Unit Handbook

Applied Management Project
(BSS000-6)

Induction Week
17th- 21st September 2012

Submission Date: Monday 10th December 2012

MSc Finance & Business Management
MSc International Business & Management
MSc Marketing & Business Management

Contents

1.Background to the unit 2
2.How the AMP works 2
3.AMP induction timetable 4
4.AMP tutorial support 4
5.Handing in the AMP report and reflective report 5
6.Main report format 6
7.Reflective report format 7
8.Academic offences 8
9.Referencing 10
10.Assessment marking 10
11.Assessment criteria 11

Appendix 1 - Applied Management Project Marking Scheme 13
Appendix 2 - Submitting your Work Through BREO 18
Appendix 3 - Guide to Referencing 19
Appendix 4 - Unit Information Form 23
Appendix 5 - AMP Session Timetable......................................................................29

1.
Background to the unit

This unit is completed at the end of the taught part of your programme. You have successfully completed the first two semesters of study and therefore should have a thorough grasp of the taught elements of the programme. You will be expected to draw on the learning that you have achieved during the taught units.

The Applied Management Project (AMP) is the final assessed piece of work of the Masters Programme. It is designed to simulate a real management situation, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to use the knowledge and skills acquired through the taught element of the course in context.

The purpose of the AMP is to bring together the taught elements of the programme, re-enforcing their relationships and enabling you to move from the understanding of a discrete knowledge base to synthesising and exploring new areas in more detail.

It simulates the working environment where individuals are constantly required to combine and use knowledge in different ways and increase their understanding of disparate contexts, theory and business practice.

The AMP gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of business. The aims of this unit are to enable you to take the knowledge, understanding and skills that you have been developing in individual units and apply them to a complex, multifaceted context to achieve a resolution to a research question.

The AMP requires you to -

* understand a problem or issue of concern to business; * identify information needs; * retrieve data and conduct secondary research; * synthesise data, turning it into useful information; * produce creative solutions to the issue of concern; * produce a well argued, critical and supported report in response to the issue identified; * work effectively in a time constrained situation; and * reflect on the learning achieved through the process.

This unit is the vehicle through which you, as a master’s level student, can show that you are able to work at a level defined in the University’s level M descriptor. That is, students ‘should be working within complex, unpredictable and normally specialised fields demanding innovative work which involves exploring the current limits of knowledge’.

2. How the AMP works

You will form small working groups to begin the task of identifying your topic/research question. You may choose your own groups to work with. Each group should contain students from the same award programme.

You will be given a topic/research question with specified tasks which should provide the structure of your project The task of your team is to decide on the salient issues, come to an understanding of what the topic/question is about and identify research needs to effectively address the topic/question. This is called ‘Enquiry Based Learning’ as you will be establishing for yourselves precisely how to go about responding to your topic/question.

Your group will then set out to collect the data you need. You should share the task of gathering data between the group members, as it is expected that the research process will be extensive and will require the interrogation of a range of data sources (e.g. journal articles, text books, publicly available company reports and other scholarly sources).

Group work will cease once all required data has been gathered.

Following collection of the data by the group, you will write a 12,000 word (± 10%) report. This MAIN REPORT is INDIVIDUAL. Students are expected to use the information gathered by the group to develop an individual analysis of the topic/question.

In addition to the completion of the main report, you must produce an individual reflective report of 3,000 words (± 10%). This reflective analysis will analyse the process of working in a group as well as your individual learning to achieve a response to your topic/question.

You should be self analytical as well as providing a critique of how the group worked together to achieve common goals.

The AMP requires secondary research only

The AMP requires you to use secondary research methods only. Do not, under any circumstances, undertake any form of primary research.

Students who do not follow this directive will fail the unit.

A reminder to you that primary research is any research whereby data is collected at the source. The data required for research purposes does not already exist. For example, going out into the Luton mall and observing how many people use a certain ATM and at what times. If you gather this data yourself you are undertaking primary research.

However, if you read a journal article that presents data on use of certain ATMs in the Luton Mall, this is secondary research.

If you are unsure about the difference between primary and secondary research you MUST speak with a tutor or librarian prior to commencing your project.

3. AMP induction timetable

You will be given a timetable for the induction. Please ensure that you attend all sessions as they will provide you with important information to assist you to achieve the best grade possible for this unit.

4. AMP tutorial support * Throughout the course of the AMP you will be provided with opportunities to meet with a tutor. This is an important and valuable opportunity for you to seek academic support and assistance with developing and writing your AMP report and reflective report.

You will be expected to attend. Indeed, it will be difficult to achieve a good grade without the support and guidance of your tutors. It is also expected that you will attend the tutorials with pre-determined questions and completed work to discuss. It is very important that you maintain a diligent programme of progress in order to take full advantage of the tutorial sessions.

Tutorial sessions will be held on the following dates:

Tutorial One - 3rd October 2012
Tutorial Two - 31st October 2012
Tutorial Three - 21st November 2012

Supplementary tutorial sessions will be made available to those wishing to receive extra assistance. PAD sessions will also be scheduled to assist you with academic skills development. Dates of these sessions will be advised through BREO.

Venues and room numbers will be advised closer to the time through BREO.

As BREO is our main means of communication with you on a range of matters it is imperative that you maintain an awareness of announcements and other communication through this medium.

*Note: MSc Project Management, MSc Engineering Business Management and MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management are taking Business Research Methods, and are not expected to attend these tutorial support sessions.

5. Handing in the AMP report and reflective report

The submission date for both parts of the assessment is:

10th December, 2012

Late work will not be accepted. If you suspect that you will have difficulty meeting the submission deadline and you have extenuating circumstances you must contact the Mitigation Team as soon as possible. They will consider your circumstances and may grant an extension.

Further information can be found online by following this link http://www.beds.ac.uk/studentlife/registration/student-support/3.

Lecturers, Tutors and Pathway Managers will NOT be able to assist you with extensions.

There are two required means of submission. They are as follows -

Hard Copy –

* Assessments must be submitted to the hand-in point, located outside the LRC in Park Square with TWO hard copies of your work and a soft copy on an electronic disk (attached to one of the hard copies).

* Please bind the main report and reflective report together with a title page for each section.

* Your title page MUST reproduce the topic/question AS GIVEN TO YOU. You must not change the wording of your topic/question. The title page must also clearly identify your name, student number and MSc course.

Through BREO –

* You must submit an electronic copy to TurnitinUK via the BREO system. Please submit according to your MSc course. Please see the appendix for guidance on how to do this.

* Please note you have only ONE chance to submit your work through TurnitinUK. Include all work except appendices.

6. Main report format

The AMP simulates the type of task that you will be asked to do when you are employed. The main report has a recognised format, which you MUST use. The format is explained below.
Title Page – Unit code, topic/question (exactly as given to you), your name, your student number, MSc course title.
Table of contents – Use a consistent approach to numbering the sections of your report. Make sure your page numbering is correct before you submit your report.
Executive summary – This should be no longer than one side of an A4 page summarising the key points of your report.
Aims and objectives – This should outline the way in which you are tackling the topic/question and clearly indicate to the reader what you will try to achieve in your report.
Literature review, analysis and discussion – These components make up the main body of the report in which you demonstrate your ability to find, evaluate, analyse and synthesise information to produce an original piece of work that responds appropriately to the topic/question.
Literature review: Presents a comprehensive overview of the extant literature upon which your arguments are based. You must engage critically, presenting current knowledge and providing context for your arguments and discussion which follows as a separate chapter.
Discussion: The discussion allows analysis and critical examination of the literature with a singular focus on the topic at hand. It is where your ideas and arguments are expanded to arrive at a conclusive point of view on the research question or topic.
Conclusions – This is the section where you summarise the previous sections in such a way as to clearly provide a response to the topic/question posed.
Recommendations – If appropriate, recommendations for action should be provided in this section.
References – All sources from which you have used material (by way of quotations or use of ideas) MUST be listed here in alphabetical order according to the Harvard referencing system. You should make yourself familiar with this referencing style. You can access a guide through the LRC.
Appendix/appendices – are not a necessary part of the report. An appendix contains supporting material you wish to present but which is not essential to the understanding of the main report. All material included in an appendix must be referred to in the body of the report. Do not attach material as an appendix if it is not relevant to the topic/question response.

Your report must be printed in Arial 12pt, 1.5 lines spacing and bound as described previously.

7. Reflective report format

The reflective report is designed to illustrate how you have come to a consolidated experience of learning during the process of completing the AMP report. That is, how you have approached the learning process, what challenges you have overcome and how, what you have found most engaging and how you have come to know things about yourself and your learning style through the experience of completing the AMP.

You should take into consideration the process of being part of a group and as an individual learner.

So too the process of reflection allows you to analyse what you have learned in academic terms as well as in personal terms.

The following headings provide a guide for your reflective practice report.

* Introduction
Provide an indication of what the reflective report is about. (Note: the reflective report is NOT a diarised account of developing the AMP report.)

* What were your own experiences?
You should identify how you have developed and what you have learned through various experiences (e.g. through group work, through independent study, through discussion with a tutor). You may identify key stages of the AMP process in line with the work you have undertaken (e.g. through gathering data and writing the literature review). You should note and reflect upon any major challenges or periods of enlightenment. While you can diarise these things, this is not a diary and should not read like one. However, you are encouraged to keep a learning log.

* What personal feelings and learning did you generate from the experience?
You should identify any feelings and learning during the process of putting your AMP together. Did you get frustrated and why? Did you feel supported in a group environment? Any challenges should be identified and the resolution explained.

You should also reflect upon the actions of other and how they may have hindered or assisted you in your learning.

* How did you manage working in a group? What did this teach you?
You will initially be working in a group and this may bring tensions or opportunities for learning. The report should identify these and indicate how challenges are overcome, how the group worked together and how you have interacted with others within the group.

* What lessons have you learnt from this experience to take into the future?
A key part of reflection is looking to identify where you can improve in future activities, be they in a learning environment or a group working environment such as a workplace. You should be able to identify at least five lessons you have learned along the way to improve your future performance as a student or as a future employee.

* Conclusion
You must include concluding statements to finish off the report, summarising the major points.

NOTE: This is NOT the place to provide feedback on the AMP course.
There are other mechanisms in place to allow your opinions and suggestions to be captured and communicated to the university.

Tips for completing your reflective report include:

* Do not rely on memory, take notes and keep a progress log. * Be open and honest with other members of your group to ensure you get the most from the group learning experience. * Be prepared to compromise in a group situation and don’t be afraid to have input. * Do not simply provide a diarised series of events. You need to be aware of how your learning is progressing and how it is changing your outlook on the way you learn, the topic/question you are investigating and how you work in a group.

More information on completing a reflective report can be found on BREO.

8. Academic offences

The University of Bedfordshire is committed to the principles of academic integrity. That is, work presented by students is expected to be their own with ideas and quotations from the work of other people properly and consistently identified with both in-text references and end-of-text references.

The two main academic offences that relate to this unit are:

* Plagiarism

The unethical act of using the work, words or ideas of another author without due recognition is called plagiarism. This can take the following forms: * Knowingly copying ‘chunks’ of text or ideas from the work of others. This includes work from the internet, journal articles, books, the work of other students and popular media (e.g. newspapers or periodicals). * Unknowingly doing the above may also constitute plagiarism. Careless referencing is no excuse for using the work of others without due recognition. * Incomplete, inaccurate or poorly structured referencing in your work. * Allowing others access to or use of your own work is also an academic offence.

In all cases as described above, there is almost certain that your work will be identified as being the work of others, even if you didn’t mean to plagiarise.

Lecturers, tutors and markers have a very good sense of what is the work of students and what is not. They are also experienced in recognising where work has been modified to try to escape the anti-plagiarism software that the University uses (i.e. TurnitinUK).

Poor referencing habits and a lack of intention to plagiarise are not a defence against the act of using the work of others without due and proper recognition.

Action will be taken against students who are found to have plagiarised the work of others, even if unintentionally. This may result in having marks deducted from your work, appearing for a viva voce (verbal defence) or having a fail grade awarded. All incidents of academic offences are recorded and will appear on student’s academic record.

It’s all considered plagiarism!

(graphic developed by T. Simpkin, University of Bedfordshire, 2012)

Think of plagiarism as a continuum.

At one end there is poor academic practice because you have not made yourself aware of, and used proper referencing protocols. Somewhere in the middle is blatant plagiarism where you have simply ‘copied and pasted’ work of others into your own work in an attempt to pass it off as your own. At the other end of the continuum is seeking to find someone to write your work for you and then attempting to pass it off as your own.

It is all plagiarism and you will face consequences if your work contains ideas, words or other material belonging to others without proper recognition such as referencing.
You must be familiar with and use proper referencing protocols. Guides are available from the library (http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/guides/referencing) and tutors are able to assist you during tutorial meetings. Make use of this information and expertise as it may prevent you from receiving a poor mark or a fail.

* Collusion

The unauthorised joint production of a piece of work or a portion of a piece of work for assessment where the assessment is identified as an individual task is called collusion. This includes knowingly and with consent, supplying work to someone else to use in their own work.

The AMP is an individual assessment and whilst group work is permitted in the beginning to assist with the compilation of materials for research purposes, writing the report and creating ideas and arguments for inclusion within your AMP report must all be your own work.

The University has regulations in regard to how plagiarism and collusion are treated. You should make yourself familiar with these. Further information can be found by following this link http://www.beds.ac.uk/learning/discipline.

9. Referencing

The only acceptable style of referencing in the University of Bedfordshire Business School is the Harvard system. A guide has been included in the appendix of this handbook. It is also available online through the library. Other resources can be found through the library and students are strongly encourages to make use of all available material to ensure that correct referencing style and protocols are used.

10. Assessment marking

Your work will be double marked. That is, it will be marked independently by two academic staff members. This is why you are asked you to hand in two copies of your report. In some cases, work will be marked by a third academic to ensure that consistency is maintained among those marking AMP reports.

All work is checked for ‘chunking’ (i.e. copying and pasting from other sources) and plagiarism, which is why we ask for a copy on disk and for submission via the TurnitinUK software.

Failure to meet the required submission standards will result in a delay in marking your work and may, in turn, lead to a delay in obtaining your award.

If you have any doubt about the submission process, speak to a tutor, an academic advisor or a member of the AMP management team. Remember, late work will not be accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances and you have authorisation from the Mitigation Team.

11. Assessment criteria

A copy of the assessment criteria for the AMP is provided in the appendix of this handbook.

However, the following illustrates the allocation of marks to the AMP and the Reflective Report. It is important that you are familiar with the weighting of marks as this will guide you on where your effort is most appropriately applied to gain the best possible grade for your work.

The main report constitutes 80% of the AMP mark. The remaining 20% is allocated to the Reflective Report.

Key Tasks of the Main Report & Weighting Task 1: Aim, objectives & background to the study - 10%

* The aim is essentially the question you are trying to answer or the research topic that you are investigating. The aim will identify the scope of the report in relation to the question or topic (e.g. ‘sustainable finance practices in dairy farming’ as opposed to ‘sustainable practices in farming globally’).

The place of context is identified within the aim of the report. That is, what are the boundaries of report? (e.g. ‘sustainable finance practices in UK dairy farming’ as opposed to ‘sustainable practices in dairy farming globally’).

Without context, there is little to define the boundaries of the research and therefore, you may be tempted to create a very broad, but shallow, response. This will not enable you to provide sufficient evidence that you have developed a master’s level skill set.

* Objectives provide the reader with clear picture of how you will go about achieving a response to the question or topic. Depending on your question or topic these may include:

* Defining the phenomenon under discussion * Providing a discussion regarding context * Illustrating where conflicting ideas exist regarding the phenomenon * Offer recommendations * Provide conclusions that are supported by the literature

Task 2: Literature review - 30%

* The literature review provides the reader with a clear understanding of the work previously undertaken in the area. It provides the support for your own critical analysis, discussion and recommendations. It should be based primarily on academic sources (e.g. journals) and may illustrate where conflicting ideas exist about the topic. * A literature review is not simply a description of what you have found in the extant literature, nor is it a ‘cut and paste’ exercise. Primarily it should provide you with an opportunity to describe, critique, analyse and discuss how work in the field applies to your argument. Task 3: Use of relevant research examples or case studies - 20%

* Case studies and examples must remain relevant to the phenomenon under discussion. Stay on task and do not get sidetracked into describing the case study rather than focussing on achieving your stated objectives.

* Illustrative examples allow you to communicate to the reader that you are able to apply theory to practice. They can be used to illustrate that you can draw material from the literature and use it to support your argument. Task 4: Discussion and conclusions, including recommendations - 20%

* The discussion is your opportunity to put forward a critical response to the question or topic as identified in your aim. It must be supported by the material provided in your literature review and be free of any new material.

* Recommendations, where appropriate, should be supported by material in your literature review and be clearly articulated to respond to the question or topic as provided. Make sure you stay on task. Task 5: Reflective report - 20%

* See previous section giving details about the structure and content of this report

Appendix 1 – Applied Management Project Marking Scheme

Notes to assist markers

TASK 1 (10%) - Aims and objectives

The purpose of this section is to develop a clear aim to inform the answering of the broad(er) topic question. In so doing a range of objectives will be established. There should be background and contextual discussion/information to establish the relevance and validity of the aim (e.g. how big a market is; characteristics of a particular country etc.). In some cases students may use a/or series of ‘hypotheses’ instead of ‘aims’. This section should present the reader with a clear picture of what the project is trying to achieve and how this is going to happen. There should be a recognition that this is not a ‘discrete’ section but that it also ‘introduces’ the subsequent sections of the project.

TASK 2 (30%) - Literature review

The breadth of literature related to the topic should be identified and then narrowed down to focus on the literature (models, theories etc.) that are relevant to the aim. Evidence of wide reading using appropriate sources should be illustrated. The literature is critically evaluated (in the context of the aim) rather than summarised or discussed. The review should conclude with a clear conceptual framework (e.g. key themes with which to look at the examples / case studies.) The literature review should be properly referenced (using the Harvard system) to clearly identify the sources.

TASK 3 (20%) - Case study/examples

This section concerns the application of knowledge to chosen case study organisations or examples. In all cases these case studies/examples MUST be based on secondary information sources (i.e. NO empirical activity should be undertaken). The examples/cases should be carefully chosen to reflect both the overall topic area and the aim (i.e. the student’s choice should be justified). Case studies should be described clearly (some of which may have occurred in the introductory background section). There should be clear links made between the examples/cases and the literature investigated. For example, where examples/cases are doing what the literature suggests, or where they are not, or partially. The similarity/differences should form the basis of a clear discussion. The discussion could occur in this section or in the next section. However, under normal circumstances case study analysis should not be incorporated into the literature review proper.

TASK 4 (20%) – Discussion and conclusion

This section should be pulling all the work thus far together and arrive at a response to the research question or topic as stated. Note, some of the discussion could well have occurred in the previous task when looking at the case/examples. It may be dealt with as a completely separate section. The project should have identified three key things by now: 1) background/contextual information, 2) knowledge derived from the literature review, and 3) the results of the case/examples.

The ‘discussion’ should concern bringing all of this together and synthesising what has been found. Can reasons for differences between theory and practice be identified for example? To what extent is the context important (and perhaps not recognised, or identified, sufficiently within the literature)?
The conclusion should likewise be looking specifically as to what extent the original aim has been satisfied – did the project achieve what it set out to achieve? References to the original objectives would support the argument. All of this should be based on the work evidenced in the project and should not rely on new ideas/information suddenly introduced at this stage. Any recommendations should be clearly based on the discussion/conclusion. They should be practical/applied in nature.

TASK 5 (20%) - Reflective report

The reflective report is designed to illustrate how the student has come to a consolidated experience of learning during the process of completing the AMP report. That is, how they have approached the learning process, what challenges they have overcome and how, what they have found most engaging and how they have come to know things about themselves and their learning style through the experience of completing the AMP.

The report should take into consideration the process of being part of a group and as an individual learner. Students should illustrate where and how they might do things differently in the same or in different contexts in the future. This should not simply be a diarised series of events nor a report on doing the AMP report.

Student Name & ID

Element | 2(Fail) | 4(Referral) | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | Task One (10%) | Aims and objectives | Absence of a clear set of aims and objectives. The focus may be on the general topic/question. | Aims and objectives are not presented clearly or are inappropriate. The focus is may be on the general topic/question. | Aims and objectives are presented, but are weak or very general to the topic/question. | Aims and objectives are clear and relevant to the topic/question but may not be well articulated. | Aims and objectives are clear, relevant to the topic/question and are well articulated.Aims and objectives are very clear, relevant to the topic/question and are well articulated | Background | Background/context absent, irrelevant, or not articulated clearly enough to be comprehensible. | Background/context is minimal, irrelevant to the topic/question or not articulated appropriately. | Background/context presented and is related to the main topic area. | Background/context presented and is related to the topic/question and the aims and objectives. | Background/context is clearly presented, well articulated and directly related to the aims and objectives. Very clear background/context presented. Clearly informs the aim. | Task Two (30%) | Literature Review | Literature is loosely related to the topic but is general. Most of the section summarises literature with no evidence of any critical evaluation. Does not indicate sufficient breadth or depth of reading and/or understanding. | Literature is mostly related to the topic but is general. Most of the section summarises literature with minimal evidence of any critical evaluation.Does not evidence sufficient breadth or depth of reading and understanding. | Relevant literature has been presented and the rationale as to its inclusion is clear. There is evidence of critical evaluation, though outweighed by discussion and summary. Attempts have been made to research the area more widely. | Relevant literature has been presented and there is a rationale as to its inclusion. There is evidence of critical evaluation. A clear attempt to investigate a range of relevant literature is evidenced. | Specific and relevant choice of literature is presented evidencing wide reading and understanding of the topic/question. A clear rationale for its inclusion is evidenced. Consistent critical evaluation is present. Evidence of breadth and depth of understanding of the topic/question. A basic conceptual framework may be evidenced. | A wide and relevant choice of literature is presented with a well argued narrative. Clear evidence of wide reading results in breadth and depth of the critical evaluation relevant to the topic/question.A clear conceptual framework developed. | Task Three (20%) | Use of relevant examples and/or case studies | Case/examples not present, not relevant or lacking rationale for inclusion. | Chosen case studies/examples do not sufficiently relate to the topic/question or are not articulated well. | Chosen cases/ examples provide superficial connection to the literature and/or the topic/question response. | Well chosen and researched cases/examples which support the literature used and provide a clear link to the topic/question and the aims and objectives. | Well chosen and researched cases/examples offering clear links to the literature, the aims and objectives and synthesises this into a. sound basis for the main argument. | Well chosen and researched cases/examples offering clear links to the literature, the aims and objectives and synthesises this into a. sound basis for the main argument with a level of critical engagement evidenced. | Task Four (20%) | Discussion | Absence or little bringing together of the various project outcomes (background, literature, case/examples). | Little evidence of synthesising what has been found throughout the project. Delivers a very general response to the topic/question. | Some synthesis of the various elements of the project. Delivers a response to the topic/ question with a cursory connection to the aims and objectives. | The synthesis is shallow but the work shows an attempt to draw elements together coherently and makes a clear connection to the topic/question to arrive at a response. A connection to the aims and objectives is clear. | Synthesis illustrates an understanding of how the elements of the project fit together to achieve stated aims and objectives. A clear response is made to the topic/question as stated. | Very good cohesion of background and literature to the case in point with clear connection to the stated aims and objectives of the project. A clear and critically engaged response is made to the topic/question as stated. | Conclusion | No conclusions/recommendations drawn | Conclusions/recommendations are drawn but do not directly relate to the aims and objectives of the project. | Conclusions/recommendations are drawn but are obvious, poorly articulated and may not directly emerge from the literature/case study examples. | Conclusions/recommendations are drawn from the literature and fit the case study/examples but do not illustrate any depth of thinking beyond the obvious. | Conclusions/recommendations are well crafted, fit the case study/examples and follow logically from the literature and discussion. A level of independent thought may be present but not well articulated. | Conclusions/recommendations are well crafted, fit the case study/examples and follow logically from the literature and discussion. Independent thinking based on the literature and/or case/examples is articulated well. | | TASK 5 (20%) Reflective Report | 2 (Fail) | 4 (Referral) | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11-13 | 14-16 | No reflection on experiences. Off topic.No analysis of learning for future reference. Diarised format. | Little evidence of reflection on experiences or behaviour for future reference. Diarised format. | Some evidence of reflection on experiences and behaviour of self and others. Low levels of analysis of learning for application in future. Diarised format. | Good discussion and reflection on experiences, behaviours of self and others. Feelings and thoughts are discussed in relation to experiences and an analysis is made in regard to future interactions with others in the future. | Discussion goes well beyond a simple report of experiences and reflection. Very good discussion and reflection on feelings and thoughts in relation to experiences and an analysis is made in regard to future interactions with others in the future. Challenges and difficulties are explored and recommendations for changes to behaviour/responses are made. | Student illustrates an in-depth capacity to analyse own behaviour/responses in a group and solo learning context. Provides evidence of the capacity to apply learning from this context to others highlighting where specific changes to behaviour can be made and where own behaviour can be moderated to achieve optimum performance in a group and solo situation. | |

Final Grade =

Appendix 2 - Submitting your Work Through BREO

You submit both reports via the assignments folder. You will see the screen as below:

NOTE: Please submit according to your MSc Programme.

Click on the link and submit both Main Report and Reflective Report separately.

(NOTE: Your have only ONE chance to submit)

This will link you directly to the TurnitinUK website.

Fill in your first name, your last name and enter your Topic No as the Submission Title (i.e. IBM 1, Finance 3, Marketing 4, etc.).

Browse for your report file.

Click submit.

The site then shows you the beginning of the file you have submitted. If it is the correct file, click on submit again.

Appendix 3 - Guide to Referencing

The Business School Referencing Guidelines

Referencing Guidelines for Students (excluding law students who should follow OSCOLA guidelines)

* Referencing all the materials which you have used when producing a piece of work is very important.

* It is a good way of guarding yourself against plagiarism.

* The Business School favours the Harvard Referencing System (sometimes known as the Author-Date system)

* Within the text of your assignment there should be an indication of where your ideas came from.

* This in-text reference is normally the author’s name and the year of publication e.g. ( Mullins, 2004).

* At the end of the work you should produce, in alphabetical order, a full list of your references, including full details. This is called you Reference List.

Books

In your text just quote the author’s surname and date the book was published. If it is a direct quotation you should use quotation marks, and a page number, e.g. “Several firms have passed beyond the international division stage and become truly global organisations” Kotler et al, (2008 p.240)

In your reference list you would expand on the details, giving the author/s names and initials, year, title of the book, edition (other than the first), Place of publication (optional) and publisher’s name. Thus:

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Kotler, P, Armstrong, G, Wong, V Saunders, T (2008) Principles of marketing.
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5th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education

Note that the abbreviation et al (and others) can be used in the text if a book or journal has more than three authors. In your reference list you should include all authors.

Sometimes a book may have a corporate author, for example a Key Note Market Report.

77% of men shop for their own toiletries (Key Note Report, 2008)

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Key Note Market Assessment (2008) Men’s toiletries & fragrances. 4th ed. Hampton: Key Note

Books with an Editor

If you are using a book with an editor you should quote the person who has written the particular chapter or part which you are quoting, and then give the full details in your Reference List.

In the text…

Goonroos (1996) notes the multi-faceted nature of global marketing

And in the reference list…

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Goonroos, G (1996) The rise and fall of modern marketing in Shaw, A and Hood N Marketing in evolution. London: Macmillan Press

Secondary Referencing

Secondary referencing is likely to be a major occurrence for Business School students. It occurs where one book or journal is quoting an earlier source. If this is the case you should name both authors in the text, but only list the full details of the one you have read in the reference list.

In the text therefore…

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Gladwell (2000) is cited by Andreasen (2006) as claiming that social causes can be renamed epidemics.

If you have read the book by Andreasen, only the full-details of this are included in your final list.

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Andreasen, A. (2006) Social marketing in the 21st century. London: Sage

Journals

Within the text of your work the Harvard reference is similar to that for a book. Simply cite author and date.

Sekera & Bagozzi (2007) stress the importance of ethical decision making at work

In your reference list you need to include the name of the journal (often this is written in italics), the volume and page numbers (where these can be traced)

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Sekera L & Bagozzi, P (2007) Moral courage in the workplace Business ethics: a European Review 16 (2) p.134-149

Newspapers

Newspapers should be treated as journals. An author should be quoted if their details can be found. It is likely that you may of course find many newspaper articles online There has been controversy about the fact that many gym memberships tie customers into lengthy contracts (Beale, 2009)

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Beale, N (2009) Not fit for purpose. Guardian, 15th August via Newsbank [online] Available at http://library.beds.ac.uk (Accessed 21st August 2010)

If no author is given just use the newspaper name in the text and reference list.

Cheap flights have given a major incentive to those undertaking a snowboarding holiday (Financial Times, 2009)

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Financial Times (2009) Snowboarding in Switzerland, 7th Feb p.13

Electronic Journals (found via databases)

If you access a journal electronically you need to state the name of the database which you used, and how you accessed it. For example you may have done this through the University of Bedfordshire library catalogue. With any electronic reference you are also required to include the date that you used the material.

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Sekera, L & Bagozzi, P (2007) Moral courage in the workplace Business ethics: a European Review 16 (2) p.134-149 Business Source Premier [Online] Available at: http://library.beds.ac.uk (Accessed: 21st August 2009)

Electronic Journals and other webpages

When you are citing material found on webpages you must provide enough information so that a reader would be able to locate your source. If an author can be located use their name, otherwise use the name of the website or even the URL.

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In January it was reported (BBC website, 2008a) that house prices were rising at the lowest levels for over a decade. Proof of a recession was further evidenced by poor Christmas sales (BBC website, 2008b)

Note that if you are citing several articles published in the same year use a,b,c etc. These can then be distinguished in your reference list

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BBC Website (2008a) House prices ‘slowest since 1996’ Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/business/716306.stm. (Accessed 8th January 2008)
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BBC Website (2008b) Festive sales at ‘three year low’ Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/business/715261.stm. (Accessed 8th January 2008)

Materials from BREO

Cite the name of the person who put the materials on BREO, e.g.…friends can share online files of music with little fear of criminal prosecution (Beaumont-Kerridge, 2008)

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Beaumont-Kerridge, J (2008) Week 2 Lecture on the music industry [online]. Business Core Programme BREO site Available at http://breo.beds.ac.uk. (Accessed 21st August 2009)

How to find out more about referencing?

If you need further advice about referencing your work contact your subject librarian, or consult the Guide to Referencing on the LR webpage

http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/guides/referencing

Pears and Shields (2010) have written an excellent guide to referencing which may answer questions not covered in this brief guide.

Reference list

Pears, R & Shields, G (2010) Cite them right: The essential guide to referencing and plagiarism. 8th ed. London: Macmillan

Alan Bullimore
Academic Liaison Librarian alan.bullimore@beds.ac.uk Produced January 2008 revised January 2011

Appendix 4 - Unit Information Form

The UIF provides essential information to students, staff teams and others on a particular unit. Please refer to the University’s Guidance notes on Unit Information Forms before completing the details below

SECTION 1 - Changes made to Section 1 of the UIF will require Faculty level approval. If substantial changes to Units/Courses are required, consult with Sub Dean (Quality Enhancement) for advice

Unit Name | Applied Management Project | Unit Code | BSS000-6 | Level | 7 | Credit Value | 45 | Location of Delivery | Park Square Campus – Putteridge bury | Summary/Overview | The applied management project is the culmination of the Masters programme. It is designed to simulate a realistic management situation, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to use the knowledge and skills acquired through the taught element of the course. Its purpose is to bring together all the taught elements of the programme to reinforce their interrelationship and to provide an experience which enables you to move forward from the understanding of a discrete knowledge base to synthesising and exploring new areas in more detail as required by the project. In this it simulates the working environment where individuals are constantly required to combine knowledge in different ways and increase their understanding in different areas. | Aims | The AMP is designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of business as well as the skills essential to effective operation in a business environment. In particular the aims of this unit are to enable you to take the knowledge, understanding and skills they have been developing in individual units See below) and use them in a complex, multifunctional situation. * formulate a problem * identify information needs * retrieve information * synthesise information * produce creative solutions * produce a well argued and supported report in response to the problem identified * work effectively in a group * work effectively in a time constrained situation * reflect on the learning achieved through the processIt is the vehicle through which you can show that you are able to work at Masters level as defined in the University’s level 7 descriptor: Students ‘should be working within complex, unpredictable and normally specialised fields demanding innovative work which involves exploring the current limits of knowledge.’ | Core Learning Outcomes | | Learning OutcomesOn completion of this unit you should be able to: | Assessment Criteria To achieve the learning outcome you must demonstrate the ability to: | 1 | Cognitive outcome – Knowledge and Understandingautonomously analyse new and/or abstract data and situations using a wide range of techniques appropriate to the discipline(s) and to his/her own research or advanced scholarship | The AMP requires you to define the problem(s) with which you are required to deal. This learning outcome will be evaluated by the quality of the definition of the data requirements, data gathering and subsequent problem definition and solution described below An awareness of a comprehensive set of data sources will be required for a high mark. Awareness of only a narrow range of appropriate sources from those available will normally lead to a passing grade | 2 | Generic skills outcome – Needs analysisexplore the demands of a task and formulate viable proposals for meeting these demands | This skill will be assessed as above and also through the reflective essay.The reflective essay should show the process of arriving at the final course of action. Just doing the first thing, which appears appropriate will merit a passing grade if it was appropriate. | 3 | Generic Skills outcome – Performance planningplan the task, and meet your own skill-development needs, and gain the necessary commitment from others | In order to complete the project well and within the constrained time, you will have to manage your own workload but also be able to work efficiently with a team of colleagues. These two generic skills can be indirectly assessed in the final report but should be directly addressed in the reflective essay.Skills can be measured by ability to meeting the deadlines * negotiation with colleagues * negotiation with staff providing supportplanning and rescheduling where necessary | 4 | Generic Skills outcome – Performance managementmanage the task, adapting their strategy as necessary to achieve the quality of outcomes required | | 5 | Cognitive Outcome – Synthesis/creativityautonomously synthesise information and ideas and propose new hypotheses, create original responses to problems that expand or redefine existing knowledge or develop new approaches to changing situations | Those of you who deal with issues inherent in the case at face value will receive a bare pass. Middle grade marks will be awarded to those who review the issues more extensively. High marks will be awarded to those of you who produce a detailed discussion of the issues and are able to prioritise them | 6 | Cognitive outcome - EvaluationShould be able to independently evaluate current research, advanced scholarship and associated methodologies and appropriately justify the work of self and others | This will be demonstrated in the analysis and synthesis section of the 12000 word report. A comprehensive review of appropriate literature will give you a bare pass grade. More competent critical evaluation of the literature will gain a middle ranking grade and those of you who present a critical evaluation and original synthesis based on a comprehensive literature will achieve high grades | 7 | Cognitive Outcome – Knowledge and Understandingdemonstrate a depth of knowledge and a systematic understanding of his/her discipline(s), across specialist and applied areas, and be critically aware of and deal with complexity, gaps and contradictions in the current knowledge base with confidence | Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed through the whole 12000 word report, in particular in those sections of the report that actually deal with the proposed solutions to the problem and discussion of wider areas for further consideration and if appropriate a clear definition of the limitations of the work.The grade will be based on the quality of the problem definition process, data gathered, synthesis of the information, development and critical evaluation of solutions. Those of you who produce a well argued coherent report with sound work in each area will receive higher marks, A bare pass will be achieved by those who attempt all areas as described above and who produce a report which covers all areas but in less detail and with less coherence between the sections | 8 | Generic Skill – Presentation and EvaluationShould be able to present the outcomes of the task in a manner appropriate to the intended audience(s) and evaluate their overall performance | The document should be structured in a coherent way adhering to guidelines unless there is a clear reason to deviate from them. All data presented should be part of the narrative. Additional analyses should be placed in an appendix.Referencing must be accurate and all work taken from another source must be referenced.In excellent reports the language will be fluent but it must be at least comprehensible to the markers in order to gain a pass mark. |

SECTION 2 - Any changes made to Section 2 of the UIF will normally require Faculty level approval

Period of delivery | Semester 3 | Pre-requisites/Restrictions | As required by progression regulations | Student Activity(10 notional learning hours = 1 credit) | Activity | Notional Learning Hours | | Lectures | 8-15 | | Seminars/tutorials | 10-20 | | Lab/Field work | | | Workshops | | | Rehearsals | | | Assessment | 100-150 | | e-learning | 20-50 | | Self-directed study | 200-300 | | Group work | 20-50 | | Other (specify) | | | Total | 450 | Approach to Learning | The emphasis is on independent learning. The approach taken is that of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL). You will be given a business scenario or problem, together with a small number of chosen articles to read. This pack of information will comprise a problem, issue or area of investigation. The task is to decide on the issues, formulate the problem and identify information needs to deal with the issues identified. You will start the project by working in a team of 6 to 8 students from the same award programme. The group learning activity will then prepare each of to provide an individual analysis of the issues/problems and appropriate actions to deal with them. There will be a week of comprehensive preparatory sessions (AMP week), in which you are equipped with EBL approach and all the necessary skills and knowledge to do the project. In this AMP week, you will also receive tutor support from specialist tutors for each programme. The main part of the project will however be conducted in a period of 11 weeks during which the 12000 word report and the 3000 reflective essay will be completed and handed in. | Skills Development | CommunicationTo help with the development of this you will receive a briefing on preparation of the report Information LiteracyTo help with the development of this you will receive a briefing on literature searching and have access to a dedicated workshop with library professionals to support this.Research and EvaluationTo help with the development of this you will receive a briefing on literature searching and have access to a dedicated workshop with library professionals to support this.Creativity and Critical ThinkingTo help with the development of this you will undertake the AMP | Assessment Strategy | Assessment of this unit will be through two written reports. The expectation of a ‘dissertation element’ is that it will be the result of independent research by you. Thus, the assessment is of the final output of the independent research. Given the learning objectives, two elements to the assessment are appropriate, i.e. a report addressing the challenge set and a reflective analysis of the process. |

No | Assessment Method* | Description of Assessment Method | Weight% | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Submission week (assignments) or length (exam) | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | | 1 | RE | Individual main report (12000 words) | 80 | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | Week 13 | 2 | RE | Individual reflective report (3000 words) | 20 | | √ | √ | √ | | | | √ | Week 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

*The following codes for assessment methods apply:- | AR | artefact | PC | practical | CB | computer-based | PF | performance | CS | case study | PL | placement | DI | dissertation or project | PO | portfolio | EX | exam | PR | presentation | GR | group report | RE | individual report | IT | in-unit test | OR | oral | LR | literature review | OT | other |

SECTION 3 - Once initial approval of the unit has been given, the Unit Co-ordinator may make changes to this section, following appropriate consultation

Outline Teaching Schedule | First Semester of studyWeek 0 – Introduction to the AMP and Enquiry Based Learning during the inductionSecond Semester of studyWeek 16 – Intensive week long preparation for the unit, including PBL sessions, tutor support sessions, as well as inputs on information retrieval, reflection and avoiding plagiarism, | Recommended Resources | EssentialThere is no recommended reading for this unit. It will depend on the nature of the scenario but it is anticipated that you will consult academic journals, trade press, newspapers, industry reports and, if appropriate, company annual reports and other information sources in the public domain |

SECTION 4 – Administrative Information

Faculty | Business School | Field | | Department/School/Division | Marketing | Unit Co-ordinator | Vincent Ong | Version Number | 2.0 | Body approving this version | | Date of University approval of this version (dd/mm/yyyy) | |

Shared Units – Indicate below all courses which include this Unit in their diet | MSc Business and Management | MSc Marketing and Business Management | MSc Finance and Business Management | MSc Information Systems and Business and Management | MSc Project Management | MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management | MSc Engineering Business Management | MA International Human Resource Management |

Form completed by:

Name: Vincent Ong Date: February 2011…………………………………………

Appendix 5

AMP Session Timetable 17th -21st September 2012

Monday 17th September 2012

Time | Room | Activity | Tutor | 9.30am – 10.15am | JM10 | Welcome and introduction Handbook overview Students collect their topics | Dr Sally Everett (Course Leader)Dr Walter Mkumbuzi Vincent Ong(Finance Pathway) | 10.30am – 11.00am | | Understanding the research question | Guy Parrott | 11.00am – 11.30am | | Research aims and objectives | Robin Croft | 11.45am – 12.30pm | | Literature review | Dr Sally Everett | 12.30pm – 1.00pm | | Break | | 1.00 pm –2:00pm | JM10 | Good and bad report | Dr Steve Briggs | 2:30pm-3:30pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works)Group 1 | Alan Bullimore | 3:45 pm –4:45 pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works)Group 2 | Alan Bullimore |

Tuesday 18th September 2012

Time | Room | Activity | Tutor | 9.30 am –10.15 am | JM10 | Conclusions and Recommendations | Barbara Czarnecka | 10:30am –12:00 noon | JM10 | Writing a reflective report | Dr Nazia Ali / Dr Sally Everett | 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm | | Break | | 1.00pm –2:00pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works) Group 3 | Alan Bullimore | 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works) Group 4 | Alan Bullimore |

AMP Session Timetable 17th -21st September 2012 continued

Wednesday 19th September 2012

Time | Room | Activity | Tutor | 10:00 am –10:45 am | JM10 | Case study analysis and discussion | Quentin LangleyVincent Ong (Chair) | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | JM10 | Searching and evaluating the literature | Alan Bullimore | 12.00 noon – 1:00 pm | | Break | | 1:00pm – 2.00pm | JM10 | Sources of supportCommon reasons for failure and how to avoid them | PAD | 2.15pm –3:15pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works) Group 5 | Alan Bullimore | 3:30 pm –4:30 pm | LRC Training Room 1 | Writing and referencing (Ref works) Group 6 | Alan Bullimore |

Thursday 20th September 2012

Time | Room | Activity | Tutor | 11:00 am – 12.00 noon | JM10 | Plagiarism – How to avoid it | John Hamer | 12.00 noon – 12:30 pm | | Break | | 12:30 pm – 15:30 pm | Concurrent sessions(see below) | Group work – pathway specificAccess to support staff | Pathway LeadersVisiting Lecturers | | | Pathway specific tutorial sessions – deconstructing the questions | Pathway LeadersVisiting Lecturers |

Pathway | Room | MSc Finance & Business Management | C414 | MSc International Business & ManagementMSc Marketing & Business Management | See noticeboard in JM10 for details during the week |

AMP Session Timetable 17th -21st September 2012 continued

Friday 21st September 2012

Time | Room | Activity | Tutor | 10:00 am –12:00 noon | Concurrent sessions(see below) | Group work – pathway specificAccess to support staff | Pathway LeadersVisiting Lecturers | 12:30 pm– 3:30 pm | | Pathway specific tutorial sessions –Developing aims and objectives | Pathway LeadersVisiting Lecturers | 3:30 pm –4:00 | | Questions and close (pathway groups) | Pathway Leaders |

Pathway | Room | MSc Finance & Business Management | C414 | MSc International Business & ManagementMSc Marketing & Business Management | See noticeboard in JM10 for details during the week |

NB: Apart from group meetings during this week, students must work on their own.

Students are required to attend ALL sessions as scheduled. Attendance will be monitored for UKBA reporting.