(the3 different approaches)
that is consistent with the
firm’s strategy and how
performance/ competitiveness
could be improved.
Identify a problem and devise a
range of alternative solutions
drawing from accepted problemsolving techniques.
6
Work submitted is of
no academic
value/nothing
submitted
Critique the role played by
multinational
enterprises,
governments,
and
global
institutions
in
promoting
responsible
and
sustainable
investment practices and policies.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Poor awareness of what the
company should take into
considering
during
international marketing such
as
marketing
mix,
globalisation of products,
adaptation
or
standardisation,
market
segmentation,
pricing,
promotion and distribution
strategies, and systems.
NO SUBMISSION
F+ to F- (FAIL)
Very limited awareness of what
the company should take into
considering during international
marketing such as marketing mix,
globalisation
of
products,
adaptation
or
standardisation,
market
segmentation,
pricing,
promotion and distribution
strategies, and systems.
Limited awareness of what the
company should take into
considering during international
marketing such as marketing mix,
globalisation
of
products,
adaptation
or
standardisation,
market
segmentation,
pricing,
promotion and distribution
strategies, and systems.
Good awareness of what the
company should take into
considering during international
marketing such as marketing
mix, globalisation of products,
adaptation
or
standardisation,
market
segmentation,
pricing,
promotion and distribution
strategies, and systems.
D+ to D- (PASS)
C+ to C- (COMMENDED)
B+ to B- (MERIT)
A+ to A- (DISTINCTION)
CONCLUSION
poorly related or unrelated to weak competent summary of the Limited conclusions that is not a
the portfolio
portfolio
competent summary of the
portfolio
coherent and not a
competent summary of the
portfolio
Critically analyse decisions taken
and reflect on what could have
been done
differently
Poorly
derived weakly
derived
recommendations that
recommendations
that
are
are discussed previously
discussed previously
Derived recommendations with
limitations that are discussed
previously
Well
derived
recommendations that
discussed previously
PRESENTATION,
REFERENCING
AND USE OF LANGUAGE
Poorly
presented and
referenced
with
very unclear
language with
serious errors.
Adequately
Well presented with clear use of
presentation with clear language and good academic
use of language but with minor
rigour referencing.
errors and some
inconsistencies
referencing.
7
Adequate presentation but with
clear deficiencies with significant
errors in use of language and
referencing.
Very good awareness of what
the company should take into
considering
during
international marketing such
as
marketing
mix,
globalisation of products,
adaptation or standardisation,
market segmentation, pricing,
promotion and distribution
strategies, and systems.
very
are
clearly coherent and a
competent summary of
the portfolio
Very
well
derived
recommendations that
are discussed previously
Very well presented with clear
use of language and Very good
academic rigour referencing.