Submission Deadline
Before 10am on:
14/01/2022
Unit title & code
Assignment number and title
Assignment type
Weighting of assignment
Size or length of assessment
Unit learning outcomes
Marks and Feedback
20 working days after deadline (L4, 5 and 7)
15 working days after deadline (L6)
10 working days after deadline (block delivery)
31/01/2022
BSS056-6 Theory into Practice Project
MBA (General)
MBA (Finance)
MBA (Hospital and Health Services Management)
MBA (Human Resource Management)
MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)
MBA (Marketing)
MBA (Oil and Gas Management)
MBA (Digital Technology Management)
MBA with Data Analytics
2. TIP Project Report
PJ-Proj
80%
9000 words
1. Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding
 Demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical appreciation of the
interrelationship of diverse theories in the MBA toolkit to challenge existing
preconceptions and develop positive and enquiring approaches to management and
enterprise. Demonstrate an aptitude and ability to solve a defined business problem
through enquiry having drawn upon your MBA studies and appreciating the
interrelated nature of organisations.
2. Demonstrate the following skills and abilities
Demonstrate intelligent practice by imaginative and critical integration of theory and
practice to create a tangible deliverable through critical insightful evaluation stipulating
areas of excellence and reflecting on areas for development to improve performance in
contemporary organisations. In addition, for specialist pathways:
 MBA (Finance)
, A focus on strategic finance and risk management
 MBA (Hospital and Health Services Management)
A focus on hospital and health service management and including economic, political,
social and environmental change and the impact of regulatory and governance
trends.
 MBA (Human Resource Management)
A focus on human resource management and development in complex situations and
 within and across borders.
 MBA (Logistics and Supply Chain Management)
A focus on sustainability of the relationship and expectation between markets,
customers, supply chain partners and other stakeholders.
 MBA (Marketing)
A focus on complex market situations taking account of the development and
progression of the customer relationship and customer satisfaction.
 MBA (Oil and Gas Management)
A focus on the external context in which modern oil and gas organisations operate
including economic, political, social and environmental change and the regulatory and
governance trends impacting n different organisations.
 MBA (Digital Technology Management)
A focus on the management of communication and information technologies and
contemporary information systems to inform and support decision making in a global
knowledge-based economy.

MBA with Data Analytics

A focus on applied computing and information technology and security implications,
methodologies and frameworks to safeguard data

What am I required to do in this assignment?

The unit aims to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of management and business as well as the skills essential
to effective operation in a corporate, business, public sector or not for profit environment. It is a unit specifically designed to help your
transition into the professional work environment through the integration of theory and practice supported by contemporary research
evidence.
This unit provides the opportunity for you to investigate an area of interest drawing on the MBA toolkit developed through taught units and
will support the development of lifelong learning through an Evidence-based management approach where analysis, evaluation and
decision making are supported by research evidence from quality academic and practitioner sources.
The emphasis is on your independent learning through the application of management education to management practice to inform and
enhance problem solving and decision making and to improve organisational effectiveness and performance
You will develop an appreciation of the range of data sources and their collection and analysis in order to help you more critically assess a
contemporary problem and solve a business issue.
This would normally require the collection of secondary data from quality academic and practitioner sources. Where relevant, it might be
possible for students to collect primary data. However, please remember time is tight and, unless you have experience of data collection
and analysis, this is discouraged. You will be expected to comply with the University ethics process including seeking approval where
required.
The TIP Project enables you to consider a business problem, how this is framed and what solution you can present based on your
appreciation of critical enquiry. The assessment requires you to consider in depth one aspect of the implementation of decisions.
For Assignment 1 you will have already developed the plan for your project comprising the scope, aim, objectives, theoretical underpinning,
method of analysis and evidence. Assignment 2 is where you present the in-depth report on the project including an in-depth review of
influential contemporary contributors, analysis of the evidence, interpretation and discussion, leading to clear conclusions and feasible
recommendations for practice.

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 Assignment 2, the Project Report should be a deep consideration of a specific topic, drawing on a wide range of academic sources, including
peer-reviewed material, and using practical examples and cases to illustrate your points. The emphasis of the work is to consider the
practical issues involved in making decisions, solving organisational problems or exploring opportunities, achieving change and managing
the implementation of strategy. Your work must be submitted as a professional Business Report of 9000 words +/-10% (including an
improved Chapter 1). Staged submissions are required through the online journal on the BREO course site.

A random sample of students will be called to attend a viva voce to check the authenticity of their work
What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

In order to pass Assessment 2 you will need to:

 Demonstrate assessment of theories underpinning the aim and objectives of the project and integrate this understanding into a coherent
framework for analysing case studies or other data/evidence.
 Develop a research design to identify and assemble sources of data and evidence and carry our data analysis as appropriate to the aim and
objectives.
 Demonstrate adequate critical analysis and evaluation of case studies/evidence, debate the implications of the analysis and develop a
tangible deliverable.

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on (TBA) make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it
to the session with you.

 You need to widely extend your reading through independent research using quality academic and practitioner sources
 You will apply theory in practice for critical, in-depth analysis in the context of the chosen research topic
 Is your method of analysis aligned to your aim?
 Are you clear on how to collect evidence (data), how to report this and how to analyse the data leading to your findings?
 How might you interpret your findings in relation to current knowledge reviewed in Chapter 2? Discussion chapter
 What are the insightful outcomes of your research – what is your contribution to knowledge/practice?
 Consider what are the main conclusions derived from your discussion?
 Make feasible recommendations that are directly actionable
 You must use in-text citations throughout to acknowledge others’ ideas in support of your critical analysis
 You must use the Harvard style of referencing.
How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?
All students are expected to attend scheduled Advancing Professional Practice workshops between blocks to develop their
personal, professional and academic skills in preparation for the final projects and their first post-MBA position. This is an
independent project and you are supported through scheduled classes for group briefings and you are allocated a supervisor for
guidance.
You will have an interim and final group briefings to support the progressive development of your project, including data
collection and analysis and final write-up of the report.
Online Journal Supervision on Breo is where you submit formative drafts for feedback. The journal is private and can only be
viewed by you and your supervisor.

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How will my assignment be marked?

Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.

You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.

Pass – 40-49% Pass – 50-59% Commendation – 60- Distinction– 70%+

69%
Justifies a choice of Clearly justifies a choice
Very good justification of Excellent justification of a choice
project and appraises its of project and appraises
choice of project and of project and appraisal of its
feasibility. Although few its feasibility. Attempts to
appraisal of its feasibility. feasibility. Provides a clear
relevant issues are frame and identify some
Frames and highlight the introduction that frames and
outlined and no real valid and relevant issues.
Introduction main issues. Formulates a highlights the main issues.
framing. Attempts to Formulates a reasonable
clear plan by developing Formulates a clear plan by
formulate a plan by plan by developing aims
aims and objectives and developing aims and objectives
developing aims and and objectives and
designing a method of and designing a method of
objectives and designing designing a method of
analysis. analysis.
a method of analysis. analysis.
Determines recent
theories that may be
appropriate for the
Logical and relevant Identification of directly
project and Identification of entirely
identification of recent relevant and recent
demonstrates a critical relevant and recent theories
theories appropriate for theories appropriate for
assessment of theories appropriate for the project.
the project and the project.
Literature Review underpinning the aim Demonstrates a critical
demonstrates a critical Demonstrates a critical
and Method of and objectives of the assessment of theories
assessment of theories assessment of theories
Analysis project and integrates underpinning the aim and
underpinning the aim and underpinning the aim and
this into a coherent objectives of the project and
objectives of the project objectives of the project
framework. Supported integrates this into a coherent
and integrates this into a and integrates this into a
by adequate appropriate framework.
coherent framework. coherent framework.
data/evidence for the
application of theory
into practice.
Critical Evaluation Demonstrates adequate Demonstrates a good Demonstrates an Demonstrates an insightful and
critical analysis and critical analysis and insightful and critical critical analysis and evaluation
evaluation of case evaluation of case analysis and evaluation of of contemporary themes
studies/evidence, studies/evidence, debates case studies/evidence, supported by evidence. Debates
debates the implications the implications of the debates the implications the implications of the analysis
of the analysis and analysis and develops a of the analysis and and develops a tangible
develops a tangible tangible deliverable. No develops a tangible deliverable.

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 deliverable. The linkages
great originality or
and rigour will not be as
organisation. There may
explicit as for an A grade. The strategic issues regarding
be gaps in issues
deliverable. Significant There will be some implementation issues are
concerning scope and
description; Some gaps omissions with respect to rigorously linked.
relevance and some
in reasoning. the clarity of argument
reference to strategic Clear evidence of originality
and some of the analysis
issues but perhaps not
will have less strong
fully or explicitly set out.
evidence of originality.

Conclusions are limited The conclusions are

The conclusions are fully
and do not follow mostly supported by
Conclusions are supported by evidence and are
directly from the evidence and are linked
reasonable and linked to the aim and objectives
evidence and argument to the aim and objectives
supported by evidence. for clear and workable
presented. Validity of for clear achievement of
Conclusions and Some links to the aim and achievement of implementation
conclusions is implementation of theory
Recommendations objectives. of theory into practice. Clear
unconvincing. into practice. Clear and
Recommendations are and appropriate
appropriate
Recommendations are reasonably clear and recommendations that meet
recommendations. Less
vague. Doubtful mostly realistic. precisely the demands of the
comprehensive than for
feasibility. task
an A grade.
Clearly and concisely Professionally structured with
Reasonable report Well-structured report excellent standard of academic
structured in report
Presentation and format. Few citations format, sourced writing.
format, sourced
Referencing and a passable throughout and with an
throughout and with a High quality sources and with a
bibliography. adequate bibliography.
good bibliography. comprehensive bibliography

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 Section / Title Details / Guidance

Title page Title of your report.

Executive Summary Concise summary of your report, including aim, analysis, key conclusions and recommendations
(comes first, written last) (Approx 250 words)

Contents Page Include page numbers.

Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction to the report setting out what the aims and objectives of the report are, the context,
what the report will cover, why and your method of analysis (Approx 1500 words). Must be
supported by the ideas of influential contributors using in text citations.

Chapter 2: You will need to draw on a wide range of recent (2008-2018) quality academic sources, including
peer-reviewed material, combined with practical examples to support your arguments. You will
Literature Review need to critically evaluate the sources in relation to the application of theory to practice. (Approx
2500 words)

Chapter 3: You need to state and justify the method of analysis as appropriate to the aim and objectives of
your project. If using Systematic Review you will need to present full details of the search(es) with
Method of Data
number of results and inclusion/exclusion criteria resulting in the final sample of evidence for
Collection, Data Analysis
review.
and Findings
You need to present the evidence (data) published in quality academic sources. You need to
analyse in-depth the evidence (data) and present the findings clearly.

For systematic review and comparative analysis methods a table is useful to illustrate the findings.

Word count for this section will depend on the topic of your project and may vary widely between
projects (Approx 1500 words)

Chapter 4: In the discussion, you will need to interpret your findings with reference to theories introduced in
the literature review. Apply the theory to the data, critically analyse and evaluate in-depth the
Discussion
effectiveness of theory in applied in practice. What is the unique insight from your research?
(Approx 2500 words)

Conclusions This section should initially answer the report aim and objectives and draw together the main
points from your analysis. It summarises what has been learned from undertaking this project
concerning the application of theory into practice. What are the main conclusions from your
project? No new information should be presented in the conclusions. (Approx 500 words)

Recommendations Make recommendations for improvement based upon your conclusions, clearly stating how they
can add value. Recommendations should be fully feasible and justified considering costs, priority
level, time-scale, resources, who is responsible, benefits and any further implications. Proposals
should be actionable (‘immediately implementable’) not just a list of ideas. (Approx 500 words)

Reference List A list of all sources cited directly in the text. Harvard style

Guide to Writing the TIP Project