MG408: Report on Graduate Challenge Activities and Skill Development

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the MG408 Graduate Challenge, focusing on four key activities: the debate challenge, presentation challenge, T-shirt challenge, and hotel challenge. It explores the business angles inherent in each challenge, highlighting how they relate to real-world scenarios. The report further identifies the skills developed through these challenges, including communication, emotional intelligence, teamwork, time management, and various business competencies. An action plan is presented, outlining strategies for further skill development over the next three years of university study. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of continuous skill development and the value of creating a structured plan for achieving personal and professional growth. References include a list of relevant academic journals and books.

MG408 Graduate Challenge

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
The challenges.................................................................................................................................3
The skills..........................................................................................................................................4
Action Plan......................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
This report aims at discussing four activities that were organised as a part of module and
business angle of each of the challenge. These skills will also involve knowledge and skills
developed through participation in these modules. In addition to this lastly report will also
involve an action plan outlining how these skills that have been developed during challenges.
Different challenges that were organised in module includes debate challenge, presentation
challenge, T-shirt challenge, Hotel challenge.
The challenges
Debate challenge- Debate challenge is challenge in which two parties debate over a topic and
one party speaks in favour of debate whereas other party speaks against the topic. Debate
challenge is a very effective activity or challenge through which one can develop different
perspectives about one topic and idea. This also helps in identifying positive and negative sides
of idea (Schank and Lorch, 2019). Concerned with business angle, this activity or challenge can
be very effective in operations, this involve different activities and decisions and with help of
debate positive and negative sides of each activity and operational decisions can be analysed
from different point of views.
Presentation challenge- Presentation challenge involves presentation of ideas and opinion and
also facts and this helped me in developing knowledge and skill how I can keep audience
engaged. This is a very effective and important challenge through which one can develop ability
to effectively present their ideas and opinion. In relation with its business angle presentation
challenge is highly relevant with branding. This is because branding also involves presenting
ideas and opinion of business. In addition to this branding of business also involves keeping
audience or listeners engaged with content and this is a part of presentation challenge. This helps
in attracting customers towards business and creating their loyalty for business.
T-shirt challenge- T-shirt challenge involved designing T-shirts and selling them. This involved
creating cost and profit sheets in MS excel to identify what should be the price of T-shirt being
sold. Concerned with this challenge this involves all different angle of business including
branding, finance and operations (Ćurlin, Bach and Miloloža, 2020). Finance included

determination of cost and profit for the T-shirts and also include price of T-shirts. Concerned
with operations, this challenge involved designing of T-shirts and in this different designs for T-
shirts were developed. Branding includes creating attractive content and advertisement for
selling T-shirts and communicating to attract customers for T-shirts. This means that T-shirts
challenge included different angles of business and its activities and outlines how businesses
operate and function.
Hotel challenge- Hotel challenge involved resolving challenge in hotel with help of different
functions within business. In this situation was given to us that guests in hotel got angry when
they were told that the room that they have booked for them have been mistakenly booked for
someone else. In this situation different room was given to guests and because room was not
ready to be given, frequently housekeeping department was communicated to prepare room for
guests and then finance department was also communicated because charges for the room was
reduced for the guest in order to compensate trouble caused to guests. Concerned with business
angle operations and finance were part of this challenge.
The skills
Communication skills/emotional intelligence- Communication skill is concerned with skill
through which one can share their ideas and opinion effectively (Tuluhan and Yalcinkaya, 2018).
This is an highly important skill for business as well as for academic success of students. During
different challenges of module I got a chance to demonstrate communication skill during debate
challenge. Other than this, emotional intelligence is also a skill that I demonstrated during debate
challenge. Emotional intelligence is concerned with ability to understand individual and others’
emotions and using and managing them positively. During debate challenge there were some
situations that led to getting aggressive but by demonstrating emotional intelligence I managed to
control anger and resentment during debate. This means that debate challenge provided me
opportunity to effectively demonstrate communication as well as emotional intelligence
capability.
Teamwork- Teamwork skill was demonstrated during presentation in which we worked in group
to create presentation. Teamwork is ability to effectively and efficiently working in team and
participating in activities of the team (Fox and et.al., 2018). This involves providing best

contribution as well as considering and valuing contribution of other teammates. Teamwork
requires skills like maintaining coordination and collaboration, leadership and problem solving
skills. With help of these skills individual can make effective contribution in teams and can also
complete their part in teamwork. Team working skill is highly important for business success
and working in business organisation.
Time management and meeting skills- Time management and meeting skill were demonstrated
during hotel challenge. In this we had limited time in which we were required to prepare and
provide room to guests. During this frequent meeting was held with manager and as directed by
them communication was done with housekeeping department and finance department (Gregg,
2018). Time management involves determination of time and allocating time to different
activities and completing tasks in limited time. Concerned with meeting skills, this involves
effectively participating in meeting and making collective skills, planning and follow-up on what
have been decided in meeting. Communication and presentation skills are also part of effective
meeting skill.
Business skills and competencies- Business skills and competencies were demonstrated through
T-shirts task. In this different skills and competencies are required and some of the common
business skills included presentation, communication skills, use of MS excel in business.
Business skills involve skills through which one can run a successful business and in order to run
a business successfully, it is very important to have different skills and competencies (Mcdonnell
and Sikander, 2017). These skills were demonstrated in T-shirt task where I was required to
design T-shirts and sell them at adequate profit and this involve use of excel for creating budget
and financial decisions.
Action Plan
This is an action plan for skills that I will work on developing further in 3 years of
university studies (Lussier and Hendon, 2017).
Skill Objective Method for
developing skill
Measuring skill
development
Time
Communication
skills/emotional
To enable individual
to effectively
This can be
developed through
In order to
measure
8-10 Months

intelligence
communicate and
maintaining control
over emotions
during stressful
situations. This is
also important for
presentation of ideas
and opinion.
participating in
programs and
classes that aim at
developing
communication
skills. In addition to
this during
university studies
and practice also
helps in developing
written
communication
skills.
development of
communication
skill feedback
from peers and
teachers can be
very helpful in
measuring success
and development
in communication
skill.
Teamwork
This skill is helps in
enabling individual
to work effectively
in teams. This
involves
collaborating with
other team members
and coordinating in
order to achieve
objectives of team
in best possible
way.
Team skills can be
developed by
participating in
different team
activities at
university and
outside university.
Developing
collaborating skill
and coordination
skill can also help
in team working
skills.
In order to
measure success in
development of
this skill
individual
performance in
teamwork can be
measured. In
addition to this
review and
feedback from
other team mates
and leader of team
can also be
considered for
measuring this
skill.
10-12 Months
Time
management
and meeting
skills
Time management
skill is an ability in
which individuals
become able to
In order to develop
time management
skills suggestion
and opinion from
Development of
time management
skill can be
measured through
5-6 Months

effectively manage
their time including
division of time on
the basis of tasks
and objectives.
Meeting skill is also
an skill that enables
individuals for
collective decision-
making, planning
and follow-up for
meeting.
seniors and those
who are experts can
be used. In addition
to this time
management skill
can also be
developed by
practicing at
individual level and
developing ability
to allocate time as
per tasks and
objectives.
In order to learn and
develop meeting
skill literature can
be used to develop
required
knowledge.
identifying
achievement of
objectives on time
and completion of
tasks on time.
Meeting skills can
be measured
through success
and effectiveness
of meeting skills.
Business skill
and
competencies
This involves
developing different
skills including
presentation skills,
and uses of MS
excel in business
organisation.
Business skills and
competencies also
include skills like
problem solving,
networking,
delegation,
leadership skills and
negotiation skills.
These skills can be
developed through
different activities
that are organised in
university. In
addition to this
university studies
and knowledge can
also help in
developing business
skills and
competencies.
In order to
measure success in
this different skills
and success in
them requires to
be analysed
through different
people and tests.
Feedback from
peers, teachers can
be used for
developing
business skills and
competencies.
12 Months

CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion, it can be concluded that participation in different
challenges helped me in developing different skills and also helped in demonstrating different
skills that I have. Participation and knowledge of different skills also helped me while creating
action plan for developing existing skills further during 3 years at university. It is very important
that individuals have plan for developing skills so that they can understand their requirements
and on the basis of this they can also measure their growth.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ćurlin, T., Bach, M.P. and Miloloža, I., 2020. Presentation skills of business and economics
students: Cluster analysis. Croatian Review of Economic, Business and Social
Statistics. 6(2). pp.27-42.
Fox, L and et.al., 2018. Teaching interprofessional teamwork skills to health professional
students: A scoping review. Journal of interprofessional care. 32(2). pp.127-135.
Gregg, M., 2018. Counterproductive: Time management in the knowledge economy. Duke
University Press.
Lussier, R.N. and Hendon, J.R., 2017. Human resource management: Functions, applications,
and skill development. Sage publications.
Mcdonnell, L. and Sikander, A., 2017. Skills and competencies for the contemporary human
resource practitioner: a synthesis of the academic, industry and employers'
perspectives. The Journal of Developing Areas. 51(1). pp.83-101.
Schank, C. and Lorch, A., 2019. Sustainability citizenship through economics education?
Contributions from the German debate on business ethics. International Journal of
Pluralism and Economics Education. 10(4). pp.401-417.
Tuluhan, S.M. and Yalcinkaya, M., 2018. The effect of communication skills training program
on teachers’ communication skills, emotional intelligence and loneliness
levels. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala. 62. p.151.