Business Studies Assignment | Top Essay Writing
Assignment 2
Word/time limit: 1800 (+/- 10%)
Imagine that you are an ethics officer in a large company. You have been asked by the general manager, Susannah Winslow, to help her resolve an issue. Specifically, she is faced with the problem of an employee who has been making disparaging remarks about the company on social media. Susannah has asked you to write a report outlining the business issue, and your recommendation for resolving it.
By completing this assignment, you will further develop your skills in academic and professional writing. You will also develop your ability to analyse complex business issues, including their ethical aspects, and provide evidence-based recommendations. These skills will help you create stronger assignments for the rest of your degree. Importantly, these skills will also be directly applicable to your career. Whether or not you pursue a career in management, you will need to be able to analyse a situation, research it, and present evidence-based recommendations
Step 1: Read the article
Read the Harvard Business Review article, Should he be fired for that Facebook post? (Links to an external site.) (Watson &Lopiano 2016).
Please note that this case study deals with an American company. You are NOT required to have an in depth understanding of relevant American legislation. The focus of your report should be on the ethics and theory involved in the case, not legislation.
Step 2: Write your report
Write a report for Susannah outlining the issue and your recommendations. Your report should:
- Provide a summary of the business issue and the context in which it occurs.
- Outline at least two approaches for resolving the ethical issue (e.g. ignore the issue, discipline them, or even fire them).
- Evaluate the ethical implications of each approach, with reference to the academic literature. For example, you could discuss the likely impacts on the company, its shareholders, other employees, and its customers.
- Make a recommendation as to the most appropriate solution. Provide a justification as to why this approach should be preferred.
Step 3: Structure your report
It’s recommended that your case study analysis follows a similar structure to the one suggested below:
- Executive summary(approx. 300 words). This section provides a summary of the entire report. It is not included in the word count.
- Table of contents.
- Introduction (approx. 300 words). This section details a breakdown of the report and what you will discuss in the broader context.
- Background (approx. 400 words). This section should provide an overview of the broader issue of organisations and the ethics of determining a social media policy.
- Case study scenario(approx. 200 words). This section should outline the situation faced by the company in dealing with this employee.
- Alternative solutions(approx. 600 words). This section should describe two to three (2-3) possible approaches to be taken by the company, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Recommendation and conclusion(approx. 300 words). This section should make a recommendation as to the most appropriate solution, and provide a justification for it. The justification should be drawn from relevant, specific academic theory.
- References(not included in word count). Include a reference list at the end of your assignment in Swinburne Harvard style.
Tips
- This structure is only suggested. You can arrange the information into a different structure if you feel it is more appropriate.
- Headings are acceptable.
- The word limits against each section are provided as guidelines only.
- The reference list is not included in the word count, but the in-text citations are.
- If you find yourself asking ‘How many references do I need?’, refer to the Supporting resources section.
| Assignment 2 marking guide | |||||
| Criteria | No Pass | Pass 50-59% |
Credit 60-69% |
Distinction 70-79% |
High Distinction 80-100% |
| Clarity of purpose and focus. (20%) |
Did not meet criterion. | The writer’s decisions about focus, organisation, or content sometimes interfere with clear, effective communication. The purpose of the writing is not fully achieved. | The writer has made acceptable decisions about focus, organisation and content to communicate reasonably clearly and effectively. The purpose of the writing is fairly well explained. | The writer has made good decisions about focus, organisation, and content to communicate clearly and effectively. The purpose and focus of the writing are clear to the reader and the organisation and content achieve the purpose as well. | The writer has made insightful decisions about focus, organisation and content to communicate clearly and effectively. The purpose and focus of the writing are clear to the reader and the organisation and content are well chosen, sophisticated, and/or persuasive. |
| Breadth of viewpoints integrated. (20%) |
Did not meet criterion. | The writer has considered at least one viewpoint. The writing shows a limited understanding of this and other viewpoints. | The writer has considered more than one viewpoint in constructing their argument. The writing shows some evidence of understanding of each viewpoint and its possible implications. | The writer has considered multiple viewpoints in constructing the argument. The writing presents each viewpoint and its possible implications. | The writer has considered multiple relevant viewpoints in constructing their argument, which have been drawn from multiple sources. The writing compares and contrasts each viewpoint and its possible implications. |
| Depth of analysis. (30%) |
Did not meet criterion. | The information presented reveals that the writer has only partially assimilated or understood the material. The writer shows some awareness of implications beyond the immediate subject. | The information presented reveals the writer has a good understanding of the material. There is some evidence that the writer understands the implications of the material. | The information presented reveals the writer appreciates and understands the material. The writer seems aware of implications beyond the immediate subject. | The writer has provided comprehensive information. Their writing reveals their assimilation and understanding of the material. The writer is convincingly aware of implications beyond the immediate subject. |
| Quality of writing structure, grammar, punctuation and spelling. (20%) |
Did not meet criterion. | Needs to improve sequencing of ideas within paragraphs and transitions between paragraphs to make the writing easy to follow.
The writing contains many punctuation, spelling or capitalisation errors. Errors interfere with meaning in some places. |
Sequencing of ideas within paragraphs and transitions between paragraphs make the writer’s points reasonably clear and easy to follow.
The writing contains some punctuation, spelling or capitalisation errors. The writing is relatively clear despite these errors. |
Sequencing of ideas within paragraphs and transitions between paragraphs make the writer’s points coherent and easy to follow.
Grammar or usage errors are minimal and do not distract the reader from understanding the intended meaning. Appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure are used. |
Sequencing of ideas within paragraphs and transitions between paragraphs flow smoothly and coherently throughout the paper.
Written response is virtually free of punctuation, spelling, or capitalisation errors. Appropriate vocabulary and sentence structure are used. Any errors that remain are inconsequential. |
| Referencing and adherence to Swinburne Harvard style. (10%) |
Did not meet criterion. | The writer uses the Swinburne Harvard style for in-text citations and references with multiple errors. Some sources are either not cited or included in the reference section. | The writer uses the Swinburne Harvard style for in-text citations and references with a small number of errors. Some sources are either not cited or included in the reference section. | The writer uses the Swinburne Harvard style for in-text citations and references with minimal errors. All sources are cited in-text and included in the reference section. The reference section contains only references that have been cited. | The writer uses the Swinburne Harvard style for in-text citations and references. All sources are cited in-text and included in the reference section. The reference section contains only references that have been cited.
Any errors that remain are inconsequential. |
- 275 words per page
- 12 pt Arial/Times New Roman
- Double line spacing
- Any citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard)
