MBA/DBA ASSESSMENT

The MBA/DBA Coursework is worth 100%.

Assessment

The assessment will be used to evaluate your performance against the learning outcomes. Feedback
will be provided. All parts of the summative assessments are compulsory. An overall mark of 50% must
be achieved in the module. All assessments must be submitted by the specified deadline. Penalties may
arise from failure to meet the submission date for coursework, without good cause. Links to all
University academic regulatory information are provided on the student home page
http://www.caledonian.ac.uk/student/ which is accessed through My Caledonian. All assignments must
be word processed and presented in an appropriate format. Where a word count is stipulated this
should be adhered to.

The assessment is one coursework worth 100%. The pass mark is 50%.

Coursework (100%)

Your coursework is as follows: “Scenario planning exercise”

“Critically evaluate the strategic position of an organization of your choice highlighting the
core environmental factors influencing the organization and its strategic position.
Undertake a scenario planning exercise to generate twopotential scenarios arising from
changes in CORE environmental forces. Highlight the potential impact each scenario
could have upon the future strategic position of the organization and justify what action
the organization could take to manage such impact.”

Your answer should be a total of 3000 words (+/- 10%) in length and should be underpinned by
reference to relevant literature and illustrations of contemporary organizations. Credit will be given
for wide reading and critical analysis. As an MBA student you are permitted to use advanced practice
experience but remember you need to support claims you make to ensure rigor and validity.

Late submissions will receive a mark of 0% unless there are exceptional circumstances,
such as illness. Request for an extension must be supported by appropriate evidence. Candidates are
also advised to familiarise yourself with the fit-to-sit policy and when and how it can be used.

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Marking Guidelines

For all answers an 'excellent' student will demonstrate the ability to identify and address all
components of the question; demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject; use a wide range of
appropriate references; follow through arguments logically and systematically using appropriate
references and/or practical examples to illustrate points; apply some innovative thinking. Cover all
and more of the points covered in the answer scheme. (80 - 100)

A 'very good' student will demonstrate the ability to identify and address all the components of the
question; demonstrate a sound understanding of the subject, use a wide range of appropriate
references; structure the answer logically and use appropriate references and/or practical examples.
Cover all of the points mentioned in the answer scheme. (70 - 80)

A 'good' student will identify and address the key components of the question. Demonstrate a
competent understanding of the subject; select appropriate theories and references; structure the
answer well with an identifiable introduction, main body and conclusion. Cover most of the main
points outlined in the answer scheme. (60 - 70)

A 'marginal pass' constitutes identifying and addressing the key components of the question.
Demonstrates an acceptable understanding of the subject but ideas and theories presented build
little on that presented in lectures and directed reading. Reasonably structured with introduction,
main body and conclusion but may not be logically arranged. Covers some but not all of the main
points outlined in the answer scheme. (50-60)

A 'fail' indicates failure to adequately identify or answer the key components of the question.
Demonstrates little real understanding of the subject area. Fails to arrange arguments logically.
Brings in few in any theoretical references or practical examples. Covers less than 50% of the main
points outlined in the answer scheme. (<50)

Please note that for assessment, you are required to obtain a minimum aggregate pass mark of 50%
and not less than 45% for any individual component. As this is a single coursework with no additional
components, for this module, you must score a minimum of 50% to pass.

This section has provided the basic background information with regard to assessment of this
module. If you are unsure of any of the points raised please ask - DO NOT leave it until the day (or
week) before an assignment is due!

Assessment Criteria

You are required to demonstrate:

 Knowledge of relevant theory and its application
 Evidence of further reading around the subject area
 Critical analysis skills
 Essay writing skills
 Information seeking skills
 Knowledge of own organisation’s aims and objectives.
 Internal and External Environmental analysis in relation to your organisational brand

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 Please note that there is no set examination for this module.

Assessment Criteria

Marking Matrix and criteria – Coursework (100%)

Criterion Indicative Weighting Mark or

% %
Company Background and Business Model 6
Current Strategic Position (2x15) 30
Core Environmental factors explained 10
Development of 2 scenarios (2x15) 30
Impact on Strategic Position (2x6) 12
Justification of Proposed Action (2x6) 12
Total 100

Company Background and Business Model

Up to 6 marks are awarded for presenting a concise and comprehensive overview of the organisation
under study. The scope, boundaries, nature and profile of the organisation should be clearly set up
and any business model or value propositions clearly determined.
Referencing is expected to be of a high standard and all source material is expected to be identified
and fully referenced. Better answers will be concise, focused and show high degrees of synthesis.

Current Strategic Position

15 marks can be awarded for the quality of the internal analysis. Students are expected to explore the
processes and value creation within the organisation to determine strategic capabilities. This may
mean the use of value chain, BCG, or similar. Strengths and weaknesses should be clearly articulated.
15 Marks can be awarded for the quality of the external analysis. Students should explore the factors
influencing the industry and business. It is expected that students use principles of PEST and Industry
Structure analysis. Opportunities and threats should be clearly identified.
The accumulation of the SWOT and the analysis should allow the student to clearly state the current
strategic position. This is expected to be explicit.

Core Environmental Factors Explained

To develop the scenario planning stage the student should identify the core environmental factors and
explore their nature and potential impact. These can be filtered to provide for the critical
uncertainties to be used later. Depending on the scenario planning framework adopted. The student
should filter environmental factors down to one or two.

Development Of Two Scenarios

30 marks are awarded for the development of the scenarios. Two scenarios are required and each
carries 15 marks. The student should identify the scenario planning framework to be adopted,
determine the critical uncertainties and drivers, then label the scenario and write a plausible, brief yet
meaningful narrative of the different potential futures.

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Impact on Strategic Position

In this section the student has been asked to highlight the impact of each scenario on the strategic
position of the organisation. As such no in-depth evaluation is expected. Instead, the impact should be
presented and explanation provided s to how this arises from the scenario. Each scenario impact
section is worth 6 marks (2 scenarios).

Proposed Action

In this section the student has been asked to justify the proposed action that could be taken to
manage or mitigate the impacts of the changes in each scenario, should it occur. As such, reasoned,
well-argued and concise evaluation is expected with actions proposed being realistic and feasible.
Each scenario action section is worth 6 marks (2x6 scenarios) so while justified, the writing style
should also be comprehensive and clearly focused on specific actions.

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Writing Style

The following is a general guide to academic writing. HOWEVER, for your assessment, REMEMBER to
follow the advice of the tutor.

Some Advice On Writing For An Academic Audience

Five Steps For Effective Writing

Consider Your Audience For The Paper

Decide how your readers will use your document and narrow your message to their interests.
Choose details to be included on the basis of the audience’s experience and knowledge of your
subject.

 Will there be a single reader or multiple readers?

 What are the interests of your audience?
 How will the readers use your information?
 How much do your readers already know about the subject?

Anticipate Special Reader Reactions

If you think your audience will be skeptical because of the data you cite or the polices you advocate,
or if you foresee a personality or situational problem in the reader’s accepting your message, deal
with the problem up front. Usually this consideration means refuting alternatives and supporting
your conclusions with additional evidence and authority.
 Will there be skepticism?
 Is there a personality or situational problem?

Outline Your Message functionally

Think before you write. Summarize your entire message in two or three sentences at most. Decide
what action your reader needs to take or what action you plan to take. Answer
 Who
 When
 Where
 Why
 How
 And How Much Detail

Next expand this basic outline in to some logical format. Begin with a random list of ideas. Then
shuffle your ideas into a logical order, chronological, geographical, most to least significant,
categorical, or some other arrangement.

Give your reader the conclusions and recommendations first, follow with a discussion o the hows
and the whys of your conclusions and recommendations; last, attach supplementary information in
an appendix or enclosure.

Process
 Overview the objectives of the process, project, research
 Pinpoint and mention the number of stages involved

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  Explain any equipment, materials, or items the read will not understand in the details to
follow
 Explain the process chronologically

Definition or Description
 Overview of the objects or persons role
 Describe the subject area, debate in place, cited authors, etc.

Question/Answer
 Pose unknowns or problems
 State your hypothesis or answer
 Present your support material in descending order of significance in most presentation styles
 Address and refute any alternative hypotheses or answers
 Restate your answer or hypothesis

Persuasive
 State your conclusions/recommendations in terms of the audiences needs
 Explain your reasons and benefits
 Refute objections and address alternatives
 Restate your major conclusion/recommendation

Develop the first draft

Do not write in long hand. The faster speed will improve the tone and give you momentum in
getting your ideas down on paper. As you develop this fist draft, do not stop to edit and polish the
grammar but rather concentrate on the logical flow of ideas.

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Edit for Content and Layout, Grammar, Clarity, Conciseness, and Style

Content & Layout

 Focus on the readers interest up front

 Make sure your elaboration of details matches the intended emphasis
 Check accuracy and completeness; add authority and answer the why factor more
 Eliminate repetitious detail but retain first choice words
 Paragraph by idea and eye appeal
 Use informative headings, Easy to Skim lists, and adequate white space
 Design and use visuals effectively; bold, bullets, underlined, etc.

Grammar

1. Thou shalt not dangle verbals; a participial verbal phase serves as an adjective and tells us more
about a noun or a pronoun.
2. Thou shalt not write fragments for sentences; i.e., patchy sentences which should be rewritten as
one. e.g.: The lease should be maintained. Although there is no clear guidelines. Is wrong, it
should read - The lease should be maintained, although there is no clear guidelines
3. Thou shalt use parallel structure; Incorrect - One of the benefits of the call forwarding system is
that the initiator has complete control of when it can be done, to whom it can be forwarded, and
for any length of time. Parallel: One of the benefits of the call forwarding system is that the
initiator has completed control of when, to whom, and for what time the forwarding can be
done.
4. Thou shalt make pronouns agree with their antecedents and functions; i.e., if you use they (a
plural pronoun) then it must refer to a plural noun such as chairs. A singular pronoun (it) must
refer to a singular noun such as chair.
5. Thou shalt make verbs agree with their subjects; a single subject calls for a single verb; a plural
subject calls for a plural verb. Remember that to make a noun plural, you add as S, but to make a
verb plural, you remove the S. For example, The experiment proves our theory. The experiments
prove our theory.
6. Thou shalt not change tenses and moods unnecessarily
7. Thou shalt punctuate correctly
8. Thou shalt use appropriate words
9. Thou shat spell correctly
10.Thou shalt not capitalise without reason

Clarity
 Measure readability
 Position to indicate emphasis
 Link to show proper relationships
 User clear transitions
 Use clear references
 Place modifiers correctly
 Prefer concrete words and phrases
 Use a consistent viewpoint and voice

Conciseness
 Prefer active voice verbs
 Dig out buried verbs
 Cut waffle (clichés, redundancies, padding)

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Style

 Vary sentence structure and length

 Revise weak verbs
 Prefer a personal conversation tone

The former may help you as you shape your articles. We have also included some notes on essay
writing which may help with how you express yourself.

Writing Notes

Experience over the years has shown that at the outset of their courses, students appreciate some
guidelines on the task of essay writing, be it for an examination question or assignment. In certain
respects passing on this advice is a bit like trying to teach your grandmother to suck eggs; if you have
proceeded so far in an academic career it is certain that you are already aware of some of the more
subtle tricks of the trade.

Nevertheless the expectations we have here may not correspond exactly to your previous practice and
since your academic performance will in the end be judged on your essay writing ability it is worth
setting down some elementary rules of thumb for you to consider. These notes are not intended to
compete with the ranks of over-general and over-earnest "how to study" manuals aimed at university
and college recruits, rather they are an elementary set of points to bear in mind whenever you put pen
to paper.

While perusing these notes, remember - context is important! You will have limited time under
examination conditions, compared to assignment essays - although the principles are the same.

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Presenting Written Work

Report format: Word Processed

Cover (see next page): Module title and code

Student name
Matriculation number
Title
Assignment Number
Learning Outcomes addressed by the assignment (only required if
assessment comprises more than 1 piece of courses work being submitted
on separate dates).
Word count

Layout: Use 1.5 spacing

11 or 12 pt clear font (Arial/Times / sans serif)
Use bold or underline for subheadings
Do not crowd the page – leave plenty of white space

Diagrams and tables: Can be included in the text if relevant, or can be placed in the Appendix at
the end. All must be numbered, according to the section (e.g. 3.1) and
labelled.

Appendices: Must be clearly numbered and labelled and be referred to in the report.

References: Cite all references in an appropriate format

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Other Important information

Electronic Submissions and Plagiarism Detection Software

All electronic material will be processed through Turnitin via GCU Learn to ascertain whether or not
there is a suspicion of plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined in the Assessment Regulations as “the
deliberate and substantial unacknowledged incorporation in students' work of material derived from
the work (published or unpublished) of another”. It is considered by the University to be a very
serious offence and can result in severe penalties. Students are strongly advised to consult the Code
of Student Conduct for further details.

Extension Policy
While it is expected that all students will submit their assessment on time, students occasionally face
difficulties, which are beyond their control. In such situations students may apply for an extension.
All requests for an extension must be submitted to the Module Leader and copied to the Programme
Administrator and Programme Leader in advance of the deadline, providing as much notice as
possible. Extensions are not granted automatically and may only be issued in particular
circumstances, such as:
• medical reasons supported by a doctor’s certificate;
• extenuating personal circumstances, such as bereavement - documentary evidence
must normally be submitted to support any request for an extension;
• exceptional and unanticipated additional work commitments, supported by a letter
from the student’s employer
The loss of work due to a crash/ICT failure, loss of USB pen, etc. is insufficient reason for an
extension. Unless an extension has been granted by Module Leader, any submission which is handed
in after the assignment deadline without written permission will not be accepted and marked as a
non-submission/‘Fail at First attempt’. In such cases students will have to undertake the second diet
assessment. Normally students are entitled to two attempts at passing any piece of coursework.

Feedback Policy
Where possible, feedback on, and provisional marks for, coursework will be provided normally to
students within three weeks of the submission date. Students should note that marks are provisional
until confirmed by the relevant exam board.
Generic feedback will also be available on GCU Learn - this will provide a summary of the cohort
performance and average pass marks. Students are able to discuss any element of their assessment
feedback by appointment with their Seminar Tutor or the Module Leader. Exam scripts are not
returned to students, however Seminar Tutors or Module Leaders can provide feedback on exam
performance if required.

Mitigating Circumstances
The University’s Mitigating Circumstances procedures should be followed if:
• There are valid circumstances preventing you attending an exam
• There are valid circumstances preventing you from meeting a coursework deadline and you have
been unable to request an extension in time
• There are valid circumstances which you believe have affected your performance in any
assessment
Further guidance on Mitigating Circumstances and Retrospective Mitigating Circumstances is
available on the University website - Consideration of Mitigating Circumstances section.

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Referencing
Referencing shows the breadth of your research and provides details of the sources that you have
used to support your arguments and conclusions. By acknowledging the sources used in the
preparation of your work, you will also avoid plagiarism. You are expected to cite sources and list
references by following the Harvard Referencing conventions (style format: British Standard Harvard
BS ISO 690:2010). A detailed guise on how to apply Harvard Referencing is available via GCU e-
Library / Referencing / Harvard Referencing page.

Academic Regulations
It is important that you familiarise with GCU academic regulations and other relevant procedures
and documents.

The descriptors set out the characteristic generic outcomes of each level. They are intended to
provide a general, shared understanding of each level and to allow broad comparisons to be made
between qualifications and learning at different levels. They are not intended to give precise nor
comprehensive statements and there is no expectation that every qualification or programme
should have all of the characteristics. The descriptors have been developed through a series of
consultations and are offered as a first working guide and will be revised in the light of feedback on
their use.

Disability Support

GCU is committed to providing an inclusive student experience, offering all students the opportunity
to achieve their full potential. Many disabled students find that their needs are met through the
accessibility provisions we make at the university as a whole, minimising the impact of disability to
student experience and reducing the need for students to disclose any condition or impairment.

We recognise however that there are times when students may have their experience at GCU
considerably enhanced by meeting their individual needs in response to disclosed conditions or
impairments, and we are keen to help in every way we can to ensure no student is disadvantaged
due to disability.

We can help by making adjustments to teaching methods and learning materials, as well as providing
assistive technologies and an environment, which caters for individual student needs.

If you are living with a condition or impairment, which you feel could disadvantage you in any way,
we would encourage you to let us know as soon as possible and we will be delighted to investigate
ways in which we can assist you. Be assured that all the information you provide is treated in
confidence.

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