STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

Business School
ASSIGNMENT FRONTSHEET
Module Code Numbe B!B"##$%&'
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Submission D)(e8 Time8 9l)ce : A)n+emen(s3
One copy of your assignment should to be submitted to the Business
School Reception at Blackheath Lane, Stafford or Brindley Business
School Reception before
Assignments must be submitted by the due date. The only circumstance
in which assignments can be submitted late is if an etenuating
circumstances form is submitted at the same time. !n these circumstances
work may be submitted up to " weeks late only. !f the etenuating
circumstances are upheld, the assignment will be graded, otherwise a #$%
will be awarded.
M)7imum ;od len+(h3
State the number of words used at the end of the assignment. &ou may
include diagrams, figures, appendices etc. without word penalty. A
sliding scale of penalties for ecess length will be imposed. The penalties
will be as follows'
1-10% excess no penalty
11-20% excess 10% reduction in the mark
21-30% excess 20% reduction in the mark
31%+ excess the work will be capped at a pass i.e. 40% or
grade point 4.
(B. (one of the abo)e penalties will be used to change a student mark
which is abo)e the pass mark, to one that is below the pass mark.
Therefore the maximum penalty for eceeding the word limit will be a
reduction to a pass grade.
This assignment will assess the following learning outcomes:
1. 2. 3. 4. .
Ci(ic)l Thin*in+ in M)n)+emen(& BLB*$$+,-"
Sample only
The Task:
You are required to write an answer of no more than 1500 words to the
question your group agreed with the module leader during the semester.
Assessment criteria
Fis( Cl)ss le<el s(uden( ;o* will display an ability to apply the theories,
concepts and techni.ues deli)ered on the module to the successful application of
critical reasoning skills to the writing of assignments. There will be e)idence that in
answering their chosen .uestion the student has critically read the rele)ant parts of a
)ariety of different tets and articles, and has used rele)ant, appropriate, correctly
referenced, short .uotations from some of the material read in order to support )alid
conclusions they ha)e drawn in response to their chosen .uestion/s0. The published
material the student refers to will be cited in a reference list at the end of the
assignment constructed using a format recommended on the module. The ma1ority
of the material the student draws upon in constructing their answer will be sourced
from professional academic 1ournals, tet-books and uni)ersity web-sites of an
appropriate academic standard. A limited .uantity of non-academic material may be
used where the chosen .uestion demands reference to non-academic material. The
students will display an ability to critically assess the published material they draw
upon in answering their chosen .uestion. The structure of responses to the
assessment tasks will assist the reader in understanding the student%s responses to
those tasks2 the form of communication will be appropriate to the assessment task2
the arguments used in responses will be sound and coherent, and the student will
display an ability to use appropriate technical and3or conceptual language and3or
skills, as re.uired, with confidence.
O(he le<els o, ;o* The further a student%s work di)erges from the ideal
described abo)e, the lower their resulting grade is likely to be.
!e)nin+ Ou(comes Me(3
*. 4nderstand the process of critical reasoning and employ that understanding in the
support of the student%s personal de)elopment as a learner
". Be able to use cogniti)e skills to apply a gi)en range of techni.ues and concepts
to more effecti)ely analyse retrie)e and organise information relating to issue in
the management of organisations.
5. /assessed by the group presentation separately06
7. Be able to effecti)ely epress ideas through the structured use of written formats
Guid)nce No(es
/a0 8lease indicate the total number of words used at the end of the work.
/b0 The word limit is a challenging constraint and should not be regarded as a signal
for relaation. !t is more, not less difficult to produce satisfactory work in such a
relati)ely small number of words.
/c0 9e do not want you simply to etract apparently rele)ant sections from
appropriate information sources and then regurgitate them in undigested form in your
assignment. Assignments constructed in that manner are etremely unlikely to attain a
pass grade. 9e would like you to read appropriate material in a critical manner, and
then write a coherent response to the assignment task abo)e using coherent, sound
arguments based upon your own understanding of the sub1ect matter. 9e are looking
for e)idence that you understand and ha)e integrated the module content and are able
to apply that knowledge to the construction of coherent arguments in the completion
of the task specified abo)e.
(B although uncritical, indiscriminate regurgitation of the reading material is to be
a)oided, you are welcome to make limited use of properly referenced .uotations from
that material following the guidelines for the use of .uotations supplied with this
module.
/d0 8lease use #*.+ lines% spacing when typing your assignment and at least *" point
si:ed font to facilitate marking.
/e0 !t is not necessary to present your work in epensi)e packaging2 a simple staple
will suffice. !f you insist on using a plastic folder with fasteners through punched
holes in the assignment, please lea)e at least a 7 cm gap at the left-hand margin /we
need the space to write comments in when marking your work0.
/f0 All formal written work may be retained after marking until the rele)ant
;amination Board procedures ha)e been completed. !n the interests of security you
are strongly recommended therefore to m)*e )nd e()in ) co2/ o, /ou ;o* before
submission.
/g0 8lagiarism
Although you will ha)e worked on preparing and deli)ering a presentation on the
same .uestion/s0 with a group of other students earlier in the semester, this
assignment must be an individual piece of work. Any indications that you ha)e
copied material from other students in writing your assignment, or that they ha)e
copied material from you, will be treated as potential plagiarism.
<ontrary to popular student belief getting caught and being punished for committing
plagiarism is not a rare occurrence. The Business School typically unco)ers and
reports for disciplinary action between = and *" students each semester for plagiarism.
The 4ni)ersity publishes a fully detailed description of what the term #plagiarism%
means on the 4ni)ersity web-site at the following address'
http'33www.staffs.ac.uk3Student6!nformation3$>-al-academic8?@3pl.pdf
9e strongly recommend that you read the full document at the abo)e address.
Summarised below are some of the key points. &ou will ha)e committed plagiarism
and may be caught, reported and punished /as described below0 if you'
<opy etensi)ely from the work of others /from sources such as books,
maga:ines, 1ournals, web-sites for eample0 and submit the work as your own. (B
!t is acceptable to refer to the work of others as long as you do not use too much,
and reference your sources properly. !f you do not know how to do this, please
follow the guidelines gi)en in the document entitled #Adding quotations and
references to your written work on the web-site at this address'
http'33www.staffs.ac.uk3schools3business3bsadmin3staff3s531amr.htm
<opy another student%s work and submit it for assessment under your own name.
Allow another student to copy your work and the student then submits it for
assessment under their name.
The last item is of particular importance2 few students seem to understand what it
means. &ou should be aware that if, for eample, you allow another student to borrow
your work and they subse.uently copy some of that work and present it as their own,
/ou and they will both be punished e)en though they copied your work.

4h)( h)22ens i, /ou +e( c)u+h(=
;amination Boards may punish offending students in a number of ways. Typically,
punishments range from reducing grades, making students re-sit modules, through to
failing students on a module or an entire award.
The University regards this form of cheating as a serious offence.
8lease consider yourself warnedA