Assessment Brief 2025/26 – Strategic Management (MGT4023)

Please read the assessment instructions carefully to ensure full understanding of the task. If any aspect is unclear, post your questions on the Moodle Discussion Forum, and a member of the teaching team will respond.

Assessment Information

Course Code: MGT4023
Course Title: Strategic Management
Course Coordinator: Catherine Owen
Assessment Weighting: 70%
Question Release Date: 22 September 2025
Submission Date: 27 November 2025
Grades and Feedback Released: 18 December 2025
Word Limit: 2,500 words (excluding tables and references) ±10%
Word Limit Penalty: Markers may apply a penalty if the word limit is exceeded.

1. Question / Description of Activity

Type of Assessment

Individual

Assessment Method

Essay

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) Assessed

This assessment evaluates your ability to:

Critically analyse and contrast theories and concepts of strategic decision-making.
Recognise and evaluate the significance of strategy in organisational decision-making.
Assess an organisation’s internal and external environment using economic and strategic management frameworks.
Identify, design, and justify strategies for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage.
Critically evaluate factors that may impact strategic decision-making.

Assessment Task

Individual Assessment

Select a company or organisation that you may wish to work for in the future. The company can be based in the UK or internationally and may be a profit-making or not-for-profit organisation.

You are required to conduct a strategic analysis of the chosen organisation to answer the question:

Would you want to work for this organisation? Why or why not?

Guiding Questions for Your Essay

What information and narratives emerge about how the organisation maintains its competitive advantage?
Which analytical tools are most or least useful in your study?
What data is easily accessible, and what is incomplete or missing?
What are the attractive and less attractive features of the organisation or its industry?
What trade-offs might you consider to enter this job market?

Assignment Requirements

Conduct a critical strategic analysis of the organisation and its industry at national/international, industry, and company levels.
Use a variety of tools and techniques taught in the course.
Discuss the usefulness and limitations of the tools and data sources employed.
Incorporate credible industry sources to support your argument.
Include a minimum of ten academic sources, either related to current research in the industry or providing critical commentary on the analysis methods.

Important: Students must not contact any staff members or others within the chosen organisation. Doing so constitutes academic misconduct.

2. Assessment Rubric / Criteria

The following rubric outlines the marking criteria for the individual assessment:

Criteria	Excellent (A1–A5)	Very Good (B1–B3)	Good (C1–C3)	Satisfactory (D1–D3)	Weak / Poor (E1 or below)
Application of Tools & Techniques	Highly discerning application of a range of relevant tools and techniques; clear awareness of limitations and ambiguities.	Very good selection and use of tools; some awareness of limitations and ambiguities.	Broadly accurate application of tools; limited attention to limitations.	Mostly accurate but incomplete application; some flaws or gaps in understanding tools.	Major gaps; simplistic application or inaccuracies; over-reliance on basic descriptions.
Analysis	Organises and synthesises evidence to reveal insightful patterns and relationships; excellent use of academic reading.	Organises evidence to highlight important patterns; good use of academic sources.	Evidence shows some patterns; uses academic reading but limited.	Organises evidence poorly; limited academic reading; patterns not clear.	Evidence is disorganised; no meaningful synthesis; academic reading absent.
Argument	Strong, logical, and well-developed; assumptions explicit; original and relevant details; academic reading integrated.	Very good development; assumptions mostly explicit; details mostly convincing; academic reading used.	Sound ideas but underdeveloped; assumptions not always explicit; some appropriate examples.	Ideas contain errors; underdeveloped; arguments presented uncritically.	Simplistic, vague, or unsupported arguments; faulty assumptions; minimal academic reading.
Structure & Formatting	Clear headings, labelled figures/tables, title page, contents page, page numbers; consistent Harvard referencing.	Headings and labels mostly clear; full title and contents page; consistent referencing.	Mostly clear headings and labels; minor inconsistencies in referencing.	Limited or inconsistent structure and presentation; referencing inconsistencies.	Poorly presented; inconsistent format; lack of professional structure and referencing.

3. Feedback Method

Individual feedback will be provided via Moodle.
Generic, class-level feedback and grade profiles will also be posted on Moodle.
Students may attend staff office hours for additional feedback if required.