Rationale
The aim of this assignment is to enable and encourage you to: read widely in the theoretical and empirical management literature; demonstrate your understanding of a key management issue; develop your skills in relating theoretical materials to practical organisational situations; develop your critical skills in analysing situations and actions that management take in response to changing situations; and develop your skills in academic essay writing.
Marking criteria
Your assignment will be graded taking into account the extent to which you have: answered the question set, kept to the topic and covered only relevant issues; expressed other people?s ideas in your own words and gone beyond what they have said on the topic by integrating a range of literature; demonstrated that you understand the statement, the issues it covers and the debates it gives rise to; taken a critical orientation to the argument put by the statement that recognises, considers and weighs-up competing viewpoints; shown in the content of your essay that you have read the relevant literature; structured your essay into a clear flow of argument or reasoning that makes sense and is persuasive; been clear and concise in your expression; paid attention to the rules of writing in relation to paragraphing, punctuation, spelling, etc.; appropriately cited references; kept to the approximate word length; and gone beyond mere description.
Pass mark assumes:
1. The question is understood and addressed.
2. The required reading is completed.
3. Awareness of issues involved, and their relation to real Australian organisations.
4. Awareness and understanding of major theories/theorists.
5. Sufficient organisation of thought and expression to allow the reader to follow without effort.
6. Use of correct referencing.
Additional marks can be gained by the additional following elements.
Credit mark assumes all of these:
1. Evidence of additional reading.
2. Analysis of issues involved.
3. Comparison of major theories/theorists.
4. Organisation of thought and expression that logically aids argument presented.
Further additional marks can be gained by the additional following elements.
Distinction mark assumes all of these:
1. Evidence of extensive relevant reading.
2. Critical analysis and implications of issues involved.
3. Application of theories to discuss issues with appropriate evidence to support or refute arguments.
4. Personal integration of these elements to the conclusions arrived at.
5. Evidence of original or creative thought.
Your essay must be appropriately referenced, formatted and structured. The required referencing style is APA.
ESSAY OUTLINE TEMPLATE (except for bold headings, do NOT present your final essay in this format)
Introduction
Issue:
Definitions:
Central argument:
Subheading 1 (give descriptive titles using as many subheadings as you like)
Premises (evidence):
1.
2.
3.
. . . and so on
Subheading 2
Premises (evidence):
1.
2.
3.
. . . and so on
Conclusion
Please answer the questions set. Do not merely provide a general overview of the topic area. Use specific case examples to support and illustrate your arguments.
You must use a minimum of ten academic references including at least eight peer-reviewed scholarly academic journal articles.
In your answer you should demonstrate good knowledge of the topic area you are writing in. You should also demonstrate good analytical skills which include the ability to critically synthesise the literature in order to develop an analysis. If you have industry experience in the topic area you are writing in, feel free to include your own understanding of the issues involved. However your own experiences must not dominate your analysis. Greater weight should be given to insights gleaned from the literature.