ASSESSMENT BRIEF COURSE: Bachelor of Business Unit: Business Strategy Type of Assessment: Individual Report Length/Duration: 2000 words – around 5 pages - not including the title page, executive summary, table of contents and references list. Unit Learning Outcomes addressed: 1. Explain the key concepts of business strategy 2. Identify and critically evaluate strategy options 3. Select and apply strategic models to analyse an industry 4. Evaluate and select options to grow a business 5. Appraise international growth options for businesses Assessment Task: You are to conduct an environmental analysis of Blackmores Limited, an Australian health product manufacturer, through the strategy lens. Total Mark: 100 marks ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION: You are to conduct an environmental analysis of Blackmores Limited, an Australian health product manufacturer. The report will analyse the internal business environment and its external operating environment and will make a conclusion about the performance and outlook of the company. The analysis must be about the company now, not 5 or more years ago. The key sections to be included in the report are: Title page; Executive summary; Contents, Introduction; Internal Analysis (Senior managers quality; Resources & Capabilities); External Analysis (Macro and Micro); Conclusion; Bibliography and Appendix. Appropriate facts and figures on the market and competitors must be included, as well as appropriate and relevant data on consumer preferences and market trends. It is essential to avoid general, unsupported statements. Graphs of the company’s 5-year history of sales, profits and share price must be included. It is essential to reference all material used – both in-text and at the end of the report. References must follow the Harvard referencing style. Refer to the Academic Learning Skills handout on Report writing. Please see Academic Learning skills staff for assistance with this, or any assignment. RESEARCH: A minimum of six separate sources must be included, including the text. It is essential to avoid general, unsupported statements & unreferenced material. To gain an overall pass grades at least five peer reviewed academic sources need to be cited together with in-text referencing of sources. MARKING GUIDE (RUBRIC): Thorough research is indicated. Professional use of sources to support ideas, well integrated, sources are credible. Very minor, if any, weaknesses with paraphrasing or integration/application. Professional work. Argument is very coherent and flows well; topic is addressed thoroughly; analyses in great depth. Very minor, if any, inconsistencies and weaknesses with flow. Arguments and supporting evidence and research is of an outstanding quality. Professional standard of writing; no errors in punctuation, grammar and spelling. Professional level of referencing and acknowledgment; no errors of style evident.Thorough and consistent reference list and all references listed. GENERAL NOTES FOR ASSIGNMENTS Assignments should conform to report-writing conventions, and incorporate an Executive Summary, Introduction, Conclusion, and a References list. The work must be fully referenced with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. Appropriate academic writing and referencing are inevitable academic skills that you must develop and demonstrate. We recommend a minimum of FIVE references, unless instructed differently by your lecturer. Unless specifically instructed otherwise by your lecturer, any paper with less than FIVE references may be failed. Work that includes sources that are not properly referenced according to the “Harvard Referencing Workbook” will be penalised. Marks will be deducted for failure to adhere to the word count – as a general rule you may go over or under by 10% than the stated length. GENERAL NOTES FOR REFERENCING High quality work must be fully referenced with in-text citations and a reference list at the end. References are assessed for their quality. You should draw on quality academic sources, such as books, chapters from edited books, journals etc. Your textbook can be used as a reference, but not the lecturer notes. We want to see evidence that you are capable of conducting your own research. Also, in order to help markers determine students’ understanding of the work they cite, all in-text references (not just direct quotes) must include the specific page number/s if shown in the original. Before preparing your assignment or own contribution, please review this ‘YouTube’ video by clicking on the following link: Plagiarism: How to avoid it