Individual Assessment Select a company or organisation that you may wish to work for in the future. The company can be based in the UK or internationally and may be a profit-making or not-for-profit organisation.
Assessment Brief 2025/26 – Strategic Management (MGT4023)
Please read the assessment instructions carefully to ensure full understanding of the task. If any aspect is unclear, post your questions on the Moodle Discussion Forum, and a member of the teaching team will respond.
Assessment Information
- Course Code: MGT4023
- Course Title: Strategic Management
- Course Coordinator: Catherine Owen
- Assessment Weighting: 70%
- Question Release Date: 22 September 2025
- Submission Date: 27 November 2025
- Grades and Feedback Released: 18 December 2025
- Word Limit: 2,500 words (excluding tables and references) ±10%
- Word Limit Penalty: Markers may apply a penalty if the word limit is exceeded.
1. Question / Description of Activity
Type of Assessment
- Individual
Assessment Method
- Essay
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) Assessed
This assessment evaluates your ability to:
- Critically analyse and contrast theories and concepts of strategic decision-making.
- Recognise and evaluate the significance of strategy in organisational decision-making.
- Assess an organisation’s internal and external environment using economic and strategic management frameworks.
- Identify, design, and justify strategies for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage.
- Critically evaluate factors that may impact strategic decision-making.
Assessment Task
Individual Assessment
Select a company or organisation that you may wish to work for in the future. The company can be based in the UK or internationally and may be a profit-making or not-for-profit organisation.
You are required to conduct a strategic analysis of the chosen organisation to answer the question:
Would you want to work for this organisation? Why or why not?
Guiding Questions for Your Essay
- What information and narratives emerge about how the organisation maintains its competitive advantage?
- Which analytical tools are most or least useful in your study?
- What data is easily accessible, and what is incomplete or missing?
- What are the attractive and less attractive features of the organisation or its industry?
- What trade-offs might you consider to enter this job market?
Assignment Requirements
- Conduct a critical strategic analysis of the organisation and its industry at national/international, industry, and company levels.
- Use a variety of tools and techniques taught in the course.
- Discuss the usefulness and limitations of the tools and data sources employed.
- Incorporate credible industry sources to support your argument.
- Include a minimum of ten academic sources, either related to current research in the industry or providing critical commentary on the analysis methods.
Important: Students must not contact any staff members or others within the chosen organisation. Doing so constitutes academic misconduct.
2. Assessment Rubric / Criteria
The following rubric outlines the marking criteria for the individual assessment:
| Criteria | Excellent (A1–A5) | Very Good (B1–B3) | Good (C1–C3) | Satisfactory (D1–D3) | Weak / Poor (E1 or below) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application of Tools & Techniques | Highly discerning application of a range of relevant tools and techniques; clear awareness of limitations and ambiguities. | Very good selection and use of tools; some awareness of limitations and ambiguities. | Broadly accurate application of tools; limited attention to limitations. | Mostly accurate but incomplete application; some flaws or gaps in understanding tools. | Major gaps; simplistic application or inaccuracies; over-reliance on basic descriptions. |
| Analysis | Organises and synthesises evidence to reveal insightful patterns and relationships; excellent use of academic reading. | Organises evidence to highlight important patterns; good use of academic sources. | Evidence shows some patterns; uses academic reading but limited. | Organises evidence poorly; limited academic reading; patterns not clear. | Evidence is disorganised; no meaningful synthesis; academic reading absent. |
| Argument | Strong, logical, and well-developed; assumptions explicit; original and relevant details; academic reading integrated. | Very good development; assumptions mostly explicit; details mostly convincing; academic reading used. | Sound ideas but underdeveloped; assumptions not always explicit; some appropriate examples. | Ideas contain errors; underdeveloped; arguments presented uncritically. | Simplistic, vague, or unsupported arguments; faulty assumptions; minimal academic reading. |
| Structure & Formatting | Clear headings, labelled figures/tables, title page, contents page, page numbers; consistent Harvard referencing. | Headings and labels mostly clear; full title and contents page; consistent referencing. | Mostly clear headings and labels; minor inconsistencies in referencing. | Limited or inconsistent structure and presentation; referencing inconsistencies. | Poorly presented; inconsistent format; lack of professional structure and referencing. |
3. Feedback Method
- Individual feedback will be provided via Moodle.
- Generic, class-level feedback and grade profiles will also be posted on Moodle.
- Students may attend staff office hours for additional feedback if required.
