ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT ITEM 1- ACADEMIC ESSAY Format Essay Length 1500 words Referencing APA referencing. For more information, see: https://www.cqu.edu.au/?a=14033 TASK DISCRIPTION Students will examine critical issues related to business and management context. The objective is to gain greater understanding of the contextual factors internal to a business that impact on a business or organisation and its business decision making. Students are to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter by: Defining key terms and utilising the theories and concepts presented in topics 1-5 that is- • You should concentrate on the contextual factors, theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5: – Organisational structures – Environmental forces – Risks confronting the firm – Organisation and business practices – Organisational functions of diverse firms • You should relate these to how they affect organisation or business decision-making, structure and strategy. Showing an ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy. Demonstrating a breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources. Correctly using the APA in text referencing system to correctly citing academic sources. These are the minimum requirements. Students should note that satisfactorily meeting the minimum requirements will typically result in the minimum pass grade being awarded. Select one of the following organisations to study for assessment items 1. • Bunnings • 7-Eleven • Rio Tinto • AustralianSuper • Slater and Gordon • Optus • Westfarmers • Origin Energy • Harvey Norman • Uber • Fortescue metals • QBE Insurance Group ESSAY • Must be written in paragraph form with full sentences. • Generally do not have headings other than the title of the essay. • Do not contain tables or figures. • Your essay must be clearly referenced in-text to indicate the sources of information. It must also include a Reference List with full publication details that exactly match the in-text citations. ESSAY STRUCTURE • Title page • Introduction (10-15%) – Background – Aims/ objectives – Scope • Discussion (60-70%) • Conclusion (10-15%) • Recommendations (10-15%) • Reference list BASIC ESSAY STRUCTURE 1. INTRODUCTION HINTS Don’t write your introduction until you have finished the rest of the essay. The intro provides readers with a map of your essay. a) Introduce the topic in a very general way. Use key words from the assignment topic in this part of the introduction. What is your essay about? Write a few sentences to put the task in context. b) Outline the MAIN points/sections in your essay. Give an overview of the main sections/points in your essay. Re-read your topic sentences from the body paragraphs to help you summarise the main points in your essay. Consider using transition words to list key points/sections e.g. This essay/paper/report will discuss/argue/consider ……. Firstly, ……………...Also,……………… In addition……………..Finally c) Include your thesis statement. (This is your point of view/argument written into one sentence.) Don’t use the words I, me, my, we, us, our anywhere in your essay unless your lecturer has asked you to write it from the first person perspective. Academic writing tends to be written from third person perspective (they/them/their/nurses). Check your thesis statement. Does it answer the question and make your point of view absolutely clear? Your entire essay will be based on this one sentence. (You may swap the order of (b) and (c) if it suits your essay better.) 2. BODY HINTS – Follow this pattern for each body paragraph a) Say it (Topic sentence) The topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph. It should be short and general and not contain any details or explanation. It makes the main point of the paragraph in just one sentence. Everything else in this paragraph should explain and support what you have just said in this topic sentence. b) Explain it. Explain in more detail what you have just said in the topic sentence. This could be one sentence or a few. (Imagine someone doesn’t understand what you said in the topic sentence and you need to explain it to them.) c) Prove it Bring in some quotes (either direct or indirect) to support what you have just said. Remember to include the citation details in brackets (author/date). See the CQU Harvard referencing guide, pages 1-2, for details on how to include in-text references. You would usually be expected to include more than one in-text citation per paragraph. d) Discuss it. So what? Now you must discuss the quotes. How do they relate to your topic sentence/overall argument? This means …… If necessary, repeat steps (c) and (d). e) Clinch it Finish the paragraph with one general sentence that relates to the topic sentence or mentions something that will lead into the next paragraph. 3. CONCLUSION HINTS a) Re-state your thesis. In conclusion,… You may want to change the wording slightly, but keep the idea the same. b) Sum up your main points. It is not usual to add any more quotes or new material in the conclusion. Re-read your topic sentences then summarise them. c) Finish with a final thought/thought for the future. What are the implications? 4. REFERENCES a) Insert your references. Follow the style guidelines in the CQU APA referencing guide. • Start on a new page. • Alphabetical order (Include the A, An in titles but ignore it when alphabetising the list). • Check whether to use minimal or maximal capitalisation (pp. 7-8). • Check when to use italics, commas, full stops (see chart in the CQU guide). • Appendices – after the reference list. Each goes on a separate page – lettered not numbered (e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B). MGMT20144 ASSESSMENT ITEM 1 – MARKING RUBRIC Criteria 85-100% (HD) 75-84% (D) 65-74% (Cr) 50-64% (P) 0-49% (F1) 1. (13 Marks) Demonstrated ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 Exceptional ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 ≤13 Excellent ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 ≤11 Proficient ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 ≤9.5 Satisfactory ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 ≤8.5 Emerging ability to define key terms and utilise the theories and concepts presented in weeks 1-5.
 ≤6.5 2. (13 Marks) Demonstrated ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 Demonstrates superior ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 ≤13 Demonstrates well-developed ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 ≤11 Demonstrates above average ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 ≤9.5 Demonstrates sound ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 ≤8.5 Demonstrates inadequate ability to explain major domestic and international contextual factors and how they affect business structures and strategy.
 ≤6.5 3. (2 Marks) Demonstrated breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources. Demonstrated breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 23-25 academic sources. 2 Demonstrated breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 20-22 academic sources. 1.6 Demonstrated breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 17-19 academic sources. 1.3 Demonstrated breadth and quality of research by using a minimum of 12-16 academic sources. 1 Demonstrated unsatisfactory breadth and quality of research by using fewer than 12-16 academic sources. 0.5 4. (2 Marks) Correctly using the APA in text referencing system to correctly citing academic sources. Faultless use of the APA referencing system in the body of the assignment and in the reference list to correctly citing academic sources. 2 Very good use of the APA referencing system in the body of the assignment and in the reference list to correctly citing academic sources. 1.6 Competent use of the APA referencing system in the body of the assignment and in the reference list to correctly citing academic sources. 1.3 Satisfactory use of the APA referencing system in the body of the assignment and in the reference list to correctly citing academic sources. 1 Unacceptable use of the APA referencing system in the body of the assignment and in the reference list to correctly citing academic sources. 0.5 .