The third Individual Assignment of this module is about the incorporation of the main ideas and concepts
discussed in the module from week 5 through 7. Specifically, the students will discuss the relationship and
dynamics between organizational strategy, leadership and change. Students will form a research
consultancy, providing firms with background on organizational strategies leadership and change and
recommendations for a competitive strategy for their chosen firms. In this individual project, the students
will have the opportunity to practice valuable strategic management skills, including research management,
and strategic thinking. Read the project description below for more information.
Content and Structure
Building a Better Mousetrap: The Relationship between Strategy and Structure
This experimental exercise is intended to give students a scenario that applies directly to week 7 and the
knowledge gained with the previous weeks in a problem-solving setting. The purpose of this exercise is
to show how organizational structure works in alignment with strategy to improve business
performance. The students will act as a consultant to a firm that recently changed its structure as a
counter measure to declining performance. Research indicates that firms tend to change structure when
declining performance forces them to do so. Effective managers anticipate the need for structural
change and quickly modify structure to better accommodate the firm’s strategy when evidence calls for
that action. Students will be asked to:
• Identify a firm that has recently changed structure due to declining performance.
• Research the strategy the company is pursuing and the changes the company made to is
structure.
• Prepare a background report to identify how the firm is impacted by answering the
following questions:
• What type of structure did the firm utilize before its performance declined?
• Describe the situation the firm was experiencing that caused it to change structure.
• What structural adjustments did the firm make?
• What additional steps did the firm change to create value?
• A proper match between strategy and structure can lead to a competitive advantage.
How did the changes at your firm create a competitive advantage?
• Analyze and describe how your firm has changed during this time in terms of
structure and strategy.
UU-MAN-1110-MW – Management Page 1
Consider what to include in the body of your project and demonstrate a sound level of text synthesis.
Essential information must be included in the body of the project and will be counted in the word
count. Extra illustrative information may be included in the appendices. Along with the
recommended readings included in this week’s section, support your paper with a minimum of three (3)
resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older
articles of your choice, may be included.
Your assignment will be assessed using the Writing Rubric located below of the Marking Criteria shell.
Marking criteria
Element Weight Marking
%
General presentation of the submitted work and
10%
application of APA referencing style
Content quality, analysis, and review of the literature 50%
Structure and cohesion 30%
Academic writing style 10%
Students will decide on the appropriate structure and content. However, we expect to see the fo
llowing
elements:
1. Introduction: A good and appropriate introduction to the corporate strategies and structures and the
dynamics of the same for the chosen company relevant to the description of the assignment. Set the
scene for the assignment. Make sure to define the primary aim of your project in the introduction.
2. Main body: Present and discuss the issues of the topic. Demonstrate in-depth critical examination and
discuss evidence of independent research on the topic. Search the related literature using a variety of
sources such as textbooks, academic and scientific journals. Organise and structure your work so that the
reader can follow the line of the argument. Link the paragraphs by using linking words.
3. Conclusions: The conclusion section is an integral part of every project. Writing a good concluding
paragraph can be challenging. Restate your thesis and summarize your main points of evidence for
the reader. Similarly to the introduction section, the conclusion should be interesting! The
conclusion should summarise the main points of your assignment. Implications: Demonstrate what
you have learned from your assignment, by addressing the central question and adequately
summarise the findings of your research.
The following points should be noted for this part of the assessment:
UU-MAN-1110-MW – Management Page 2
● This is an individual assessment, not a group task.
● Your project should be submitted on the due date (i.e. Sunday of Week 7) by 11.59 p.m. (23.59
hours) VLE (UTC) time at the latest. To submit your assignment, please use the submission link
titled “Assessment Point 3” that is located in Week 7 on the VLE page of your module.
● Literature should be sourced from a range of journal articles and textbooks. A limited range of
readings will be made available.
● The word count is 2000 words +/- 10%. This does not include the reference list and any appendices
the assignment may include.
● Accurate referencing of sources is crucial in this coursework. The referencing system used in this
module is the APA Reference system. Please make sure you are familiar with this. Marks will be
deducted for inaccurate referencing.
● Academic Integrity: Students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity by completing their
own work, assignments and other assessment exercises. Submission of work from another person,
whether it is from printed sources or someone other than the student; previously graded papers;
papers submitted without proper citations; or submitting the same paper to multiple courses without
the knowledge of all instructors involved can result in a failing grade. Incidents involving academic
dishonesty will be reported to university officials for appropriate sanctions. Furthermore, students
must always submit work that represents their original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in
an assignment or assessment submission do not represent the student’s original words or ideas, all
relevant sources must be cited along with the extent to which such sources were used. Words or
ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications,
whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such
communication clearly originates from an identifiable source.
● The assessment must be submitted electronically via “Turnitin.”