Pearson BTEC Level 5

HNC/D Diploma in Business

Business Strategy

Assessment

Date for Submission: 12th November 2015 (The submission portal will close at 13:59 GMT)

Set by: Paula Reilly

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Assignment Brief

As part of the formal assessment for the HNC/D programme you are required to submit an assignment for each module. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments. After completing the module you should be able to: LO1 Understand the process of strategic planning LO2 Formulate a new strategy

LO3 Understand approaches to strategy evaluation LO4 Understand how to implement a chosen strategy Assignment Context Students are required to read the following article on the organisation ‘Wetravel’ found at http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/2f1b6d28-0dcc-11e5-aa7b-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz3i96BSBu1 You are required to apply the theories / concepts studied in the QCF Business Strategy module to the Wetravel organisation throughout your answers. Alternatively, students may select an organisation that they are familiar with on which to base their assignment answers. Please contact the module tutor by email at the earliest opportunity to gain approval if you wish to select your own choice of organization.

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Assignment Tasks Based on your understanding of business strategy from the completion of this module, and any of your own research that you have done into the Wetravel organisation you are required to respond to the following tasks: Task 1 (suggested word count of 800 words) a) Assess and analyse how ‘Mission’, ‘Vision’, ‘Objectives’, ‘Goals’ and ‘Core Competencies’, and other factors such as strategic planning systems, have to be considered when formulating strategic plans. You should provide examples of each of these strategic terms from Wetravel in your analysis. (1.1, 1.2) b) Evaluate the effectiveness of the following techniques for Wetravel when developing its strategic plans – BCG Growth Share matrix PIMS (1.3) Task 2 (suggested word count of 800 words) a) Conduct an environmental and organisational audit for your Wetravel. You should analyse the strategic position of the business and also assess the significance of executing stakeholder analysis when formulating a new strategy. (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) Task 3 (suggested word count of 800 words) a) Analyse the appropriateness of alternative strategies (e.g. Market entry, limited growth, retrenchment etc) for Wetravel and using the results of your analysis suggest an appropriate future strategy for the organisation taking care to justify the choice of strategy . (2.4, 3.1, 3.2) Task 4(suggested word count of 600 words) a) Imagine that you are now part of the senior management team of Wetravel and that you have to implement the recommended business strategy (from Task 3). b) Assess and analyse the likely HR, and other resources (e.g. time, finance, materials) that would be required to implement the future strategy. Identify TWO appropriate SMART targets that could be used in the implementation process and evaluate why such SMART targets are important to the achievement of the strategy? (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) Formative Feedback Opportunity: In order to assist with your learning and to give you some early feedback you are encouraged to submit an OUTLINE or PLAN of your answers (i.e. not full answers – just a couple of sentences per assignment task to show what you intend / plan to include in your answers) to your tutor. If you do decide to complete an OUTLINE / PLAN then, in order to receive feedback, it must be emailed to the module tutor by 12th October 2015. Please see the group learning space for some guidance on assignment planning.

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This is optional and does not contribute to the grading for the module and whether you choose to use this opportunity for early feedback or not you must still submit your answers to all assignment questions on or before 12th November 2015. The tutor’s email address can be found on the module front page on iLearn and you will receive feedback within seven days. Student Guidelines 1. You should write this assignment in an informal report format and should respond to each task directly and in turn. You should produce a coherently written document i.e. ‘bullet points’ alone or other ‘note’ format will not be acceptable as the final submission, and you should write your answers taking care to explain, justify and evaluate your ideas and knowledge of how the theories and concepts studied in the QCF Business Strategy module apply to the chosen organisation. You should also underpin your analysis with relevant references to theory whilst at the same time ensuring that you write your assignment in your own words as far as is possible. You should refer to the ‘assessment criteria for a pass grade’ to ensure that each criteria has been covered in your responses to the assignment tasks. 2. You must ensure that the submitted assignment is all your own work and that all sources used are correctly attributed. Penalties apply to assignments which show evidence of academic unfair practice. (See the Student Handbook which is in the Induction Area). Please also refer to the ‘Guide to Unfair Practice in Assessment’ on the module page on ilearn. 3. You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the Harvard system. The ‘My Study Skills’ area contains the following useful resources; Study Skills Guide (containing a Harvard Referencing section) and a Harvard Referencing Interactive Tutorial. You must use the Harvard Referencing method in your assignment. 4. You should use diagrams and tables of figures where appropriate ensuring to reference their source using the Harvard Referencing method. 5. You are required to write your assignment within 3,000 words in order for your research and summarising skills to be developed, and for effective time management. You are required to ensure that the assignment addresses all of the assessment tasks. In the interests of good academic practice, an assignment submitted with excessive word counts (i.e. more than 10% in excess of the limit) will be returned to you. You will be given a maximum of 48 hours to edit the work to reduce the word count to the permitted maximum. In the event that the submission is still regarded as excessively long then, in line with advice received from Pearson, we will be unable to accept it for marking and you will receive a Refer grade for Non-Submission. The word count excludes the title page, reference list and appendices. Where assessment questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count. Printed words include those contained within charts and tables.

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6. Your assignment should be submitted as a single document. For more information please see the “Guide to Submitting an Assignment” document available on the module page on iLearn. Recommended Additional Resources Textbooks Online CORE E-Book recommended for this course –

Davies, J. 2010 BTEC Level 4/5 HNC in Business. Pearson Higher Education (UK), 2010. ‘Vitalsource Bookshelf’ file.

(Access to this E-Book is provided via the Vitalsource Bookshelf software – contact the Student Support Team for access code) Online ‘library’ resource available via ilearn MyiLibrary

Johnson, Gerry; Whittington, Richard; Scholes, Kevan. 2011., Exploring Strategy. [online]. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Available from:<http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=327537> 30 September 2014

Johnson, Gerry;Whittington, Richard;Scholes, Kevan;Angwin, Duncan;Regnér, Patrick. 2013., Exploring Strategy Text & Cases. [online]. Pearson. Available from:<http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=552234> 1 October 2014 Lynch, Richard. 2013., Strategic Management : Middlesex University. [online]. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Available from:<http://www.myilibrary.com?ID=463040> 30 September 2014

EBSCO - ‘E book collection’ database Search for ‘strategy’ ‘corporate strategy’ ‘business strategy’ etc.

MacLennan, A 2011, Strategy Execution : Translating Strategy Into Action In Complex Organizations, London: Routledge, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost, viewed 1 October 2014.

EBSCO - Business Source Complete accessed via ilearn for journals / company profiles / magazine articles etc

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Assessment Criteria for Pass

To achieve a pass you must meet all of the assessment criteria as stated

below. Failure to cover all of the assessment criteria will result in a referral

grade and you be required to re-submit your assignment.

Further guidance on completion of your assignment can be found in the

guidance notes which are posted on the group learning space by your

module tutor. For additional support please post questions onto the group

learning space, or email preilly@rdi.co.uk

Learning

Outcomes/

Assessment

Criteria

Criteria Met

For tutor use

(you may wish to

use this in your

preparation for

your assignment

submission)

LO1 Understand the process of strategic planning

1.1 assess how business missions, visions, objectives, goals and core competencies inform strategic planning

Task 1

1.2 analyse the factors that have to be considered when formulating strategic plans

Task 1

1.3 evaluate the effectiveness of techniques used when developing strategic business plans

Task 1

LO2 Be able to formulate a new strategy

2.1 analyse the strategic positioning of a given organisation by carrying out an organisational audit

Task 2

2.2 carry out an environmental audit for a given organisation Task 2

2.3 assess the significance of stakeholder analysis when formulating new strategy

Task 2

2.4 present a new strategy for a given organisation Task 3

LO3 Understand approaches to strategy evaluation and selection

3.1 analyse the appropriateness of alternative strategies relating to market entry, substantive growth, limited growth or retrenchment for a given organisation

Task 3

3.2 justify the selection of a strategy Task 3

LO4 Understand how to implement a chosen strategy

4.1 assess the roles and responsibilities of personnel who are charged with strategy implementation

Task 4

4.2 analyse the estimated resource requirements for implementing a new strategy for a given organisation

Task 4

4.3 evaluate the contribution of SMART targets to the achievement of strategy implementation in a given organisation.

Task 4

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Assessment Criteria for Merit

To achieve a Merit all of the Pass criteria need to be met, then the tutor

will assess whether you have met the Merit Criteria. Each of the Merit

criteria must have been met at least once within the assignment.

The following statements are examples of how a merit may be achieved, if

you do meet the Merit Criteria by showing you have reached this level in

other ways then credit will be awarded for this. You will need to meet M1,

M2, M3 at least once.

M1 - identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions

Strategic planning processes have been understood with some application to a real business / scenario. (Task1)

Possible strategies have been explored in relation to a specific organisation and appropriate recommendations made. (Task 3)

M1

M2 - select/design and apply appropriate methods/techniques

Audits have been completed with application to an organisation using relevant techniques (Task 2)

Stakeholder analysis completed for the business (T2)

Appropriate strategic techniques have been used in order to determine an appropriate future strategy for the business. (T3)

Appropriate roles / resources & targets / timescales have been identified with some application to the organisation. (T4)

M2

M3 - present and communicate appropriate findings

Appropriate structure i.e. informal report and NOT essay style, and approach has been used

Logical and coherent analysis included

Technical / strategic language accurately used throughout all answers

Range of methods of presentation has been used including use of diagrams where appropriate.

Good attempt has been made to use Harvard referencing throughout the report and a correctly constructed reference list produced at end of report.

M3

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Assessment Criteria for Distinction

To achieve a Distinction you have met all of the Pass and the Merit

criteria. Each of the Distinction criteria must be met at least once within

the assignment.

The following statements are examples of how a Distinction may be

achieved, if you do meet the Distinction Criteria by showing you have

reached this level in other ways then credit will be awarded for this. You

will need to meet D1,D2,D3 at least once.

D1- use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions

Contexts and strategic planning processes / issues have been

fully understood and evaluated in terms of the organisation (T1)

The validity of results of audits/ analysis has been evaluated (T2)

Selected future strategy for the organisation is fully explored /

explained with detailed justification. (T3)

D1

D2 - take responsibility for managing and organising activities

Independent research, much of which is outside of what has been

provided in the study materials / assignment brief, has been

utilised to prepare a thorough, detailed and very well structured

and excellently presented report. Research activities have been

carried out which result in detailed and coherent analysis of the

organisastion’s likely strategic processes. (all Qns)

Clear links are established between the organisation, student’s

answers and academic literature, providing a sound academic

basis. (all Qns)

D2

D3 - demonstrate convergent/lateral/ creative thinking

Audits have been comprehensively completed using a selection of techniques (PEST/ SWOT / McKinseys/ Porters 5 forces etc) showing creativity and with a high degree of detailed application to a specific organisation (Q2)

Assignment is completed fully and on time

Roles / resources / and targets / timescales are discussed with very detailed analysis, using real business examples to illustrate the implementation of strategy in an organisation. (T4)

D3