Bachelor of Business (Hons)

CORPORATE POLICY & STRATEGY

(MGT303)
FEBRUARY 2023 SEMESTER

ASSIGNMENT: ESSAY (PAIR) &

ASSIGNMENT: CASE STUDY (GROUP)
ASSIGNMENTS

▪ In your assignments be sure to include your name (short or preferred name in

brackets), Student ID# and e-mail address on the Title Page.
▪ Please also include a Table of Contents with page numbers.
▪ An Introduction and a Conclusion are required.
▪ Photographs, Diagrams etc. should be used to illuminate the text.
▪ Avoid using low credibility references such as Wikipedia, Internet sources or popular
newspapers or magazines as these will LOSE you marks.

ITEM 1: ASSIGNMENT: ESSAY (20%)

Assignment rationale:

This assignment is designed for you to:

• demonstrate an understanding on the concept of business sustainability;
• develop your skills in presenting a balanced and critical argument to the reader; and
• undertake in-depth research on some aspect of corporate strategy.

Assessment Task:

• Read the article below and write a case study based on the perspective given by its
authors.
• In preparing your case study you are required to adopt a specific company of your
choice and analyze how the said company had embraced disruptive technology as part
of their corporate strategy.
• Track the challenges the said company faced and how they mitigated those challenges
that was posed by the disruptive technologies. In doing so it is expected that students
should research the said company’s performance for the last 30 years. Therefore,
ideally students should pick a multinational company that has been in existence for the
last 30 years at least.
• A guideline for case study writing is given below. However, students may opt for other
methodologies that are also available.

Disruptive Technology and its impact on Corporate Strategy

Disruptive technology is a phrase we’ve been hearing a lot lately. While the concept of
business disruption is nothing new, it is an accelerating trend that shows no signs of
slowing down anytime soon.

Disruptive innovation or technology was formally defined by Harvard Business professor

Clayton Christensen in a 1995 HBR article and subsequent book entitled Innovator’s
Dilemma. In short, disruptive innovation is a concept, product, or service that disrupts an
existing market or creates a completely new market segment. Disruption occurs when an
existing market’s value drivers significantly change.

Warren Black illustrates this point in a talk on the Fourth Industrial Revolution when he
says, “Electricity wasn’t invented to improve the performance of the candle.”
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What typically happens is a company enters a particular market with a new technology
and/or business model that provides different and better value than more established firms.
Note that “disruption” doesn’t just include technology but business processes as well.

One example of a disruptive technology is the SaaS or “software as a service” business

model, which is something we all have become more familiar with in recent years. Rather
than paying a hefty price tag for software programs on an individual computer or on-site
server, the SaaS model delivers software for a small monthly fee.

Salesforce’s customer relationship management (CRM) tool was a pioneer in the SaaS
space. Although struggling at first, Salesforce’s availability, flexibility, and ease of
maintenance, or a combination of new technology and a unique business model, ultimately
led to widespread adoption and displacement of older firms.

How does disruptive technology go from initial concept to displacing established market
players?

Contrary to what you may think, disruptive technologies start off slow and are typically
not profitable in the beginning. The new technology, like SaaS in the early 2000s, only
appeals to a small market niche – the early adopters – who are looking for new solutions,
because they feel the existing solutions don’t effectively meet their needs . Therefore,
most established companies will opt to focus their resources on “sustaining innovation”
(i.e., improving existing technology), especially considering that the existing customer
segment is the most profitable.

Disruption begins to take place when the needs and preferences of consumers becomes
more in alignment with what the new technology offers.

Established companies eventually catch on but it is often too late. While they are quite
good at meeting the needs of customers through improvements to existing technology,
most fail to anticipate what customers in the future will demand. Larger more established
firms rarely pioneer new technologies that initially only appeal to small, niche markets.

After all, this sort of innovation can be hard to justify since it means diverting resources
from meeting the needs of current customers and fending off competitors to creating
something new for an insignificant or (currently) nonexistent market.

While established companies by and large do a great job of focusing on their existing
customers, they are also often oblivious to up and coming technologies in emerging
markets. According to a 2017 survey from Innosight, many executives see existing market
players as their biggest competition and not new entrants to the market. I imagine that is
what the executives of giants like Borders, Sears, and Kodak thought…until they were
unable to reverse the downhill course of their companies.

Although bureaucracy, arrogance, and short-term thinking does play a role in a company
being disrupted, the core reason leading companies are displaced is that they stay too close
to existing customers. Executives rely too much on past successes and fail to appreciate
the abilities of new entrants to the market until it’s too late.

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Avoiding this fate requires established companies to not be reactionary but instead take
informed risks. Taking a reactionary approach to the adoption of disruptive technologies
can lead to “shiny-object syndrome.” A client fell victim to this mindset…there were no
principles or goals guiding its technology investments. A solution sounded fantastic when
discussed, but implementation led to extremely inefficient processes, staff overwhelm, and
dissatisfied customers.
A recent article exploring disruptive technology though suggests a very blanket,
reactionary approach, thus prompting today’s topic. Technologies like machine learning,
AI, and block chain may be disruptive for some industries, but AI for example has been
used in retail for a long time.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, including this one on remote work, taking a
proactive, strategic approach instead of a reactionary one is crucial for organizations to
adapt and thrive in the decades ahead. It is also a key difference between traditional risk
management and ERM.

In his book Prepare to Dare, author and former strategic risk manager for LEGO Hans
Læssøe summarizes the different levels of risk management from basic to progressive.
He explains that to survive and thrive in the onslaught of change expected in the years
ahead, companies need a certain level of disruptive capability. These companies will seek
ways to leverage key risks into opportunities and look for areas of disruption or business
development in a deliberate and systematic way. As Hans states:

The actions and decisions applied for doing disruptions or disrupting your industry may
not be seen as risk management as such – and so be it. However, it is all the tools and
processes of risk management that enables an organisation to do it successfully.”

Business development and disruption is a more advanced use of risk management tools.
Not every organization is equipped to do this right out of the gate as there are different
foundational elements that must be in place first. However, once these are in place, a few
questions (from Hans’ book) you can ask to gauge your company’s level of disruption
capability include:
Do you actively scout for disruptions made by others – in other industries?
Do you actively and broadly scout for options of creating disruption?
Do you actively seek the opportunities of applying your business strengths into other
industries?
Does your development strategy embed explicit risk taking?

The story of human advancement has been one of disruption, whether it’s Gutenberg’s
printing press, Henry Ford’s assembly line, or the more recent growth of Amazon, Uber,
and Airbnb.

Simply reacting to these changes will inevitably lead to irrelevance, but by taking a
methodical, strategic approach, your company will be well-equipped to survive and thrive
in the 21st century.

Is your company harnessing risk management in pursuit of disruptive technology?

The pace of disruption will only intensify in the years ahead. To share your thoughts on
this trend and where the future may be headed, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment
below or join the conversation on LinkedIn.
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And if your company is struggling to use risk management for building a strategic
advantage in your industry, I invite you to visit my consulting firm website Strategic
Decision Solutions to learn more about how we help companies take smart and informed
risks to maximize business performance.
Source: https://www.erminsightsbycarol.com/about/

Guideline for Case Study Writing

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or
other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate key themes and results that help
predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice,
and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater
clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case
study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships
between two or more subjects.

I. Introduction
As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers
to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study. The introduction to a case study research
paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but
you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to
addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good
introduction answers these four questions:
What is being studied? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis
[the case] you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what
elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
Why is this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research
problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is
designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps
lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize
prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately
address the problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have
been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of
analysis.
How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why
your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about
the research problem.
Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions
to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis
that requires more in-depth background information.

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II. Literature Review
The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it
is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature
review is focused on providing background information and enabling historical
interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is
intended to address. This includes synthesizing studies that help to:
Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study
being investigated. This would involve summarizing studies that have used a similar
subject of analysis to investigate the research problem. If there is literature using the same
or a very similar case to study, you need to explain why duplicating past research is
important [e.g., conditions have changed; prior studies were conducted long ago, etc.].
Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the
reader why this case is applicable. Your literature review should include a description of
any works that support using the case to investigate the research problem and the
underlying research questions.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study. If applicable, review
any research that has examined the research problem using a different research design.
Explain how your use of a case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new
perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies. This refers to
synthesizing any literature that points to unresolved issues of concern about the research
problem and describing how the subject of analysis that forms the case study can help
resolve these existing contradictions.
Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research. Your review should examine any
literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the
subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of
approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for
additional research.
Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill.
Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to
understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of
understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important!].
Collectively, your literature review should always place your case study within the larger
domain of prior research about the problem. The overarching purpose of reviewing
pertinent literature in a case study paper is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly
identified and synthesized prior studies in relation to explaining the relevance of the case
in addressing the research problem.

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III. Method
In this section, you explain why you selected a particular case [i.e., subject of analysis]
and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate
in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies
depending on the type of subject of analysis that constitutes your case study.
If your subject of analysis is an incident or event. In the social and behavioral sciences, the
event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and
place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative
to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on
a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways
of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident
case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the
process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives
about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to
be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to
challenge an existing hypothesis. Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section
should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it
take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; and, c) what
were the consequences of the event in relation to the research problem.
If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual
to be studied and describe what experiences they have had that provide an opportunity to
advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about
this person which might help the reader understand the significance of their experiences
that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has
had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using them as the subject for
a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the
subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to
examining the research problem [e.g., why is one politician in a particular local election
used to show an increase in voter turnout from any other candidate running in the
election]. Note that these issues apply to a specific group of people used as a case study
unit of analysis [e.g., a classroom of students].
If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place
suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this
uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research
problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to
the research problem [e.g., physical, social, historical, cultural, economic, political], but
you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new
understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a
particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you
are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, explain why
you are studying Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable,
describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study
[e.g., prior research suggests Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

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If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or
circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in
question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass
anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the
social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a
complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the
phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small
trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that
ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research
questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied
to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut off? How might
knowing the suppliers of these trucks reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial
support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a
cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their
environment in some way.
NOTE: The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence
that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis
should clearly support investigation of the research problem and linked to key findings
from your literature review. Be sure to cite any studies that helped you determine that the
case you chose was appropriate for examining the problem.

IV. Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research
paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings
from your analysis of the case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper
may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a
case study, it is common to combine a description of the results with the discussion about
their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:
Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings
Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of
analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe
the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct
proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or
especially profound.
Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important
Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they
are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your
most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure
to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations
or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being
careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of
your conclusions.

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Relate the Findings to Similar Studies
No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has
absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should
relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions
raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis.
This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps
support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your
case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.
Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings
Remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove.
When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible
explanations revealed by the case study results, rather than just those that fit your
hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the
case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to
what scholars have stated in prior research if that is how the findings can be interpreted
from your case.
Acknowledge the Study's Limitations
You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing
the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity
to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the
discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study
could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to
your research can be found here.
Suggest Areas for Further Research
Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there
are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings
that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be
sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and
that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the
original assumptions of your study.

V. Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple
language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior
research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of
key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research
problem. If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the
limitations of your case study and any need for further research.
The function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1) reiterate the main argument supported by
the findings from your case study; 2) state clearly the context, background, and necessity
of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue,

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controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place to
persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that
the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.
Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:
If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these
points for your reader.
If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or
if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main
points and explain their significance.
Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration of the case study's findings that
returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that
emerges from your case study findings.
Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in or the preferences of your
professor, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence
presented as it applies to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the
nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will
depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid
Overgeneralization
One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends
and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing
conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the
results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it
would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in
Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other
Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence
from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates
were better for girls who were engaged with social media, but this observation would only
point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a
part of your original research agenda.
Failure to Document Limitations
No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem.
Therefore, just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study, you
must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis. For example, the
case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in
Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh
water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood more in
terms of managing access rather than preserving access to a scarce resource.

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Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications
Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to
be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived
from your findings. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis,
particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research.
For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where
and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration
speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure
you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your
analysis that leave the reader questioning the results.

NOTE:

This assignment must be completed in pairs.

Assignment must be written in an essay format applying all academic formalities.
When there is evidence that a student has plagiarised sources or there are other forms of
cheating, zero marks will be awarded to the student for that particular assignment.

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ITEM 2: ASSESSMENT TASK (GROUP PROJECT)

PROJECT: INCORPORATION OF GREEN OCEAN STRATEGY FOR AN SME (20%)

Rationale

The aims of this assignment are:

• To provide you with an opportunity to apply and explain concepts addressed.
• To develop cognitive and practical skills by applying theoretical concepts to
practical, organizational situations.
• To develop analytical skills by analyzing situations and actions that management
might take in response to a given situation.
• To develop research skills through in-depth research on this particular topic.

Task Preparation

By capturing and shifting the demand to new and social driven market spaces, the Green
Ocean Strategy allows companies to turn their pro-activeness into long-term
competitiveness and sustainably.

Your task is to identify an SME of your choice and by applying the Green Ocean strategy,
construct a corporate strategy for the firm that can steer the company to a new direction
within the next 3 years.

Assessment Task (Group Project)

1. This assignment focuses on developing a corporate strategy for a Vietnamese Small

Medium Size (SME) company by applying the Green Ocean strategy to steer the
company into a new direction to remain sustainable. Your team is to act as an external
consultant to the selected company.
2. Your team can select any SME of your choice in any in any industry.
3. The aim of this task is to assist the said company in their pursuit to reengineer the
company to become a regional or global player post Covid 19 pandemic.
4. Based on the Green Ocean strategy model prepare a comprehensive corporate strategy
plan for the company.
5. Pay careful attention to issues like the milestones that reflects its strategic plan, and its
stance on expansion and sustainability.
6. Your strategic business solution should be between 3,000-3500 words.
7. Harvard or APA referencing should be used. The marking criteria are shown below,
which can be used as a framework of for the business plan.
8. Students will be assigned to Groups early in the Semester to maximise learning. The
groups will (as far as possible) comprise a mix of gender, work experience, nationality
etc. Each group should have 5 members only.
9. All the theories used must be referenced appropriately. When there is evidence that a
student has plagiarised sources or there are other forms of cheating, zero marks will
be awarded to the student for that particular assignment.
10. This assignment should be written in a report format.
11. An individual activity log should be submitted with the written report.

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ITEM 3: CLASSROOM CONTRIBUTION/PRESENTATION (10%)

This item will be assessed based upon your contribution to discussions in the class and
active participation. Students would be given mini cases or journal materials to be
reviewed and to be presented in class. A total of 10 presentations would be expected from
students throughout the semester. The task can be individual or group oriented. 10% may
not seem very much but it can make a difference between a Fail and a Pass and a Credit or
a Distinction. Students would be awarded 1% for each presentation. However if students
do not participate/present/contribute to the work on the stipulated week then they would be
awarded any marks for that week. All presentation must be done in power point and a soft
copy must be submitted to the lecturer one day before the presentation date. Failure to do
so would also result in non-awarding of marks.

ASSIGNMENT ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

Note:
Assessments 1 and 2 will be graded using the below rubrics.

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 Marking Rubrics:

Ratings
Below Unsatisfacto
Category Criteria Outstanding Competent Average ry Marks
Has covered
reasonably
well within
the confines
Comprehensive of the given Totally off
Relevance to exploration of literature for Topic not tangent from
Question the topic. this course. fully covered the topic.
Asked (10-9 marks) (8-6marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Has used more Has used at Has used at
than three least two least one
theories in theory in theory in No theories
Effective Use discussion discussion discussion were used.
of Theory (5 marks) (4-3 marks) (2-1 marks) (0 marks) /5
Has
attempted to
Critical be critical No element
comment and a but does not of
personal show discussion,
Topics synthesis of the personal Discussion is very
Discussed in issues shown. synthesis too brief narrative.
Depth (10-9marks) (8-6marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Content A reasonably
balanced
Discussion put summary of
forward has Has the issues as Unreflective
absolute attempted reflected in personal
consistency systematic the course comment,
Logically with flow of exploration study incoherent
Developed thought. of the topic. materials. argument.
Argument (10-9 marks) (8-6 marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Some
explanation,
Regular illustration
support and support
Detailed provided is provided No support
Integration of support from from the from the from
Reference literature. literature. literature. literature.
Material (5 marks) (4-3 marks) (2-1 marks) (0 marks) /5
Demonstrated Demonstrate Demonstrate Demonstrate
wide d good d fair d poor
Variety of understanding understandin understandin understandin
Viewpoints of the topic with g of the topic g of the topic g of the topic
Expressed excellent with some with no with no /10
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Category Criteria Ratings Marks
reference made reference reference reference
to contemporary made to made to made to
thought on the contemporar contemporar contemporar
investigated y thought on y thought on y thought on
topic. the the the
investigated investigated investigated
(10-9 marks) topic. topic. topic.
(8-6marks) (5-3marks) (2-0 marks)
Attempted to
show Thoughts Did not show
independent were any
Demonstrated thinking but developed originality or
strong element did not fully based on creative
Originality and of independent explore the known thought in
Creative thinking thought. paradigm. work.
Thought (10-9 marks) (8-6marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Originality Course
materials
Wide range of were used
reference effectively,
material used without Used course Course
beyond reference material material was
Goes Beyond suggested in the made beyond reasonably poorly
Basic Course course material that. well. utilized.
Material (10-9 marks) (8-6 marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Minor flaws Major flaws
Virtually in grammar , in grammar ,
flawless Few flaws in spelling and spelling and
Language language grammar and clarity of clarity of
Fluency and proficiency spelling sentences. sentences.
Style (5 marks) (4 marks) (3 marks) (2-0 marks) /5
Opening
Virtually paragraph
flawless simply
Style and
presentation, restates the
Presentation
conforming to topic. Structure
Well all expectations confused, not
Organized and of format and Few flaws in Some major discernible,
Clear structure. presentation. points missed not explained
Framework (5 marks) (4 marks) (3 marks) (2-0 marks) /5
Below 3% Within 3% - Between 5% More than
range of word 5% range of - 7% range of 7% range of
Reasonable length word length word length word length
Length (5 marks) (4 marks) (3 marks) (2-0 marks) /5
Flawless Few flaws in Minor flaws Major flaws
Acknowledge referencing academic in academic in academic
Referencing
ment of method, formalities formalities formalities
Sources conforming to (4 marks) (3marks) (2-0 marks) /5
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Category Criteria Ratings Marks
expected
academic
formalities
(5 marks)
Only used 4
10 -19 or below
More than 20 sources used 5-9 sources sources to
sources used to to complete used to complete the
complete the the complete the assignment o
assessment, of assignment assignment only referred
which more of which of which to 30% and
50% and more 30% - 49% 30% - 49% below to
are journal are journal are journal journal
Wide Range of articles. articles articles articles
Sources Used (10-9 marks) (8-6 marks) (5-3 marks) (2-0 marks) /10
Total /100

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 Assignment No.: __

Assignment Cover Sheet

Student Information (For group assignment, please state names of
Grade/Marks
all members)
Name ID

Office
Module/Subject Information
Acknowledgement
Module/Subject Code

Module/Subject Name
Lecturer/Tutor/Facilitator

Due Date
Assignment Title/Topic

Intake (where applicable)

Word Count Date/Time

Declaration
. I/We have read and understood the Programme Handbook that explains on plagiarism, and I/we testify
that, unless otherwise acknowledged, the work submitted herein is entirely my/our own.
. I/We declare that no part of this assignment has been written for me/us by any other person(s) except
where such collaboration has been authorized by the lecturer concerned.
. I/We authorize the University to test any work submitted by me/us, using text comparison software, for
instances of plagiarism. I/We understand this will involve the University or its contractors copying my/our
work and storing it on a database to be used in future to test work submitted by others.

Note:1) The attachment of this statement on any electronically submitted assignments will be deemed to
have the same authority as a signed statement.
2) The Group Leader signs the declaration on behalf of all members.

Signature: Date:
Email:

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 Feedback/Comments*
Main Strengths

Main Weaknesses

Suggestions for improvement

Student acknowledge feedback/comments

Grader’s signature Student’s signature:

Date: Date:
Note:
1)A soft and hard copy of the assignment shall be submitted.
2)The signed copy of the assignment cover sheet shall be retained by the marker.
3)If the Turnitin report is required, students have to submit it with the assignment. However, departments may allow
students up to THREE (3) working days after submission of the assignment to submit the Turnitin report. The
assignment shall only be marked upon the submission of the Turnitin report.
*Use additional sheets if required.

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Honesty and Responsibility

Academic integrity is an important tenet for HELP University (the “University”). In
pursuit of the highest standards of academic integrity, the University holds its students to
the highest ethical standards defined by the Rules and Regulations section of the
Academic Handbook. All students studying a HELP University programme are subjected
to and are bound by the Student Academic Misconduct Rule to assure academic honesty.
Students are required to sign a pledge on the assignment cover sheet before submitting
your assignments.

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is academic dishonesty or academic theft, and it is a serious academic offence.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the followings:
1. quote, paraphrase or summarise someone else’s ideas, theories or data, in whole or
in part, without appropriate acknowledgement;
2. borrow ideas, opinion or words, in whole or in part, from other sources without
properly crediting the author(s);
3. use any facts, statistics, diagrams or graphs, in whole or in part, without
acknowledging the source clearly;
4. claim or imply original authorship of someone else’s ideas, theories or data, in
whole or in part, as your own;
5. employ or allow someone to help to revise, amend or write your work and pass off
as your own original work;
6. collaborate with or allow other students to copy your work; and
7. draw on sources more than what you have acknowledged by citations.

While a student is not discouraged to discuss an assignment with his/her friends or

classmates, the work he/she submits must be done by the student alone. If a student shares
his/her assignment with other students and they plagiarise it, the student is as guilty as
those students who plagiarised his/her assignment. All parties to plagiarism are considered
equally guilty. Under no circumstances should a student be involved in collusion with
other students unless he/she is permitted to work on an assignment jointly by the
lecturer/tutor. If a student is unsure what constitutes plagiarism, he/she is obliged to
consult the lecturer/tutor on the matter before submission of his/her assignment.

When and How to Reference?

Knowing when and how to cite is a student’s responsibility. If he/she is in doubt or need
more help on this matter, the student may consult the lecturer/tutor. The following list
comprises some of the sources a student will need to reference. The list is by no means
exhaustive, but simply consists of the most common sources used by students to complete
their work.

1. Books
19
 2. Chapters in books
3. Journal articles
4. Conference papers
5. Newspaper articles
6. Magazines
7. Websites
8. Study guide

Students are advised to cite in the following cases [1]:

1. When he/she quotes two or more words verbatim, or even one word if it is used in
a way that is unique to the source;
2. When he/she introduce facts that he/she have found in a source;
3. When he/she paraphrase or summarise ideas, interpretations, or conclusions that
he/she find in a source;
4. When he/she introduce information that is not common knowledge or that may be
considered common knowledge in your field, but the reader may not know it;
5. When he/she borrow the plan or structure of a larger section of a source’s
argument (for example, using a theory from a source and analysing the same three
case studies that the source uses);
6. When he/she build on another’s method found either in a source or from
collaborative work in a lab;
7. When he/she build on another’s program in writing computer code or on a not-
commonly-known algorithm; and/or
8. When he/she collaborate with others in producing knowledge.

In general, a referencing system requires two parts:

1. In-text citations
This is information about a source within the text of an assignment.
2. List of references
This is a list of all sources a student has used to research his/her assignment. It is
alphabetically arranged by author surname and appears immediately after the last
page of an assignment.

Different faculties or departments may have different requirement on how referencing for
an assignment should be done. The various formats used for in-text citations and list of
references are available in the following websites:
1. Harvard System
(http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/library/subjectsandsupport/referencemanagement/harv
ard))
2. Chicago Style (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/index.html)
3. American Psychological Association or APA Style (http://www.apastyle.org)
4. Modern Language Association of America or MLA Style
(http://www.mla.org/style)

Once a student has selected a referencing style for his/her assignment, he/she must follow
the same style consistently throughout the assignment. We strongly suggest that the
student consults the lecturer/tutor about which method to use before submission of his/her
assignment.
1
http://www.yale.edu/bass/writing/sources/plagiarism/warning.html, accessed May 18, 2008.

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Penalties for Plagiarism

The Turnitin Similarity Index for all programmes offered should be not more than 15%.

Penalties for plagiarism ranges from mark reduction for the assignment to expulsion from
the University. If plagiarism has been found to have occurred, the action(s) taken will be
determined by the forms of plagiarism implicated:

1. Complete plagiarism
Verbatim copying another person’s work without acknowledgement
- To be referred to a panel2 for further investigation. If the student is found to
be guilty, a grade “FL” is to be awarded for the subject.

2. Substantial plagiarism (Turnitin Similarity Index ≥ 30%)

Near-verbatim copying another person’s work by simply altering the order of the
sentences or the format of presentation or by changing a few words or phrases
without acknowledgement.
- Based on a report submitted by the lecturer in charge of the subject, a Zero
mark will be awarded for the said assessment.

3. Minimal plagiarism (Turnitin Similarity Index ≥ 15%)

Paraphrasing by changing and/or eliminating some words without proper
acknowledgement.
- Based on a report submitted by the lecturer in charge, a deduction of up to
50% of marks the student is entitled to receive for the said assessment.

Pleading ignorance or unintentional plagiarism does not constitute valid reasons for
plagiarism and will not avoid the penalties from being imposed. Excuses for acts of
plagiarism such as the following, but not limited to, will not be entertained:
1. I don’t have time to do the assignment
2. I have too many assignments due on the same day
3. I don’t know, I really didn’t do it
4. I am not aware
5. I don’t understand what plagiarism means
6. I have no intention to plagiarize
7. I forgot to cite the reference
8. I forgot to include the bibliography
9. My English is not good
10. My lecturer/tutor did not explain to me
11. In my country, it is alright to copy someone else’s work
12. My friend copied my assignment when I let him/her to look at my assignment
13. My friend copied my assignment when I allow him/her to use my laptop
14. I did my assignment in the computer lab, someone must have copied my work
15. I asked my friend to submit my assignment and he/she copied my work
16. I discussed my assignment with my friends, so our answers are the same/similar
17. Even though I do not have in-text citation but I have bibliography/reference list

2
The panel consists of the HoD as the Chair and 2 to 3 senior academic staff.

21
Students should be reminded that it is their responsibilities to take due care throughout
their written work to effectively reference or cite when they use others’ ideas from any
source.

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