Part 2 only 3500 words

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 1

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 – SPRING TERM

MBA (VAN01)

(MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION)

TIER 1

BUSI 640 – CONSULTING PRACTICE

INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT BRIEF-PARTS 1, 2 & 3

TOPIC: INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDY

50% (10%, 20% & 20%) OF TOTAL COURSE GRADE

SUBMISSION DATES: VARIES – WEEKS 3, 5 & 8

ONLINE VIA STUDENT PORTAL(MOODLE)

TURNITIN LINK

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 2

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this assignment the student will be able:

1. To develop abilities to gather, analyse, interpret and evaluate information on a management consulting task and project related topic(s).

2. To strengthen conceptual and analytical skills in the study management consulting.

3. To build tangible links between the theory and practice of management consulting.

4. To heighten awareness and understanding of management consulting in action and gain greater self-awareness of oneself as a consultant.

5. To develop and present thoughts, arguments, and informed opinions in a logical and coherent way.

6. To develop creativity and critical management skills. 7. To develop skills in case study navigation and analysis. 8. To demonstrate academic and management research, proposal, report writing

and composition skills with academic and business integrity.

9. To consistently apply the APA system of academic referencing. 10. To demonstrate word processing and IT skills 11. To develop project and time management skills. 12. To develop healthy and functional work habits in progressing confidently and

consistently towards a defined submission deadline date.

Individual Assignment – Overall Task

Using your chosen Ivey Case Study as your client organisation, immerse yourself in the

role of Management Consultant in providing a consulting service which involves the

following key milestone deliverables/tasks/assignments::

Part 1: Write a comprehensive Proposal for your client (10%)

Part 2: Environmental Scanning and Analysis (20%)

Part 3: Generate Strategies and Recommend A Solution (20%)

.

This 3 Part Assignment is a practice in management consulting via the use of the case

study method and follows the steps outlined in the flow diagram in Appendix A.

PART 1: Write A Comprehensive Proposal for your Client: – 10% – 2,500 words

Week 3

A consulting proposal is a document sent from a consultant to a prospective client

describing a job or assignment they wish to take on and the conditions under which they

will do so. Consulting proposals are usually written only after the consultant and

prospective client have discussed the job at length. However, n this situation, the client

briefing is provided in the form of the Case Study. The end of each case study may

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 3

contain a question(s) or a reflection about next steps or a dilemma faced by the

protagonist (person at centre of the centre). Use this as your starting point and or convert

into a problem statement of what the client is facing.

Business proposals and business plans are not the same. The proposal’s aim is to sell

your consulting service, rather than your business as a commercial entity. Whether the

proposal is solicited (RFP – Request For Proposal) or unsolicited, the steps to create

your proposal are similar.

Simple Guide to Writing a Proposal: https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Consulting-

Proposal Also please see the PP Slides on Writing A Proposal and the Sample Proposal

on Moodle/MyUCW.

While the format of a proposal may vary widely and a FRF may stipulate specific

headings and information, all proposals should be written in a clear and succinct manner

which explicitly sets expectations of both parties and indicates the parameters of the

consulting service. It should be about 2,500 words in length, and it should address the

following information under designated headings: (these headings are not rigid, so

choose the ones that work best for your specific client)

1. Cover Page. 2. Executive Summary. 3. Introduction 4. Client Problem and Goals. 5. Project purpose and scope 6. Methodology and Process 7. List of Responsibilities 8. Anticipated Outcomes and Benefits 9. Project Deliverables. (not solutions – as you do not have them yet !!) 10. Timelines and Milestones 11. Pricing and Terms and Conditions. 12. Any Other Issues 13. Consultant’s profile. 14. References 15. Appendices

Submit via Turnitin on Moodle by due date.

PART 2: Environmental Scanning and Analysis – 20% – 3,500 words – Week 5

Environmental scanning is the process of gathering information about events and their

relationships within an organization’s internal and external environments. The basic

purpose of environmental scanning is to help management and you as an advising

consultant to determine the current status and possible future direction of the

https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Consulting-Proposal
https://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Consulting-Proposal
BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 4

organization. It’s like a health check before an operation or checking the weather forecast

before going on a voyage ! It should be approx. 3,500 words in length.

Simple Guide to Environmental Scanning: http://bokeconsulting.com/strategy-

ethics/environmental-scanning/

It primarily entails environmental scanning and diagnosis and will include the

following heading:

1. Introduction 2. Purpose and Goal of the environmental analysis. 3. Client Profile and Company Background 4. Internal Analysis: Structure, System, Policies, Resources etc. 5. External Analysis: PESTLE analysis, Stakeholder analysis, Industry and Sector 6. SWOT – Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats and Issues Priority

Matrix

7. Discussion and Conclusion 8. References 9. Appendices

Submit via Turnitin on Moodle by due date.

PART 3: Generate Strategies and Recommend A Solution – 20% – 3,500 words

– Week 8:

This part directly builds upon Part 2 above where based on facts and evidence you now

generate different strategy options, alternative and possible solutions your client could

pursue. This must be based on evidence and facts and presented in a rational and logical

manner including stating any assumptions upfront.

and will include the following heading:

1. Introduction 2. Purpose and Goal of this part. 3. Executive Summary 4. Strategy Alternative and Justification 5. Recommended Solution and Justification (and Assumptions) 6. Implementation and Execution 7. Discussion and Conclusion 8. References 9. Appendices

Submit via Turnitin on Moodle by due date.

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 5

ISSUES RELEVANT TO ALL PARTS OF THIS STAGGERED

ASSIGNMENT

1.Research the assignment topic and organization and write up the assignment

using the suggested format.

Finding Relevant Information:

Research additional and more current information on your Ivey case study organizations

such as company websites, annual reports, strategic reports, industry and sector reports

and umbrella organizations. Social media and digital media searches for current

information may also be useful. Also search within the Big 3 MBB publications and

magazines.

There is a significant amount of resources to draw from and should include the

following: UCW Library – on shelf and academic on line resources should be your

first post of call.

See Core Text book and other Texts books on strategy and management consulting.

– On Line and On Shelf Journals, preferably peer reviewed.

– Online Databases and Portals which contains many relevant strategy and peer

reviewed journals.

– Set up a “Google Alert” or a “Journal Article Alert” Updates” to get information

on a particular topic be mailed to you on a regular basis.

– Secondary References: chase up relevant references listed in the Footnotes &

Bibliographies of Journal Articles and at the back of Text Books.

– Also consider YouTube and Social Media searches.

–

So, use the various academic sources and resources at your disposal such ad UCW

physical and on line library and the various academic databases to find relevant

information including peer reviewed journal articles. Ensure you cite each source

correctly using the APA style. Read generally on the topic first starting with your core

textbook and then funnel your research into the specifics and micro-aspects of the

topic(s).

Writing Up the Assignment: Style and Substance:

Follow the suggested format under each Part. This is not rigid and allows for some

variation to suit your client needs.

Assignment Format and Checklist:

Word Count: As indicated under each part. This excludes any footnotes, references,

bibliography or appendices. The word count should be indicated on the pro-forma cover

page.

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 6

Format:

The assignment should be presented in word processed format adhering to the following

guidelines:

– Report style formal structure.

– Word only format, not PDF

– See the APA Template on the Library section.

– Clear paragraphing with headings and sub-headings.

– Use of plenty of white space, breaking up the text with visual aids, diagrams,

graphs, etc. If too bulky, put in Appendix.

– Double line spacing

– Numbered paragraphs 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 etc.

– Times New Roman 12

– Pages Numbered

– Table of Contents at front

– Executive Summary

– Consistent Style of APA Citation Referencing.- see Library Workshops

– Minimum of 4 references per part

– Proof Read and Spell Checked

– Contain completed Cover Sheet and signed Academic Integrity Declaration Form

(at end of this document) which includes the Assignment Title, Student Number, Year,

Course Part & Program and Word Count and which verifies that you have acknowledged

all references, the work is yours and that you have not plagiarised.

2. Academic Integrity:

Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct policy in the University

Canada West website located in MyUCW under the Registrar section. Plagiarism and

lack of academic integrity: includes, but is not limited to:

• Submission of another person’s work as original;

• Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated in

the student’s work; and

• Paraphrase or use of material verbatim from a source without sufficient

acknowledgement.

Falsifying Materials: includes, but is not limited to:

• Fraudulently manipulating laboratory processes, electronic data, or research data

in order to achieve desired results;

• Submitting work prepared by someone else (e.g., commercially prepared essays)

as one’s own;

• Citing a source from which material was not obtained; and

• Submitting false records, information or data, in writing or orally.

Cheating: includes, but is not limited to:

• Submitting the same work for different courses without prior permission from the

faculty member;

• Copying another person’s answers or other work;

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 7

• Sharing information or answers when doing take-home assignments, tests, and

examinations except where the instructor has authorized collaborative work;

• Having any unauthorized materials or equipment in an examination or test;

• Submitting an assignment completed (or partially completed) by someone else;

• Falsifying or making up data or bibliographic information;

• Impersonating a candidate in an examination or test, or being assigned the results

of such impersonation;

• Reproducing, sharing or otherwise making unauthorized copies of UCW materials

in any format;

• Using technological means such as cell phones, data storage units and other

electronic devices without prior permission from the faculty; and

• Assisting others or attempt to help others to engage in any conduct described

above or any other activities prohibited by UCW.

Penalties for Academic Misconduct:

Penalties for academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

• At the course level:

o Written reprimand for retention in the student file (no transcript entry)

o Repetition of the assignment or completion of a different, but similar, assignment

(no transcript entry)

o Failing grade for the assignment (no transcript entry)

o Failing grade for the course (recorded on transcript)

• At the program level:

o Disciplinary probation for a defined period with written documentation retained

in the student’s file (transcript notation for period of probation)

• At the University level:

o Suspension (permanent transcript entry)

o Expulsion (permanent transcript entry)

o Rescission of degrees granted (permanent transcript entry)

3. Follow and Double Check Each Part of Your Final Work Against the Assessment

and Critical Thinking Rubrics and Marking Scheme:

Assessment Rubrics:

To check your critical thinking, following dimensions will be considered: clarity, relevance, depth of

discussion, breadth of discussion, integration and internal consistency.

Assessment Rubrics:

Written Communication Assessment 20%

1

Did not meet

expectations

2

Met expectations

3

Exceeded

expectations

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 8

Writing

Conventions

(grammar, word use,

punctuation,

mechanics)

Frequent

grammatical errors

and misspellings

inhibit readability

Informal language,

abbreviations and

slang is used

Few grammatical

errors

and misspellings

(e.g.

three or fewer per

page)

Correct verb tense

used

Paragraphs flow

from

one to another Active

voice pervasive

Free of grammatical

errors

and misspellings

Effective verb tense

used

Uses phrases and

construction that

delight as

well as inform the

reader

Primarily active

voice

Overall

Effectiveness of

Piece (professional

appearance,

expression and

format)

Not formatted to

Specifications,

Lacking professional

appearance

Formatting is

generally

correct, acceptable

professional

appearance.

Assigned format

followed

explicitly:

Exceptional

professional

appearance

Critical Thinking Assessment 80%

Intellectual Standards

Elements of Reasoning Clarit

y

Relevan

ce

Depth Breadt

h

Integratio

n

Consiste

ncy

Information

(situation analysis;

important data, facts,

observations for analysis

and decision making)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Concepts

(theories, principles, models

to be applied in the analysis

or exercise)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Points of View

(important stakeholders to

consider in the analysis and

resulting decision(s))

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Assumptions

(presuppositions, values or

beliefs that must be

explicitly stated)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Implications

(potential +/- outcomes or

consequences of decisions

or

strategies)

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Interpretation

(articulation of conclusions,

interpretation,

recommendation

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 9

based on information,

concepts,

POV, assumptions and

Implications)

Critical Thinking and Written Analyses Rubric – Scale Description

Levels

Criteria 1

Did Not Meet

Expectations

2

Met Expectations

3

Exceeded

Expectations

Clarity Writing is not clear. It

is

difficult to understand

points

being made. The

writing lacks

transitions, and few

examples and/or

illustrations are

provided to support

explanation or

recommendations.

Writing is generally well

organized and

understood. Transitions

are used to facilitate

clarity. Some examples

and/illustrations are used

to support explanation or

recommendations.

Writing is succinct,

precise,

effectively organized

and

without ambiguity.

Transitions, explanation

and elaboration are

extensive to elucidate

points. Detailed

illustrations and/or

examples are used to

support explanation or

recommendations.

Relevance Critical issues/questions

are

omitted or ignored in

the

writing.

Most of the critical

issues/questions are

addressed in the writing.

All critical

issues/questions

are addressed

completely in

the writing

Depth of

Discussion

Ignores bias; Omits

arguments

Misrepresents issues;

Excludes data; Includes

but does not detect

inconsistencies of

information; Ideas

contain

unnecessary gaps,

repetition or extraneous

details; Sees no

arguments and

overlooks

differences

Detects bias; Recognizes

arguments;

Categorizes content;

Paraphrases data;

Sufficient detail to

support conclusions

and/or recommendations

Analysis includes

insightful

questions;

Refutes bias; Discusses

issues thoroughly

Critiques content ;

Values

Information

Examine inconsistances

;

Offers extensive detail

to

support conclusions and

recommendations;

Suggests

solutions or

implementation

Breadth of

Discussion

Omits arguments or

perspectives; Misses

major

content areas/concepts;

Presents few options

Covers the breadth of the

topic without being

superfluous

Considers multiple

perspectives;

Thoroughly delves into

the issues/questions;

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 10

Thoroughly discusses

facts relevant to the

issues

Integration

of all

Elements of

Reasoning

Fails to draw

conclusions or

conclusions rely on

author’s

authority rather than

strength of presentation;

Draws faulty

conclusions; Shows

intellectual dishonesty

Formulates clear

conclusions with

adequate support

Assimilates and

critically

reviews information,

uses

reasonable judgment,

and

provides balanced, well

justified conclusions

Internal

Consistency

There is little

integration across

the sections of the

paper.

Several inconsistencies

or

contradictions exist.

Few of the issues,

recommendation and

explanations make

sense and are well

integrated.

Sections of the paper are

generally well

linked/connected. Only

minor contradictions

exist. Most of the issues,

recommendations and

explanations make sense

and are well integrated.

All sections of the

paper are

linked. There are no

contradictions in the

writing. All issues,

recommendations and

explanations make

sense

and are well integrated

Values: Level 1: 10%, Level 2: 50% and Level 3: 100%

Grade Point and Letter Grades:

DESCRIPTOR GRADE

Exceptional: Normally achieved by a small minority of students who have consistently exceeded performance expectations in all evaluation criteria.

90-100% A+ (4.33)

Excellent: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at high levels of performance in almost all of the evaluation criteria.

85-89% A (4.00)

Very good: Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at well above average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

80-84% A- (3.67)

Good: Demonstrates substantial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average to above average performance levels in most of the course evaluation criteria

76-79% B+ (3.33)

72-75% B (3.00)

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 11

Satisfactory: Demonstrates sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at average levels of performance in most of the course evaluation criteria.

68-71% B- (2.67)

Pass: Demonstrates acceptable knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and achievement of learning outcomes at low to average level of performance in many of the course evaluation criteria.

60-67% C (2.00)

Fail: Unacceptable performance in most or all of the course evaluation criteria

0-59% F (0)

Given the nature of “relative grading” (competition), your grades will normally follow

a normal distribution curve which means Grade A and A+ will be very rare and few as

will Fail Grades.

4. Complete and Sign the Academic Integrity Declaration Form.

Please fully complete the Assignment Cover Sheet including the Academic Integrity

Form. (a copy is on the last page of this brief.) An electronic signature is acceptable or

you may physically sign and scan. Attach a signed copy of this cover sheet to the final

document before final submission.

NB: Screen shot the completed cover sheet and insert into the appendix of the

completed assignment. Do not insert as a document as it will drive up the Turnitin

Similarity score.

5. Put Each Part Through Turnitin With a Similarity Score of 20% Or Less.

If the Turnitin similarity score is greater than 30% it is an automatic fail. Between

20% and 30% incurs a penalty in marks and under 20% is fine. Please do NOT submit

the final document until at least 20% or less. You may submit as many times as you wish

in Turnitin, until you get it below 20%, before the final deadline.

This course requires you to submit your assignment in electronic form. The electronic

material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This

is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly

in North American universities. For additional information please visit:

https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questi

ons_and_Answers.pdf

https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf
https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf
BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 12

Having competed the Academic Integrity Certificate in Step No. 1 and you are still

unsure what plagiarism means, then please visit www. Plagiarism.org

The Turnitin Company has recently re-launched Plagiarism.org, an educational and

informative resource on plagiarism and best practices for ensuring originality in written

work. This site, geared toward students and writers in general, offers a wealth of

information specifically about plagiarism, as well as information on how to properly

attribute and cite sources. On Plagiarism.org, you’ll also find an “Ask the Experts”

feature, FAQs, and a resource section with downloadable handouts. Also please visit

the UCW Library website.

On the Moodle page for this course part and assignment you will find the location where

you upload the assignment to Turnitin.

If you look at the assignment of a previous student who took this course, even just as a

reference, this is still plagiarism and cheating. Always use your own words and your

own voice as its your assignment and your ideas only. Even if your English is not

perfect it is always best to put in your own words rather than risk breaching academic

integrity. During exam, you’re not allowed to look at other people’s work under any

circumstances and the same rules apply for assignments.

Consequences and Penalties of Plagiarism:

• Explicit:

o 1st Offense: Zero on the assignment and one strike on your permanent student

record.

o 2nd Offense: Automatic failure of the course

o 3rd Offense: Expelled from the school

• Implicit

o UCW is a relatively small academic community of faculty and students where

everyone knows each other. Any blemish or damage to your reputation and your

personal and academic integrity will impact your professional standing and future

academic and professional options.

o If you are found guilty of cheating, you will be labelled as a “cheater” and you will

carry this reputation for the rest of your stay in this school and it may appear on your

academic record/transcript when looking for academic references in order to pursue

further studies and or when seeking employment.

Troubleshooting Turnitin:

If you encounter difficulties with your Turnitin submission, try one of these two

strategies (solves it 99% of the time)

1. Wait an hour or two or three and try submitting again

2. Try using a different web browser or computer.

Important: Please note the Instructor has no control or authority over the Turnitin system

so they are unable to help you if you have trouble with submission. You must contact

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 13

the IT department. So, allow sufficient time for any obstacles or delays. It is wise to

submit your assignment couple days before the due date so you still have time to fix it if

you experience submission problems. If you submit your assignment at the last moment

and experience submission problems, there is nothing the instructor can do and you will

incur a penalty for a late submission. If you email an Instructor on the weekends with

problems, they will not be able to reply to you until Monday. So, resolve issues in a

timely manner before the weekend and during the office hours of the Instructor and

UCW IT Department.

Turnitin Similarity Score 20%:

You may upload your assignment up to three times maximum, before the final

submission deadline so that you are below the 20% comparability score.

An assignment with a comparability score of greater than 20% will be penalized. So

please ensure you have a score of 20% or less before final submission.

Between 20 to 30%: A deduction of up to 30% of your grade will be made depending

on the case.

Over 30% is an automatic fail of the assignment and this will be reported to the Head

of Department for review and further action and possible sanctions.

If you use Grammerly as an initial check for similarity score, remember that Turnitin

will add a minimum of extra 15%-20% to the score you get from Grammerly so don’t

rely on it or trust the result.

If you believe you completed an honest assignment but still went over 20%? Then you

need to revisit your refences. If you did an inadequate job of researching for

references, you will end up including many references that other students have already

used and this will increase your similarity score. There are millions of articles

available to enable you to complete a robust and rigorous literature review and a

systematic research process. Consult the UCW Librarians for help. They are the

experts on finding resources and hey are they to help you and make you a better

researcher.

If you go over 20% regardless of the reasons, penalties will apply and if you exceed

30% you will automatically fail the assignment.

Tips on Lowering Similarity Scores

1. No direct quotes from references (not even one sentence). Always paraphrase

everything and include proper citation. It is only fair that you acknowledge and give

credit to where you got the idea or concept from.

a. In other words, DON’T COPY ANY QUOTES from the references.

b. DO NOT directly copy the assignment questions to your assignment as this will

increase your similarity score.

2. Carry out a comprehensive review in researching so your references are not going to

overlap with other students’ assignments,

a. If it only took you 30 minutes to find a particular reference, chances are very

high that previous students already used those so if you use the same reference, it

BUSI 640 (V01) – Individual Assignment Brief 14

will increase your similarity score. That is why Google Scholar should not be your first

port of call.

b. Avoid searching through Google and even Google Scholar and don’t include online

news articles and magazines.

c. Go to the library (not just our school but also other libraries) and search for

books

d. Search for online for peer reviewed journal articles from scholarly portals and

databases such as EBSCO and JSTOR

e. Sign up for “Journal Article Alerts” from such journal article publishers as “Wiley

Online”.

6. Submit Each Part of the Assignment, Online Via Student Portal(Moodle) by the

Stipulated Deadline.

The stipulated deadline for this assignment is on the cover page as well as in the

syllabus. Please double check the date and submit on time. Put the date in your cell

phone calendar. …

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