Assessment 3: The individual written report on an entrepreneur (20%). Due: Week 9 Content You are required to interview an entrepreneur or small business owner and report your findings in a written report or conduct secondary research to build an interview response. The report is 2000 words (excluding appendices). It is your responsibility to find the entrepreneur or small business owner to interview from someone that you know. The challenge of this assessment is for you to show initiative and find an appropriate person to interview. It can be a current business owner or somebody who has previously run a business and can represent any of the fields of entrepreneurship presented in lectures. Your tutor cannot help you find someone to interview, but can provide advice if you are not sure about your choice. This interview is not for academic research purposes and will only be used as a point of reflection for you and assessment in this class. If you are unable to identify an entrepreneur or small business owner, you may use secondary data to build and develop a response to your interview questions. The person you choose to interview could be: - An entrepreneur that has been reported on from a variety of secondary data sources (articles, books, interviews, documentaries) - An entrepreneur or small business owner you know in Australia or from your home country. - A friend or family member who runs their own business. - Someone you knowwho runs a for-profit or not-for profit organisation. You are expected to: Activity Timeframe • Make contact with the person you hope to interview, explain the assessment task and what you hope to achieve. Offer to provide the interviewee with a copy of your report. By Week 5 • Prepare a well thought out list of questions, based on the theory and concepts in the unit learning materials. Send to the interviewee in advance. By Week 6 • Conduct the interview. Act professionally and respect the interviewee’s time. By Week 7 • Analyse the interview and how it matches theory and write your report. [Use the information compiled in the interview only for the purposes of this assessment] By Week 8 Your report should have four sections: 1. A brief explanation of the entrepreneur you interview, the business they run and its history. 2. How the characteristics of the entrepreneur so far as you were able to observe them relate to the theories and concepts covered in the learning materials • You MUST include the 10 Ds (see Week 5). Higher marks will be given for each additional relevant theory referred to. 3. How the characteristics of the entrepreneur’s businessrelate to the theories and concepts covered in the learning materials, including whether the business remains entrepreneurial now. How do they fit theory?How do they differ? • You MUST include a reflection of the entrepreneurial activity in the context of the business model canvas (see Week 6). Higher marks will be given for each additional relevant theory referred to. 4. Reflection on what you have learned from the interview: entrepreneur’s tips about entrepreneurship or running a business? What they did right and what they would do differently? Does this sort of business appeal to you? Why (not)? How have your ideas about entrepreneurship changed after talking to this entrepreneur? 5. Thoughts on opportunities on where they could take their entrepreneurial endeavour in the future. Guidelines on content for each section 1. Brief explanation of the entrepreneur, their business and its history This is where you set the scene for your report. Provide enough information on the entrepreneur and their business for the rest of the report to make sense. Information you might include is the entrepreneur’s background before they started the business, what led them to start the business, what previous work experience or entrepreneurial experience they had, when they started the business and a brief history of its launch and growth. 2. Analysis of characteristics of the entrepreneur Review your observations of the entrepreneur and the answers they gave to your questions. Compare them with the theories and models presented in the Learning materials for this topic (Week 5). Look at both the lecture powerpoints and the learning materials. Examples of frameworks would be: • 10 Ds of entrepreneurs (Bygrave &Zacharakis)[mandatory] • Learned optimism – do they seem to have an optimistic outlook? • MBTI profile –do any characteristics stand out? • Dark side of entrepreneurship – were any of these characteristics present? Explain how the entrepreneur you interviewed demonstrates (or does not demonstrate) these characteristics. 3. Analysis of characteristics of the entrepreneur’s business Review what the entrepreneur told you about their business and their approach to identifying the opportunity and launching the business (or developing it if they bought the business as a going concern). Has the business remained entrepreneurial? Compare this with theories and models from Weeks 2, 3 and 4 in particular. Examples of relevant frameworks would be: • Application of the business model canvas – understand how the business functions[mandatory] • The business idea pitch questions, particularly what problem they were solving • Opportunity checklist – what strengths and weaknesses did their business idea have? • Specific theories and models for the field(s) of entrepreneurship your entrepreneur’s business represents – corporate, social, technology, environmental. Explain how the business model and strategy demonstrates (or does not demonstrate) your chosen theories. Note: If the business failed or was sold, comment on what was done well and what could have been done better. 4. Reflection on what you have learned from the interview This section must be in first person because it is about what you have learned from this assignment. Include what the entrepreneur has learned and any tips they offered, but also explain what you learned from listening to their experience and their advice. Good reflection is specific. Follow the same approach as taken in the reflective journal entries you have written for participation points (see the relevant PPs instructions) 5. Opportunity assessment Where could the entrepreneur take or build on their business in the future Format It is suggested that you write this assessment as a report rather than an essay. That is, use the five headings (above) and provide analysis under each. Include an Introduction. Use appendices to provide evidence of your preparation and results, such as your list of questions, your notes on the answers or even an interview transcript. Appendices, references and (optional) Executive Summary are not included in the word limit. It is recommended that you write the assignment in first person. Show your tutor what you have learned from the interview. References Do not forget to cite your references and include a list of references at the end of the report but before any appendices. Cite the original source rather than the lecture notes wherever possible. References are not included in the word limit. Marks will be deducted for incorrect citation and referencing format, but more marks will be deducted for not including references at all! Appendices Use appendices for any additional detail – for example your list of questions. Refer to each appendix within your report. Appendices are not included in the word limit. A marking rubric is provided on the next page Marking Guide – ENT10001 Interviewing with an entrepreneur –20 % Grade High Distinction Distinction Credit Pass Not Pass Writing style and presentation (10%) • Visual appeal: cover page, font, headings, white space • Structure: table of contents, headings, page numbers, matches assessment criteria • Accurate spelling and grammar. • Well-structured sentences and paragraphs (not too long, good use of punctuation) Meets all criteria at an outstanding standard Meets all criteria at a high standard Meets all criteria at an acceptable standard or most criteria at a high standard with only a few lapses Meets most criteria at an acceptable standard, but below expectations in some. Does not meet the majority of the criteria and those that are met, are at minimum acceptable standard. Characteristics of the entrepreneur (30%) • Relevance of 10 Ds • Relevance of other theories • Specific examples provided Outstanding use of multiple theories. Extensive specific examples illustrate theories effectively. Includes 10Ds plus more than one other theory. Specific examples illustrate theories effectively. Includes 10Ds plus one other theory. Specific examples mostly provided. Includes 10Ds theory, but no others and/or Lacks specific examples Does not relate observations to theory Business model and strategy (30%) • Application of the business model canvas • Relevance of other theories of entrepreneurship • Entrepreneurial venture or small business now? • Specific examples provided Outstanding use of multiple theories. Extensive specific examples illustrate theories effectively. Includes BMCof the business plus more than one other theory. Stage of the business explained and supported with theory Specific examples illustrate theories effectively. Includes BMC plus one other theory. Stage of the business explained Specific examples mostly provided. Includes BMC, but no others and/or Lacks specific examples Does not relate observations to theory Personal reflection (15%) What did you learn from the interview and your analysis • specific tips, tactics or general strategies you can follow or adapt • impact on your own entrepreneurial goals • Relevant role model or mentor for you? Insights and their impacts on you are clearly explained and related to the interview content. Insights and their impacts on you are clearly explained and mostly illustrated by reference to interview content. Insights and impacts on you are outlined, but may be general and not consistently illustrated by specific references to the interview General reflections but no specific insights identified. Omitted or not a personal reflection Opportunity Analysis (5%) Insights into the opportunities are well thought out and supported Insights into the opportunities are clearly explained and supported Insights into the opportunities are made, though remain general and not supported General insights into new opportunities are present Omitted or not complete Correct use of references (10%) • References used are relevant to content • Citation and reference format follows Swinburne standard • Citation matches references Extensive use of relevant theory, all referenced in correct format. Good use of relevant theory, all referenced in correct format. Good use of relevant theory, with the occasional errors in formatting. Correct referencing, but limited use or not relevant to content OR references relevant but significant proportion incorrectly formatted. No references or majorityincorrectly formatted OR references are irrelevant to content.