Implementing Strategies in Business

This assignment content outlines the criteria for assessing student performance in implementing strategies. The assessment is based on four main areas: contributing effectively to critical debates, evidence-based argument and justification, professionalism, and business-like writing. The criteria range from 0% (fail) to 70% or above (pass). Students are required to demonstrate strategic thinking techniques, understanding of the prevailing context, adoption of selective approaches, and contribute to a critical and evidence-based argument justifying their strategic choices. Proper Harvard referencing and professional presentation are also essential.

ASSIGNMENT FRONT SHEET
Student Name:
Certification: I certify that the whole of this work is the result of my individual effort and that all
quotations from books, periodicals etc. have been acknowledged.
Student Signature: Date:
Student Registration Number:
Student email address :
Programme : MBA All routes Year/Level : 1/7
Academic Year : 2018/19 Trimester : 1
Module title : Implementing Strategies Assignment no. : 1
Module code: BUS7AQ Word guide: 3000/equivalent
Percentage Weighting of this assignment for the module: 100%
Issue date : Return date : 01 January 2019
Lecturer : Dr Jan Green Second marker : tbc
Notes for students :
1. Electronic copy of assignment must be submitted
2. 10% of marks are awarded for satisfactory use of language and/or good presentation.
3. 5% of marks are awarded for satisfactory referencing and/or presentation of a bibliography where either is
required. Note that all referenced work should be obtained from credible sources.
4. Students should ensure that they comply with Glyndwr University’s plagiarism policy.
5. Students should make correct use of the Harvard referencing method.
Learning Outcomes Tested in this Assignment :
1. Critically review the concepts of strategy, strategic thinking and strategy as practice
2. Critically evaluate the strategic context within which an organization is competing
3. Provide a critical judgement of ways in which organizational resources and capabilities contribute to
strategic performance
4. Formulate a relevant strategy and justify the choices making a contribution to the overall strategy
Overall Comment :
Mark (%)

Would students please note that achievement of the learning outcomes for this assessment is
demonstrated against the assessment criteria shown below (which are not necessarily weighted
equally). All marks/grades remain indicative until they have been considered and confirmed by the
Assessment Board
Assessment Criteria Marks
Awarded
Marks
Available
1
Demonstrate the ability to contribute in an effective manner to a
critical debate which requires strategic thinking techniques to
initiate strategy as practice 20
2
Insight into the prevailing context within which the organization
which is the subject of the assignment is required to operate and
compete, supported by illustration 20
3
Adoption of a selective approach to the ways in which resources
and capabilities contribute to strategic success 20
4
Contribute to a critical, evidence based argument which justifies
a strategic choice and route for the organization 25
4
Harvard referencing principles are applied throughout the
submission in the correct manner. Authentic and academic
sources have been utilised to support each section of the work
Omitting to reference correctly reduces work to a descriptive
level only.
05
5
The work, both oral and written is presented in a professional
and business-like standard and incorporates an introduction and
summary. Sections and contributions are clearly identified with
a sub-heading. International business English that is correctly
structured and applied throughout.
10
Additional Comments from Second marker or External Examiner (if required) :

MBA – Implementing Strategies – October 2018
“Water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental
integrity and the alleviation of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable
for human health and well-being” -United Nations
Introduction
Whilst the debate related to global climate change remains somewhat inconclusive from a scientific
perspective, the incidents of more extreme weather occurrences in various parts of the world are
increasingly evident. Temperature records are being equalled and surpassed in many parts of the
world, prolonged periods of drought are followed by intense rainfall and subsequent flooding due to
dry ground conditions. Forest fires are more frequent, take longer to get under control and damage
extensive areas of land.
Recordings of cattle stampeding towards water containers being brought into water-stricken areas of
Western Australia earlier in the year illustrated the outcome of water shortages. Cattle were being
slaughtered and grain exports being reduced to meet domestic shortfall as the measure of rainfall
deficiency was being classified as serious to severe in September 2018 in the Bureau of Meteorology,
Monthly Drought Statement (Source: bom.gov.au).
The price of vegetables and bread is predicted due to the summer weather, the Centre for Economics
and Business Research in September 2018, reported the following:
 Wholesale vegetable prices had jumped between March and July, with onion prices up 41%,
carrots by 80%, and wheat for bread by a fifth
 The farm gate price of butter has climbed 24% since March, as hot weather hampered grass
growth for grazing.
 Meat prices are set to rise due to a shortage of livestock feed.
A weekly price monitor is available on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/wholesale-fruit-and-vegetable-prices-weekly-
average
Governments are united in the view that the increasingly precious and precarious supply of water
requires greater prominence and attention from a political, societal and economic perspective to
alleviate the need to introduce legislation related to water. In the UK the Environment Agency has
commented on the need for action to reduce climate change and the consequences. This is at the
heart of all that they Agency does. They make a stark statement: “We cannot do this alone.” (Source:
evidence.environment-agency.co.uk – cost estimation for flood storage summary of evidence, March
2015)
Discussions between governments resulted in the issuing of a tender document which has three core
strands:
1. Design and implementation of an overarching strategy based on a critical, evaluative and
detailed contextual analysis related to the ongoing supply of drinking water. To achieve the
expected depth the tender document requests that, for the purposes of the first meeting, the
focus is restricted to one country or geographical area. Factors of relevance include buffer
zones, community input and culture. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has several
strategic initiatives, source: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-4512
2. A creative and contemporary assessment of integrated marketing communications techniques
and the effectiveness of brand management, which contributes to differentiation. of relevance
to the range of stakeholders involved in the supply and consumption of water. A presentation
of the contents will be required.
(Source: Maibach, Roser-Renoug and Leiserswitz,2008)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2008.08.016 - Communication and Marketing As Climate
Change

3. Proposed solutions include the excavation of new reservoirs in locations where there is
sufficient rainfall to justify the expense or the installation of a desalination plant, which in 2015
was estimated to cost in the region of $100 million to serve 300,000 people (McGovern on
quora.com ) Other sources of relevance include: aurora.auburn.edu and broadleaf.com.au).
Financial considerations are initial investment costs versus benefits and the payback period
which require business intelligence and relevant financial data and interpretation.
Implementing Strategies – you are invited to attend an extraordinary board meeting of the new global
consortium Water Water Nowhere (WW) on Tuesday, 04 December 2018 at 9.00 to debate and
present the following brief (roles to be agreed during tutorials):
Assignment Brief
What strategic vision, mission, statements and objectives support the transformation of
Water Water Nowhere to Water Water Everywhere, with sufficient clean to drink and use in
commercial entities? You have a green field to write these aspects of the strategy and this
should be undertaken as a group of senior managers. (20 marks)
Produce a contextual brief from which Water Water Nowhere would need to draw upon in
order to implement the proposed strategy in part one. (20 marks)
Identify and review, from a critical perspective, the use and application of resources and
capabilities as contributory aspects of strategic implementation of WWN. (20 marks)
Propose and recommend at strategy which WWN should adopt in order to address issues
identified in the contextual analysis . (25 marks)
Remaining 15 marks are for referencing and presentation.

Masters level Marking Criteria
No work has been submitted in the time allowed, or the work submitted
demonstrates little or no understanding of the task or the subject matter.
This may be evident where the work is substantially incoherent, irrelevant or
lacking in factual content, or where these shortcomings are present in
combination such that the work as a whole is unsound. Major errors of fact,
or evidence of substantially poor cognitive or other relevant skills will also
lead to a fail.
Fail:
Marks
below
30%
The work shows some knowledge and required skills are present to a
degree. There may be appreciable error or omission of facts, poor
structure, misdirection to the task, or poor conceptualisation or
illustration of the work. Evidence of analysis and evaluation is weak.
There will be indications in the work that the candidate is capable of
improving it by further application to the task
Fail:
Marks in
the range
30% –
39%
The work contains sufficient descriptive information. There is some
analysis and explanation with appropriate illustration and example,
and some attempt to evaluate. The work will generally be coherent
and relevant, it will contain some useful proposals or solutions related
to familiar solutions and there will be some attempt at originality. It
will be communicated clearly.
Pass:
Marks in
the range
of
40% –
49%
The work contains all the necessary contextual information. There
will be adequate analysis, explanation and conceptualisation, with
appropriate illustration and example, and sound attempts to evaluate
and judge. The work will be substantially coherent and will contain
relevant and feasible proposals or solutions related to familiar
situations, some responses to uncertainty or ambiguity and some
acknowledgements of the implications of change.
Pass:
Marks in
the range
of
50% –
59%
The work will contain complete explanations using most available
information. There will be substantial analysis; the ability to recognise
evidence, use ideas, conceptualise, evaluate and judge in familiar
situations will be clearly demonstrated. Proposals or solutions will be
contextually relevant and useful, with substantial evidence of the skill
necessary to operationalize them in a variety of situations, including
those in which uncertainty, ambiguity or change are present. The
work will provide evidence of originality and of useful knowledge
transfer to novel situations. It will be coherent and convincing.
Pass:
Marks in
the range
of
60% -
69%
The work will clearly demonstrate the ability to analyse accurately,
reliably and fully, all relevant information; to use evidence; to
conceptualise, evaluate and judge; to propose and operationalise
effective solutions, and to show substantial originality and creativity in
a variety of familiar situations or in the face of ambiguity, uncertainty
or change. It will demonstrate valuable knowledge transfer and
propose feasible solutions for a wide range of situations. Evidence of
the ability to innovate will be present.
Pass:
Marks in
the range
of 70%
and above

BUS7AQ – Implementing Strategies – Assignment Observation – 04 December 2018
Student Contribute
effectively to
critical debate
Evidence based
argument and
justification
Professionalism Overall mark
Assessment Criteria Marks
Awarded
Marks
Available
1
Demonstrate the ability to contribute in an effective manner to a
critical debate which requires strategic thinking techniques to
initiate strategy as practice 20
2
Insight into the prevailing context within which the organization
which is the subject of the assignment is required to operate and
compete, supported by illustration 20
3
Adoption of a selective approach to the ways in which resources
and capabilities contribute to strategic success 20
4
Contribute to a critical, evidence based argument which justifies
a strategic choice and route for the organization 25
4
Harvard referencing principles are applied throughout the
submission in the correct manner. Authentic and academic
sources have been utilised to support each section of the work
Omitting to reference correctly reduces work to a descriptive
level only.
05
5
The work, both oral and written is presented in a professional
and business-like standard and incorporates an introduction and
summary. Sections and contributions are clearly identified with
a sub-heading. International business English that is correctly
structured and applied throughout.
10

MBA - BUS7AQ – Implementing Strategies – Assignment
Observation – 16 December 2018
Student Contribute effectively
to critical debate / 15
Evidence based
argument and
justification /15
Professionalism/
Business-like /5
Overall
mark
35

MBA - BUS7AQ – Implementing Strategies – Assignment
Observation – 16 December 2018
Student Contribute effectively
to critical debate / 15
Evidence based
argument and
justification /15
Professionalism/
Business-like /5
Overall
mark
35