ASSIGNMENT 1BRIEF

Qualification

BTEC Level 5 HND Diploma in Business

Unit number and

Unit 16: Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information
title
Assignment issued

Assignment due

Assessor name

This assignment encourages students to understand how to assess

information and knowledge needs and to be able to create strategies to
increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decisionmaking process
Scenario:
Steve is currently working as head of marketing department of a
manufacturing firm. He is in charge of developing ideas for new range of
products for the up-coming year.

Assignment title

Notice: New product development process of this company has never

involved other departments but Marketing.
Your task is to help Steve answer the Tasks listed in Specific
Requirements section in form a 2-5 page report excluding the cover page,
table of contents, list of references.
Noticeably, you are free to choose:
- The company that you may know
- Business field of the company;
The specific tasks will be set out in the following sections.

Aim
of
assignment

the This assignment satisfies the following learning outcomes and assessment
criteria:
LO1 Understand how to assess information and knowledge needs
Sources: internal and external, primary and secondary, formal and
informal, team workers, customers and other stakeholders

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Types: qualitative and quantitative, tacit and explicit, official and

unofficial, policy and opinion
LO2 Be able to create strategies to increase personal networking to
widen involvement in the decision- making process
Sources: stakeholders and useful contacts, internal and external
Methods: formal, informal
Strategies: formal and informal, direct or via media, relating and
interacting, trust and confidentiality, forming business relationships,
decision making and decision taking
Specific
requirements
(see Appendix for
assessment criteria
and
grade
descriptors)

Task 1.1Discuss ranges of decisions Steve has to make? P238

Students are required to provide concept of different types of decisions
which Steve has to make.
-

Organizational decision

Personal decision

Basic decision

Routine decision

etc.

Task 1.1 produces evidence for assessment criterion 1.1.

Task1.2Identifytypes of information and knowledge Steve can utilize?
-

qualitative and quantitative p246

tacit and explicit p248

official and unofficial p253

policy and opinion p249

Task 1.2produces evidence for assessment criterion 1.2

Task 1.3What sources of information and knowledge can Steve
utilize? P250 - 251
-

Internal

External

Task 1.3 produces evidence for assessment criterion 1.3

Task 1.4. Propose 5 step process to improve the new product
development process? P241
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Apply 5 step process for decision making

Involve other departments

Task 1.4 produces evidence for assessment criterion 1.4

Task 2.1 Identify stakeholders groups for a decision-making process

-

Internal (Board of Director, Related Departments, employees,

owners) p240

Customers and other stakeholders

Task 2.1 produces evidence for assessment criterion 2.1

Task 2.2: How can Steve make contact with those identified and
develop business relationships p262-263
-

formal and informal

direct or via media

relating and interacting

Task 2.2 produces evidence for assessment criterion 2.2.

Task 2.3: Identify key stakeholders groups which should be involved

in the decision making
-

Board of Director

Marketing department

Production department

Task 2.3 produces evidence for assessment criterion 2.3.

Student guidelines

1. You must write this assignment in report style, although a formal report
structure will not be required, but you should refer to the template
attached. In which the assignment format should include:
< - A brief introduction to company, including business field
< - Particular tasks, your findings, analyses, evaluation and

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concluding note for each task

< - Conclusion
2. You should include a list of references to all cited sources using the
Harvard referencing system.
4. Your report must be around 2-5 pages (excluding table of content,
cover letter, and references). You must use font Time News Roman size
12 with 1.5 spacing.

Submission
requirements

Students are expected to submit hard copy of assignment

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APPENDIX: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND GRADE DESCRIPTORS

Learning
outcomes

Assessment
PASS

criteria

for Grade
descriptors Grade descriptors
for MERIT
for DISTINCTION

To achieve a pass grade the To achieve a merit

evidence must show that the grade the evidence
student is able to
must show that, in
addition to the pass
criteria, the student is
able to achieve at least
one/two
following
skills:
LO1.Understan
d how to assess
information
and knowledge
needs

P.1

M.1

- Suggest range of
specific
types
of
decision to be made by
Steve for this new
product development
Requirement: at least 2 types process
to be mentioned
- Provide specific
examples for each
1.2-Examine the information types of information
and knowledge needed to and knowledge
ensure effective decision
making:
E.g.
qualitative
(feeling,
thought,
etc.);
Requirement: at least 4 types
Quantitative
(fact,
to be mentioned
numeric data, etc.),
etc.
1.3- Assess internal and - Suggest possible
external
sources
of approach to study and
information
and research with clear
understanding
explanation for your
1.1- Students are required to
provide concept of different
types of decisions which
Steve has to make.

1.4-Justify recommendations
for improvement. Student
are required to suggest
appropriate
for
improvement of the new
LO2 Be able to
product
development
create
process
FRM03_Assignment brief_21.11.2012

To
achieve
a
distinction grade, the
evidence must show
that, in addition to the
pass
and
merit
criteria, the student is
able to achieve at
least
one/two
following skills:
D1
-Identify the strengths
and weaknesses of
current relationship
between
chosen
company with their
stakeholders
and
suggest appropriate
ways of improvement
- Identify indirectly
related stakeholders
groups which are
interested in new
product development
program
of
this
company and provide
explanation.

E.g.:
Marketing
department,
choices
production
E.g. Formal, Informal,
department, board of
Hard, Soft, etc.
directors,
staff,
__________________ competitors,
customers, etc.

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strategies
to
- Apply 5 step process
increase
for decision making
personal
- Involve
other
networking to
departments
widen
involvement
in the decision- _____________________
making process

_______________
M.2.
-Relevant theories and D2
techniques concerning
business
communication have
been applied

-A
range
of
methodsand
2.1-Students are required techniques have been
toidentify
different applied for doing
such
as
stakeholders for this research
analysis,
comparison,
decision-making process
etc.
Requirement: at least 4
-A range of resources
groups to be mentioned
of information has
r selected contracts b
been used in solving
2.2- Students are required your problems in
tosuggest
appropriate decision making
method which Steve can ________________
use to make contact with
those
identified
and
develop
business
relationships
P. 2

2.3-Students are required

toidentify
groups
of
stakeholders
which
should be involved in the
decision
making as
appropriate
Requirement: at least
groups to be mentioned
quoting them

FRM03_Assignment brief_21.11.2012

M.3
-The
appropriate
structure and approach
with good English
have been used
- Use of visual
support. E.g. Chart,
picture, table, etc.

Autonomy
and
independence
have
been
demonstrated
with
strong
evidence of
self-study and
self-research.
Your
assignment
proves your
own
work
through Turnit-in software.
Number
of
Articles/Conc
eptual
frameworks of
relevant
studies cited
while many
different
examples
have
been
given
to
illustrate and
support
to
your
ideas,
points of view
in
the
assignment

-Specific
technicalterms have to
be explained with _______________
examples to make it
easy
for
those
unfamiliar with the D3,

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context

- Correct application
of Harvard Reference
Style

LO2. Be able
to apply the
elements of a
contract
in
business
situations
-

FRM03_Assignment brief_21.11.2012

New
and
creative ideas
to
be
recommended
to build better
networking
and
communicatio
n process or
extended
academic
model
is
developed
Customer
made
recommendati
on
for
Vietnams
context.

Page 7

LO2. Be able
to apply the
elements of a
contract
in
business
situations

P.
2.1Applytheelementsofcontr
actingivenbusiness scenarios.
In particular, you must:
-

Identify whether those

essential elements have
been integrated in your
selected contracts by
pointing out exactly those
elements.

P. 2.2Applythelawonterms
indifferentcontracts.
In
particular, you must:
-

Identify and explain what

terms have been used in
the contracts

P. 2.3Evaluate the effect of

different terms
in given
contracts. In particular, you
must:
-

Figure out whether those

contracts selected contain
those terms by quoting
them precisely.

This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose

Internal
Verifier 1

Signature

Date

Internal
Verifier 2

Signature

Date

FRM03_Assignment brief_21.11.2012

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