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Write a response to the following essay question:
'There is only one best way to manage'. Discuss with reference to the key theoretical contributions and academic studies in this area.
Examination
The Final Examination is designed to test students' knowledge of management principles covered during the trimester. The structure of the final examination will be:
A 2-hour closed-book final examination. Details of the examination structure will be provided closer to the examination period.
Understanding the Question/Task
There are three important parts to understanding any question within your discipline subject:
- Direction Words: These tell you how to approach the writing task, for example, Discuss, Evaluate, Critically Analyse, Compare and so on. See a list of Direction Words below for their meanings.
- Subject Words or Topic Words: These tell you what the main subject is, for example,
economic growth, malaria cure, sustainable engineering, and so on.
- Focus or Limit Words: These provide a focus boundary or limit for your topic or subject words. For example, in Australia, two features of, within Victoria, during the 19th Century, over two decades, and so on.
ACTIVITY 1: Analysing the Question
Determine the direction, subject/topic and focus/ limit words of the following question:
"Discuss some cultural issues public health workers should be aware of when practising in an Aboriginal community."
ANSWER
(i) Direction Word= Discuss - present a subject and give points of view about it, your own and those of other writers. Give a range of information, evidence and opinion.
(ii) Topic Words = To identify the topic ask: "what" of the instruction word - Discuss what? = "some cultural issues".
(iii) Focus/Limit Words = Narrow the focus of the question by placing the topic in some sort of framework; so which specific aspects of the topic need to be researched and discussed? For example:
Who is involved? "public health workers"
Where is the focus? "when practising in an Aboriginal community"
When? current information probably necessary
Direction Words: Direction or Instruction Word List and their Meanings
Analyse - break subject into parts and show how they relate to each other and to other subjects.
Argue - systematically support or reject a position by presenting evidence.
Comment - express your view or interpretation of a statement contained in the question. Support your view with argument and/or experience.
Compare - express similarities between two or more objects, systems, ideas or arguments.
Contrast - demonstrate differences between two or more objects, systems, ideas or arguments.
Criticise - make judgments, favourable and/or unfavourable, using fair argument and balanced evidence.
Discuss - present a subject and give points of view about it, your own and those of other writers. Give a range of information, evidence and opinion. There may be argument and analysis but the main quality is the range of opinion canvassed.
Enumerate - present material in list of outline form, usually without comment.
Evaluate - make judgments using argument, opinion and evidence. Similar to ‘criticise' but places more emphasis on establishing standards of quality and ‘excellence'.
Examine - similar to ‘analyse', with a little more emphasis on judgment / appraisal.
Explain - assign or interpret meanings clearly by analysing events or systems, giving reasons, describing how things develop. Your focus is on the ‘how' and ‘why' of an issue, not so much on evaluation or criticism.
Illustrate - use figure, picture, diagram or concrete example to explain / clarify a problem.
Outline - a systematic listing of information or argument giving main points and subordinate points in order, omitting details.
Review - examine a subject critically, dealing with a number of explanations or theories; listing and relating a series of events that are being used as evidence for a theory.
Summarise - give a brief statement or account that covers the main points in sequence; without critical comments.
3. Brainstorming
Once you've understood the question, and before you do any research and reading, brainstorm the question: Note down what you already know about the topic and where some of the gaps in your knowledge are. This helps you generate ideas to eventually structure an initial outline to guide your research and reading stages.
To brainstorm you can write the topic words, direction words, and limit words across a sheet of paper and begin to fill in the sections. Or you can use visual mapping software and then generate ideas and questions by writing them around these words.
Use the Wh-Questions of what, where, when, why, how, who, which, to what extent to help you generate ideas. Connect the ideas and questions that you've generated using arrows.
ACIVITY: Brainstorming
Brainstorm the question: "Discuss some cultural issues public health workers should be aware of when practising in an Aboriginal community."
Hint: For example, some starting questions could include:
What are public health workers currently taught about this? By whom? What are the main cultural issues relevant to Aboriginal communities? How are they different from issues in non-Aboriginal communities?
Which are the most important? Why? Which Aboriginal communities will I concentrate on?
4. Structuring an Outline
This involves looking at your brainstorming ideas and words and finding a way to group, thematise and structure towards an initial outline.
- Grouping
After you've brainstormed your question, look for common themes within the chaos! Ask yourself: what ideas seem to be related? Mark or colour-code them. Think of headings for these groups.
- Structuring
- Once you've brainstormed your question and thematised your ideas, you can create a draft outline structure to guide your reading and writing.
- Organise the material under each theme into a logical order. Group the ideas under headings and subheadings. You can change this later if you need to. Later, each theme/heading/subheading can be addressed in a number of paragraphs, or discussed in one paragraph depending on the amount of information.
- There are various ways to structure your ideas and this will depend on the question. For example, you can list your ideas by:
a. Order of importance or priority (e.g. most significant or important factor/issue to least significant or important one...)
b. Logical order or causality (e.g. A causes/leads to B causes/leads to C...)
c. Chronological order by time or stages (e.g. Phase 1, Phase 2 ..., or 1920s, 1930s, 1940s...)
d. Comparison/Contrast to look at the similarities and differences
e. Global to specific or vice versa (e.g. big picture to small picture, hospital system to patient, ...)
f. Conceptual/Abstract to concrete specific application examples (e.g. Evidence- based teaching theory to specific impact on research practices and outcomes in a classroom, ...)
Introduction
- Background and context
- Definitions
- Thesis statement/themes
- Main point: 3 areas essential when entering an Aboriginal community
- Themes: support of community elders, protocol & language barriers
- Outline of essay
Theme 1. Support of Community Elders
i) Structure (sub-heading = point being made to illustrate theme 1)
- hierarchical
supporting detail (including any references)
- dependent on status in community supporting detail (including any references)
ii) Strategy for change (sub-heading = point being made to illustrate theme 1)
- seek permission (etc)
Theme 2. Community Protocol
i) Seeking permission
- attitude to boundaries
ii) Relationships
- complex
iii) Strategy for change
- acknowledge/respect elders
- be aware of status groups
- do not force interaction
Theme 3. Language Barriers
i) Lead to misunderstandings
- do not force interaction
- be aware of status groups
- example: different questioning
ii) Awareness necessary
Conclusion
i) Summarise the argument
ii) Outline further research needed
5. Researching and Reading
- Get a librarian's assistance and use your subject outline for key references to guide and focus your reading. See the LibSkills for getting started on your assignment research.
- Read the journal abstracts if the titles look relevant.
- Scan/skim read the relevant articles and note the reference and page number.
- Take notes to suit your purpose to expand on your draft outline.
ACTIVITY 2.5 Researching and Reading
What additional search words and synonyms might you use to research the databases for relevant materials for the question: "Discuss some cultural issues public health workers should be aware of when practising in an Aboriginal community."
6. Refining your Outline
- Expand on your initial outline by adding further headings and subheadings based on your research and reading.
- Use a more detailed numbering system to deal with the greater depth and detail you've gained (e.g. 1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.).
- You may decide to reorder some of your sections in light of your reading.
- Get feedback from your tutor/lecturer/demonstrator on your refined outline as this has the basic structure and detail of your writing.
7. Writing your 1st Draft
- Write the substance and detail of towards a 1st draft by expanding your refined outline.
- Write your introduction last or you can write a draft introduction to guide your writing at the start. Introductions are a special type of paragraph similar to funnel shape (general to specific). See the Types of Paragraph section for examples.
- Write the conclusion last.
- Concentrate on grouping your ideas into paragraphs that are structured and linked appropriately. See the Academic Phrase Bank for functional listing of academic writing and linking expressions.
- After planning the essay to the point of a detailed outline, you then develop the three essential structural elements - the introductory paragraph, the body paragraph and the concluding paragraph.
a. An introduction needs 4 essential elements:
1. Introduce the topic
2. Provide background or context (why is it important?)
3. Thesis statement or main point of essay
4. Sub-topics or themes to be addressed sequentially in the body of the essay
- A brief definition may belong in the introduction, but a more detailed one belongs in the first paragraph after the introduction.
- Keep all information relatively general, that is no detailed evidence or statistics belong in the introduction.
- See this Introduction Paragraph example below, where the main argument is underlined and the
above sentence functions are labelled:
b. The Body Paragraphs - Essential Elements
- Every paragraph should include a "topic sentence" that introduces its focus, and then develop logically. This means that each sentence should clearly relate to the one before it. There are various ways you can indicate how your sentences relate to each other:
- Numbering: first, second, third...
- Connecting words: therefore, however, moreover, for example, on the other hand...
- Picking up an idea from the previous sentence (by repeating it, or using a synonym for it, or a pronoun such as this/that, or he/she/it/they) and adding something to it.
- To summarise, each body paragraph develops or expands the original thesis statement in a logical manner using evidence to prove/illustrate the specific point being made and has the following essential elements.
1. A Topic Sentence - establishes the topic of the paragraph and one aspect of that topic.
2. Supporting Sentences - provide the evidence and examples to support or illustrate the topic sentence.
3. A Concluding Sentence - may restate initial point made, lead into next point, relate paragraph to overall argument or make a final statement.
C. The Conclusion Paragraph - Essential Elements
Concluding paragraphs sum up your argument and provide an opening for any future issues/research or possibilities. Conclusion paragraphs have three essential elements:
1. Paraphrase the main argument of the essay.
2. Summarise and paraphrase the sub-topics addressed.
3. Make a final strong comment on the topic. Remember:
- never add any new evidence
- avoid detailed information as the conclusion is a more general statement.
Attachment:- AcadWriting.rar