Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Paper instructions:

Professional Diploma in Management
Study Session: August – October 2015
Module: Foundations of Management (MN4500)
Assignment Question
Preface
The purpose of this first assignment is to get you to practise some key skills associated with
studying in higher education and to relate the material that you have read in the
Foundations of Management module book to your wider organisational experience. You
have joined this programme to develop your personal skills, competencies and knowledge.
As you progress through the programme the materials we will introduce will, in some cases,
change the way you think.
Many of the assignment questions that you will be asked to answer will invite you to reflect
upon what you currently do, or in some cases what you have done in the past. They require
you to think about what you do but more especially about why you do it and how you might
do it differently and perhaps more effectively. This is what personal development is about;
changing the lens through which you see reality. This means that there is no correct, model
or ideal answers to the questions we ask.
Does this, therefore, mean that any old answer will do? No, it does not. So what are we
looking for? We want to see evidence that you have read the materials - the module book,
the relevant parts of the companion text or articles, and beyond. We want to see that you
have made connections - i.e. connections between what you do or have done; your
organisation; and the concepts and ideas that you have been introduced to in each module.
Use the new language, new concepts and new ideas when answering the assignment
questions. This is not an exercise in repeating jargon. Rather it is the use of ideas and
concepts that will enable you to better explain and account for the world in which you work.
We will also look for a logical flow to your answers. Read the guidance notes that
accompany this assignment, but do not agonise over searching for the correct answers.
There are none - that is a reflection of the real world!
Learning Outcomes
The purpose of the assignment is to help you to
· locate and evaluate learning resources for your studies
· internalise concepts, theories and models from Part 2 of the module, and
· develop the ability to critically apply them to your own experience
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The Assignment Question
This is divided into two parts. Each is worth 50% of the module marks.
First, examine the following essay question:
Using appropriate examples, discuss whether the work of Frederick Taylor (i.e.
scientific management) is still relevant to modern management practice.
Now undertake BOTH Part 1 AND Part 2 of the assignment.
Part 1
Compile an annotated bibliography which you could use to research the essay question you
have chosen. You should follow the advice given in Sections 4 and 5 of the Foundations of
Management module book on Possible Learning Resources, Finding the Learning Resources
You Need and Other Internet Searches and Referencing.
The bibliography should give full details of sources of at least SIX and a maximum of EIGHT
different sources. These sources should ideally be a mixture of the following: monographs;
academic journal articles; good quality newspaper articles, or radio or television
programmes; official company or research organisation (like Mintel) websites; and
government websites. Please avoid including a/ textbooks and b/ generic encyclopaedic
websites like Wikipedia and ‘education resource’ websites like netMBA.com and
tutor2u.com in your bibliography.
In terms of the annotation we require, you need to include a comment for EACH of your
sources as to where you found details of this source and why it is relevant to the essay
question. Each comment should not exceed 100 words in length. You should also pay
attention to the sample annotated bibliography in appendix A of this guidance sheet.
The bibliography should be formatted according to the referencing guidance given in
Section 5 of the module book.
Content
The annotated bibliography should
· be presented in Harvard alphabetical order of author (see your referencing
guidelines in the Programme Handbook and in the Foundations of Management
module book)
· include annotations for each source, by providing an explanation afterwards (see
appendix A for guidance).
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Format
The annotated bibliography should
· be word-processed, double-spaced throughout, in point 12 size font, left justified,
with standard margins (at least 2.5 cm on all sides), with all pages consecutively
numbered
· contain a comment for each source as to its relevance to the essay question and
where you located it
Referencing
Referencing should strictly adhere to the Harvard referencing system, as outlined in Section
5 of the module book and your Programme Handbook.
Word limit
Word limit for the annotated bibliography is 1000 words. There is no lower limit.
Please do not submit a bibliography that deviates from the word limit by more than 10%
(i.e., of more than 1100 words), otherwise the penalties described in your Programme
Handbook will apply.
Assessment Criteria
In addition to the criteria outlined above and in the Programme Handbook, students are
expected to fulfil the following criteria for the annotated bibliography:
· the ability to locate a range of different sources, all of the appropriate robustness
and quality for an academic assignment, and relevant to the essay question selected
· the ability to present references in the correct Harvard format, with all relevant details
included
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Part 2
Write a 1500 word essay responding to the question;
Using appropriate examples, discuss whether the work of Frederick Taylor (i.e.
scientific management) is still relevant to modern management practice.
Here you should pay attention to the guidance given in sections 3 and 5 of the module book
on Thinking, Reasoning and Creativity; Tools and Techniques for Improving Thinking,
Reasoning and Creativity; The Role of the Assignment; Planning an Assignment; Reading for
an Assignment; Writing an Assignment; Referencing; Academic Honesty; and Plagiarism.
Content
The essay should
· begin with a brief introduction outlining the aims and the structure of the essay
· move into a discussion section which uses appropriate examples to argue whether scientific
management remains relevant to contemporary management practice
· conclude with a summary of key arguments made and a final response to the question set
Format
The essay should
· be word-processed, double-spaced throughout, in point 12 size font, left justified,
with standard margins (at least 2.5 cm on all sides), with all pages consecutively
numbered
· be formally structured, i.e. divided into sections (and, if necessary, subsections) with
meaningful headings
· include a full bibliography as well as a comprehensive range of in-text references,
documenting all the sources used in its preparation
Referencing
Referencing should strictly adhere to the Harvard referencing system, as outlined in Section
5 of the module book and your Programme Handbook. All sources directly or indirectly
used for completing the essay (including Internet sources and any internal organisational
documents), should be clearly identified and appropriately referenced in both the main text
and in the bibliography. Any unacknowledged or insufficiently acknowledged use of sources
will be identified as plagiarism and will be subject to the appropriate penalties.
Word Limit
Word limit for the essay is 1500 words. Please do not submit an essay that deviates from
the word limit by more than 10% otherwise the penalties described in your Programme
Handbook will apply.
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Assessment Criteria
In addition to the criteria outlined above and in the Programme Handbook, students are
expected to fulfil the following criteria for the essay:
· in-depth knowledge and understanding of the module materials
· competence in identifying the relevant concepts, theories and models and in
applying them to real-life organisational phenomena
· ability to clearly articulate and communicate their own ideas and opinions in writing,
to develop arguments, and to structure a written presentation in a logical and
coherent manner
Date for submission: 31 October 2015
Submission Instructions:
Please visit the Online Submission facility on Blackboard for further information and
guidance on submitting your assignment electronically. Only one file in the specified format
can be submitted.
· Please insert the assignment question to your submission.
· Retain your electronic submission receipt.
If you have questions about the submission of your work via Blackboard please contact
the School of Management for assistance, before the deadline date.
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Appendix A
Sample Annotated Bibliography
For an essay on work-life balance and gender, with an explanation after each source
Hamilton, E.A., J.R. Gordon and K.S. Whelan-Berry (2006) ‘Understanding the work-life
conflict of never-married women without children’ Women in Management Review 21(5):
393-415.
I found this article by searching the Business Source Premier database using the search terms
‘work-life balance’ and ‘gender’. I set my parameters to the last five years of publications
and to academic journal articles only. It is relevant to the essay question because it doesn’t
make the automatic assumption that it is only women with children who struggle with
balancing work and life.
Lewis, J. and M. Campbell (2008) ‘What’s in a name? ‘Work and family’ or ‘work and life’
balance policies in the UK since 1997 and the implications for the pursuit of gender equality’
Social Policy & Administration 42(5): 524-541.
I found this article referred to in the Hamilton et al. article cited above. It is relevant to the
essay question because it reviews recent UK government policy in terms of how much
attention has been paid to work-life balance as opposed to work-family (ie, children)
balance.