Module Name Transformation Management

Topic Name Business Process Re-engineering

Due Date 10 November 2010

•
MBA INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT

Coursework

Business Process Re-engineering

“Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is described as the analysis and design of

workflows and processes within an organization which includes business processes with
a set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined business outcome. Re-
engineering is further described as the basis for many recent developments in modern
management. The cross-functional team, for example, has become popular because of the
desire to re-engineer separate functional tasks into complete cross-functional processes.
It is the analysis and design of workflows and processes within an organization. A
business process is a set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined business
outcome. Re-engineering is the basis for many recent developments in management.

Peter Carter, an expert in BPR, describes Business Process Reengineering as the main
way in which organizations become more efficient and modernize. He continues to
describe Business process reengineering as one process that transforms an organization in
ways that directly affect performance within the business or organization.

Hammer & Champy describe BPR as the fundamental reconsideration and radical
redesign of organizational processes, in order to achieve drastic improvement in current
improvement in cost, service and speed.”

Question:

In view of the above statement, critically evaluate what Business Process Reengineering
stands for the business or organisation, carefully making detailed analyses of each step
that a business or organisation may employ in using Business Process Reengineering to
make it more efficient and profitable.
[100 marks]

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 Assessment Criteria:

(90%+) (80% - 89%) (70% - 79%) (60% - (50% - (5% -

69%) 59%) 49%)
Structure A polished Carefully and Shows Shows Disorganise No
and and logically organisation some d/ structure
organisati imaginative organised and coherence attempt to incoherent or
on approach to organise in organisatio
the topic a logical n at all
manner
Presentati Superbly Very well Good Adequately Poorly Careless
on presented presented presentation presented presented and/or
inconsisten
t
presentatio
n
Expressio Fluently Well written Well written Adequately Poorly Incoherent
n/ style written in an in an but lacking the written but written
appropriate appropriate appropriate has no
academic style academic style style academic
style
Knowledg Has addressed Has addressed Has addressed Has Some of the Fails to
e the question the question the question addressed work is address the
comprehensiv comprehensiv comprehensiv the main focused on question
ely and ely and with ely and with purpose of the aims set
imaginatively good some attempt the question and themes
imagination to demonstrate of the
imagination question
Source Extensive Significant Enough use of Some No No
material evidence of evidence of relevant evidence of evidence of evidence
reviewing reviewing material reviewing reviewing of core or
relevant relevant outside the relevant relevant associated
material material core readings material material readings
outside of the outside of the outside of outside of
core readings core readings the core the core
readings readings
Analysis Excellent Very good Good level of Some Little No
level of level of analysis evidence of evidence of evidence
analysis analysis analysis analysis of analysis
Logical Excellent Solid Good Adequate Some No
conclusion conclusion conclusion conclusion conclusion attempt at a conclusion
s related that is directly that is directly with little with weak conclusion s or
to the related to the relevant to the relevance to relevance to however it irrelevant
wording of question question the question the question has no conclusion
questions relevance to
the question
Referencin Accurate and Accurate and Accurate and Referencing Referencing No
g consistent consistent consistent with few with referencin
referencing referencing referencing mistakes numerous g
encompassing encompassing without a wide encompassi mistakes
a very broad a wide range range of ng a narrow encompassi
range of of academic academic range of ng a narrow
academic resources resources resources range of
resources resources

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 MBA INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT

Coursework

Module Name Organisation Management

Topic Name Organisation Learning and Information Technology
Management
Due Date 10th November 2010

Organisation Learning and Information Technology Management

Task:
The assignment is to develop a literature critique. (1500 words)
Note that this is not just a review of literature - you have to argue about the strengths and
weaknesses of the literature that you find.
Topic area
In order to do this you are required to research 3-4 articles in peer reviewed texts
(journals and books) that consider both of:
• Information Technology Management
And / or
• Organisational Learning
But
• NOT strategy

While you are strongly encouraged to research an aspect of more than one of these areas,
you still need to find a specific narrow research area so that you can compare articles.
One option is to select articles on one organisation or sector of business.
You may not use Intel as your research subject, or any other area where significant
peer reviewed literature has already been given out.

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Suggested Titles:
“A critique and comparison of three items of literature in [……………. a chosen area of
IT management and organisation learning].”
“A critique and comparison of three items of literature in Information Searching”
“A critique and comparison of three items of literature in Management Information
Systems”
“A critique and comparison of three items of literature in Technology Acceptance”
“A critique and comparison of three items of literature in Organisational Learning”
“Information technology has a prominent role in facilitating Organisational Learning and
establishing better communication between the people and the leadership. Discuss.”
“Discuss organisational memory loss”
Note: Any theoretical work should be fully referenced in the correct academic manner
and all web-sites should also be fully referenced in Harvard format.

A Critical Literature Appraisal

The literature critique should not merely state what has been published but a critique
should be carried out. Controversies or disagreements among academics should be
spotted and the student should endeavour to take a stand that is logically argued out.
Gaps in knowledge, ideas not fully tested and areas for further research can also be
spotted from study of existing literature. Used in this way, academic underpinning from
literature critique can provide a research question, hypothesis or problem to be
investigated. Academic underpinning can also enlighten your investigation, support your
methods (including measuring instruments) and provide criteria for evaluating your
findings.
Critiquing the Literature
The literature critique is very important as a means of establishing what is already known
about the topic you are researching, what gaps there are, and what sorts of theoretical
concepts are currently being used by researchers in the area. Your search and critique of
the literature should also enable you to refine, and maybe reformulate, the questions that
you posed at the outset, and perhaps to identify new ones that can be incorporated. While
it is important not to be overawed by the literature, it is also essential to ensure, as far as
possible, what is already known.
The process of searching the relevant literature is a means to an end. That end product is
more than a comprehensive and extensive listing of published relevant work. These
sources need to be related to one another and analysed and evaluated in a critical way
(note that 'critical' does not imply only negativity but rather an evaluation of both
strengths and limitations). On any issue of significance you will find different views,
seemingly conflicting evidence being cited and different theoretical views being
presented. It is just these existing contrasts, conflicts and differences which prompt the
questions which researchers seek to answer.
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One key feature of a literature critique is to attempt to impose an order on these
differences. This is done:
 to identify the main viewpoints and how they relate to one another, and
 to show which research evidence contributes to which arguments, and why.
A further important part of the critique process is the examination of the research
methodology used and the form of analysis of the data collected.
 Do different positions on an issue come from the evidence and its method of
collection?
 Are the conclusions justified on the basis of the evidence available?
In summary, your literature critique should be:
 relevant: to one or more of the research topics being considered; each text
discussed can be seen to bear in some significant way upon these questions/
hypotheses;
 coherent: the discussion of the different texts makes clear their relationships to
each other;
 forward looking: indicating any gaps in the literature and/or potential areas for
further exploration;
 analytical and critically reflective: not just a listing and description.

Marking Scheme:

Choice of suitable articles 10%

Critique (e.g. of strengths, weaknesses, and / or validity of 40%
articles)
Comparison of articles (e.g. of research approaches, styles, 40%
and / or findings, as appropriate)
Referencing, conclusions, and layout (including use of 10%
English)

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 For 40 to 49% For 50 to 59% For 60 to 69% For 70% +
• Write an • Write a coherent • Write a structured, • Bring the elements of
Report
understandable report clear, comprehensive the report together
Structure
report • Demonstrate in report into a coherent and
• Identify and writing a basic • Demonstrate a depth critical whole.
explain the basics understanding of of understanding of
of some key the issues that the information
issues covered by relate to your management issues
the articles research; this will that relate to your
be done through research articles
comparison of • Critically analyse,
articles and evaluate, and select
discussion in current, relevant
your text. source material
• Include in your • Quote sources to an
report accepted standard
appropriately
selected and
arranged
reference
material, and
produce an
appropriate
reference section
• Explain your • Explain your • Clearly explain your • Show clear evidence
Report
research research and research, and of how your own
Conte
discuss the critically review the ideas and critical
nt
issues. practical issues thinking contribute to
• Relate your final against the theory and understanding of the
conclusions to literature topic, built on
your findings appropriate research.
Show clear relationships • Develop a flow of
between: arguments that
• your chosen area of progress logically
research from the introduction,
• your findings through the discussion
• your conclusions and analysis, into the
conclusions.

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