Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this assignment:
On completion of the assignment, students should be able to demonstrate their ability to:
1. Identify important contemporary management issues in a global and international context through the analysis of media reporting and public documents.
2. Critically apply conceptual and theoretical material to contemporary global management issues through the analysis of case material.
3. Insightfully address management issues with global significance and recognise the cultural sensitivity of those issues.
4. Question solutions that different cultures are likely to adopt to address management issues with global significance.
Number of attempts
Read the regulations on number of attempts on your course page.
Plagiarism
Read the plagiarism guidelines on your module page.
Late Submissions
Read the late submission regulations and penalties on your module page or on your Course page.
1. Assessment Overview
1.1. Rationale
This module is assessed through one piece of coursework assessment in the form of an essay as outlined below. The assessment tests all the learning outcomes for this module. The assessment requires you to apply knowledge obtained in class and through independent further reading. This assessment allows you to demonstrate your ability to use appropriate tools and techniques to develop a solution to a given situation. It also allows you to reflect on your journey through the module to the point of assessment.
You will demonstrate knowledge, analysis, synthesis and evaluation from your choice of the different Contemporary Global Management Issues literature and their impact in different organisational settings that you will have learned throughout the module. You are expected to draw on your choice of conceptual and theoretical frameworks covered in the class to review how the businesses tackle issues related to dynamic business environment, the appraisal of the role of the political economy, international culture and related set of ethics, international trade theory, foreign direct investment, trading blocs and international strategic alliances. This may be used using the core text and further reading.
This assessment method is relevant and appropriate for this module as it allows the students to consider their learning by critically reviewing literature on various academic, theoretical and practical domains and test the theories and models in a real environment through academic investigation, analysis, evaluation and subsequent recommendations. This form of assessment prepares the students for the real world where they may be working at strategic level and/or be involved in the change processes.
To pass this module, you must achieve a final overall mark of at least 40%.
2. Assessment Brief
2.1. Required task (3,000 words):
The students are required to answer one question (of their choice) from the following eight:
Theme 1: Globalization
• Question:
Does globalization threaten to make us all the same or does it open new, hybrid forms of culture? Discuss and analyse, applying suitable models, focussing on the impact on business.
Theme 2: Culture
• Question:
Choose two countries that appear to be culturally diverse. Critically compare the business culture of those countries utilizing models and theory.
Theme 3: Ethics
• Question:
What are the implications for international business where there are significant differences in the ethical system of that country? This should take the form of a case study analysis of one country and one multi-national company (MNC)
Theme 4: Sustainability
• Question:
The expectations and demands of society and government have made it strategically vital for companies to adopt practices and create products that strive to protect the natural environment. Discuss and critically analyse this statement, utilising a case study of a company that has an international presence.
Theme 5: Crisis Management
• Question:
Critically compare and analyse the crisis management response of two governments (one from the Occident, one from the Orient) to the 2020 outbreak of the corona virus. Focus on the impact on business.
Theme 6:
Global Warming and Climate Change
• Question: What is the impact of climate change on business and how should corporate management respond? Compare and contrast your answer through an appropriate case study of two businesses of your choice.
Theme 7: Gender
• Question:
Would the business world become better if it became matriarchal? Critically analyse this question using models and theory.
Theme 8: Corporate Social Responsibility
• Question:
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an opportunity for corporations to benefit in multiple ways by operating with a perspective broader and longer than their own immediate, short-term profits. Some critics argue that CSR distracts from the fundamental economic role of businesses and others argue that it is nothing more than superficial window-dressing. Discuss and critically analyse this statement, applying a comparative case study approach.
The 3000-word essay would be in four-parts, as follows:
Section 1 (300 words, 10% of the marks): The Introduction
First, the essay will start with the introductory paragraph that will set the scene for the important contemporary management issue that you have identified (learning outcome #1 and marking scheme #1). A good introductory paragraph would start with re-stating the topic, i.e. what is that the essay has set out to do. This is followed by clearly stating the aims and objectives, the structure of the essay, the mention of the theories/literature used followed by the case intended to be used and some remarks about how the essay would end.
Section 2 (900 words, 30% of the marks): The Literature Review
Second, it is expected that the essay is built on the heels of a robust literature review about the chosen topic. For example, if a student chooses to pursue the topic “difference in cultures”, the requirement is that there are a thorough analysis and appraisal of the literature of this topic with a greater degree of critique of conceptual and theoretical material (learning outcome #2 and marking scheme #2). This should be accomplished by research and the analysis of the literature, either from the library sources and/or from google scholar. It is suggested that this is limited to no less than five and no more than eight academic sources. By academic literature, it is meant the books, the journal articles and credible magazines, i.e. the Economist, Forbes, and the likes.
Section 3 (1,500 words, 50% of the mark): The Question
Thirdly, the knowledge acquired from the second part is now applied to the question you have selected from the list provided. It will be a critical account following a logical structure, informed by the learning from the literature review section. It should insightfully address management issues in a global context, recognising the cultural sensitivity of those issues (learning outcome #3 and marking scheme #3).
Section 4 (300 words, 10% of the mark): The Conclusion
Finally, a conclusive paragraph should sum up the arguments and demonstrate the solutions that different cultures are likely to adopt to address management issues with global significance (learning outcome #4 and marking scheme #4)
It is a requirement that there is a minimum of 15 references with majority from academic sources. The students may wish to add, as appendices, pictures, diagrams, tables or figures if necessary (the table of contents, the list of references and appendices do not count towards the word count).
2.2. Word count
The maximum word count is 3000 words (+/- 10%).
Your references page will not be included in the word count, but inline citations used in the main body of the assignment (e.g., Smith and Jones 2010) will be included in the word count.
You are required to declare the number of words used in your assignment. If you produce less than or exceed the stipulated word count by more than 10%, a deduction of the mark awarded will be made to reflect that you have not met the assessment requirements. 1 mark deducted for every 100 words over or under the stipulated word count.
2.3. Submission
Your essay should be submitted online only using through TurnitIn via the link provided in the Assessment area of the module’s Moodle site. Hard copy submissions/email and assignment drop will not be accepted. Please follow the University policy regarding online submission and submitting assignments on time (see Page 1).
You should also submit your work through the ‘test’ Turnitin to ensure you abide by the rules on plagiarism. You should attach the assessment feedback form together with the marking criteria to your work before submitting for marking.
2.4. Formatting and presentation
The essay should be word-processed and single line spaced. Use of bullet points should be avoided or used sparingly.
Use Arial or Times New Roman minimum 11 and maximum 12 point, full justified with the normal margins 2.54 applied all around.
Each page should be numbered except for the title page.
Presentation must be formal in language and style and must adhere to the structure given above.
2.5. Referencing
All work should be referenced using the Harvard format – there are handouts available online at the library website and are available as hard copy in the library if you are unsure of this.
Do not use popular websites like Wikipedia, Google or Yahoo – the former is not peer assessed and the work is not always reliable, and the latter are search engines.
Use textbooks and journal articles (newspaper articles may at times be acceptable). You should, however, make use journal articles, as these are peer reviewed and are often more recent than textbooks. If you are to use textbooks, these should be the latest, so it is important to check whether you have the latest edition.
Citations should be used very minimally and in limited circumstances, you may reference lecture material such as handouts and presentation slides.
