Authorised: Dean of School

Owner: Dean of School

Approved by: SQC
Date: 28th June 2004
Revised: 17th July 2006
Ref: UWBS038g Assessment Briefing for Students

MG4047 Systems for Operations Management

UWBS038g Assessment Briefing 1 for Students
Academic Year: Semester 1
2010 / 11

Module code: MG4047 Module title: Systems for Operations Management

Subject Area: M&E Marketing & Enterprise Module Leader: Russell KENNARD
Assessment brief number 1: Component Weighting:
Operations Strategy contribution 50%

Assessment Brief/ Task 1

Many SME owner-managers dismiss the relevance of academic approaches to operations

management despite recognising they trade in a complex global environment.
Task 1 is to critically examine the four perspectives of operations strategy discussed in the key text
with reference to an SME in an O.E.C.D. member country.
You should begin by formulating what are the SME’s competitive role and position, and objectives;.
You must include a diagnosis of which stage of operational contribution has been reached. You are
expected to consider the impact upon the SME’s operations strategy of it’s sector/industry.

Important requirements

Mode of Working: Individual

Presentation Format: Report

Grade required to pass: D

Assessment limits: no more than 3,000 words (+ or – 10%)

Hand in date: UW SEM1 Teaching Week 13 ‘Assessment Week’

th
4pm Thurs 16 December 2010

Assessment should be marked for the attention of: Russell KENNARD

Preferred hand in location: MI Building, City campus.

Note:
Expensive or elaborate bindings and covers of written submissions are not required in most instances.

Always submit an electronic copy of your written work as well as a paper copy.
Always keep a copy of your work.

Always keep a file of working papers (e.g. photocopied articles) that support the sources used in your work.
The following detail is important when:
Preparing for your assessment
Checking your work before submission
When interpreting your grade and feedback after marking. (Note that your work will not be returned to you so always
keep a copy of your work for this purpose.)

Learning Outcomes Tested [Ref. QASD/CeLT MST B 4b 1.]

At the completion of the module, the student is expected to be able to:

Critically evaluate the role and strategic implications of operations management and
information systems supporting this function within a complex global environment.

Assessment Criteria 1. Formulation of competitive role, position and objectives.

• Clarity of discussion.
• Use of chosen SME material illustration, e.g. with respect to operations
typology (4 V’s).
• Relevance of sector/industry research framing SME in a complex global
environment.
•
2. Critical examination of operations strategy perspectives.
• Discussion of strategy content & process.
• Demonstration of understanding of differences b/w Top-down; Bottom-up,
Marketing Requirements and Operations Resource capabilities and the
part information systems plays in informing these perspectives.
• Degree of insight developed from case study.
•
3. Operational stage diagnosis.
• Evidence of understanding of Wheelwright and Hayes’ model.
• Strength of argument supporting diagnosis.
•
4. Presentation.
• Standard of Academic Writing.
• Accuracy of referencing (N.B. Harvard convention).
• Use of diagrams, charts, tables, etc.

Performance descriptors See Feedback sheet for Grade Descriptors.

(by grade)
NB The University of Wolverhampton utilizes a six-point assessment grade scheme
for its modular taught postgraduate programmes. The scheme recognizes four pass
grades (A, B, C, and D) and two other grades: E (indicating retrievable fail) and F
(Fail). Student feedback will show alphabetical module grades only.
To help you further:
• Refer to module guide for contact details of module leader and Departmental Administrator
• Resit details will be posted on WOLF

Detail of tutorial inputs, etc. Session 3 Chs 1-3 ‘Big Ideas’ summary/ discussion

Session 4 EBiz/Commerce overview.

Session 5 Assessment Briefing FAQ Review, Q&A., incl. referral to

Report Format guidance:
http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/4b.html

Recommended reading and
other sources
(Where different from module
guide listing)
ABS Quality Journal Guide vers. 4 (March 2010)
ENT-SM-BUS http://www.the-abs.org.uk/?file=468
Intute Virtual Training tutorial: ‘Internet for Business & Management’
http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/tutorial/business/

EndNote
http://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/skills_for_learning/endnote.aspx

.
Avoiding Academic Misconduct

Warning
Collusion, plagiarism and cheating are very serious offences that can result in a student being expelled from
the University. The business school has a policy of actively identifying students who engage in academic
misconduct of this nature and routinely applying detection techniques including the use of sophisticated
software packages.
Avoid Collusion
The business school encourages group working, however to avoid collusion always work on your own in
order to complete your individual assessments. Do not let fellow students have access to your work before it
is submitted and do not be tempted to access the work of others. Refer to your module tutor if you do not
understand or you need further guidance.
Avoid Plagiarism
You must use available and relevant literature to demonstrate your knowledge of a subject, however to avoid
plagiarism you must take great care to acknowledge it properly. You should therefore always use of the
Harvard style referencing system in all cases.
(For further guidance go to www.wlv.ac.uk/lib and from the menu that then appears, make these choices in
turn: Referencing, Harvard Citation).
Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else's work and passing it off as your own. This includes
incorporating either unattributed direct quotation(s) or substantial paraphrasing from the work of
another/others. For this reason it is important that you cite all the sources whose work you have drawn on
and reference them fully in accordance with the Harvard referencing standard.
Extensive direct quotations in assessed work is ill advised because:
It represents a poor writing style that is unlikely to meet the pass grade marking criteria, and it could lead to
omission errors and a plagiarism offence could be committed accidentally.
Maximising the benefits of team working
Individual assessment must represent an effort prepared and submitted by you. It will contain your
solutions to exercises set during the delivery of the module. (Your submission may reflect some contributions
arising from group working and classroom presentations).
Always:
Maintain a file of evident (e.g. academic papers used in preparing your assignment)
Submit a digital copy (CD ROM) of all written assessments in addition to paper copies.