Pick an organisation of your choice and write a case study applying leadership theories and concepts to a contemporary issue the organisation is facing in the last 12 months

Element 010 Title

Task:

Business Report (3,000)

Pick an organisation of your choice and write a case study applying leadership theories and concepts to a contemporary issue the organisation is facing in the last 12 months.

To do so you need to analyse the (case) organisation of your choice by focusing on an issue the organisation is facing and the leadership implications. You have to use a variety of concepts and theories that were discussed in the module and that are relevant for the issue(s) you are focusing on in your analysis. You can pick one of the contemporary issues discussed in the module.

The question will encourage students to critically analyse the relevance and practical contribution of several theoretical models introduced in the module. Students should use research databases such as EBSCO and Business Source Premier to find academic and media literature on the organisation and issue of their choice.

Presentation of written work

Page margins should not be less than 2cm top, bottom and sides.

Double line spacing should be used except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used.

Pages should be numbered consecutively through the main text including photographs and/or diagrams when they are included as whole pages (including all appendices).

All type font should be 12pt in size as a minimum and Arial font used where possible. An Arial font must be used at all times.

Harvard Referencing version six should be used.

Assessment Information

Marking Criteria and Learning Outcomes

Element 010 – WRITTEN BUSINESS REPORT 3000 WORDS (100%)

1. Introduction - 10% : Clear introduction outlining what the assignment will cover, why it is important and how it is going to be covered

2. Main body - 40% : Use of academic literature including models and literature from the module in order to demonstrate your theoretical analysis. The argument must be sustained and supported with evidence

3. Case selection and analysis - 30%

4. Conclusion - 10% : Evidence of a clear concluding summary and links made to previous sections in your assignment. No new material should be included, but some consideration of future recommendations may be considered.

5. Report Style and Academic Rigour - 10% : Your assignment should be well structured and presented. It should be set out as an business report, including headings and subheadings, an introduction and a conclusion. Your assignment should clearly include academic theories, concepts and models, with supporting references, indicated in the assignment and listed in the references and bibliography.

TIPS

1. Assignment topic:

a. A contemporary issue that took place within the last 12 months

b. If the contemporary issue emerged before 12 months and it is on-

going, then concentrate on what is taking place within the last 12 months

2. Structure of the report: This is difficult to give advice as each topic is unique. However, a basic structure should be aligned to the marking criteria as following:

a. An introduction

b. Background to the organisation and contemporary issue

c. Literature review: leadership theories relevant to the topic

d. Case study: here you have a discussion on your case study with references to literature review

e. Conclusion

f. Recommendations (please note that recommendations are placed after conclusion)

3. Theories of leadership: do not provide vague theories on leadership nor a ‘tour’ of leadership theories. Select theories that are relevant to your own topic. In other words use theories that will enable you to discuss your own topic. You could also use theories of organisational culture / structure / power and conflict as well as theories of leadership and change if they are relevant

4. Type of Organisation: any type: private; public; local authority; NGO; SME; large organisation...

5. Using ‘I’: yes, but not too often. However, as this is a report it is best to use

neutral language

6. Avoid using ‘you’ in the report (and in any formal writing)

7. References: use reference that have been mentioned in lectures (as well as others if you wish)

8. Journal articles: this is very important Please use Journal articles and make references to them in the report. In other words do not just list them in the bibliography

9. Use Harvard method of referencing

10. Avoid one sentence paragraphs

11. Do not base your report on websites as information is not always reliable

12. Ensure to evidence your claims – you can use media article (avoid tabloids)

13. Be critical – do not provide descriptive statements. Employers like creative and critical thinking