Dr Chloe

Tarrabain
Assignment Guidance
5X217
Chloe.Tarrabain
@uwe.ac.uk
Details
• Due: 13th January 2023, no later than 2pm
• Five day uncapped ‘grace period’
• Submission: via Blackboard in a word document
• Word count: 2500 max
• Fully Harvard referenced (not included in the
word count)
 Critical Analysis of a case study in the form of
an individual written assignment based on
three topics from this module.
• Using the theory to understand the problem
The task from different perspectives
• Using theory to provide insight into the issue
• Using the theory to look critically at the
problem
Step One: Choosing a Case
Study

• 'Starbucks fired me for being three minutes late' -

BBC News

• Elon Musk declares end to remote working at Tesla

- BBC News

• Amazon workers win battle to form first US union -

BBC News

• When choosing think about links to theory-

what study units will be useful help you
understand the case?
• Think about your intrinsic interests
• You will need to research the case or
organisation
Step Two: Choosing Theories
You must choose ONE topic from the following:
• Culture
• Leadership
• Change
• Emotions • Is there data in the case study
• Power and Politics that links to the topic?
• Will the selected topics give
insight to the case?
You must also choose ONE topic from the following: • Can you make links between the
• Strategic Human Resource Management three topics?
• Resourcing
• Diversity
• Learning

You must choose your third topic from either of these lists…
Step Three: Integrating Theory with
Examples
• You should avoid description in your writing. When discussing theory this should
not be described, it should be applied to your selected case. Only use theory
where it helps you to understand the case.
• You will need to describe some aspects of the case to warrant your argument
• You will need to draw on examples from the case but these should have clear
links to theory and be used to warrant your argument
EXAMPLE of theory/ data links: Tesla pays $138 million

Manifestations of Teslas culture (Schein, 1997) can be seen where Mr

Diaz claimed black workers ‘regularly faced racist slurs on the factory
floor and racist graffiti in bathrooms’. These were based on the basic
assumptions that had formed in Tesla, that there were racialised
hierarchies. The racist culture was so commonplace in Tesla, that
workers ‘normalised’ (Foucault, 1989) such occurrences and accepted
them as part of their working life. Gramsci’s (1975) concept of
ideological hegemony maybe useful to understand events….
Step Four: Thinking about your
argument
• You need to go beyond just linking theory and practice but
use theory to understand the case
• Your paper needs to have a narrative or an argument- this is
something that will be warranted through your analysis of
the case and link the themes together E.g. This paper
argues that toxic leadership in Tesla resulted in a culture
that normalised racism and unethical behaviours…
• Your should state your argument in your introduction and
develop this throughout your paper
• It is your job to convince the reader that your argument is
‘water-tight’ which means you need to support this with
reference to the case study and the literature
 • Introduction: state the aims of your paper, the argument
and some signposting for the reader (200 words)
• Analysis: you will need to analyse the case from your
three selected topic areas, it usually works best to do
these in three separate sections. For each section of
Step Five: analysis you will need references to the literature and
examples drawn from the case. At the end of each
Suggested section, try to summarise the main argument made.
• Topic one (700 words)
Essay • Topic two (700 words)
• Topic three (700 words)
Structure • Conclusion: you will state your argument and how you
got there- there should be no surprises or new
information in your conclusion. (200 words)
• References: you need to provide a full list of your
references in Harvard format
 How you Earn Marks
Understanding of the
literature : Awareness of
Criterio and reference to a range
n of appropriate and
relevant literature (30%)
70% A Demonstrates a strong
or awareness of relevant
abo authors and theories.
ve Arguments supported
throughout by use of
relevant evidence that
has been critically
evaluated.
Linking theory and Structure: Ideas are Writing and presentation:
practice: Well-developed assembled coherently, conciseness, clarity, spelling,
arguments and effective with arguments logically grammar, and written in an
analysis combining progressed (30%) appropriate academic style (10%)
theory and practice
through the appropriate
use of case study
examples (30%)
Has shown insight in Consistently addresses Excellent presentation. Clear use
exploring theory and the question. Has a clear, of language. Referencing is
evidence with extensive informative introduction complete, accurate and follows the
critical reflection on the and conclusion. Harvard protocol.
relationship between Argument provides the
theory and practice. backbone to structure.
What do I need to do to pass?
1. Read beyond the lecture handouts- make sure that you
engage with academic literature. There is an online reading
list available on blackboard, this is a good place to start. You
can also follow up the references on the lecture slides.
2. Link theory to practice- you must draw examples from the
case and use theory to provide insight into these example
3. Make sure that you have a clear structure and logical flow. Try
to plan your writing, consider what message you want the
reader to take away from your paper and use signposts to flag
this.
4. Make sure your paper is fully referenced using the Harvard
referencing system.
What do I need to do to get a
Distinction?
1. You need to cite relevant literature and be able to critically
evaluate the theories and ideas you draw upon. This means
that you should not take theory for granted but engage with
this critically- evaluating both its strengths and weaknesses.
2. A deep and detailed integration of theory and examples from
your selected case. You must use theory to explore the case in
a deep and considered way. You must be able to show what
the use of theory uncovers. You will need to do more
research around the organisation to get more detailed
examples.
3. A clear argument that links the topics together and that is
warranted by your analysis of the case.
Further Support…
• Online drop-in 9th January 11-12pm (the
link will be provided closer to the time.