Word limit is 2,500 words, excluding bibliography, references and appendices. A submission will constitute a recognisable response to the task brief. All written coursework must be submitted electronically only through EMA on BREO and a hardcopy is not required. Late work is not accepted, and will be deemed a fail and graded “0” (Non-submission). Working to deadlines is an important life-skill and I would encourage you to develop appropriate practices. References: You present all your sources following the Harvard Referencing SystemWorking together.

Assessment is not just about ‘grading’ your performance but an integral and important part of your learning. Preparation for assessment, undertaking the set tasks and using the feedback provided helps you to develop and demonstrate skills as well as being able to evidence your knowledge and understanding. This is an important component of the AAF044-6 and it represents 40% of the total assessment weighting for the unit. The broad aim of the assessment is to allow you to analyse financial data and other relevant information of an organisation and refer to relevant literature to form a judgement on the relative performance and the effectiveness of management in meeting the strategic corporate objectives in a given scenario.

You must demonstrate that you can structure a programme of study, identify information needs, draw from the body of existing knowledge on a particular subject, compare theory with practice, construct reasoned arguments supported by evidence, and make logical conclusions, all within a context of an individual written submission and strict deadlines. The output of this coursework will be an individual written report.

Discussing ideas with your fellow students is part of learning and we would encourage you to do this and to exchange interesting and relevant sources and references. However, there is a distinction between sharing ideas and collusion which is an academic offence. You must not work with others to the extent of exchanging written materials you have prepared, such as notes or drafts of assignments unless you have been expressly told that this is permissible. If these types of materials are shared this will be regarded as an assessment offence for the person who provides the material as well as for the person who uses it. Your own work should be regarded as your own property and you should protect it.

If you are working in a shared space, log off from the computer you are working on whenever you take a break so that others cannot access or copy your own work; take care to destroy printed drafts or copies of work, rather than just discarding them; and, don’t give your work to others in any format. If you are working on a group assignment make sure you understand the allocation of responsibilities between yourself and the other members of the group.

Written Presentations - It is important to present your work correctly and learning to do so at an early stage, by consulting these guidelines, may save you time and trouble in the long run. The report should be written according to the highest standards of English usage. The Oxford English Dictionary is recommended as the ultimate authority. Avoid the use of the first person in the main report. Conciseness of expression is expected and sentences should be constructed in order neither to be too long and convoluted, nor e-mail or texting style. Remember that quality is more important than quantity. Clarity is increased by adopting a logical order of presentation (especially regarding paragraphs or section headings).

Although spell checks are invaluable for detecting typing errors and the odd spelling mistake, they are no substitute in the end for careful proof reading. You cannot rely on a spell check which will not, for example, pick up mistakes which sometimes may be related to grammar (such as their/there) when these are in fact quite different words in the dictionary. Careful editing is essential and it is sometimes difficult to detect mistakes in your own work with which you are familiar. You are strongly advised to persuade a friend or colleague to read through your work in its final form. It is not the task of your tutor to do this for you.

Appendix: The Assessment Criteria (Written Report) - The marking is as follows: Background to the organisation showing good reading of appropriate sources 20%, Evaluation of Financial Statements 35%, Completion of table 5 marks, Analysis and interpretation of the results 30 marks, Comparison with Competitors 30% and Conclusion 15%. An excellent / outstanding pass: In addition to the criteria for a commendable pass (below), an excellent report will demonstrate: comprehensive and accurate coverage of the area; critical, balanced and well-informed evaluation; clarity of argument and expression; the introduction of new ideas, creativity, and independent thought; transfer and integration of models, ideas and information from a range of sources; depth of insight into theoretical issues; originality of exposition or treatment.