155100009-A25/26 Introduction to Business, Management, Economics and Law 1 AS1 SOAS Assessment Brief 2025/26

155100009-A25/26 Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) Assessed

1. Describe the disciplines of Business, Management, Economics, and Law.
2. Discuss how each discipline approaches the study of major global issues.
3. Employ a wide range of academic skills and techniques appropriate for UG study in Business, Management, Economics, and Law

155100009-A25/26 Assessment Details

Assessment title: AS1

Description of the assessment, content, and structure:

Which one of the seven global issues listed below do you think will be the most important in your lifetime?

1. Globalisation
2. Global poverty and inequality
3. Multinational corporations and business ethics (CSR)
4. Corporate accountability and cross-cultural management
5. Surveillance capitalism
6. Data privacy and cyber security
7. Climate science and climate change

Demonstrate why you believe this through reference to four (4) relevant, recent academic articles.

In your 500-word answer, you should:

• Briefly explain the chosen global issue.
• Highlight key arguments involving this issue.
• Identify and describe four (4) relevant, recent academic articles (from the past 10 years) that you would consider using to support your argument.
• Use specific examples, where possible, to support your answer.

Further instructions:

Guidance Notes

• Word limit: 500 (+/- 10%). Focus your brief discussion fully on answering your chosen question.
•  You must prepare your answer in a brief essay format.
• Use the specific reading(s), lecture slides, and seminar slides that are relevant to your question as a starting point to formulate an answer. Then conduct your own wider research to answer the question. Ensure you use academic articles and relevant literature from reliable resources to inform your answer. It is not sufficient at this level to base your answer around newspaper articles and blogs.
• Do not try to use, for example, models, diagrams, charts, etc, that you do not understand or cannot explain, as this will not give you any marks. If you use any diagrams, models, charts, or data, etc, in your answer, ensure that it is clearly explained and supports your answer.
• You should complete some wider reading to answer your question and support your answer, using valid and reliable sources which should be fully referenced in the body of your paper in the form of citations and in a list of references. Use the skills you have gained in the module Academic Practice to assist your research and presentation here.
• Please ensure that you properly reference all sources.
• Remember to submit your assignment on time.
• Penalties will be applied for lateness and examples of academic misconduct.

If you are unsure of the way to reference properly, seek advice from a member of staff before you submit the assessment. The module on Academic Practice (AP) covers these academic skills.

All assignments must be submitted online via BLE/Moodle by 11:59 pm (23:59) on the due date.

Late submission of papers will be penalised by the loss of TWO percentage marks (2%) each day.
Please note that you must provide an accurate word count for all coursework submitted for assessment, and that there are fixed penalties for coursework that is over length.

Definition of Word Count

This is defined as the number of words contained in the submitted work, including quotations, footnotes, titles, summaries, and tables of contents. Appendices and bibliographies are not included. Appendices will not normally be marked, and they must not include material essential to the argument developed in the main body. Marks will be deducted for work that exceeds the prescribed word limit on a sliding scale:

Retrieval:

Students may use AI tools to find, summarise, and explore relevant information as a study aid to support the development of their ideas. This includes using AI to help understand topics, clarify unfamiliar terms, or generate initial questions. AI usage in this category supports early-stage research and exploration and should not be used to generate final written outputs or analysis.

How to use AI in this category:

• Use AI to brainstorm and explore ideas related to a specific topic.
• Summarise readings.
• Clarify concepts.
• Suggest research questions

Student Support and Guidance

• For help with Turnitin submissions, other submission types, and online exams, see Assessment Support for Students.
• For workshops, tutorials, and resources to support your academic writing and referencing, visit Study Skills on MySOAS.
• To access quality information resources for your research, use the SOAS Library Catalogue. Library Search will help you discover books, ebooks, journal articles, and past exam papers.
• To acknowledge AI output in your work, use the SOAS AI Referencing Guide.
• Explore your specific Library Subject Guide for targeted, curated resources specific to your subject.
• For further help, please contact your Module Leader during their office hours or via email.
• The marking rubric/criteria show what’s expected - use them to help you refine and improve your work.

155100009-A25/26 Marking Rubric or Criteria

Assessment Criteria

Answering the Brief: This is very much based on the extent to which your assignment adheres to the assessment brief and fulfils the task, in terms of understanding and answering the question presented. In other words, you should understand and answer the question as it is presented, providing clear evidence of this, and you should not alter it. Your reflection requires a coherent, well-organised structure: 1) a short introduction which clearly provides an outline of exactly what you will discuss; 2) a main body containing your relevant discussion and integrated argument to answer the question; and 3) an appropriate conclusion which summarises the main points of your answer to the given question. The link between your discussion and argument, and the examples or styles used to support them, should be evident to validate your thesis.

Content (Knowledge & Skills) – 50%

Your content must demonstrate thorough knowledge and understanding of the question, supported by solid academic skills. You should use the seminar reading(s) as a basis upon which to build your answer. You should apply your knowledge convincingly to your examples.

Argument (Clarity & Development / Analysis & Evaluation) – 15%

Your answer should present a proper discussion and demonstrate that you have understood the purpose of
doing so. Your ‘ideas’ should be developed clearly and coherently.

Presentation (Format, Structure & Language) – 10% and (Conclusion) – 10%

Your answer should be well-organised and presented in a clear structure, using academic English throughout, in addressing the requirements of the assignment brief. Your answer should use a developed structure and clear organisation, which shows evidence of being able to answer all aspects of the question presented. You should also write an appropriate, brief conclusion that summarises your answer. The written academic English you use should be accurate (grammar, spelling, punctuation etc), appropriate and precise throughout, clearly illustrating evidence of the independent research you have conducted, in addition to the use of appropriate seminar materials. You must use academic literature to support and inform your answer.

Literature (Use of Sources, Research, Referencing & List of References) – 15%

Academic Practice!! You should conduct proper academic research, illustrated by a good variety of academic sources to support your critical discussion, argument, analysis, and evaluation. There must be evidence of independent research, using appropriate academic literature. All sources used in your reflection should be clearly defined in your in-text citations and list of references, both of which should be presented in Harvard style.

It is important to consider the extent to which the requirements in the assessment brief have been fulfilled, and to provide evidence that the purpose of the task has been fully understood. Ensure your answer is relevant to the exact question that is given. You need to present a logical, critical discussion, including analysis and evaluation, to answer the question appropriately.