You are required to write a précis of approximately 600 words. You will be required to summarise 4 to 5 journal articles in a critical analysis, highlighting the main issues and conclusions of these journal articles. You will be provided with

Jamez

17 Apr 2025 • 10 min read

Assessment Title

Abr.
Weighting

Coursework - Precis
WRIT1
30%

Pass marks are 40% for undergraduate work and 50% for postgraduate work unless stated otherwise.

Task/Assessment Brief

This assessment is in two parts of 600 words each, totalling 1200.

Question 1

You are required to write a précis of approximately 600 words.

For this question, you will be required to summarise 4 to 5 journal articles in a critical analysis, highlighting the main issues and conclusions of these journal articles. You will be provided with 2 journal articles relevant to key theoretical approaches in management change in modern organisations with special reference to:

Organisational structure
Organisational culture
Conflict management

In your analysis, you must focus on the management of change. Your précis should cover:
a. Introduction
b. Main body
c. Conclusion

Please note that there are NO subheadings in any of these sections of the précis.

Question 2

You are required to write a précis of approximately 600 words.

You will be required to summarise 4 to 5 journal articles in a critical analysis, highlighting the main issues and conclusions of these journal articles. You will be provided with 2 journal articles relevant to organisational behaviour in various organisational contexts. In your discussion, you should focus on complex scenarios in changing organisational external environments. Your focus should be on:

Organisational behaviour in any context
The changing organisational external environment

In your analysis, you must focus on organisational behaviour journal articles. Your précis should cover:
a. Introduction
b. Main body
c. Conclusion

Please note that there are NO subheadings in any of these sections of the précis.

For this assessment, your précis must:

Be approximately 600 words for each of the questions.
Include a title for each of the questions.
Include a summary of the main text in the articles in your own words by paraphrasing the themes in the articles for each of the questions.
Include a critical analysis of the themes.
Include a flow in your analysis.
Include citations from the articles.
Include a reference list made up of the articles in both questions (one reference list for both questions).

Your précis must NOT include:

List of contents.
Subheadings.
Direct quotes from the articles.
Your own opinions or critique of the article.
Descriptions (avoid descriptive analysis).
Bullet points or numbering.

You will be provided with 4 journal articles for both questions (2 for each question). You are expected to source an additional 4 to 6 journal articles relevant to the elements of both questions. Please do NOT use more than 5 journals for each of the questions, including the ones provided by your tutor.

Focus on the main arguments of each of the journal articles.
Avoid using jargon in your writing.
Use a font size of 12 with 1.5 spacing.

Remember, your word count DOES NOT include the title and your reference list.

You must attach as appendices the first cover of each of the journal articles used for both questions, except the ones provided by your tutor.

Other Important Précis Criteria

Word Count

The précis must not be longer than 1200 words (excluding diagrams, tables, and quotations from academic references).

Word count does not include everything in the assignment. Word count starts from the Introduction through to the Conclusion. This means that the:

Title page is NOT included in the word count.
Reference list is NOT included in the word count.
Appendices are NOT included in the word count.

Referencing

All your references must be from credible sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles.

(A credible source in academic writing is one written by an expert in the subject area and edited and fact-checked by multiple other experts to ensure that the information is accurate, comprehensively researched, and as free as possible from bias.)

All the academic resources used in this précis must be accurately referenced using the Harvard referencing system. If you are unsure about what constitutes academic honesty, or if you want to learn how to quote and reference correctly, please visit the citation section of the Cardiff Met Academic Skills website:
http://tsr.cardiffmet.ac.uk/Learning/AcSkills/Skills/Pages/Citation.aspx.

Précis Style

The individual précis must conform to the following style:

12-point, Times New Roman/Calibri/Arial font.
Line spacing of 1.5 lines.
Language set as English.
Left-aligned or justified.

Word count (or equivalent):
1200 words (excluding diagrams, tables, and quotations from academic references).

This reflects the effort required for the assessment. Word counts will normally include any text, tables, calculations, figures, subtitles, and citations. Reference lists and contents of appendices are excluded from the word count. Contents of appendices are not usually considered when determining your final assessment grade.

Artificial Intelligence Models Guidance for This Assessment

Artificial Intelligence (AI) models can be a powerful tool to support your learning. The University has provided some resources to support you in its appropriate usage:

Library Services AI Hub
Student Guide to AI and Assessment
Code of Conduct for Students on the Use of AI
Cite Them Right resource on citing materials relating to AI (if permitted).

As per the academic regulations (Academic Handbook AH1_08), in all cases you must submit work that is your own, acknowledging any part of it that has been informed by another source, including that which is AI-generated. Upon submission of work, you will be asked to confirm the following statement:

"I confirm that this assignment is my own work, except where I have acknowledged the use of works from other sources, including the use of any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in accordance with what is allowable as described in the assessment brief."

Please note the following:

AI should not be used as a substitute for your own knowledge, and you should never include any material that you do not understand and could not explain if asked. Not being able to explain your work when asked is likely to be a key factor when considering cases of academic misconduct related to AI.

The following information provides specific guidance for this assessment about what level of AI use is appropriate. Remember that in all cases you must submit work that is your own, acknowledging any part of it that has been provided by another source.

NO USE OF GENERATIVE AI EXPECTED

Your assignment should be produced using information sourced by you from your learning materials and academic sources and cited appropriately.

AI tools for checking spelling, grammar, and referencing may be used.

AI ACKNOWLEDGED

You can use AI tools to learn about your topic, as part of your study, or in preparing initial guidance on assignments (e.g., headline structure, suggestions for inclusion of topics).

Any materials that you have sourced from AI should be rewritten or reconfigured and integrated into your own work and referenced appropriately. It is recommended that this is confirmed by a relevant academic source.

Any support gained from AI should be acknowledged in a statement at the end of the assignment, making clear what the support was and how you used it and developed it for your own work. Example statements are available in the Student Code of Conduct [link].

AI EMBEDDED

Use of AI is an integral and expected part of the assessment.

The explicit inclusion of AI within the assessment means that instructions on the expected use will be part of the assessment brief.

Your assessment brief will describe how you should acknowledge the way in which you used AI tools.

Submission Deadline

28th March 2025

Estimated Feedback Return Date

This will normally be 20 working days after initial submission.

Submission Time

By 2:00 PM on the deadline day.

Moodle/Turnitin

Any assessments submitted after the deadline will not be marked and will be recorded as a non-attempt unless you have had an extension request agreed or have approved mitigating circumstances. See the School Moodle pages for more information on extensions and mitigating circumstances.

File Format

The assessment must be submitted as a PDF document (save the document as a PDF in your software) and submitted through the Turnitin submission point in Moodle.

Your assessment should be titled with your:

Student ID number
Module code
Assessment ID

Example: ST12345678_MBA7100_WRIT1

Feedback

Feedback for the assessment will be provided electronically via Moodle. Feedback will be provided with comments on your strengths and the areas which you can improve. View the guidance on how to access your feedback.

All marks are provisional and are subject to quality assurance processes and confirmation at the programme Examination Board.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

Critically analyse key theoretical approaches to the management of change with reference to structure, culture, and conflict.
Critically examine organisational behaviour in a variety of contexts and develop discussion based on complex scenarios and the changing external environment.

Other Skills/Attributes Developed

This includes elements of the Cardiff Met EDGE (Ethical, Digital, Global, and Entrepreneurial skills) and other attributes developed in students through the completion of the module and assessment. These will also be highlighted in the module guidance, which should be read by all students completing the module. Assessments are not just a way of auditing student knowledge. They are a process that provides additional learning and development through the preparation for and completion of the assessment.

Ethical: The module develops students' skills in questioning sustainable people and organisations' management strategies, focusing on equality, diversity, and inclusion in terms of strong ethical foundation and compliance ability. The module also enables students to understand the importance of correctly attributing the work of others through citations, quotations, and correctly formatted reference lists, avoiding plagiarism, copying, and pasting of ideas or images.

Digital: The module equips students with the understanding of the importance of digitalisation in shaping innovative transformation in a global context. The module also focuses on using MetSearch and the University’s website as the sole sources of academic and company research, thus navigating your way around different IT systems and databases, whilst also ensuring that your research comes from reliable business and academic sources (ethical).

Marking/Assessment Criteria

To achieve a Pass:
IMPORTANT: Please also refer to the Generic Level 7 Band Descriptors, which can be found in Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Academic Handbook 2024/25 Volume 1 04.3 Guidance on Assessment Marking, Table E: Generic Band Descriptors, and in Module Essentials for this Moodle module. Students must satisfy themselves as to the assessment criteria and academic standards required to achieve certain marks as outlined above. It is the student’s responsibility to seek clarification on any of these matters prior to submitting their coursework.

Element

90-100% (Worthy of Publication)
80-89% (Excellent)
70-79% (Very Good)
60-69% (Good)
50-59% (Threshold)

Question 1 (50 marks available)

10% Identifying key elements of the main arguments in the articles.
20% Critically analysing the issues identified with emphasis on the key arguments raised and the conclusion reached in the articles.
10% Use of relevant and appropriate academic opinions and theories in the articles to underpin their answer.
10% Using correct Harvard reference format for in-text citations and in reference list.

Question 2 (50 marks available)

10% Identifying key elements of the main arguments in the articles.
20% Critically analysing the issues identified with emphasis on the arguments raised and the conclusion of the articles.
10% Use of relevant and appropriate academic opinions and theories in the articles to underpin their answer.
10% Using correct Harvard reference format for in-text citations and in reference list.

Work Which Fails:

40-49% (Not met some Learning Outcomes)
20-39% (Not met many learning outcomes)
1-19% (No learning outcomes met in full)

Assignments Which Fail to Meet the Standard Required for Masters Study:

40-49% (Unsatisfactory)
20-39% (Poor)
1-19% (Very Poor)

Who Can Answer Questions About My Assessment?

Questions about the assessment should be directed to the staff member who has set the task/assessment brief. This will usually be the Module Leader. They will be happy to answer any queries you have.

Staff members can often provide feedback on an assignment plan but cannot review any drafts of your work prior to submission. The only exception to this rule is for Dissertation Supervisors to provide feedback on a draft of your dissertation.

Referencing and Independent Learning

Please ensure you reference a range of credible sources, with due attention to the academic literature in the area. The time spent on research and reading from good-quality sources will be reflected in the quality of your submitted work.

Remember that what you get out of university depends on what you put in. Your teaching sessions typically represent between 10% and 30% of the time you are expected to study for your degree. A 20-credit module represents 200 hours of study time. The rest of your time should be taken up by self-directed study.

Unless stated otherwise, you must use the Harvard referencing system. Further guidance on referencing can be found in the Study Smart area on Moodle and using Cite Them Right (use your university login details to access the site). Correct referencing is an easy way to improve your marks and essential in achieving higher grades on most assessments.

Technical Submission Problems

It is strongly advised that you submit your work at least 24 hours before the deadline to allow time to resolve any last-minute problems you might have. If you are having issues with IT or Turnitin, you should contact the IT Helpdesk on (+44) 2920 417000. You may require evidence of the Helpdesk call if you are trying to demonstrate that a fault with Moodle or Turnitin was the cause of a late submission.

Extensions and Mitigating Circumstances

Short extensions on assessment deadlines can be requested in specific circumstances. If you are encountering particular hardship which has been affecting your studies, then you may be able to apply for mitigating circumstances. This can give the teachers on your programme more scope to adapt the assessment requirements to support your needs. Extensions and mitigating circumstances policies and procedures are regularly updated. You should refer to your degree programme or school Moodle pages for information on extensions and mitigating circumstances.

Unfair Academic Practice

Cardiff Met takes issues of unfair practice extremely seriously. The University has procedures and penalties for dealing with unfair academic practice. These are explained in full in the University's Unfair Practice regulations and procedures under Volume 1, Section 8 of the Academic Handbook. The Module Leader reserves the right to interview students regarding any aspect of their work submitted for assessment.

Types of Unfair Practice Include:

Plagiarism, which can be defined as using without acknowledgement another person’s words or ideas and submitting them for assessment as though it were one’s own work, for instance by copying, translating from one language to another, or unacknowledged paraphrasing.
Collusion, which can be defined as when work that has been undertaken with others is submitted and passed off as solely the work of one person.
Fabrication of data, making false claims to have carried out experiments, observations, interviews, or other forms of data collection and analysis, or acting dishonestly in any other way.

How Is My Work Graded?

Assessment grading is subject to thorough quality control processes. You can view a summary of these processes on the Assessment Explained Infographic.

Grading of work at each level of Cardiff Met degree courses is benchmarked against a set of general requirements set out in Volume 1, Section 4 of our Academic Handbook. A simplified version of these Grade Band Descriptors (GBDs) with short videos explaining some of the academic terminology used can be accessed for Foundation, 1st year, 2nd year, and 3rd year undergraduate and MSc programmes.

We would strongly recommend looking at the Study Smart area of Moodle to find out more about assessments and key academic skills which can have a significant impact on your grades. Always check your work thoroughly before submission.