In this assignment you need to submit a 1500 word argument in the form of an essay on the
topic of:
The performance imperative of old where managers were expected to achieve their
goals has been turbocharged: today’s performance imperative requires managers to do
more with ever decreasing resources, and also to respond to environmental change
and organisational requirements immediately, often within a globalised context. To what
extent do you support that view, or does hypercompetition simply reflect the old
performance imperatives in a different social context? Justify your views.
In this assignment you are asked to provide a critical evaluation of the topic, present your
viewpoint and argue for it. This means giving evidence or justification for your conclusions,
and being clear where the evidence or arguments are uncertain or raise further questions.
It is expected that you will include 10 or more sources in your essay. You should rely mainly
on refereed academic journal articles.
In your essay, include the following sections:
1. A cover page (not included in word count)
2. An introduction stating your understanding of the topic and outlining structure of your
essay (about 150 words).
3. A body critiquing the topic (about 1200 words citing at least 10 sources including the
textbook).
4. A conclusion (about 150 words).
5. A reference list (not included in word count).
6. Any appendices (not included in word count).
Word length – 1500 words (plus or minus 10%) not including cover, reference list or
appendices.
Word Count (number of words used, without including the exceptions) needs to be identified
in the front cover of the assignment.
Marks will be deducted for non-compliance with the word limit (too few words will mean you
are unable to do your topic justice … too many words means you have not been discerning
enough in your selection of material or written succinctly enough).
Note: You should use APA6 referencing and list all the references used correctly (this is
very important).
All assignments in this unit use the same general criteria for assessment and a specific rubric
for this assignment is provided on the LMS.