L7 DipSML Assignment Briefs Sept 2020

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Assignment Briefs
OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic
Management and Leadership
Qualification Number: 603/2181/7 | September 2020

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................... 5


STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ........................................................................................ 8
STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ................................................ 11
ADVANCED BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS .................................................... 16
STRATEGIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ................................................................ 18
SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT ............................................. 22
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION ............................................................. 25
GLOBALISATION AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ........................................... 28
STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT ................................................................... 31
STRATEGIC MARKETING ....................................................................................... 34

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Assessment guidance for criterion referenced marking.

The assessment grading criteria characterises the level of complexity and demand expected of students at each level of qualification. Please note that these are
generic descriptors which apply mainly, though not exclusively, to written academic work.

Any further unit-specific assessment criteria, such as number of words, should be clearly stated in each individual assignment brief.

Result. Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7


Pass Detailed answers to all Detailed response to all Very full, independent response Excellent links between The work demonstrates
parts of the questions or relevant parts of the to the assignment, applying relevant ideas, theories and engagement in an
tasks. questions or tasks, with relevant material well beyond practice. academic debate which
evidence of clear any module input, demonstrating presents clear evidence of
Clearly structured and understanding of the issues. independent study. Evidence of independent a considered
focused, demonstrating learning and the ability to understanding of the
overall coherence and in- Well-structured with evidence Excellent understanding and engage critically and topics studied.
depth understanding of the of independent reading application of relevant theory, analytically with a wide range
unit content and supporting the argument. concepts and models. Very clear of contextually relevant There is evidence of clear
assessment requirements. logical structure. resource material. synthesis of theoretical
Clear evidence of a range of issues and practice.
Evidence of the use of independently sourced Demonstration of original
independently sourced material, well applied in all Very few errors in referencing or insights supported by well- A critical analysis of
material, well applied in all contexts. grammar or syntax as structured overall argument. theoretical models and/or
contexts. appropriate. practical applications has
Very few errors in referencing resulted in originality.
Very few errors in grammar Very few errors in or grammar or syntax as
as appropriate. referencing or grammar or appropriate.
syntax as appropriate.

Fail Little attempt to engage Little attempt to engage with Little attempt to engage with Little attempt to engage with Very few errors in
with assignment brief. assignment brief. assignment brief. assignment brief. referencing or grammar or
syntax as appropriate.
Learning outcomes not fully Learning outcomes not fully Learning outcomes not fully met. Learning outcomes not fully Whilst some of the
met. met. met. characteristics of a pass
Inadequate demonstration of have been demonstrated,
Inadequate demonstration Inadequate demonstration of knowledge or understanding of Inadequate demonstration of the work does not
of knowledge or knowledge or understanding key concepts, theories or knowledge or understanding address each of the
outcomes for the
specified assessment
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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

understanding of key of key concepts, theories or practice. of key concepts, theories or


concepts, theories or practice. practice. The work may be an
practice. overly descriptive account
demonstrating minimal
interpretation, and there
is very limited evidence of
analysis, synthesis or
evaluation.

No counterarguments or
alternative frames of
reference are generated
or considered.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Unit Reference Number A/616/2724


Unit Title Strategic Management
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Mandatory
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Be able to analyse key external 1.1 Critically evaluate the position of an organisation in its
influences on an organisation’s current market.
strategy. 1.2 Critically analyse the effects of existing plans on an
organisation.
2. Be able to appraise strategic 2.1 Critically explore the relationship between, corporate,
options for an organisation. business and operational strategies.
2.2 Apply strategic models and tools to develop strategic
options for an organisation.
2.3 Evaluate strategic options for an organisation.
3. Be able to evaluate various tools 3.1 Create a relevant vision, mission and strategic goals for
and approaches to a strategy an organisation.
implementation plan. 3.2 Propose a suitable structure for an organisation that fits
a strategic plan.
3.3 Create a resourced strategy implementation plan.
4. Be able to develop 4.1 Apply force field analysis to effectively distinguish forces
and implement a of change.
strategic organisational 4.2 Critically evaluate various change management models.
change management 4.3 Identify relevant leadership and change agent skills to
plan. implement a strategic change in an organisation.
5.1 Develop a monitoring and control system for the
5. Be able to monitor and control implementation of strategic plans.
the implementation of strategic 5.2 Design key success indicators in order to monitor the
plans. implementation of the strategic plan.
5.3 Distinguish potential risks during implementation.
5.4 Review the effectiveness of the strategic plan.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
There is no scenario for this assignment.

Task 1 of 3 – Business presentation (AC1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 & 2.3)


Instructions:

Individually prepare a presentation critically evaluating the strategic plans of an organisation of your
choice and propose strategic options. Your presentation is to be made to the board of directors and you
should:

1. Introduce your selected organisation, and evaluate its vision, mission and values statements
with recommendations for any revisions you deem appropriate.
2. Critically evaluate the organisations key headline data including, but not limited to, trends in
financial performance, share price (where applicable) market share, profitability and
major competitors.
3. Define the organisation’s industry and explore the critical macro-environment forces that
influence it.
4. Critically analyse the organisation’s competitive position in that industry.
5. Present a SWOT table (or equivalent) and critically evaluate the organisations current
strategic position.

Delivery:
▪ 1x PowerPoint Presentation
▪ 1x Executive Summary (circa 400 words)

Submission:
▪ 1x PowerPoint Presentation Slides
▪ 1x Executive Summary (circa 400 words)

Referencing:
• Each PowerPoint must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the presentation.

Task 2 of 3 – Essay (AC3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1. 5.2 & 5.3)
Instructions:

Following your presentation, you should now prepare a new strategic plan:

1. Critically evaluate the relationship between the organisation’s, corporate, business and
operational strategies
2. Apply strategic models and tools to recommend strategic options for the organisation
3. Evaluate critical success factors/assumptions that underpin the strategic options you’ve
developed
4. Recommend and justify a strategic option and accompanying business objectives
5. Identify change factors by completing a force field analysis for your selected organisation
6. Identify the change agents and propose a suitable structure for the implementation of the plan
7. Create a resourced implementation plan for the strategy, with a justified timeline for
implementation
8. Describe the potential risks during the implementation

Delivery and submission:

▪ 1x Portfolio with your force field analysis, structure, implementation plan, success indicators
and potential (circa 2500 words)

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 3 of 3 – Reflective Essay (AC 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, )
Instructions:

Critical evaluate the usefulness of change models such as Lewin, McKinsey 7s and Kotter for
the selected organisation and recommend a specific model to support the strategic option
identified in Task 3. You should also explain how you could be a change agent and identify the
leadership and change agent skills you would need to display in order to make changes successful.

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x Essay (circa 600 words)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

PowerPoint Presentation – (1000 words equivalent).


Executive summary – 400 words.
Portfolio – 2500 words.
Reflective Essay – 600 words.

©2020 OTHM WWW.OTHM.ORG.UK


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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP

Unit Reference Number R/617/5012


Unit Title Strategic Leadership
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Mandatory
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

LO Description: AC Description
1. Understand the principles, concepts, 1.1 Explain the meaning and importance of
differences, and approaches to leadership.
contemporary leadership. 1.2 Contrast the main approaches to the study of
leadership.
1.3 Critically evaluate the role of leadership in
strategic management.
2. Understand how leadership 2.1 Critically compare the relationships between
influences individuals, teams and leaders of work groups, and leaders of teams.
the organisation. 2.2 Distinguish between the influence of leadership on
groups and teams, and on formal and informal
groups.
2.3 Critically evaluate the characteristics of an
effective work group and team.
3. Understand the impact of leadership 3.1 Assess the nature of organisation effectiveness
on organisational performance. and performance.
3.2 Critically explore the main features and
requirements of leadership development.
3.3 Provide criteria for assessing an
organisations strategic effectiveness from a
leadership perspective.
4. Understand ethical decision making 4.1 Critically explore the exercise of leadership power
and organisational value. and influence.
4.2 Critically review the importance of ethics,
values and corporate social responsibilities
to an organisations value.

4.3 Critically evaluate leadership and sustainability


concepts and trends.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
There is no scenario for this assignment.

Task 1 of 3 – Case Study (AC1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3)
Instructions:

Individually prepare a case study about a business leader of your choice. Examples of
business leaders might include Jack Welch, Ricardo Semler, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Bill
Gates, Jack Ma, Dhirubhai Ambani, and Elon Musk to name but a few of many examples.

You have been informed that your case study will be used for training purposes and you
should discuss theoretical perspectives supported by examples about your chosen leader
contribution to their organisation.

The structure of the case study should include the following:

• Background to the organisation and the business leader with a justification of your choice.
• Explain the meaning of strategic leadership and importance to the selected organisation.
• Contrast the main approaches to the study of leadership and the approach relevant to
the organisation.
• Critically evaluate the role of the leader in developing strategy.
• Critically review leadership values and ethics in driving corporate social responsibility
and sustainability.

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x case study (circa 1500 words)

Referencing:
• The case study must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the case study.

Task 2 of 3 – Essay (AC3.1, 3.2, 3.3,4.1)


Instructions:

Following your case study, you should now prepare an essay evaluating the impact of the business
leader identified in task 1, on the organisation’s performance by addressing the following:

• Assess the role of the business leader in driving organisational performance.


• Critically explore the exercise of leadership power and influence.
• Critically explore the main feature and requirements of leadership development for
competitive advantage.
• Provide the criteria for measuring for assessing an organisations strategic effectiveness from a
leadership perspective.

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x essay (circa 1500 words)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Task 3 of 3 – Business Presentation (AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3)


Instructions:

Individually prepare a presentation about teams and leadership. The presentation should address the
following:

▪ Critically discuss the importance of teams and team leadership in organisational performance.
▪ Distinguish between workgroups and teams and the leadership thereof.
▪ Critically compare and contrast formal and informal groups within organisations and
within wider society.
▪ Critically discuss the stages of group and team development and the role of leadership
in maximising group and team performance.

Delivery:
▪ 1x PowerPoint Presentation
▪ 1x set of speaker notes supporting each PowerPoint slide (circa 500 words)

Submission:
▪ 1x PowerPoint Presentation Slides
▪ 1x set of Speaker notes (circa 500 words)

Referencing:
• Each PowerPoint must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the presentation.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Case study – 1500 words.


• Essay – 1500 words.
• Business Presentation (1000-words equivalent).
• Presentation speaker notes – 500 words

©2020 OTHM WWW.OTHM.ORG.UK


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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT


Unit Reference Number F/616/2725
Unit Title Strategic Human Resource Management
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Mandatory
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


learner will:
1. Understand the role of 1.1 Critically justify the importance of human resource
management of human management in organisations.
resources. 1.2 Assess the role and purpose of the strategic human
resource management function and activities in an
organisation.
1.3 Evaluate how human resource management is related
to other functional areas.
2. Be able to create a 2.1 Assess the business factors to consider before human
human resource plan for resource planning.
an organisation. 2.2 Determine human resource requirements in different
organisational contexts.
2.3 Develop a human resource plan for an organisation.
3. Understand the role of legal 3.1 Explain the purpose of human resource policy.
and ethical issues in 3.2 Assess the impact of regulatory and legal requirements
developing human on human resource policies in an organisation.
resources policy. 3.3 Assess the impact of business ethics, CSR, and
sustainability requirements on human resource policies
for an organisation.
4. Be able to plan develop 4.1 Critically analyse the impact of an organisational
human resource strategies. strategy, structure and culture on the management of
human resources.
4.2 Develop a structured, relevant and comprehensive HR
strategy.
4.3 Critically monitor the effectiveness of human resources
management.
5. Understand HRM approaches 5.1 Critically evaluate the relationships between business
within organisations and their strategy and human resource management.
relationships with 5.2 Explain the implementation and measurement of HR
organisational performance. approaches using relevant metrics
5.3 Monitor and evaluate a human resource strategy that
supports organisational mission, vision, values and
objectives.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario

Based in central London the European Club was founded in 1900. The club is a non-profit making
charity whose good works for the last 100+ years include offering scholarships for gifted children from
poorer countries the opportunities to study in the UK. The Charity is governed by a Board of Trustees
who also form part of the Board of Directors. The CEO sits on the Board of Directors whilst
the General Manager and Club Secretary report into the CEO. The vision and mission
statement is represented as “High quality hospitality at affordable prices.” A statement of values
has been an agenda item for almost a year but has not been actioned.

Revenue for the charity is derived from the operation of the central London clubhouse (situated in a
fashionable street in Mayfair London W1) containing a very ‘old fashioned’ and largely unused waiter
service cocktail bar, The Fox and Hound and 50 seat restaurant, The Dining Rooms, 4 function rooms
(no in-built meeting room equipment) and a number of bedrooms (50) which it lets to club members for
a highly subsidised amount of just £75 per night. Many of these rooms have not been refurbished in
quite a while.

The building itself has a certain faded grandeur but is in need of some much needed planned and
reactive renovation and maintenance to furniture, fixtures and fittings. Some of the systems in
the Club, including reservations and front office, are still on Excel spreadsheet functions. A
manual process is used for creating reservations for the bedrooms, restaurant and bar and function
rooms. There is however an online payment system used but there are three separate systems, one for
each department. Wifi is available throughout the Club.

Many of the staff have been there for many years and the way things operate have not changed much
for a long time. Whilst familiar and comfortable with the current ways of doing things, the staff often
moan about the amount of time it takes and the inefficiency of the systems in place. There is a very
defined hierarchy and staffing structure in the departments. The organisational chart below details the
restaurant, bar and event management departments.

Staff are not encouraged to make decisions without reference to the head of department nor are they
encouraged to put forward new ideas for enhancing or improving practice. Any changes to practice are
often from the top down and staff opinions are rarely sought.

Morale, as measured by a small yearly staff survey, appears low, and many of the younger staff leave
after just a couple of months citing lack of opportunities and poor training as a cause. The survey also

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

shows that staff are not happy with their manager and feel that they do not get praised or rewarded
when they do a good job.

The previous CEO had been with the charity for some 30 years and very much left the management of
the club to the General Manager, who also retires later this year. The new CEO of the charity
believes that there is a lot more that might be achieved, and good works undertaken, if the operation
itself makes more money to invest into the charitable works, and she firmly believes that the
organisation is underperforming and is inefficient.

Membership of the club has been falling steadily over the past five years and now stands some 50% of
its original membership. A recent member survey shows significant complaints about the
conditions of the facilities, especially the restaurant and bar which the members use to entertain as well
as the drop-in customer service as well as the general lack of organisation.

The CEO has approached you and wants to employ your HR consultancy services to address
the strategic HR issues around a modernisation plan for the restaurant and bar facilities of the club.
The modernisation and renovation programme will include the following:

1. The refurbishment of The Fox and Hound Bar, the Dining Room and the function rooms
2. Training and development of all staff on the new processes connected to the Bar,
Dining room and function rooms.

The refurbishment has been given to an architectural firm that will employ its contactors and manage all
the building work. They have promised to work to the project deadlines. Naturally this will mean the
members of the club paying more for the services; however, this will bring the charges in line with
similar institutions and facilities. The CEOs biggest concern is how to undertake this project with the
minimum of disruption to both members and staff. It is not an option to shut the club down completely
during the project. Business as usual, as much as possible, must be maintained.

Task 1 of 3 – Presentation (AC1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1 & 2.2)


Scenario:

The CEO has asked you to prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation for the Board of Directors
“selling” your consultancy services. You still need to pitch for the contract since the two other board
members will be involved in the decision.

Instruction:

Prepare a presentation in which you should:

1. Explain the importance of Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) and how you could
add value to the Club. You should discuss how strategic HRM could be linked with
other departments.
2. Explain the strategic human resources services you could provide to the Club and their
purposes
3. Analyse the factors that the Club should consider before embarking up the renovation and
restructure.
4. Determine some preliminary HR requirements for the organisation considering the new
contract.

The Board is likely to ask questions - so be ready to answer any questions that may arise.

Submission:
▪ 1x PowerPoint Presentation Slides

Referencing:

• Each PowerPoint must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the presentation

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Task 2 of 3 – HR Plan and Memo (AC2.3, 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3)


Scenario:

You have been successful in securing the contract, and you have a lot to do. The
management priority is to have a HR plan in place as soon as possible, but you feel that a HR policy is
equally important, if not more. Therefore, you have decided to create the outline of HR plan, but to
include it together with a memo about creating an HR policy.

Instruction:

You therefore need to prepare:


1. An outline of a human resource plan.
2. A memo concerning the importance of HR policy, the memo should provide examples
of regulatory, legal and ethical concerns that should be covered within the policy (living wage
vs
minimum wage, maternity cover, Equality Act 2010, termination of employment, etc.) which
would be important to the Club.

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x HR plan (circa 1000 words)
▪ 1x memo (circa 500 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 3 of 3 – Report (AC4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 & 5.3)


Instructions:

Having done all of the preliminary work for the Club, you should now write a report in which
you should:

1. Examine the impact of different management and leadership theories on organisational


strategy and structure.
2. Describe the impact of organisational strategies, structures and culture on the management of
HR.
3. Determine the effectiveness of the current Club HRM, and critically discuss the link between
leadership & management and HRM.
4. Present an analysis of how the existing culture and structure of the Club might impact on the
success of the Club project and the motivation of the staff.
5. Explain how you would develop, monitor and evaluate a leadership strategy that supports the
development or revision of the Club’s organisational mission, vision, values and objectives.

Delivery and submission:

▪ 1x Report (circa 2000 words)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Evidence to be submitted:

• PowerPoint presentation (1000 words equivalent.)


• HR Plan – 1000 words.
• HR Memo – 500 words
• Report – 2000 words

©2020 OTHM WWW.OTHM.ORG.UK


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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Business Research Methods


Unit Reference Number T/508/0626
Unit Title Business Research Methods
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time 200
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100
Mandatory / Optional Mandatory
Unit Grading Structure Pass/Fail

Unit Aims
The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ understanding of research principles including the
formulation of research proposals, literature reviews, referencing, data collection using interviews and
surveys, questionnaire design, statistical analysing using SPSS, qualitative data, and methods for
drawing conclusions from the analysed data.

Learning Outcome – Assessment Criterion –


The learner will: The learner can:
1. Be able to identify research 1.1 Appraise research problems.
problems and formulate 1.2 Develop appropriate research objectives and justify their
research objectives. choice.

2. Understand how to review 2.1 Evaluate literature relevant to a research problem.


the literature on a research 2.2 Critically analyse different theoretical approaches to
topic. a research problem.
3. Be able to design 3.1 Critically evaluate appropriate research
appropriate business methodologies in terms of research objectives.
research methodologies. 3.2 Design an appropriate methodology in terms of
research objectives.
3.1 Justify a selected methodology in terms of research
objectives.

4. Be able to develop a 4.1 Propose techniques for use with quantitative and
research proposal. qualitative data.
4.2 Create a research question, literature review and
methodology.

Task 1 of 1 - Research Proposal (AC1.1,1.2,2.1,2.2,3.1,3.2,3.3,4.1,4.2)

There is no scenario for this assignment. Instead, you must propose an independent, small
scale research project about an area of interest to you within a relevant context. Ideally, the
research proposal should deal with an opportunity or a problem at the organisation where you
are currently employed. Consult with your tutor/supervisor to determine a suitable area of research
within the Accounting and Finance discipline.

Instructions

In this task, you will need to produce a research project proposal in which you:

1. Introduction
a. Introduce the problem or opportunity with supporting data and trends.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

b. Clearly explain the background to the problem or opportunity, and justify the
reasons for, and the value of, the research to your employer and the wider academic
community.
c. Outline the research project’s aims and objectives.
d. State the limitations and scope of the proposed research.

2. Literature Review
a. Critically review key literature and recent academic publications around the subject area
discussing key definitions, current theoretical frameworks, and research carried out in
similar areas.
b. Develop a conceptual and theoretical framework for the research from the
literature review explaining how and why it supports and informs your approach the
research process.

3. Research Methodology
a. Explain and justify your research approach and strategy.
b. Data collection:
o Discuss data collection methods.
o Select the instrument, design it and justify an appropriate method with an outline of a
pre-test/pilot to be included as an appendix.
o Clearly outline the administration of the data collection process.
c. Population and Sampling: Define the research population, sampling strategy and
clarify access to respondent issues.
d. Data Analysis: Describe and justify how you propose to analyse and report the
results and findings of your research with a discussion about reliability and validity and
the
management of error.

4. Statement of Ethics
a. Discuss access to respondent issues, permissions from organisation to conduct research,
confidentiality, rights of withdrawal, consent, management of data security etc.

5. Timeline
a. Develop a plan using GANTT Chart from start to completion of the research.

Delivery:
 1 x Word Research Proposal

Submission:
 1 x Word Research Proposal - 2500 words

Referencing:
 Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
 A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.
 An extended bibliography of at least twenty academic, journal and relevant sector
sources to be included at the end of the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:
 1x Word Research Proposal - 2500 words

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT


Unit Reference Number L/616/2727
Unit Title Strategic Financial Management
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
Be able to apply the tools and 1.1 Critically analyse the concepts, features and
techniques of cost accounting. importance of cost accounting in an organisation.
1.2 Apply tools of costing design and costing systems to
an organisation.
1.3 Recommend improvements to the costing and pricing
systems of an organisation.
Be able to critically analyse the 2.1 Analyse financial statements to assess the financial
financial performance of position of an organisation.
businesses. 2.2 Recommend organisational decisions based on
evaluation of financial statements using financial
ratios.
2.3 Propose managerial recommendations on the
strategic portfolio of an organisation based on
financial analysis.
3.1 Evaluate budgetary targets for an organisation.
Be able to evaluate the budgetary 3.2 Develop a master budget for an organisation.
processes of organisations. 3.3 Critically evaluate budget and budgetary processes
in an organisation.
4.1 Assess the need for short term working capital and
Be able to recommend effective long long- term funds for an organisation.
term and short-term sources of 4.2 Appraise appropriate sources of short term and funds
funding. for an organisation.
4.3 Justify choices of sources of funds using a range of
criteria related to cost and risk.
5.1 Apply financial appraisal methods to analyse
Be able to critically appraise competing investment projects in different kinds of
investment options. organisations.
5.2 Justify strategic investment decision for an
organisation using relevant financial information.
5.3 Critically analyse strategic investment decisions
using information.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
You have recently joined Penco, a small pension fund that aims to strategically invest in low
risk companies with a historically satisfactory return on investment.

Task 1 of 3 – (AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2 & 5.3)


Instructions:

As a junior analyst, your first task is to review the market and select two companies listed on
the London stock market and to access their financial statements. You should analyse their
financial position, using the information from their financial statements and apply appropriate financial
ratios. You should make recommendations to Penco to invest. Calculations and financial ratios
supporting the recommendation should be appended to the memo for the board’s attention.

Submission and delivery:

▪ 1x memo (circa 1000 words excluding supporting calculations and financial ratios used)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 2 of 3 Report – (AC4.1, 4.2 & 4.3)


Scenario:

The Board of Penco approved your recommendations and decided to purchase stock in the
two organisations you recommended. In fact, based on your recommendations, they decided to
invest more than anticipated. The previous budget was £2,000,000 but the board wants to invest
£1,500,000 in each of the two organisations you recommended which means that an extra £1,000,000
is required. Instructions:

Write a short report containing:

▪ An introduction discussing the need for short term working capital and long-term funds
▪ A main body comparing the sources of funding, including their pros and cons
▪ A justified recommendation of your choices of funding for the additional £1,000,000 using a
range of criteria related to cost and risk.

Submission and delivery:

▪ 1x report (circa 1500 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 3 of 3 – Essay (AC1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3)


Scenario:

Penco is excited by the results of your previous work and has asked you to review operations
at
Exciteco where it is an institutional investor.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Exciteco manufactures electronic components for export worldwide, from factories in Finland, for use in
smartphones and hand-held gaming devices. These two markets are supplied with similar
components by two divisions, Phones Division (P) and Gaming Division (G). Each division has its own
selling, purchasing, IT and research and development functions, but separate IT systems. Some
manufacturing facilities, however, are shared between the two divisions.

Exciteco's corporate objective is to maximise shareholder wealth through innovation and continuous
technological improvement in its products. The manufacturers of smartphones and gaming devices,
who use Exciteco's components, update their products frequently and constantly compete with each
other to launch models which are technically superior.

Exciteco has a well-established incremental budgeting process. Divisional managers forecast sales
volumes and costs months in advance of the budget year. These divisional budgets are then
scrutinised by the main board and revised significantly by them in line with targets they have set for the
business. The finalised budgets are often approved after the start of the accounting year. Under
pressure to deliver consistent returns to institutional shareholders such as Penco, the board does not
tolerate failure by either division to achieve the planned net profit for the year once the
budget is approved. Last year's results were poor compared to the annual budget. Divisional
managers, who are appraised on the financial performance of their own division, have complained
about the length of time that the budgeting process takes and that the performance of their divisions
could have been better but was constrained by the budgets which were set for them.

In P Division, managers had failed to anticipate the high popularity of a new smartphone
model incorporating a large screen designed for playing games and had not made the necessary
technical modifications to the division's own components. This was due to the high costs of doing so,
which had not been budgeted for. Based on the original sales forecast, P Division had already
committed to manufacturing large quantities of the existing version of the component and so had to
heavily discount these in order to achieve the planned sales volumes.

A critical material in the manufacture of Exciteco's products is silver, which is a commodity


which changes materially in price according to worldwide supply and demand. During the year supplies
of silver were reduced significantly for a short period of time and G Division paid high prices to ensure
continued supply. Managers of G Division were unaware that P Division held large inventories
of silver which they had purchased when the price was much lower. Initially, G Division
accurately forecasted demand for its components based on the previous years' sales volumes plus the
historic annual growth rate of 5%. However, overall sales volumes were much lower than budgeted.
This was due to a fire at the factory of their main customer, which was then closed for part of the year.
Reacting to this news, managers at G Division took action to reduce costs, including closing one of the
three R&D facilities in the division.

However, when the customer's factory reopened, G Division was unwilling to recruit extra staff to cope
with increased demand; nor would P Division re-allocate shared manufacturing facilities to them, in
case demand increased for its own products later in the year. As a result, Exciteco lost the prestigious
preferred supplier status from their main customer who was unhappy with G Division's failure
to effectively respond to the additional demand. The customer had been forced to purchase a
more expensive, though technically superior, component from an alternative manufacturer.

Penco’s institutional shareholders' representative, recently appointed to the board, has asked you as a
performance management expert for your advice. 'We need to know whether Exciteco's budgeting
process is appropriate for the business, and how this contributed to last year's poor performance.'

However, the shareholder representative did also acknowledge that external factors had contributed to
Exciteco's poor performance in the last year and suggested that it would be useful if Exciteco's
performance reports distinguished between variances which had resulted from its own
operational performance as opposed to external circumstances which could not have been anticipated
when the budgets were produced. You noted that many organisations address this issue by
analysing variances into planning and operational elements.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Prepare a report that deals with the following:

• Critically discuss key concepts, features and importance of cost accounting,


• Evaluate the weaknesses in Exciteco's current budgeting system and whether it is suitable for
the environment in which Exciteco operates.
• Evaluate the extent to which Exciteco's poor performance for the last year can be attributed to
external factors.
• Discuss the potential benefits to Exciteco of analysing variances into planning and operational
elements.

Submission and delivery:

▪ 1x essay (2000 words excluding budget)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Memo. – 1000 words


• Report – 1500 words
• Essay – 2000 words

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

SUPPLY CHAIN AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT


Unit Reference Number R/616/2728
Unit Title Supply Chain and Operations Management
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Understand the 1.1 Critically explain the significance of effective supply
relationship between chain and operational management in achieving
supply chain management, organisational objectives.
operations management 1.2 Explain the relationship of supply chain management
and organisational business with other business functions in an organisation.
objectives. 1.3 Critically analyse the key success factors that aid in
developing an integrated supply chain strategy in an
organisation.
2. Be able to critically analyse the 2.1 Critically evaluate factors and strategies that drive
role of technology in supplier organisations to maintain supplier relationships.
relationships. 2.2 Assess the use of information technology to create
strategies to develop effective supplier relationships.
2.3 Recommend supplier relations systems to maintain
relationships with suppliers.
3. Be able to critically analyse the 3.1 Justify the importance and use of logistics in supply
importance of logistics and chain management in an organisation.
procurement in supply chain 3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of procurement strategies
management. and procedures in an organisation.
3.3 Critically analyse factors that may improve logistics
and procurement strategies in an organisation.
4. Be able to develop a systematic 4.1 Design effective and economic order quantity for
order of procurement and procurements in an organisation.
inventory control. 4.2 Critically evaluate the role of the principles of LIFO
and FIFO in inventory control.
4.3 Evaluate the just in time systems of managing
inventory.
5.1 Analyse factors involved in developing a strategy to
5. Be able to develop a strategy to improve an organisation’s supply chain.
improve an organisation’s Plan various supply chain strategies to improve an
5.2
supply chain. organisation’s supply chain.
5.3 Justify the choice of a supply chain strategy
according to its suitability, feasibility, acceptability
and overall performance benefits in an organisation.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
There is no scenario for this assignment.

Task 1 of 2 – (AC1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3)
Instructions:

With reference to one organisation of your choice, write a report in which you should by using specific
examples:

▪ Outline the nature of the organisation with a background to its operations.


▪ Critically explain why an effective supply chain is important to all business functions within an
organisation and the key factors to develop an integrated supply chain strategy.
▪ Evaluate why and how organisations maintain supplier relationship, before recommending a
supplier relation system to your selected organisation.
▪ Critically analyse the factors to consider in developing a strategy to improve an organisation’s
supply chain.
▪ Assess the use of information technology to create strategies to develop effective
supplier relationships.
▪ Provide two or more options to improve the supply chain of your organisation and assess their
suitability, feasibility, acceptability and benefits before making your justified recommendation.

Delivery and Submission:

▪ 1x essay (circa 2500 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 2 of 2 – Presentation (AC3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)


Instructions:

With reference to the organisation in Task 1, and supporting your answer with examples:

▪ Justify the importance and use of logistics in the supply chain and explain their importance.
▪ Evaluate the effectiveness of current procurement (both strategies and procedure) within the
organisation.
▪ Critically evaluate the factors that could be used to improve logistic and procurement for your
organisation.
▪ Critically evaluate the applicability of a JIT (Just-in-time) system as well as the applicability of
a LIFO or FIFO inventory control for your organisation.
▪ Propose an effective and economic order quantity system based on your design

Delivery:

▪ 1x presentation
▪ 1x Executive Summary (circa 1000 words)

Submission:

▪ 1x PowerPoint
▪ 1x Executive Summary
▪ 1x handout (if applicable)
▪ 1x mp3 recording (if applicable)

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Referencing:

• Each PowerPoint must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the presentation.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Essay – 2500 words.


• Business presentation – (1000 words equivalent)
• 1000 words Executive Summary of presentation

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION


Unit Reference Number Y/616/2729
Unit Title Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Be able to critically analyse the 1.1 Critically analyse the nature, characteristics and
concepts and process of challenges of establishing different kinds of
entrepreneurship. enterprise.
1.2 Critically assess own entrepreneurial skills and
attributes.
1.3 Evaluate what makes a successful commercial or
social entrepreneur.
2. Be able to evaluate innovative 2.1 Evaluate methods for encouraging creativity and
and entrepreneurial innovation in organisations.
management processes for a 2.2 Evaluate potential creative and innovative
project or organisation. management ideas.
2.3 Critically explore how to lead others to positively
embrace innovation and change.
3. Be able to critically assess 3.1 Analyse business ideas.
proposals developed from new 3.2 Evaluate production, and marketing feasibility of
ideas. new business ideas.
3.3 Produce business planning forecasts using financial
techniques.
4. Be able to develop a business 4.1 Develop a business plan for a new business.
plan. 4.2 Develop a control and monitoring mechanism for
the business plan

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
There is no scenario for this assignment, you are yourself and need to show entrepreneurship skills

Task 1 of 3 – Business idea pitch (AC1.2 and 1.3)


Instructions:

You are to propose three business ideas for this assignment which could then be explored further in a
presentation to your class. Feedback from the class for each idea should be summarised as
peer evaluation.

1. Review what make a successful commercial or social entrepreneur and evaluate your own
skills and attributes in that area.
2. Propose the business ideas and assess the challenges that goes with them.

Delivery:

▪ 1x 10 minutes presentation in front of the whole class

Submission:

▪ 1x PowerPoint slide (or poster’s photo)


▪ 3x Peer Review forms

Referencing:

• Each PowerPoint must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the presentation

Task 2 of 3 – Business plan (AC3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
Instructions:

Analyse the 3 business ideas and select the one that is most likely to succeed and create a business
plan (including marketing and financing). As such you should produce a business plan in which you
should:
▪ Summarise and analyse the selected business idea
▪ Analyse the production and marketing feasibility for the selected idea
▪ Produce business planning forecast using financial techniques
▪ Produce a marketing plan
▪ Develop a control and monitoring mechanism for the business plan.

Delivery and submission:

▪ 1x business plan (circa 3000 words excluding appendices)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 3 of 3 – Reflections (AC1.1, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)


Instructions:

You should now reflect on entrepreneurship based on this experience and using the
appropriate literature. Your reflections should:

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

▪ Critically analyse the nature, characteristic and challenges of establishing different kind
of enterprise and how you individually as a future manager could encourage
creativity, innovation and changes
▪ With reference to one or more organisation, identify potential creative and innovative
management ideas that could contribute to encourage creativity in the organisation

Delivery and submission

▪ 1x reflection (circa 500 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

• PowerPoint presentation – (1000 words equivalent)


• Business Plan – 3000 words
• Reflective Essay – 500 words

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

GLOBALISATION AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE


Unit Reference Number L/616/2730
Unit Title Globalisation and Corporate Governance
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Be able to critically discuss the 1.1 Analyse the effects of globalisation on
impacts of globalisation on organisations operating nationally using PESTLE
organisations. approach.
1.2 Evaluate the role of trading blocs such as the EU
on organisations with global presence.
1.3 Explain the roles and responsibilities of
international organisations for harmonising
business practice globally.
2. Be able to critically discuss the 2.1 Critically analyse various socio-cultural, ethical and
socio-cultural, ethical and moral moral factors that may affect global organisations.
issues that affect global 2.2 Compare and contrast organisational approaches to
organisations. ethically manage a globally diverse workforce.
2.3 Critically discuss the roles and responsibilities of
global organisations to improve workforce welfare.
3. Be able to analyse the role of 3.1 Justify the significance of responsible corporate
corporate governance in global governance in global organisations.
organisations. 3.2 Critically analyse the regulatory requirements that
shape corporate governance in global
organisations.
3.3 Critically evaluate the impact of regulatory
requirements on corporate stakeholders’ interests
in a global organisation.
4. Be able to critically discuss 4.1 Analyse the significance of national and
International Consumer international legal frameworks covering consumer
Protection laws. protection laws.
4.2 Examine key international consumer protection
laws that may affect the operations of a global
organisation.
4.3 Evaluate the measures that exist in a global
organisation to protect consumers’ interests.
5. Be able to critically analyse 5.1 Analyse the significance of the UK legislations
regulations related to online related to online trading.
trading. 5.2 Determine the actions that need to be taken by
organisations to ensure they are adhering to the
key online trading legislations.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario

Uber Technologies Incorporation, the rapidly expanding ride-hailing application, which allows its users
to book and pay for taxis by using their smartphone has come under serious attack in many parts of the
world including the United States, much of Europe, Asia and Nigeria. In these destinations, Uber has
faced sanctions, criticisms and protests, such as the once trending social media campaign
#DeleteUber, in which users were encouraged to stop using the Uber app.

More recently, a ban on Uber has resulted in the stripping of its operating license in London (in 2017).
The regulator, Transport for London, said “Uber’s approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of
corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and
security implications”.

In its short-term existence, Uber has been accused of various bad CSR-related issues such as non-
reporting of serious criminal offences, improper background checks on drivers, hiring of
unprofessional drivers, espionage, customer privacy issues and others. The company has also had to
combat its internal stakeholders. Source: https://bit.ly/2XWeOmq

Task 1 of 3 – Report (AC1.1, 1.2 & 1.3)


Instructions:

With reference to Uber, prepare a memo concerning the impact of globalisation on local businesses.
The memo should also address the following:

1. Using PESTLE as a framework (and supporting examples) analyse the effects of globalisation
on national economies
2. Evaluate the role of the EU and International institutions (e.g. IMF, WTO, etc.) on business
organisations

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x memo (circa 1000 words)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 2 of 3 – Presentation (AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3)


Instructions:

Prepare and deliver a presentation suitable to be delivered to an audience of taxi drivers regarding
corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

1. Given the current economic environment, review various ethical, moral and socio-
cultural issues (including responsibilities to employees) affecting global organisations.
2. Compare and contrast organisational approaches to ensuring positive policies of ethics and
maintaining workforce diversity.
3. Critically explore the significance of corporate governance in global organisations.
4. Analyse the regulatory requirements that shape corporate governance and evaluate their
impacts on stakeholders’ interest

Delivery:
▪ 1x meeting presentation
▪ 1x handout (circa 500 words)

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Submission:
▪ 1x PPT slides or photos of the poster
▪ 1x handout (circa 500 words)
▪ 1x mp3 recording (if applicable)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 3 of 3 – Report (AC4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 & 5.2)


Instructions:

Select a country in which Uber operates and prepare a report in which you should have:

1. An introduction in which you should analyse the significance of consumer protection laws and
online trading in your chosen country.
2. A section providing a summary of the consumer protection laws and online trading,
3. Conclusions explaining what Uber should do to comply with the identified laws. You should
however not limit yourself to the legal requirements and should investigate protectionist
policies and retaliatory tactics by business and consumer groups.

Delivery and submission:


▪ 1x report (circa 2000 words)

Referencing:
• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.
• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Memo – 1000 words


• PowerPoint presentation – (1000 words equivalent)
• Presentation handout – 500 words
• Report – 2000 words.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT


Unit Reference Number R/616/2731
Unit Title Strategic Change Management
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Be able to evaluate change 1.1 Critically analyse the relationship between
agents’ knowledge, attributes leadership and change agents.
skills and development. 1.2 Critically analyse the characteristics and attributes
of change agents.
1.3 Critically evaluate the effectiveness of change
agents.
2. Be able to critically analyse 2.1 Critically evaluate change theories, tools and
approaches to organisational techniques.
change and their processes. 2.2 Evaluate the internal and external triggers of
change that may impact on an organisation.
2.3 Develop a change management strategy for an
organisation taking stakeholders into account.
3. Be able to create a plan 3.1 Assess and select relevant tools and techniques to
and implement effective implement and manage change.
change within an 3.2 Develop a plan to implement a change in an
organisation. organisation.
3.3 Develop measures to monitor and evaluate
progress of the change plan.
4.1 Assess possible risks associated with an
4. Be able to analyse stakeholder organisation’s change process.
responses to organisational 4.2 Apply a stakeholder analysis to understand possible
change. resistance to change.
4.3 Critically appraise relevant strategies to manage
resistance to change in organisations.
5.1 Explain the relationship between management
5. Be able to involve functional disciplines and effective organisational change.
areas in an organisation’s 5.2 Critically analyse the role of various business
change management. functions/departments within change management.
5.3 Evaluate an integrated change management plan
for an organisation.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario
Your local GPDOCS medical practice, has traditionally been open to serve patients from 8h00

17h00 Mondays to Fridays and closes on weekends. GPDOCS medical practice is
entirely government funded and has no private patients. The practice employs 13 doctors, 4 nurses and
15 administration staff.

GPDOCS provides free medical services to 15,000 registered patients in South London. The Practice
Manager, Mr Dee, at GPDOCS is involved in managing all of the business aspects of the practice
such as making sure that the right systems are in place to provide a high quality of patient
care, human resources, finance, patient safety, premises and equipment and information technology.
The Practice Manager also supports the GPs and other medical professionals with delivering
patient services and also helps to develop extended services to enhance patient care.

A change in government policy has meant that GPDOCS must now be open from 7h00-20h00
Monday to Friday, and also open on Saturdays 9h00-14h00. Although the government changed policy
and the contract, it has not offered any additional funding to deliver the enhanced service. The
government has also stated that the change must be implemented within a three-month time frame.

GPDOCS staff received the news with dismay but accept that they will have to reorganise their work
patterns to accommodate the change in policy. The Practice Manager, Mr Dee, has been tasked with
the development of a change strategy and has asked for your help.

There are 2 unrelated tasks. The first one is a group task and the second task is individual.

Task 1 of 2 – Group Case (AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 5.1, 5.2 & 5.3)
Mr Dee has asked you to develop the change strategy for GPDOCS using an established
change model. Mr Dee last studied business ten years ago and is not sure whether he should use
Kotter’s 8
Change Model, Lewin’s change management model or Hiatt’s ADKAR model to manage the change.

Instructions:

Develop a change management strategy, considering the GPDOC’s stakeholders that


incorporates the following sections:

1. Conduct a stakeholder analysis for GPDOCS and summarise the results in a stakeholder
map highlighting interest and influence groupings.
2. Use the results of the stakeholder analysis to identify and evaluate resistance to the
change process.
3. Critically evaluate the three change management models, their relative advantages
and disadvantages, and justify the selection of a model to apply at GPDOCS.
4. Critically discuss the involvement of the functional areas in developing a change plan
5. Draft a strategic change plan for GPDOCS by applying the selected change management model
with timelines and SMART progression metrics.

Delivery and Submission:

▪ 1x Strategic Change Plan document (circa 3500 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Task 2 of 2 – Business Memo (AC1.1, 1.2, 1.3)


This task is individual.

Instructions:

The Practice Manager, Mr Dee, has read that leadership is a critical success factor in most
transformational changes. He has also read that it often helpful to employ external consultants
as change agents. He has asked you to draft a memo for GPSDOCS board that analyses :

1. The relationship between leadership and change agents in transformational change


2. The characteristics and attributes of change agents
3. The relative importance of change agents and their role
4. The advantages and disadvantages of using external consultants as change agents.

Delivery and Submission:

▪ 1x essay (circa 1000 words)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Strategic change plan – 3500 words


• Essay – 1000 words

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

STRATEGIC MARKETING

Unit Reference Number Y/616/2732


Unit Title Strategic Marketing
Unit Level 7
Number of Credits 20
Total Qualification Time (TQT) 200 Hours
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) 100 Hours
Mandatory / Optional Optional
Unit Grading Structure Pass / Fail

Learning Outcome – The learner Assessment Criterion – The learner can:


will:
1. Be able to critically analyse the 1.1 Critically evaluate the nature and purpose of
principles of strategic strategic marketing in an organisation.
marketing and the role of digital 1.2 Critically analyse and apply different marketing
technologies. concepts in a range of organisational contexts.
1.3 Explain the processes involved in strategic
marketing.
2. Be able to apply tools 2.1 Develop SMART strategic marketing objectives for
for analysing the an organisation.
business environment in 2.2 Critically review the external and competitive
strategic marketing. environment in which an organisational performs.
2.3 Draw conclusions about the internal and
stakeholder environment in which an organisational
performs.
3. Be able to carry out market 3.1 Critically explore market segments for an
segmentation, targeting and organisational context.
brand positioning. 3.2 Evaluate targeted segments for an organisational
context.
3.3 Design a differentiated brand position for targeted
segments for an organisational context.
4. Be able to apply the integrated 4.1 Evaluate the significance of the integrated
marketing mix in an organisation. marketing mix for an organisational context.
4.2 Design an effective marketing mix for an
organisational context.
4.3 Critically analyse the relationship between the
product lifecycle and the marketing mix for an
organisational context.
5. Be able to critically analyse 5.1 Critically analyse the nature of brands and the
brands in a business context. significance of branding.
5.2 Critically discuss the need for integration between
the brand pyramid, the brand’s positioning and
brand management.
5.3 Demonstrate how branding is used to strengthen a
business or product.

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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Scenario

Amazon Go supermarkets in the UK.

The cashier-less supermarkets use technology to allow customers to pick up items and walk out with
them, instead, charging their Amazon account so they don't have to stand in a checkout queue.

According to The Sunday Times, the retailer is looking for “a significant number” of sites sized
between 4,000 square feet and 5,000 square feet across the UK.

Amazon initially launched the concept back in 2016, allowing Amazon staff to trial the new
technology. Since then, it has opened five stores in the US across Seattle and Chicago.

Customers download an Amazon Go app before entering the store. They have to use the app to enter
the store, which registers their Amazon account, and then they can put their phone away and start
shopping.

Amazon’s “Just Walk Out Technology” uses computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning
to detect when products are taken off a shelf, or later returned.

The technology keeps track of all the items in a virtual cart so there is no scanning involved. Once
customers are done shopping, they can leave the store and Amazon will charge your account.

Amazon now has five Amazon Go locations across the US.

There is a difference between having the no checkout stores strictly for Amazon customers
and allowing the general public in to try them out. In 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported
that the technology faced problems when there were more than 20 people in the store, something
Amazon has been working to correct and, as a result, has delayed the expected roll out of further
locations.

At the moment, it’s unlikely that Amazon Go will arrive to compete with your local Tesco or
Sainsbury’s. The stores stock ready-to-eat items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with some grocery
essential ranges too, however, stock varies depending on which store you are in.

But, when it does arrive in the UK, it will no doubt be celebrated by busy Londoners. The idea of being
able to pick up some lunch and walk out of the door without queueing is a dreamy one, we admit.

Source: www.standard.co.uk/tech/amazon-go-uk-locations-scouting

Task 1 of 1 – Presentation (AC1.1, 1.2. 1.3. 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 & 5.3)
Instructions:

Your local small business association has read about Amazon Go and is concerned about the
potential competition. They wish to offer strategic marketing advice to local businesses, have asked you
to prepare a presentation in which you should analyse and evaluate key marketing concepts as well as
the marketing planning process by using Amazon Go as an example.

You should include:

1. An introduction, evaluating the purpose of strategic marketing


2. A diagram of the marketing planning process.
3. A critical review of at least three marketing concepts/models/theories and how they relate to
the marketing planning process.
4. A critical discussion of the significance of branding using Amazon as an example.
5. Illustrate the concepts of ‘brand pyramid’, ‘brand positioning’ and ‘brand management’, and
how and why these concepts should be integrated into marketing planning.

©2020 OTHM WWW.OTHM.ORG.UK


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LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS

Delivery:

▪ 1x presentation
▪ 1x executive summary (circa 500 words excluding diagrams)

Submission:

▪ 1x PowerPoint Slides
▪ 1x executive summary (circa 500 words)
▪ 1x handout (if applicable)

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Task 2 of 2 – Marketing Plan (AC2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1 & 4.2)
Instructions:

Co-incidentally, a representative of Amazon attended your business association presentation and was
impressed. The Amazon manager responsible for the introduction of Amazon Go to the UK has asked
you to prepare a strategic marketing plan addressing the following:

1. A section in which you perform a PESTLE analysis and review Porter’s 5 forces relevant to
your organisation.
2. A section with a SWOT analysis and a stakeholder analysis of your organisation
3. A section in which you should develop SMART strategic objectives for the organisation
4. A section concerning the market segment. This section should
a. Discuss how market segments could be used for the organisation
b. Select one or more market segment(s), justifying your decision.
c. Propose and justify a brand positioning for the targeted market segment
5. A section concerning the marketing mix. This section should
a. analyse the significance of the marketing mix for the organisation
b. contain a pricing, promotional and distribution strategy for one of its product ranges or
categories.

Submission and Delivery:

▪ 1x marketing plan (circa 3000 words) – excluding appendices.

Referencing:

• Each section must reflect any supporting Harvard style citations.


• A comprehensive Harvard style reference list must be included at the end of the work.

Evidence to be submitted:

• Business Presentation – (1000 words equivalent)


• Executive summary of presentation – 500 words
• Marketing Plan – 3000 words

©2020 OTHM WWW.OTHM.ORG.UK


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