University of Bath 1

MSc in Innovation & Technology Management (ITM)

MSc in Engineering Business Management (EBM)
ME50366 Leadership and Skills Development
Peter Mott, Debbie Janson

Formative Writing Assignment

A formative piece of work is one that helps you learn, and does not count towards your final
degree. This is a good opportunity for you to gain practice in critical and academic writing,
and a forum where you can make mistakes and learn from them.

Assignment Title

Using a current example of a breakthrough product or service, describe ONE engineering

management challenge and assess to what extent a company or organization has
successfully (or otherwise) managed this challenge.

Please submit your document electronically using the moodle link provided BY THE DATE
STATED. Your document should be in Word, PDF or Open Office format and should be no longer
than 1000 words (+10% allowance).

CRITERION EXPLANATION
Introduction The challenge is clearly introduced; the product or service is introduced.
Focus The challenge, product or service chosen is relevant; the essay remains focused
on the topic
Clarity It is easy to follow the chain of reasoning
Analysis The analysis objectively assesses the response to the challenge
Sources The argument is backed by research, including empirical (market) data.
Referencing The essay is appropriately referenced, citation guidelines are followed
Style & language The essay is well laid out and the English is grammatically correct.

HINTS AND TIPS

You should use a currently relevant product and service. You can probably think of one without too
much effort. However this assignment asks you to look at an engineering management challenge.
Examples might include : scaling up from prototype to mass production, global or cultural
considerations, dealing with political or economic changes, ensuring the long term commercial
viability, extending or expanding the product portfolio or sustainability and social responsibility.
You also need to back your findings with research. This means finding some relevant objective
empirical data about the product or service. At this stage your writing does not need to be overly
theoretical, however if you find something in (eg) the Harvard Business Review that seems relevant,
you should use it. The library has a host of resources available for searching the literature and for
locating references you find in your reading.
For this assignment, you should reference at least one (and preferably more) empirical source (this
can be for example an analyst report) and at least one academic paper. You need to reference
properly, and there is a course link on moodle which shows you how to do this.
Finally, beware of plagiarism, all sources should be acknowledged and ‘copy and pasting’ is not
allowed. For more details on how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism, see the links on moodle.

ME50366 Formative Assignment Prof. Peter Mott Sept 2022