Assessment Information/Brief 2021-22

To be used for all types of assessment and provided to students at the start of the module.
Information provided should be compatible with the detail contained in the approved module
specification although may contain more information for clarity.

Module title Economics and Management

CRN 40560/40646 (Jan)

Level 4

Assessment title
Assignment 1 - Economics
Weighting within This assessment is worth 50% of the overall module mark.
module

Submission deadline 4:00pm Friday 11th March 2022

date and time
Students with a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) should check
their RAP to see if an extension to this submission date has been
agreed.
Dr Simona Barresi
Module
Email: s.barresi@salford.ac.uk Office: Maxwell 505b
Leader/Assessment set
by

How to submit
Your report should be in Microsoft Word format. The Microsoft Word
file MUST be submitted electronically through Turnitin®. The final
version of the completed assignment must be submitted to the
correct Assessment Submission folder when it is ready for marking.
The Microsoft Word filename should have the following format your
student roll number_ Economics (e.g., @979613422_
Economics.docx).

For submission advice and guidance (including help using Turnitin),

please see your Assessment Support Module listed under your
modules in Blackboard. This module contains the draft submission
area for using Turnitin for text matching and originality report.
Originality reports highlight where text matches against sources in
Turnitin giving you a chance to make sure you have referenced your
work appropriately.

Assessment Information/Brief
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 As the University will mark assessments anonymously where this is
possible, please use your student roll number and not your name on
your submission.

In this assignment you are required to write a well-structured essay

Assessment task details
that addresses the following two tasks:
and instructions
Task 1: According to Statista Research department (2021) “In the
first half of 2021, the housing market in the United Kingdom (UK)
saw a surplus in demand and number of agreed sales, but also a
constraint on new supply and stock of homes for sale”. By
investigating good quality sources, you should identify and discuss
two determinants of supply of new houses and two determinants of
demand in the owner-occupied housing market that you believe are
currently affecting the housing market in the United Kingdom.
It is expected that relevant graphs showing the impact of each
identified determinant (ceteris paribus) on the demand or supply
curve (i.e. movement along the curve or shifts of the curve) and in-
text citations will be used to effectively support discussion.
(70% of marks)
Task 2: Climate change and environmental sustainability are
gradually becoming key issues for people and governments around
the world. Considering that the construction sector has massive
direct and indirect impacts on the environment, you should
investigate and discuss two-three negative externalities associated
with the construction sector/construction activities. It is expected
that relevant official data/statistics and in-text citations will be used
to support discussion.
(30% of marks)

The key issue in both tasks will be the degree of effort and analysis.
Good quality sources are expected to be independently investigated
and discussed in your own words. Relevant official data/statistics
should be used to support discussion where appropriate. Purely
descriptive assignments will not secure the highest grades.
Please note the following:
(i) The essay should focus on analysing theory and existing
publications. It should include a combination of synthesis of
knowledge gained from existing texts and your own opinions
based on facts.
(ii) Students are required to acknowledge all sources from
which they obtain information, by including in-text citations
and references in The APA 7th (Harvard) Style of referencing.
(iii) The main emphasis in referencing should be on good quality
secondary sources such as official reports, articles, and

Assessment Information/Brief
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 relevant textbooks. Students can also cite good quality
websites.
FORMAT
Students must produce individual Microsoft Word essays. All
submissions should have a cover sheet/title page and should be
clearly structured. The cover sheet/title page should include the
following information: assignment title, your programme of study
(PMC, QS, etc.), your study mode (FT/PT) the module name, the date,
your roll number (e.g., @979613422), and the total number of words
included in the essay (i.e., word count).

A brief introduction and a conclusion should be included. A Reference

List should also be included at the end of the essay. In-text citations
and the APA 7th (Harvard) Style of referencing must be used (see
https://www.salford.ac.uk/skills/referencing/apa-7th-edition ).

Essay basic structure example:

- Cover/title page with all requested information
- Introduction: briefly introduce what is going to be
discussed in your essay
- Body
o Task 1: discuss determinants of demand and
supply as requested in task 1
o Task 2: discuss negative externalities as requested
in task 2
- Conclusion: Briefly summarize key points discussed in your
essay
- Reference List (APA 7th Harvard Style)

Informative headings/subheadings should be used in this

essay to clearly present your material

Checklist:
The following checklist will help you to better organise your work.

• Understand the assessment tasks and requirements – contact

the tutor to clarify unclear aspects

• Review the relevant module material

• Research and review relevant literature to ensure you can

proficiently discuss the requested topics in your own words

Assessment Information/Brief
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 • Ensure that the essay is well presented and focused on the
requested topics/tasks

• Ensure that the requested graphs and in-text citations are

used to support discussion in task 1

• Ensure that relevant official data/statistics and in-text

citations are used to support discussion in task 2

• Check clarity, flow of discussion and use of citations to

appropriately reference your sources. Use the APA 7th
referencing style for in-text citations (in the body of your
essay) and in the reference list at the end of the essay

• Submit your work in the draft submission area of the

Assessment Support module (in Blackboard), to produce the
originality report and ensure that the essay does not contain
a large amount of text copied from other sources

• Adjust the length of the essay to meet the word limit

requirements (2000-2200 words) and include the word count
in the cover page of the essay

Note: The final version of the completed assignment must be

submitted to the correct Assessment Submission folder in the
Economics and Management Blackboard module space.

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

Knowledge and 1. Demonstrate knowledge of key economic concepts and theories

Understanding in the context of the construction industry.
2. Demonstrate awareness of current economic issues and their
impact on the construction and property sector.

Practical, Professional or
1. Develop independent learning skills
Subject Specific Skills
2. Develop competence in the use of a range of research sources,
in both paper and electronic format, to discuss economic
theories.
3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate economic topics in a
professional, ethical, and unambiguous fashion

Assessment Information/Brief
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 The aims of the Economics and Management module are:
Module Aims
1. To introduce basic economic concepts and principles of the economic
environment in which the construction and property sector
operates.
2. To develop awareness of current economic issues and understanding of
the contribution of the construction industry to the
national economy.
3. To introduce management and organisational theories in the
construction context and to develop awareness of common
management challenges in the industry.

The essay should be at least 2000 words to a maximum of 2200

Word count/ duration (if
words excluding title/cover page, reference list and bibliography (if
applicable)
any).

Word count allocation guidance

• Introduction: approximately 5% of the word count should be
allocated to the introduction (e.g., 100 words)
• Task 1: approximately 65% of the word count should be
allocated to task 1 (e.g., 1300).
• Task 2: approximately 25% of the word count should be
allocated to task 2 (e.g., 500).
• Conclusion: approximately 5% of the word count should be
allocated to the conclusion (e.g., 100 words)

Penalties for exceeding word count/ duration

Assessment length is set for guidance of effort and to control
marking load. If you submit a report which exceeds the number of
words stated above, the exceeding words/content will not be
considered for the purpose of grading and feedback. Content
beyond this point will not contribute to the determination of the
awarded mark and you may receive comments on your ability to
appropriately summarise information, focus on relevant issues, etc.

You can expect to receive coursework marks and feedback within 15

Feedback arrangements
working days of your submission.

Formative feedback will be provided during the coursework

consultation/discussion session and during tutorials/drop-ins.
During these sessions, students will have the opportunity to receive
individual support and to receive formative feedback on the
assessment, as the lecturer will be available during these times to
review one coursework draft per student. The deadline to show a

Assessment Information/Brief
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Support arrangements
askUS
Good Academic Conduct
and Academic
Misconduct
Assessment Information
Personal Mitigating
Circumstances
Assessment Information/Brief
draft of your work to the module lecturer is two weeks before the
submission deadline. Formative feedback will help students to
develop and improve.
Note: Drafts submitted in the draft submission area of the
Assessment Support module (in Blackboard) are not reviewed by the
tutors.
You can obtain support for this assessment by contacting Dr Simona
Barresi during tutorials, office hours/drop-in sessions or via email.
Dr Simona Barresi can be contacted via email regarding any
aspect of this assignment. A reply can be expected within 3
working days, if you do not receive a reply please email again
stating that the email is a second request for support.
To allow you the best opportunity to succeed in the assessment, you
will have opportunities to practice use of the specific knowledge and
skills being assessed by completing given exercises/activities.
Attendance and active participation during these exercises/activities
is therefore crucial.
The University offers a range of support services for students
through askUS.
Students are expected to learn and demonstrate skills associated
with good academic conduct (academic integrity). Good academic
conduct includes the use of clear and correct referencing of source
materials. Here is a link to where you can find out more about the
skills which students need https://www.salford.ac.uk/library/skills.
Academic Misconduct is an action which may give you an unfair
advantage in your academic work. This includes plagiarism, asking
someone else to write your assessment for you or taking notes
into an exam. The University takes all forms of academic
misconduct seriously. You can find out how to avoid academic
misconduct here.
If you have any questions about assessment rules, you can find
further information in Blackboard in the Assessment Support area.
If personal mitigating circumstances may have affected your ability
to complete this assessment, you can find more information about
personal mitigating circumstances procedure here.
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 If you have any concerns about your studies, contact your Personal
Personal Tutor/Student
Tutor or your Student Progression Administrator.
Progression
Administrator
You should look at the assessment criteria to find out what we are
Assessment Criteria
specifically looking at during the assessment.

Marks for your assessment (i.e., task 1 and task 2) will be allocated
based on the following assessment criteria.

1. Well-presented essay (including informative 10%

headings)

2. Depth of understanding of relevant theory and 40%

identification of key issues

3. Development of an informed discussion and relevant 30%

application to the housing sector [Task 1] and the
wider construction industry [Task 2]

4. Effective and appropriate use of references in 20%

supporting discussion

Please note that, as clarified during the first week and during the
Coursework consultation session, Task 1 is worth 70% of the overall
assignment mark and Task 2 is worth 30% of the overall assignment
mark.

MARKING SCALE
At Undergraduate Level 4, 5 and 6 the following marking scale shall
be used:
Outstanding 90% – 100%
Excellent 80% – 89%
Very good 70% – 79%
Good 60% – 69%
Fair 50% – 59%
Adequate 40% – 49%
Unsatisfactory 30% – 39%
Poor 20% – 29%
Very poor 10% – 19%
Extremely poor 0% – 9%

Assessment Information/Brief
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 MARKING SCHEME

Outstanding 90% – 100%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate outstanding clarity of
focus, include what is important, and exclude irrelevant issues.
Students will critically discuss key issues in both tasks in the specified
context and demonstrate outstanding critical awareness of relevance of
issues. The essay will include an outstanding description of the requested
key determinants in the UK housing market and an outstanding discussion
of key externalities associated with construction activities/sector.
Discussion will demonstrate an exceptional level of understanding and will
be supported by up-to-date data/information, relevant graphs (i.e.,
movements along the demand/supply curve and shifts of the curve) and
examples when appropriate. Works graded in this category will be of an
outstanding standard. All ideas and analysis will be outstandingly
introduced and articulated by considering relevant data. The essay will add
extra input from a variety of top-quality sources (e.g., books, journals,
reports, and relevant websites) to support arguments, in addition to own
thinking and analysis. Essay presentation and appropriateness of
referencing will be exceptional. Outstanding levels of research, effective use
of good quality citations to support discussion and correct use of the
requested reference style will be clearly demonstrated.

Excellent 80% – 89%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate excellent clarity of focus,
include what is important, and exclude irrelevant issues.
Students will critically discuss key issues in both tasks considering the
specified context and demonstrate critical awareness of relevance of issues.
The essay will include an excellent description of the requested key
determinants in the UK housing market and an excellent discussion on
externalities associated with construction activities/sector. Discussion will
demonstrate an excellent level of understanding by using up-to-date
data/information and relevant graphs (i.e., movements along the
demand/supply curve and shifts of the curve) and examples when
appropriate. Works graded in this category will be of an excellent standard.
All ideas and analysis will be exceptionally introduced and articulated. The
essay will add extra input from various excellent sources (e.g., books,
journals, reports, and relevant websites) to support arguments, in addition
to own thinking and analysis. Essay presentation and appropriateness of
referencing will be excellent. Excellent levels of research, effective use of
good quality citations to support discussion and correct use of the
requested reference style will be demonstrated.

Very good 70% – 79%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate very good clarity of focus
and include most of what is important.
Students will proficiently discuss the main key issues in both tasks
considering the specified context. The essay will include a very good
detailed description of the requested key determinants in the UK housing
market and a very good discussion on the main externalities associated with
construction activities/ construction sector. Discussion will demonstrate a
very good level of understanding by using some up-to-date

Assessment Information/Brief
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 data/information and some relevant graphs (i.e., movements along the
demand/supply curve and shifts of the curve) and examples when
appropriate. Works graded in this category will be of a very good standard.
All ideas and analysis will be very well introduced and articulated. The essay
will add extra input from various good quality sources (e.g., books, journals,
reports, and relevant websites) to support arguments and demonstrate
research. A very good level of own thinking and analysis will be
demonstrated. Essay presentation, independent research and
appropriateness of referencing will be very good. Effective use of good
quality citations to support discussion and correct use of the requested
reference style will be generally evident.

Good 60% – 69%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate clear scope and focus, with
minor omissions or unnecessary issues.
Students will discuss relevant issues in both tasks considering the specified
context. The essay will include a good description of some of the requested
main determinants in the UK housing market and a good discussion on
relevant externalities associated with construction activities. Discussion will
generally demonstrate a good level of understanding by using some
relevant data/information and some graphs (i.e., movements along the
demand/supply curve and shifts of the curve) and examples when
appropriate. All ideas and analysis will be well introduced and articulated.
The essay will generally demonstrate good levels of communication and
contextualisation of the discussed information, with possible limitations.
The essay will add extra input from some good quality sources (e.g. books,
journals, reports, and relevant websites) to support arguments. Essay
presentation and appropriateness of referencing should be good. Good
independent secondary research will be generally demonstrated, with
possible deficiencies in choice and synthesis of secondary sources. Good use
of citations to support discussion and good use of the requested reference
style will be generally evident. Works graded in this category may need to
be better contextualised, to use the requested graph more effectively, or
may present a limited level of own analysis of key issues or independent
secondary research.

Fair 50% – 59%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate fair and evident scope,
with some omissions and unnecessary issues.
Students will discuss some of the main issues in both tasks in the context of
the UK housing market/construction industry. The essay will include a fair
description of the requested determinants in the UK housing market and a
fair discussion of externalities associated with construction
activities/sector. Discussion will demonstrate a reasonable level of
understanding by using some relevant information and relevant graphs and
examples when appropriate. All ideas and analysis will be properly
introduced and articulated, with possible limitations in terms of
contextualisation, identification of key factors/externalities, use of graphs,
or clarity of discussion. The essay will add some extra input from few good
quality sources (e.g. books, journals, reports, and relevant websites) to
support arguments. A fair level of own thinking and analysis will be
demonstrated, with possible limitation in the analysis of key issues. Essay

Assessment Information/Brief
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 presentation will be acceptable. Limited independent secondary research,
with deficiencies in choice and synthesis of secondary sources will be
evident. The use of citations to support discussion and/or reference style
may need improvements. Works graded in this category may need to be
better contextualised and may present a limited level of own analysis, focus,
or research.

Adequate 40% – 49%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate adequate scope and focus,
with omissions and inclusion of various irrelevant factors/issues.
Students will discuss few relevant issues in both tasks. The essay will include
an adequate description of few of the requested key determinants in the
UK housing market and of externalities associated with construction
activities/sector. Discussion will be mainly generic, demonstrating an
adequate level of understanding, with limitations in terms of awareness of
relevance of issues in the specified context. The work will be presented in
an acceptable style. Students might also demonstrate adequate ability to
reference according to the Harvard style. Works graded in this category will
generally include references to a very limited number of good quality
sources and very few/no relevant examples and/or graphs. There will be
room for improvements, particularly in terms of identification of relevant
factors/externalities, own analysis, explanation of ideas, clarity of
discussion, sharpness of focus, level of research, effective/appropriate use
of in-text citations to support discussion and/or use of correct referencing
style.

Unsatisfactory 30% – 39%

Assignments in this mark range will not be appropriately scoped, with
significant omissions and focusing on irrelevant issues.
This will be a submission demonstrating an unsatisfactory understanding of
the requested determinants and an unsatisfactory description of
externalities. Essay presentation and level of discussion will be inadequate.
Particularly in terms of understanding of key issues, own analysis,
explanation of ideas, sharpness of focus and level of research. Works graded
in this category will generally be brief or not appropriately covering the
requested tasks and will generally include references to very few sources or
to irrelevant sources.

Poor 20% – 29%

Assignments in this mark range will demonstrate poor knowledge and
understanding of the requested topics, with no awareness of relevance of
issues.
Relevant discussion will be very brief or showing significant
misunderstandings which prevent coherent discussion. Extremely limited
and largely unsuccessful attempt at analysis. Poor levels of communication
will be demonstrated, discussion will lack clarity and contextualisation.
Discussion will be generally vague, displaying lack of focus and
understanding.
The essay will be poorly structured and will demonstrate lack of ability to
cover all requested tasks. Major deficiencies in terms of layouts, informative
headings, relevant tables and figures might be evident.

Assessment Information/Brief
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 The essay will demonstrate poor/no research or inclusion of
irrelevant/inappropriate sources. Poor use of citations and/or reference
style. Major omissions and irrelevant discussion will be evident.

Very poor 10% – 19%

Assignments in this mark range will show significant misunderstandings
which prevent coherent discussion and analysis of relevant topics.
Discussion will be irrelevant or extremely brief and vague with various
contradictions/errors/omissions. Very poor knowledge and understanding
of the discussed topics, with relevant elements omitted, will be evident.
The essay will be very poorly presented and will demonstrate lack of ability
to cover all requested tasks. Extremely limited communication skills will be
demonstrated. Discussion will be difficult to understand and will
demonstrate no meaningful use of any secondary source material.

Extremely poor 0% – 9%
Assignments in this mark range will show no awareness of scope of topic or
any relevant issues.
The essay will show significant misunderstandings which prevent coherent
discussion and analysis of the requested topics. Extremely poor knowledge
and understanding of the requested topics and omission of major relevant
elements will be evident. No ability to discuss the requested tasks will be
demonstrated. Discussion will be extremely brief or extremely unclear and
will demonstrate no meaningful use of any secondary source material. No
attempt to present work in acceptable format will be evident.

Your assessment is eligible for in year retrieval. If you are eligible for
In Year Retrieval
this scheme, you will be contacted shortly after the feedback
Scheme
deadline.

If you fail your assessment, and are eligible for reassessment, you
Reassessment
will need to improve your work and resubmit during the
reassessment period, by 4pm, Friday TBA July 2022. The
reassessment assignment brief will be the same as the original
assignment brief (i.e., same tasks and requirements).

For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances for

absence/non submission, this will be your replacement assessment
attempt.

Assessment Information/Brief
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