Faculty of Design, Media &

Management

Assignment Brief 2019-20

Module Title: Corporate Strategy and Governance Module Code: BM628

CW1: Report: Individual 6000 word written Assessment

Assignment No/Title: 100%
report with action plan. Weighting:
Formative Assignment (Proposal) 23-Sep-20
Feedback Target Usually 3
Submission Date:
Summative Assignment (Report) 11-Dec-20 Date: weeks

Module Co-ordinator/ Yannick Fansi

Tutor: (y.fansi@mrcollege.ac.uk)

Submission Instructions:

This assignment is to be submitted electronically using Blackboard

1. This assignment must be submitted electronically by 2pm on the submission date
2. To submit electronically you must upload your work to the e-submission area within the respective module
on blackboard. Click Submit> Browse (find the correct file to upload) Upload> Submit
3. Multiple drafts can be submitted up to the submission date.
4. Please remember you must leave at least 24 hours between submissions if you make changes to your
work. Each submission will overwrite the previous one until the due date and time has passed.
5. You will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission. This will be sent to your Bucks e-mail address;
please keep this for reference.
6. You are reminded of the University’s regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your assignment
you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.
7. Late submission within 10 working days of the deadline will result in the mark being capped at a maximum
of 40%. Beyond this time the work will not be marked.
8. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of your assignment for future
reference.

Instructions to Students:
● The aim of the assignment is to produce an individual written report with an action plan.
● The assessment consists of two parts. There will be one formative assessment and one summative
assessment.
● The formative assessment will consist of a proposal comprising a 1000 word report. This report will
include a brief introduction to the issue or problem in corporate governance or strategy in a specific
organisation along with a discussion of why the issue is important. Students will be required to produce
a brief literature review about the area of proposed research as well as the details of the methods they
will use for both primary and secondary data collection. As part of the formative assessment, students
will be required to produce a Gannt chart showing the projected start and finish dates of the final
summative project.
● Feedback from the formative assignment will prepare students for the summative assessment.
● A full individual report of 6000 words will be required for the summative assessment. This will include
an action plan and recommendations to the management within the organisation of how the problems
are to be resolved.
● This assessment will be used to assess the research skills and ability of the students to develop
detailed action plans to address real life scenarios based on earlier research and analysis.
● This assessment method is used to develop and assess research skills, independent working and
 critical thinking to evaluate the strategic and corporate governance capabilities of an organisation (LO1,
LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5)
● All assessment is undertaken through application of the criteria and weightings outlined on the Module
Descriptors.
● Feedback is written and provided via Turnitin in accordance with University Regulations. Students are
given an opportunity to reflect on feedback. Self-assessment becomes an important part of the
student’s development during the course and is implicit throughout the tutorial and critique system. The
opportunity for disagreement and reasoned justification of student work is present throughout the
assessment method.
This assignment tests the following Learning Outcomes for the module:
● LO1. Critically evaluate the industry life cycle of a chosen organisation and reflect on the existing
corporate strategy.
● LO2. Compare and contrast the board’s corporate governance structure and effectiveness.
● LO3. Prepare a board crisis action plan for a natural disaster of unforeseen event of catastrophic
proportions.
● LO4. Critically analyse a corporate governance failure and suggest actions that can be taken to reduce
or eliminate and similar such occurrences from happening in the future.
● LO5. Critically analyse the various methods of data collection in order to conduct research into complex
organisational issues using both primary and secondary research techniques.
The Assignment Task:
● Produce a formative assessment of 1000 words. This consists of a proposal that includes a brief
introduction of the issue or problem in corporate governance or strategy in an organisation of your
choice.
● You are recommended to use your own organisation but you may use any organisation that is well
known to you.
● The proposal should explain why the issue you have identified is important. There should also be a
brief literature review about the area of proposed research as well as details of the methods used for
both primary and secondary research.
● The proposal will include a Gannt chart showing the projected start and finish of the final summative
project.
● The formative assessment will be returned with feedback. Based on this, a 6000 word summative
assignment will be developed.
● The summative assignment should include:
● An introduction that reviews the background of the organisation and the issues or problems faced.
● A literature review that discusses the key areas of theory applicable in this case.
● A discussion of the secondary and primary research undertaken to analyse the problem or issue.
● A critical review of the results of the secondary and primary research.
● A recommendation and action plan that proposes solutions to the problem of issue based on the
research and literature review.

Indicative Content and grading – Summative Assessment

● Introduction, background and review of the problem faced. 1000 words. (15 marks)
● Literature review. 2000 words (25 marks)
● Discussion of the secondary and primary research undertaken. 1000 words (15 marks)
● Critical review of the results of the research. 1500 words (25 marks)
● Recommendation and action plan. 1000 words (15 marks)
● 5% of the marks will go into assignment parameters such as structure, referencing, synthesis etc.

IMPORTANT: REFER TO THE MARKING CRITERIA IN YOUR STUDENT HANDBOOK

FOR GRADING GUIDELINES
 Faculty of Design, Media &
Management

Assignment Feedback Form

Student ID No: Tutor: Yannick Fansi

Module Code: BM 628 Module Title: Corporate Strategy and Governance.

Assignment: CW1: Report, Individual 6000 word written report and action plan

Excellent Very Good Good Acceptable Weak Unacceptable

Criteria and Weighting (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)
Introduction, background and review of the problem faced.
This section should provide a brief history of the
organisation (15 marks)
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

Literature review. A critical review of the relevant literature

and the development of a research gap (25 marks)
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

Discussion of the secondary and primary research

undertaken. A review of the research methods used and
the choice of data,(15 marks)
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

Critical review of the results of the research, How the

results relate to the objectives of the research and the
conclusion of the literature review. (25 marks)
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

Recommendation and action plan What the organisation

should do based on the research findings.(15 marks) ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

Assignment parameters (5 marks) Including synthesis,

referencing etc.

Overall Comment

Percentage NB All marks are provisional until confirmed

by a formally constituted Board of Examiners
Date:
Mark:

For further help and guidance on any of the above please make an appointment to see me.
Contact with Student Skills Support recommended: