1. Assessment Overview
Type of Assessment
- Individual assignment
Assessment Methods
Students have three options for this assignment:
- Two options involve written reports/essays.
- One option combines a written report/essay with a PowerPoint presentation.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) Assessed
This assignment evaluates your ability to:
- Critically reflect on managing internal emotional, cognitive, and behavioural states to enhance influencing potential.
- Apply a range of influencing techniques in practical contexts.
- Analyse social relationships using a rapport-building framework.
- Evaluate strategies for gaining social influence.
- Design a strategy for influencing social situations.
Assessment Options
Option 1: Influencing a Person
Word limit: 2,500 words (excluding references)
You are required to plan, execute, report on, and critically reflect on an in-depth influencing attempt conducted during this course. Do not use attempts made prior to the course.
Assignment Requirements
- Brief Description of the Situation
Provide a concise overview of the influencing context. Focus on brevity to allow space for justification of chosen models and full reflection on outcomes. - Selection of Influencing Ideas
Identify several influencing concepts from the course that will guide your approach. - Critical Review
Engage with literature to critically assess the ideas or models selected. - Application to a Real-Life Scenario
Include the following sections:a) Target Person Identification – Refer to the individual as Mr X or Ms/Mrs Y; do not reveal their real name.b) Influencing Strategy Development – Describe your approach, including:c) Execution – Implement your plan and record detailed observations immediately following the attempt.d) Reflection – Analyse:e) Critical Evaluation – Discuss:- What you plan to say and do
- How you will structure the situation
- Why you have chosen this approach
Link your explanation to course concepts and relevant literature.
- Your actions and statements
- The target’s responses
- What worked and what did not
- Success level (fully, partially, or not successful)
- How your relationship with the target and other contextual factors influenced the attempt
- Limitations of the influencing ideas applied
- What could be done differently in a future attempt
- Lessons learned about the practice of influencing
Support your evaluation with research evidence and theory.
Option 2: Influencing Your Graduate Job Application
This assignment consists of two tasks and focuses on applying influencing skills to job-seeking and the recruitment process.
Scenario: You have been invited to interview at Google (or another chosen organisation) and are asked to give a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation on:
“How you will contribute to the future development of this organisation.”
Task 1: Strategy Report (2,250 words)
Draft a detailed report outlining your plan to design and deliver the presentation using course-influencing techniques. Include:
- Reference to course methods, theory, and evidence-based literature
- Explanation of how you will structure and deliver the presentation
- Consideration of organisational context and personal strengths
- Critical reasoning linking your approach to relevant research and theory
Task 2: Reflective Summary (250 words)
Conclude with a short reflection on:
- Key learning from the exercise
- Actions you will take to improve your graduate job-seeking strategy
- Connections to relevant literature and theoretical concepts
Option 3: Relationship Management – Influencing Skills Training Programme
Word limit: 2,500 words (excluding references)
Imagine you are a consultant for a firm specialising in relationship management. The client is a large-scale catering organisation that wins business via competitive tenders and upselling in restaurants.
Task: Design a training programme for managers and staff to enhance influencing skills, aiming to:
- Improve tender success
- Increase unit sales by 10%
- Strengthen client/contractor relationships
- Improve management/staff relations
- Build supplier support for sales campaigns
- Enhance team leaders’ capabilities
You may select a real catering or hospitality organisation. Researching current industry issues will strengthen your assignment.
Assignment Structure
- Introduction
- Research Insights – What the literature tells us
- Importance of Influencing Skills Training
- Client Issues
- Objectives
- Key Stakeholders
- Targeted Influencing Skills – Include definitions, justification, and literature evaluation for each stakeholder group
- Training Methods – Definitions, justifications, and critical evaluation based on research
- Application of Theory to Practice
- Sample Training Day Schedule (table format; excluded from word count)
- Desired Training Outcomes
- Measurement and Evaluation – Include critical assessment of measurement methods
- Conclusion
2. Assessment Rubric
Each criterion is equally weighted.
| Criteria | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Satisfactory | Weak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Ability | Fully identifies and responds to all key elements; synthesises ideas excellently | Responds to key elements; strong synthesis | Responds to most elements; good synthesis | Responds to some elements; adequate synthesis | Fails to address key elements; weak synthesis |
| Use of Literature | Consistently applies a wide range of relevant literature | Applies a very good range of literature | Good application with some gaps | Adequate use of literature | Limited or inappropriate use of literature |
| Referencing | Consistently accurate Harvard referencing | Very good use of Harvard referencing | Mostly accurate Harvard referencing | Generally correct, minor inconsistencies | Inaccurate or inconsistent referencing |
| Structure | Clear, logical, highly focused | Clear structure with good focus | Good structure with minor lapses | Adequate structure, some sections unclear | Disorganised structure affecting clarity |
| Theory & Practice | Insightful, innovative engagement with theory and practice | Often insightful engagement | Some engagement with theory and practice | Limited engagement; mostly descriptive | No engagement with theory or practice |
| Critical Engagement | Extensive, relevant critical review of academic and practitioner sources | Some critical review; mostly consistent | Limited critical review; mostly descriptive | Minimal critical engagement | No critical engagement |
| Application of Techniques | Excellent identification and justification of techniques | Very good identification and justification | Some ability to select and justify techniques | Satisfactory application; minor gaps | Little to no identification or justification of techniques |
3. Feedback Method
Assignments will be graded and feedback provided via Moodle, aligned to the rubric criteria.
If you want, I can also create a visually structured student guide that combines all three options in a table, making it easy to understand the requirements at a glance.
Do you want me to do that?
