UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY

MODULE CODE: ENGM115

MODULE TITLE: Organisations and Systems

MODULE ASSESSOR: Helen Scott

ASSIGNMENT: One of One

TITLE OF ASSIGNMENT: Assignment 1

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION CAREFULLY.

This assignment contributes 100% to your final mark.

Please ensure that you retain a duplicate of your assignment. We are required to send
samples of the student work to the external examiners for moderation purposes. It will also
safeguard in the unlikely event of your work going astray.

All assignments submitted via Canvas will automatically be checked via the Turnitin system,
which will produce a report on the level of similarity within the assignment.

THE LEARNING OUTCOMES WILL BE ASSESSED AS FOLLOWS:

Knowledge
K1. A critical comprehension of appropriate methods and tools to understand organisations and
systems.

K2. Awareness of modelling methods and tools.

Skills
S3. The ability to select and apply appropriate methods and tools to understand organisational
systems.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
You are required to submit your work within the bounds of the University Infringement of
Assessment Regulations (see your Programme Guide). Plagiarism, paraphrasing and
downloading large amounts of information from external sources, will not be tolerated and will
be dealt with severely. Although you should make full use of any source material, which
would normally be an occasional sentence and/or paragraph (referenced) followed by your
own critical analysis/evaluation. You will receive no marks for work that is not your own.

Where you are asked to submit an individual piece of work, the work must be entirely your
own. The safety of your assessment is your responsibility. You must not permit another
student access to your work.

Where referencing is required, unless otherwise stated, the Harvard referencing system must
be used (see your Programme Guide).

Submission Date and Time January 8th, 2021 (by 23.59)

Submission Location VLE

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 ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

The assignment is made up of two Part 1 and Part 2. You are

required to complete both parts.

Part 1 (70%) – Organisations and Systems analysis –

Tools/Techniques – Critical appraisal (2,400 words + - 10%)

The tools and techniques covered within the module organisations and systems are
aimed at investigating, understanding and modelling of organisations and systems.

You are therefore required to produce a critical referenced research report on the
application and current thinking on the following tools and techniques (please note
each tool and technique has an equal weighting), and the relevance of each in
analysing the case of the Virgin Hyperloop Project. See below for further
information.
Tools:
1. SWOT Analysis
2. PESTEL
3. Porters Five Forces analysis
4. Data Modelling
5. Process Modelling
Techniques:
1. Interviewing (as part of an investigatory study)
2. Questionnaires (as part of an investigatory study)

Appendices
In addition you are required to submit appendices which represent evidence of the
tools in practical application, which you should also refer to in the main body of the
appraisal. Please note that each appendix submitted must have been clearly
developed by yourself.
(Please note appendices do not count towards the word count)

Case Study Information

The Hyperloop concept proposed a form of travel using a linear electric motor to
accelerate and decelerate an electromagnetically levitated pod, through a low-
pressure tube at a speed of up to 760 mph. Using the Virgin Hyperloop Project as
the basis for your work, conduct analyses using each of the tools (1-5) and
techniques (1-2) listed above.
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The following links will provide initial guidance on the project:
https://virginhyperloop.com/
https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/introducing-
virgin-hyperloop-one-worlds-most-revolutionary-train-service
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Hyperloop
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/media.ts.catapult/wp-
content/uploads/2018/10/08153525/00601_Hyperloop-Report.pdf
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews314hyperloop.pdf

Part 2 (20%) – Organisational and Systems analysis –

Tools/Techniques applied (600 words + - 10%)

This part 2 of the assignment is split into two parts (part 2a and part 2b) and can be
based on (in) an organisation / business of your choice:

Part 2a. – Soft Systems - Rich Picture (10%)

Choose an organisation or business and generate a ‘Rich Picture’ which portrays the
customer/supplier relationship e.g. Ryanair. Your analysis should be drawn from the
perspective (viewpoint) of the customer who is using the products or services and
should consider points of potential conflict and inter connectivity between two
parties, customer and supplier.

Please state any assumptions you make when producing the model. Please note a
customer can take different forms, for example student, patient, etc.

Part 2b. – Workshop Planning (10%)

You have been asked to plan a 90 minute workshop involving staff from the
organisation of your choice. This workshop aims to develop a better working
relationship between the management and staff within the organisation, prior to the
introduction of new working practices. You are therefore required to set out a plan
and briefly discuss how you would run this workshop, from the opening introductions
to facilitating the discussion and finally to how it would be concluded. This can be
submitted bullet point form and a maximum of three pages long.

GENERAL INFORMATION

References
It is expected that you will use appropriate academic literature (journal articles and
conference papers) to support your findings. All data sources used and cited in the
report should be correctly referenced utilising the Harvard Reference System.

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An assignment should use at least ten academic literature references.

A good assignment will have at least sixteen academic references and a really good
assignment will have a lot more.

Except in exceptional circumstances all references must be less than ten years old.

References from commercial, YouTube and other web pages are to be used very
sparingly and will not be counted as an academic literature reference. Excessive
use of such web pages will be reflected in a reduction of the use of references mark,
due to using non-academic references.

A general reading bibliography must not be included.

The Harvard reference System must be used.

Failure to use the Harvard reference System will result in the ‘Use of references’
mark being 0 (zero). There will be no exceptions to this rule.
The assignment must be presented as a simple report and not an essay.

The report should be professional in its nature and of a high standard and quality.

Part 1 should be 2,400 words + - 10%.

Part 2 should be 600 words + - 10%.
The overall report should not exceed 3000 words in length + - 10%.

The reference list and appendices do not form part of the word count.

The report must be typed in ‘Times New Roman’, the body of the report being 12pt.

The report should be single spaced.

For Sunderland on-campus and off-campus students the report must be uploaded
to Turnitin using the module dropbox link in the VLE.

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The uploaded assignment must include your name and University of Sunderland
student number on the first page, failure to do this will result in a reduction of the
presentation mark given.

Marks will be awarded as follows:

Element Weighting

Part 1 – Quality, relevance and

coherence of report narrative 45%

Part 1 – Use, interpretation and

relevance of references 25%

Part 2a – Application of tool (Rich 10%

Picture)

Part 2b – Application of technique 10%

(Workshop planning)

Parts 1, 2a & 2b – Logical sequence of 10%

presentation within the report and
presentation

See marking criteria sheet and marking sheet that is below.

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Marking Criteria Sheet

A - 70% and above

 Thorough understanding of key theories and distinguishing features/factors and trends;
 Overview of the field used as a basis for independent judgement;
 Clear structure and good critical analysis;
 Tool/Technique applied to an exceptional standard;
 Appendices add significant value;
 +points below.

B – 55-69%
 Accurate description and understanding of the distinguishing factors;
 Reasonable interpretative analysis of the factors;
 Evidence of use of background knowledge and reading;
 Sound structure and good ‘flow’;
 Presence of reasonable critical evaluation;
 Demonstration of knowledge across substantive areas;
 Tools and techniques applied to a good standard;
 Appendices add value.
 +points below.

C – 40-54%
 Clear understanding of processes and factors;
 Adequate structure and evaluative conclusion;
 Question analysed and material relevant;
 Grasp of basic issues in substantive areas;
 Attempt to relate material to the essay or report question;
 Some reading in evidence and appropriately incorporated;
 Tools and techniques applied to a reasonable standard;
 Appendices add little value.

F – 39% or less
 Long on description with little or no analysis or evaluation;
 Theoretical positions (concepts) lacking or confused;
 Little evidence of use of conceptual tools or of reading;
 Irrelevant, unrelated and muddled material.
 Tools and techniques applied to a poor standard;
 Appendices add no value / not present.

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Name Number

Quality, relevance and coherence of report narrative (45%)

Poor Excellent

A simple descriptive account of

report topic □ □ □ □ □ Considerable critical evaluation
of report topic

No references to back up
report discussion □ □ □ □ □ References back up report
discussion

Irrelevant, unrelated discussion

and/or material □ □ □ □ □ Accurate, pertinent discussion
with reference to the question

Discussion is not coherent

□ □ □ □ □ Good coherent discussion

Appendices offer little insight

□ □ □ □ □ Appendices offer excellent
insight

Comments mark /45

Use, interpretation relevance of references (25%)

Reference use poor and do not

develop the discussion □ □ □ □ □ Reference use excellent with in
text citations that develops the
discussion

Very poor interpretation of

references □ □ □ □ □ Excellent interpretation of
references

No references cited
□ □ □ □ □ A considerable number cited

Comments mark /25

Tool (Rich Picture) applied (10%)

Tool/ Technique applied

demonstrates little □ □ □ □ □ Tool/ Technique applied
demonstrates excellent
understanding understanding

Comments mark /10

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Technique (Workshop planning) applied (10%)

Technique applied
demonstrates little □ □ □ □ □ Technique applied
demonstrates excellent
understanding understanding

Comments mark /10

General presentation, clarity and readability (10%)

Illogical and without structure

□ □ □ □ □ Logical and well formatted
structure

Very poor presentation and

quality □ □ □ □ □ Excellent presentation and
quality

Comments mark /10

FINAL MARK /100

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