The Sustainable Organisation – ICA Guidance

Elements to consider towards writing your book/policy review

Writing this book or policy review has many benefits. Notably, it will help you towards your
final assessment for The Sustainable Organisation and enhance your ability to write a
structured cohesive commentary for literature reviews in your other MBA modules. The
hidden formula is very straightforward-you need to be succinct and have the ability to
summarise the main content of your selected text, without losing any of the meaning.
The review will help you to establish an understanding of the essential purpose of the text,
provide an accurate summary of the content and offer a critical judgement on parts (of) and
the whole of the text. In your conclusions, you should be in a position to comment upon
where the text fits within the larger body of literature or policy on the same subject. It is not
always possible to identify this as an early stage researcher, but at Master’s level, I would
encourage you to have a go as it will test your assumptions, stretch your ideas and judge
how your thinking aligns to those who are authors in this subject field.
What to include
You must reflect on the tutor led and autonomous learning that you have participated in
during the course of this module so far. Think about how what you have learned fits within
the wider discussions of sustainability. Completing your assessment will be much easier and
more rewarding for you if you select a topic of interest; something that you are genuinely
passionate about. For example; think about how different approaches are taken towards
ensuring sustainability as a means of creating a purposeful business model. Ensure that you
go through your hand written notes for a ‘sense check’. The notion of sustainability in
business is relatively new and there are a variety of different approaches.
Teesside University Business School
Postgraduate Module In-Course Assessment Feedback
The Sustainable Organisation
ECA – 1,000-word Book or Policy Report - 30% of overall mark
Student Name

Criterion Indicative Mark or

Please refer to the Generic University Assessment Marking Criteria and see below Weighting* N/A**
for the content specific criteria % %
Introduction and clearly defined presentation of the author’s aims 20
Consider what the author is attempting to achieve by writing the
book/review. You will usually find clues in the preface/abstract or in the
conclusions. Try to decipher if the author is starting from any particular
theoretical standpoint. Try to provide the academic or situational context
within which the book/policy report has been authored
The book’s context in its particular subject domain 10
This is a summary of what the book/report covers. Try to explain what the
main chapters are about. Aim to be succinct. Keep this part to a couple of
paragraphs. You are assessed on being concise and coherent here.
The relevance and topicality of the chosen book or policy 20
An evaluation of whether you believe the author has achieved what they set
out to achieve. This section will be supported by theory. Support your
arguments with examples from the book or report, but mostly this section
should be defined in your own words. If you include any direct quotations,
ensure that you accurately reference them. You should note any strengths or
weaknesses in this section. Make comments towards the authors writing style
in this section.
The style, structure and quality of the writing 10
You decide – is it well written? If yes, why do you think this? Again, if no, why do you
think this? Do not be afraid to share your view. There are books cited in the
reading list to help you with critical writing techniques, should you require
literature to support your thinking.

Critical analysis of the significance of the book/policy and value of its contribution 30
Reflect on the contents. Think about statements made and you’re your own
conclusions about where you think the book fits in to its field. This section
may be challenging. If you do not know where it fits, then you need to make
an informed guess. Alternatively, you could say that you do not understand
where it fits, but if you do this, you must support your opinion with evidence!
You need to provide a concluding paragraph, which conveys, on balance, your
assessment of the authors work. That is, does the book or report succeed in
achieving its purpose (or not?).

Presentation and referencing 10

Finally, ensure that you refer to the marking criteria in the module guide to
ensure that you have included all aspects. For further clarity, refer to the level
7 descriptors in the module guide to establish the mark difference between
bands (the pass mark is 50%). Furthermore, the library has a wealth of
support available and you can book personal appointments with staff to help
with your postgraduate studies.

Total 100%