7BUSS014W Skills of the Manager-Consultant Assignment Brief 2024-25 | UoW

7BUSS014W Assessment Briefing for Both Assignments 

7BUSS014W The Assessment

• Students were asked to choose ONE skills development topic each semester (TWO in total over the two semesters) and submit a reflective report on their own, or observation of others', skills development during one of the workshops run by the University. The proportions of the report in terms of word count should be as indicated below.
• Students must have attended the workshop to gain an understanding of the subject as explained by the workshop leader and to complete a range of role plays on which the reflective report should be based.  Failure to attend a workshop will mean that you will not be able to submit coursework for that workshop.

Proposed Structure of the Assessment

The report should include the following sections:

Title page: Include the total word count, the coursework title, the University of Westminster, the date, the module code and title. Not your name nor your ID number.

(i) Abstract: This is, in practice is the same as an Executive Summary.  It should not be too long (200 - 250 words approx.) but should concentrate on what you learnt, what you are going to work on for the future, as well as what you observed in summary.  An Abstract is not the same as an Introduction because an Abstract should include a summary of the conclusions of the report, whereas an introduction explains what is going to be written about in the report and a brief explanation of the context.  The Abstract should be written in the present tense and should be read as a stand-alone summary where the reader can get all the important points.

(ii) Table of contents (on a separate page)

(iii) Introduction (10%): A short introduction should introduce the whole report and the topic. i.e. introduce the purpose, the structure of the report (“say what you are going to say”) and give a definition of the skill you are seeking to develop: what skill is it, and why is it necessary; in what circumstances would you use it. 

(iv) Summary of the skills involved in your chosen skill (15%).  From your reading and the input by the tutors, summarise what you understand to be the recommended processes underlying the skill you have chosen.  Please refer to the relevant lecture slides on Blackboard and the module reading list.  The Reading section on Blackboard will give direct access to the actual texts online.  If you wish, you can summarise your previous experiences in this area in a couple of sentences (max).

(v)Reflection on Preparation & Execution of the role plays (25%): You will get two opportunities to put your use of the above skills into action in the two role plays that we do in the workshops on the module. For each role play, you should collect examples of what is said and done at the workshop to use as evidence for your reflections, as follows:

Give a summary of the issues in each case. Then consider these questions: What did you do in terms of preparation for the role play? What was your intended strategy and objectives? What happened during each role play?  To what extent did you meet your objectives?
  
Summary of Behaviour during the role plays (25%): What behaviour did you notice during each role play?  What was the impact of your and others’ behaviour on the progress/outcomes?  What was your use of the skills summarised above in each role play? Give specific examples of what was said and done; what was the reaction of the participants to their fellow participants?

(vi)Evaluation of Performance (15%): Evaluate your team’s performance comparing it with the skills that you have identified from your reading and attendance at the workshop.  This should be in terms of the following:  

• What your team did well, including your contribution.
• What behaviour from your team or the other team hindered a ‘successful’ outcome?
• What will you do differently in future
• What have you learned about this skill?

Vii Conclusions (10%) – give a summary of the whole report, not introducing any new ideas that occur to you now unless you have discussed these above.

Additional materials or links to useful resources for this assessment: see the module Blackboard Site.

Write up sections the above in report format with an abstract, contents page, introduction, conclusions, list of reading references.  See Supplementary Reading on the Blackboard Site under Assessment Briefing for more on report writing, if you are unsure. 

The video assessment brief for this assessment can be found on the module Blackboard site under Panopto recordings.

7BUSS014W Learning Outcomes Addressed:

7BUSS014W Module Aims

• To develop a range of interpersonal management skills and techniques required in organisations.
• To develop the skills of `process awareness’ and intervention in a range of situations. 

7BUSS014W Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the module, successful students will be able to: 

• Apply the skills of self-awareness and process awareness in the relevant situations.
• Apply appropriate management, consultancy, and leadership approaches and frameworks for the facilitation and support of organisational and personal change for all stakeholders
• Critically evaluate the applicability of the range of models, intervention styles and techniques required by consultants, and their application/relevance to particular situations and contexts
• Diagnose which particular consultancy `role’ from advocate/expert to observer/reflector is required and negotiate an appropriate `contract.
• Analyse group and interpersonal processes, and use a range of facilitation skills to help individuals, groups and teams to function effectively
• Apply skills needed in coaching and mentoring.
• Apply skills needed in meetings, negotiations, discipline, grievance and conflict resolution 

Analyse the possible impact of their or others' value systems on the recruitment and selection process.

7BUSS014W Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria and weightings show you what is important in the assessment and how marks are shared across each criterion. When you are completing your assessment, remember you need to fulfil the brief and the assessment criteria below. 

The mark you receive will be influenced by the following:  

Anonymous Marking

Do NOT include your name or student number within the file name or anywhere within your submission. The submission will be subject to anonymous marking. Having logged into blackboard, the system will record your details anonymously, and tutors will only see your name after the entire submission has been assessed and provisional marks have been released to all students at the same time. 

Referencing Requirments For The Assessment

Statements, assertions, and ideas made in coursework should be supported by citing relevant sources. Sources cited in the text should be listed at the end of the assignment in a reference list. Any material that you read but do not cite in the report should go into a separate bibliography. Unless explicitly stated otherwise by the module teaching team, all referencing should be in Cite Them Right referencing format. If you are not sure about this, the library provides guidance (available via the library website pages):

The Deadline and Submitting Your Coursework Checks

Unless indicated otherwise, coursework is submitted via Blackboard. 

The deadline for submitting RESIT OR DEFERRED assessment is 14th July at 13:00 UK time. This means that your work should be fully uploaded before 13:00. The University would treat your submission as late if your work has not been fully uploaded and stored on the server before 13:00. To avoid your submission being marked as late, you should upload your work as soon as possible before the deadline and must not wait until or just before the deadline to start uploading your work.

At busy times, the coursework submission process may run slowly. To ensure that your submission is not recorded as a late submission, avoid submitting very close to the deadline.

To submit your assignment:

• Log on to Blackboard at  
• Go to the Blackboard site for this module.
• Click on the ‘Assessment’ area for the module.
• Click on the Turnitin link for the assignment to submit.
• Follow the instructions, ensuring that you have selected the correct file to upload.

Academic Support & Feedback Arrangements

For this assessment, you are advised to attend the briefing session.  There will also be a briefing during each workshop.  Also, an opportunity for academic support & feedback by email before submission. Further details are provided in the module handbook. During the workshops, there will also be opportunities to receive academic support through allocated question-and-answer sessions and through the discussion board on the module blackboard site.

After submission, summative feedback will be provided online via Blackboard, where feedback takes the form of an indication of performance on the provided making grid. You will also receive several key points of strength, weakness, and academic skills you can improve upon. We aim to provide you with this feedback within 15 working days, and after the feedback has been released online, there will also be an opportunity to meet with the marker for oral feedback. 

General feedback for the entire module will also be made via Blackboard to the module, which will discuss the key areas of shared strengths, weaknesses, and academic skills improvements. This general feedback is likely to be issued before your specific summative feedback, and we would strongly encourage you to read this feedback to improve your understanding of the module and potentially areas of weakness in your academic skills, which you could develop before your next submission within your course.