THE COURSEWORK ESSAY
1. You are expected to build on the knowledge of UOP topics outlined above. It is essential that you work with relevant theories around bureaucracy, post-bureaucracy and leadership to support your analysis of RENCARE’s structure and Steve Tooker’s leadership style.
2. It is also essential to integrate UOP theories with organisational practices at RENCARE. Utilise theory to make sense of what is happening in the case study. Support theories with detailed evidence of why and how these apply to the examples from the case study.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking for example by:
– Developing a line, or lines, of reasoning or argument
– Questioning the applicability and usefulness of what you have read
– Comparing and contrasting the relevance of your chosen theories/ models
– Commenting on the limits and relevance of different theories and models
4. Build a balanced argument that does not represent the structure as only good or as only bad; or the leader as only good or as only bad. Remember there are always two sides to any story
5. Do not spend your word count ‘describing’ theories or ‘describing’ in too much detail the examples from the case study. Description should be kept to a minimum the emphasis should be on discussion, analysis and building an argument.
6. Do use the full word count.
7. Do use Harvard Referencing.
8. Do make sure you submit your own work and do not plagiarise from other sources or students as we do use Safe Assign software.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The main focus of assessment in UOP is based on 3 key elements and your work will be assessed against these criteria:
1. Knowledge: this is your ability to identify appropriate theories, to understand their purpose and what they mean and then your ability to demonstrate this knowledge in a scholarly manner.
Key Questions: Do you demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts that you have been taught to you in this module? I.e. In UOP lectures, the module textbook and core readings, in seminar activities and other relevant scholarly resources.
2. Analysis: this is working with theory in practice, making connections between what a given theory says and how it connects to the world of work. This is your ability to apply theory to organisational situations, experiences or events, and to use the theory to analyse and to understand them better.
Key Questions: What insights does a given theory offer to your understanding of organisational situations? How can you apply the theories you have learned to yourself, your own experience, the experience of others, to groups, and/ or to organisations so that it helps you to make sense or what is happening or might happen in the future?
3. Evaluation: this is your ability to make a judgement about the theories you have learned and used. This requires you to a adopt a questioning and critical approach rather than just an acceptance and description of concepts. This requires you to question concepts in the light of your experience of using them in your analysis – do they serve to explain, to enlighten, to predict? You can also offer ‘academic’ critique, recognising that ideas have context, assumptions, claims to knowledge and consequences and that others may have different or even opposing views.
Key Question: How do the ideas you have learned help you to understand behaviour in organisations? Does a given theory help you to think differently about organisations? How? Why? Why not? Are there different, and sometimes opposing, ways of thinking about organizational issues?
4. Structure: this is your ability to fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. This requires you to present your ideas in order that makes most sense to a reader. Structuring your essay according to a reader’s logic means examining your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds.
Key Question: Do the ideas presented are logically sequenced? Does this essay builds into a coherent argument? Are the sources used referenced accurately and fully by using Harvard referencing style?
Your final mark will be calculated by weighted average of the four criteria: Knowledge – 30%, Analysis – 30%, Evaluation – 30%, Structure 10%.
A 10% reduction in your overall mark for your coursework may be applied as a result of the use of inappropriate resources, which are not academic/ scientific. An indicative (but not exhaustive) list includes: Wikipedia; BizEd; BusinessBalls; BusinessStudiesOnline; Ebea; Tutor2u; TopMarks; RevisionStation; BusinessCaseStudies; Tes; RewardLearning; RevisionGuru; Mindtools; UKEssays; Smallbusiness.chron
Refer to blackboard for a more detailed assessment criteria mark sheet that we will be using to mark your coursework and exam. You will also review and discuss these mark sheets in one of your seminars.
REFERENCING
For details of how to reference according to the conventions of UWE Harvard, please visit the Referencing section of the university’s study skills webpages http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/referencing/uweharvard.aspx.
