MANAGEMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE – THE INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

This requires you to demonstrate that you learnt from the management theory from the lectures and workshops and the practice of working with your Management Simulation team.
The Scenario
You are applying for a job with a leading firm of Management Consultants whose portfolio of clients covers numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. They are keen to recruit business school graduates with a comprehensive understanding of modern commerce and organizational demands. The consultancy has a ten year growth plan and is keen to identify candidates who can demonstrate that they understand the complex demands of the contemporary business environment and who can make credible assumptions about the future demands of businesses and organizations.

As a candidate your task is to write an academic essay (minimum of 1500 words and an absolute maximum of 1,600 words) for the assessors that will help them to make the final decision as to who will contribute substantively to the Business Development Plan that they are putting together to set out the future growth of the business.

The title of the essay you have been set is as follows.

Question:How will managers and leaders need to adapt to thrive four years from now?

Structure of your essay

Whilst the recruiters of this management consultancy have left this question as open as they can they will nevertheless be looking for candidates who understand how contemporary businesses address such key factors as,

• Marketing in the modern context, how has new communications technology impacted on this?
• Production in a global environment, how will products be made, how will services be delivered?
• Human Resources. What effect with there be on the management of employees? How will businesses be structured? Where will people work? How will be people be managed?
• Operations, what structures and approaches to operational management will be appropriate in the future
• E-commerce, how will this develop and what resources will organizations need to exploit the opportunities that this offers?
• Working towards a sustainable world, what changes will be driven by global citizenship?

This is not an exhaustive list and the challenge for you; as a candidate will be to answer these questions within the limits set whilst following academic standards in your writing and referencing

Assessment criteria
Structure. Word count is a minimum of 1,500 words and with an absolute maximum of 1,600 words (excluding References). The nature of the challenges to business and organizations are clearly identified. The essay concludes with a clear summary. 10%
Knowledge, there is evidence that your thinking is informed by concepts and learning from the module e.g. e-commerce, strategy, structure, business planning, e-commerce, role of technology. 40%
Application, you show evidence that you have thought about the practical implications of your recommendations and do not unquestioningly accept concepts at face value. 40%
UWE Harvard Referencing, a range of academic sources are cited within the text and fully listed in a section headed References at the end of the assignment. 10%

For help with Referencing and Academic Writing see:

– For Academic Writing see http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/readingandwriting/writing.aspx

– Learn Higher http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Academic-Writing.html

– MySkills and Skills4Study http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/hub/

– The Faculty’s Academic Success Centre
You can visit the Academic Success Centre in room 2B076. Types of support available include the following: one-to-one appointments to discuss individual learning issues and workshops covering a range of topics relevant to learning (e.g. Writing skills; Critical thinking and Referencing your work).
Each week during teaching weeks and some non-teaching weeks there will be a different timetable of activities for the Academic Support Centre. The timetable will be mailed to student email addresses each week, and copies will be posted on the door of 2B076 and on notice boards next to the exit from ‘B’ block toward Felixstowe Court. To reserve a workshop space or to make an appointment for consultation, email: [email protected]

MANAGEMENT THEORY AND PRACTICE – THE INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

This requires you to demonstrate that you learnt from the management theory from the lectures and workshops and the practice of working with your Management Simulation team.
The Scenario
You are applying for a job with a leading firm of Management Consultants whose portfolio of clients covers numerous industries in both the public and private sectors. They are keen to recruit business school graduates with a comprehensive understanding of modern commerce and organizational demands. The consultancy has a ten year growth plan and is keen to identify candidates who can demonstrate that they understand the complex demands of the contemporary business environment and who can make credible assumptions about the future demands of businesses and organizations.

As a candidate your task is to write an academic essay (minimum of 1500 words and an absolute maximum of 1,600 words) for the assessors that will help them to make the final decision as to who will contribute substantively to the Business Development Plan that they are putting together to set out the future growth of the business.

The title of the essay you have been set is as follows.

Question:How will managers and leaders need to adapt to thrive four years from now?

Structure of your essay

Whilst the recruiters of this management consultancy have left this question as open as they can they will nevertheless be looking for candidates who understand how contemporary businesses address such key factors as,

• Marketing in the modern context, how has new communications technology impacted on this?
• Production in a global environment, how will products be made, how will services be delivered?
• Human Resources. What effect with there be on the management of employees? How will businesses be structured? Where will people work? How will be people be managed?
• Operations, what structures and approaches to operational management will be appropriate in the future
• E-commerce, how will this develop and what resources will organizations need to exploit the opportunities that this offers?
• Working towards a sustainable world, what changes will be driven by global citizenship?

This is not an exhaustive list and the challenge for you; as a candidate will be to answer these questions within the limits set whilst following academic standards in your writing and referencing

Assessment criteria
Structure. Word count is a minimum of 1,500 words and with an absolute maximum of 1,600 words (excluding References). The nature of the challenges to business and organizations are clearly identified. The essay concludes with a clear summary. 10%
Knowledge, there is evidence that your thinking is informed by concepts and learning from the module e.g. e-commerce, strategy, structure, business planning, e-commerce, role of technology. 40%
Application, you show evidence that you have thought about the practical implications of your recommendations and do not unquestioningly accept concepts at face value. 40%
UWE Harvard Referencing, a range of academic sources are cited within the text and fully listed in a section headed References at the end of the assignment. 10%

For help with Referencing and Academic Writing see:

– For Academic Writing see http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/readingandwriting/writing.aspx

– Learn Higher http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Academic-Writing.html

– MySkills and Skills4Study http://www.uwe.ac.uk/library/resources/hub/

– The Faculty’s Academic Success Centre
You can visit the Academic Success Centre in room 2B076. Types of support available include the following: one-to-one appointments to discuss individual learning issues and workshops covering a range of topics relevant to learning (e.g. Writing skills; Critical thinking and Referencing your work).
Each week during teaching weeks and some non-teaching weeks there will be a different timetable of activities for the Academic Support Centre. The timetable will be mailed to student email addresses each week, and copies will be posted on the door of 2B076 and on notice boards next to the exit from ‘B’ block toward Felixstowe Court. To reserve a workshop space or to make an appointment for consultation, email: [email protected]