BM6025-20: Business and Academic Skills Group Report

This report reflects on the skills and knowledge gained from a group presentation project, focusing on academic writing, communication, and teamwork. The student highlights improvements in writing skills, including sentence structuring, paraphrasing, and idea flow, along with an understanding of management principles, SWOT and PESTLE analysis, and data visualization. The report also details the development of active learning skills, professional writing techniques, and the ability to conduct effective research. Challenges encountered, such as language barriers in group discussions, gender pay gaps, and individual biases, are discussed along with the strategies used to overcome them. The student emphasizes the importance of collaboration, effective communication, and the use of evidence in supporting arguments, along with the application of management principles to resolve issues and enhance teamwork. The report concludes with a discussion on efficient reading skills and the presentation of research findings.

Group Poster Presentation
Skills and knowledge gained
I have gained good knowledge and control over my writing skills by writing this project of
logical and effective structuring of sentences and the ability to articulate my ideas and insights.
This project helped me in gaining academic writing skills with practise of paraphrasing, idea
flow and knowledge about the management principles. It helped me in gaining active learning
skills by studying the idea flow and structure of writer’s arguments. I have learned the
understanding of Summarizing texts and how to predict content from the sources of books,
articles and online. This project enabled me gain knowledge about SWOT and PESTLE
analysis by studying various summaries from multiple sources, the skills to describe visual
data with clarification. It helped me in getting personal evaluation with peer feedback
discussion, and I was also able to gain knowledge about language of discussion, proper follow-
up reading skills along formative note taking skills. This project enabled me to learn
professional writing skills with understanding of proper formative structure and learning to
optimize the reading. I have gained knowledge about academic style of writing by using
synonyms and passive voice, the difference in reports and essays. My skill of linking ideas and
confidence to develop an argument in group discussions enabled me to enhance my
communication skills. It improved my communication skills and enhanced my team working
techniques as I was able to generate my own viewpoints regarding the topic and generate
evidences by proper research. I was able to develop my team working skills by understanding
various viewpoints of all team members and collaborating the ideas to enhance the research
work. I have gained knowledge about paraphrasing and how to avoid plagiarism in
professional academic writing.
My skill of paragraph building is enhanced and I have learned about the importance of
references, the ability to understand and how to use evidences from other sources in writing. I
was able to read theories related to HRM policies which have helped me to understand the
importance of management principles and how it affects the environment of an organization. I
have practised about writing a research proposal and what are the prerequisites of writing a
dissertation. My knowledge regarding the topic, sources I can collect data from and the skills to
use it informatively in writing the research proposal. I have learned the importance of using
evidences, studying primary and secondary sources for writing the findings of research in an
effective manner. I have gained knowledge about presenting the work of research in a
professional manner and productively enhancing the writing skills. I was able to enhance my
efficient reading skills by studying the literature reviews, understanding the relationships about
research findings. It also helped me in developing my professional writing skills about
presenting and explaining results in charts by using statistical facts.

Challenges and how I overcame those challenges
There were several challenges I faced in working collaboratively for this project and making presentations which I was able to overcome with properly analysing the key-points where I faced the
problem and how can I resolve it. There was difficulty in language of discussion among the peer feedback discussion as there were many ideas and differences in thinking patterns were there.
This was creating a hindrance in the process of a smooth discussion. With studying the principles of management and how to collaborate ideas effectively I was able to overcome this challenge,
and I was able to gain confidence as well. There was challenge in writing professionally with high academic quality initially. But with the proper study of sources and evidences about research I
gained the practise to write in professional manners and follow the correct code of writing. In working for this project I also faced challenge of gender pay gap initially but with the study of
management principles and properly communicating this issue to management I was able to resolve my problem. There were individual differences and biases in discussion of groups, where I
was not able to communicate freely my ideas and goals about the research. With communicating issues I was able to gain confidence and share my ideas. Initially while working for this project
there was less coordination among all team members and I faced challenge in giving my opinions on presentations openly as group discussion involved many people with their personal ideas and
preferences. Studying the principles of management helped me to overcome this difficulty effectively as I was able to communicate with the proper evidences of my research and theories.