1.INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

The individual essay is worth 20% of your final grade.

Each student will be expected to submit an individual essay of 2,000 words (max.) by 12.00 (noon) on Thursday 28th March (Week 5) at BESS (E4B 106) with a signed faculty cover sheet.  The required format is an ESSAY.  

Details of the Individual Essay, including submission, Turnitin requirements, marking standards, referencing requirements and presentation requirements are available in the Individual Report documentation posted on iLearn.

The topic is as follows:

Choose and collect two newspaper or periodical articles that have relevance to Australian business.  Both articles must be published between 1st March and 22nd March 2013 in one or more Australian newspapers or periodicals.  Carefully select each article so that both fall into one of the major topic areas of business models that we have already covered.  

Now respond to the following questions:

1.What are the implications for each of the selected articles for:

a.the business itself

b.Australian businesses (meaning domestic firms) 

c.The business’ co-petitors. 

2.In your opinion, what are the most relevant business or economic concepts or theories (discussed in the first 6 weeks of class ie. Weeks 1-6) that could be used to analyse each or both of these articles?  Give reasons for your answer

In analysing Question 2 you should choose either one different concept or theory for each article (ie two theories) or one theory that can apply to both articles.  . 

Include copies of both articles (either the original ‘cut-outs’ or a print out of the article from the newspaper’s website) as appendices to your assignment.  

Your essay should incorporate at least 12 different references.  These can be sourced from the following:

•Academic articles

•Relevant textbooks

•Periodicals

•Newspapers

•Relevant online sources

The 12 references should be evenly balanced between these five resource options. Examples of all of these reference options are detailed on page 22 of this guide.

Report Submission: The maximum essay length is 2000 words, excluding references. Include the word  count at the end of report.  Essays must be submitted to Turnitin prior to lodgement at BESS and the Turnitin receipt and Originality Report must be attached to the essay.  No extension of time for submission of the Individual Essay will be granted.  Late submissions will be penalised 10% per day (or part thereof) of the total available marks for 5 days, and then zero marks.  Late assignments must be submitted to BESS at E4B 106 to be date stamped and forwarded to your tutor for marking. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. Note: electronic essays will NOT be marked.

Students are expected to maintain an appropriate standard in presenting their essay Remember to acknowledge your sources throughout the paper using the Harvard referencing system. The report is to be typed and 1.5 spaced (a standard 12 point font should be used). It should be checked for spelling, consistency and clarity of expression.  

This test is held in your tutorial class. The test is a combination of 10 short answer questions and 2 essay questions.  A list of essay questions (but not the short answer questions) will be made available on iLearn in advance of the test. You are able to prepare answers for the essay questions but you may not take notes into the Class Test. Your tutor will select essay questions from the list for your class to answer. You will have 50 minutes to answer the questions. The selection will not be disclosed prior to the test. The date for the In-class Test is given in the Lecture Schedule included in this outline. As you will have the opportunity to prepare your answers, a high standard will be expected. You will have time to perfect the content and grammar of your answers. They will be marked on their correctness, their completeness and their (English) language (i.e. well written).

 Questions for the Class Test will address material covered in the lectures and tutorials of weeks 1 to 6.

There will be no supplementary tests.  

The only exception to not sitting the class test at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. The University’s policy on special consideration process is available athttp://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

If approved, your final examination will carry the additional weight. 

The report is to be completed in groups, which will be organised in your tutorial class in week 2.  Groups of 3-4 max. will be formed and they will complete a Team Agreement Form and Confirm Group Project organisation.  Each team member is required to complete a peer participation assessment. The format is a REPORT.

If you do not attend and join a group you will be unable to receive marks for this assessment.  Any student not in a group by week 4 will find it very difficult to successfully complete the unit.

Details of the Group Report, including submission, Turnitin requirements, marking standards, referencing requirements and presentation requirements are available in the Group Report documentation posted on iLearn.

Aim: Each student group will be allocated a case company to research intensively during the course.  The case companies are selected from publically listed companies on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Company allocation will occur during the week 2 tutorial. Each group will become a company expert and do a number of activities on this company during the course based around the material in the curriculum.

The group will develop a major report on the business models, practices, policies, responsibilities, strategic contribution and challenges. A section of this report will be written by the group each week (directions provided in tutorials) following the course topics.

 In researching this report students should draw on the company annual report as well as other reports (e.g. sustainability, CSR or OHS or other relevant reports).

In addition newspaper and other press articles and any other independent reports can be used to build the company profile/dossier. We will also discuss in class the possibility of approaching the company directly although this should not be done before discussion with the Lecturer.

Students are required to use at least 10 refereed journal articles in their report. This is a minimum requirement to receive a Pass grade for the report. Students may, of course, use as many references as they consider appropriate. 

 Students’ research, communication, analytical, integrative and critical thinking skills will be developed by these analytical exercises, presentations and reports.

Further briefing on this activity and specific assignments will be given as the course progresses.

As a minimum the report should:

 ·     identify the intended purpose of the strategy and the business model techniques which follow from them

·     explain the rationale for the strategy and business model

·     explain the way that the strategy/business model is influenced by internal (organisational) and external (environmental) factors.

·     evaluate the extent to which the business model/strategy and related techniques contribute to organisational performance

·     connect to the ideas in the course via the academic literature

 Report Submission: The maximum report length is 4000 words, excluding references. Include the word  count at the end of report.  Reports shall be submitted to the box at BESS at E4B 106, no later than 09.00 on Friday 24th May 2013 with a FBE cover sheet..

 No extension of time for submission of the Group Report will be granted. Late submissions will be penalised 10% per day (or part thereof) of the maximum marks for 5 days, and then zero marks.  Late assignments must be submitted to BESS at E4B 106 to be date stamped and forwarded to your tutor for marking. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. Note: electronic reports will NOT be marked.

A final examination is included as an assessment task for this unit to provide assurance that:

i) the product belongs to the student and

ii) the student has attained the knowledge and skills tested in the exam.

 A 3 hour final examination for this unit will be held during the University Examination period. It will address the whole of the unit. You will be allowed to take one A4 page of your own notes into the final exam. Your name and student number must be printed no smaller than 12 point on both sides of this page of notes. However, there are no other restrictions on the content of your page. You may write, type, print or photocopy as much or as little as you want, use one or both sides, using English or any other language. Diagrams are permitted. No other aids will be allowed into the exam. The whole of the unit, including tutorials, is examinable in the final exam. Details of the final examination format will be given in class

 The University Examination period in the First Semester 2013 is from June 11 to June 28. (http://www.mq.edu.au/calendar.html).

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE LECTURER TO MOVE THE EXAM TIME. PLEASE DO NOT ASK.

 You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations.

http:// exams.mq.edu.au/

 The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. The University’s policy on special consideration process is available at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

 If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. 

The Macquarie University examination policy details the principles and conduct of examinations at the University.  The policy is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/examination/policy.htm