Trimester 3, 2016 Auditing Assurance & Services ACC707 Individual Assignment Research Question Auditors’ Liability You work in a chartered accounting firm and your partner, Sally Smith, has asked you to do some research and write a report to update her about the potential liability that auditors face as a result of the global financial crisis. The issue arose when a neighbour mentioned to Sally at the weekend that a global accounting firm has had a class action lodged against it over the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Required Using the reference materials available on the internet, research the topic and prepare a report for Sally, fully referenced and up to 2500 words. Minimum of 8 academic references is required. Due Date: Week 10 - 5:00 pm Wednesday of Week 10. Submission: Upload soft copy of Word .doc or .docx to Turnitin and Moodle via KOI’s Moodle subject homepage. The report should include title page, executive summary, table of contents, appropriate headings and sub headings, recommendations, reference list (Harvard – Anglia style), attachments if relevant. Single spaced, font Times New Roman 12pt The marking guide will be as follows: 30% Analysis 30% Research – extent and application 20% Recommendations/conclusions 20% Presentation Total mark will be scaled to a mark out of 30 subject marks. Page 1 of 6 MKT00720 – Marketing Session 3, 2016 Assignment 2: Report (on Aldi) Core Information: Due: Due by midnight AEST, 23rd January 2017 Weighting: 30% Individual/Group Individual Word limit: 1500-2000 words in total (plus or minus 10%) Aim The purpose of this assignment is to again provide you with an opportunity to apply knowledge, theory, frameworks and tools from the early part of the unit to an analysis of the strategy and strategic practices of a real organisation. In this assignment, you will work to analyse the strategies pursued by the Aldi discount supermarket chain since its creation. You will evaluate marketingrelated strategies and their effectiveness and relate to be real-life experiences and relevant research to look at core marketing theory. The aim is to provide experience of marketing analysis and practice and to determine your ability to relate real marketing strategy to theory and research. The Overall Task In increasingly competitive markets, consumers have a greater choice over where they buy their goods and services. For an organisation to meet its business objectives, it has to find out what consumers require and then identify the best way in which it can satisfy these needs and wants. Creating a competitive advantage can be difficult. A unique marketing strategy with clear objectives is vital to ensure effective promotional activity. Your task in this case analysis is to answer two questions by critically analysing Aldi’s market situation. Please do not just describe events, although you should read Aldi’s history to understand the background to your analysis. You should use the principles and concepts that you have learned throughout the unit to answer the following three questions: 1. What marketing strategy or strategies has Aldi has adopted since it was created? For Australian-based students, you might like to focus your analysis on the Aldi Australia experience. For students studying with partner institutions in New Zealand1, Singapore and PNG, your analysis will likely take on a more international perspective. Answer this question by applying one or more of the theoretical approaches discussed in the course. 1 For NZ students: Pak'nSave provides a similar shopping model to Aldi in New Zealand.Page 2 of 6 2. What marketing options can you describe for Aldi if it wishes to remain a successful organisation throughout the next decade? Answer this question based on the circumstances that exist in 2016 and your best forecasts of relevant future industry factors. These are wide-ranging questions and you should undertake extensive independent research into Aldi and its industry. You should explore different aspects of these issues and incorporate them into your report. This is a practical assessment of a real company, but you need to show an understanding of theory and research in your evaluation and suggestions. Process 1. Begin to gather information about Aldi and its marketing-related strategies. There are a range of sources you can make use including the company’s own corporate website and related publications, academic journals, business press and media, blogs and so on. The quality business press such as Forbes or Business Week or the Economist are in some ways good places to start. 2. However, you need to begin to study relevant course materials as the task requires you to analyse and evaluate Aldi’s marketing strategy in relation to theory, frameworks and research. 3. Consider each of the two questions carefully and begin to relate practice to theory in an attempt to answer each of them. The questions explicitly direct you to specific aspects of the unit material and to specific types of models, tools and theories. 4. It should be clear that there is no definitive right answer here. This also mirrors reality, in that companies are not able to find a single solution or pathway; they have to make difficult choices from alternatives. In the light of that try to explore different aspects of the two questions – there are no ‘correct’ answers and lots of valid arguments for and against all kinds of alternatives. The merits of your argument will depend to a large extent on how much evidence you can cite to support your point of view; that is why this is called a research project. 5. Write up your analysis. This should be in a report format. Here is a suggested structure: a. Executive Summary b. Introduction c. Background to the Company d. Marketing Analysis i. The Nature of Aldi’s Marketing Strategy or Strategies since it began. ii. Strategic Marketing Options for Aldi moving forward e. Conclusion f. References g. Appendix Ensure that you have related the real conditions of the company to theory and research and that you have read, cited and referenced appropriate academic material as well as more popular sources (which also need to be properly referenced). 6. Submit the report via the Turnitin Submission Link (under Assessment Details on the Blackboard site)…be fully aware of the plagiarism rules in the School; plagiarism will not be tolerated.Page 3 of 6 7. The marking criteria for the assignment can be found on the following page. They are published to give you detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks, and no set of criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment. Your final mark will reflect the application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.Page 4 of 6 Marketing – MKT00720 (Session 3, 2016) Assignment 2: Report (on Aldi) Ratings and Comments According to Criteria Mark Executive Summary Provides a properly constructed and correct length executive summary: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor The executive summary provides a brief overview of the purpose of the report and an effective summary of its content: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /5 Introduction. Properly describes the task and sets up the report content that follows: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor NA Places the assignment in context in terms of discussing the nature and importance of marketing strategy and its relation to the success (or otherwise) of companies such as Aldi: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /5 Background to the Company Provides a clear, sufficiently detailed and properly referenced account of Aldi’s emergence and development as a company: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Provides a clear, sufficiently detailed and properly referenced account of Aldi as a company, for example, type of company, size, industry, basic performance data etc: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /10 Marketing Analysis The Nature of Aldi’s Marketing Strategy or Strategies since it began. Identifies and discusses the marketing strategy or strategies pursued by Aldi: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Relates the strategy/strategies pursued by Aldi to theories, models and research: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /30Page 5 of 6 Strategic Marketing Options for Aldi moving forward Provides an analysis of Aldi’s current situation from a strategic marketing standpoint: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Demonstrates capability in applying marketing-based analytical tools: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Provides plausible recommendations for a marketing strategy that promises to move it forward successfully: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /30 Conclusions: Draws sensible conclusions based on the analysis and discussion: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Conclusions reveal key learning to be taken from the analysis: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /10 Technical and Professionalism Aspects of the Report In-text citations and proper referencing (note: an absence of in-text citations and referencing may lead to penalties beyond the marks allocated for this criteria point): Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Appropriate sources used and referenced: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Presented in well-thought out, consistent, readable form/appropriate length: Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Style, spelling, grammar and syntax Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Needs Development Poor Further Comments as necessary: /10 Summary Comments as Necessary:Page 6 of 6 School extension policy Students wanting an extension must make a request at least 24 hours before the assessment item is due and the request must be received in writing by the unit assessor or designated academic. Extensions within 24 hours of submission or following the submission deadline will not be granted (unless supported by a doctor’s certificate or where there are exceptional circumstances – this will be at unit assessor’s discretion and will be considered on a case by case basis). Extensions will be for a maximum of 48 hours (longer extensions supported by a doctor’s certificate or exceptional circumstances to be considered on a case by case basis). A penalty of 10% of the total available grade will accrue for each 24 hour period that an assessment item is submitted late. Therefore an assessment item worth 20 marks will have 2 marks deducted for every 24 hour period and at the end of 10 days will receive 0 marks. Extensions will NOT be approved because of problems with personal computers or storage devices. Back up your work every day to a secure location.