BSc Undergraduate Programmes

Business Integration Project 1

Coursework Assessment Brief

Submission mode: Turnitin online access

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 Your summative assessment for this Module is made up of an individual coursework submission
which accounts for 100% of the marks.

 Please note late submissions will not be marked.

 You are required to submit all elements of your assessment via Turnitin online access. Only
submissions made via the specified mode will be accepted and hard copies or any other digital
form of submissions (like via email or pen drive etc.) will not be accepted.

 For coursework, the submission word limit is 2,500 words. You must comply with the word count
guidelines. You may submit LESS than the word counts but not more. Word Count guidelines can
be found on your programme home page and the coursework submission page.

 Do not put your name or contact details anywhere on your submission. You should only use your
student registration number (SRN) which will ensure your submission is recognised in the marking
process.

 A total of 100 marks are available for this module assessment and you are required to achieve
minimum 40% to pass this Module.

 You are required to use only Harvard Referencing System in your submission. Any content which is
already published by other author(s) and is not referenced will be considered as a case of
plagiarism. You can find further information on Harvard Referencing in the online library on the
VLE. You can use the following link to access this information:

http://bpp.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=30639385

 BPP University has a strict policy regarding plagiarism and in proven instances of plagiarism or
collusion, severe punishment will be imposed on offenders. You are advised to read the rules and
regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion in the GAR and MOPP which are available on VLE in
the Academic registry section.

 You should include a completed copy of the Coursework Cover sheet (Appendix I) with your
submission. Any submission without this completed Assignment Cover sheet will be considered
invalid and not marked.

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Assessment Brief
2.1 The Assessment Introduction
BIP1 is designed in such way that you will conduct business research into a specific issue as detailed
in this Assessment.

In particular, the Assessment is designed to fulfil the following key learning outcomes of BIP1:

1. Critically articulate a comprehensive understanding of the main concepts, frameworks and

processes that need to be considered when addressing organisational issues or business
opportunities

2. Critically apply research skills contiguous with the organisational problem or opportunity
identified

3. Develop and deliver a critiqued project and professional presentation based on effective
team working

4. Utilise relevant information from a range of sources to support critical analysis, evaluation
and problem solving

2.2 The Mode of Assessment

BIP1 Module is assessed through the completion of the following Summative element:

A Written Project (100% of Module total) comprising:

Task 1. 2,500-word individual written project (100% of total mark)

2.3 Project Assessment Guidelines.

Task 1. Individual Written Project (100%)

One copy of the individual project to be submitted via Turnitin.
Assessment theme

Seasonality in Business
Assessment Context
What Is Seasonality?
“Seasonality is a characteristic of a time series in which the data experiences regular and predictable
changes that recur every calendar year. Any predictable fluctuation or pattern that recurs or repeats
over a one-year period is said to be seasonal.

Seasonal effects are different from cyclical effects, as seasonal cycles are observed within one
calendar year, while cyclical effects, such as boosted sales due to low unemployment rates, can span
time periods shorter or longer than one calendar year.”
(https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/seasonality.asp, accessed 15/09/19)

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Seasonality presents a challenge to many organisations. It drives management decisions and
allocation of resources. Seasonality within a business presents a predictable pattern of behaviour,
where the business is faced with a rise (or fall) in an activity. As a result, the business experiences a
disproportionate amount of its sales during a particular time period (a season, quarter or month).
This pattern repeats each year and creates significant challenges in terms of resource planning,
inventory, cash flow, staffing, marketing, etc.

The Assessment Tasks with Guidance

Your task is to select a business / a company and then critically analyse and critically evaluate how
Seasonality impacts on your chosen company. What problems has the business had to overcome
or what opportunities has this presented?

The main focus of this project is not Seasonality itself. The focus of the project is how Seasonality
has played its role in shaping the business and therefore the decisions that the managers / the
company has had to make.

You should carry out the following:

1. Choose a business to analyse and select the country of operation - please choose a country
in which you want to investigate its Seasonality. You can choose a local company in a
specific country, for example, The Post Office Ltd in the UK or a global company in a specific
country – for example, H&M in China.

2. Identify the Seasonality that affects the business (the issue). You must consider which
specific area of Seasonality has impacted on your chosen company and the decisions that
the business has had to make.

The impact could be a combination of strategic changes; organisational structure change;

culture change; product change; price change; customer relationship change; operational
change; change in investment strategy etc.

Some examples of the areas relating to Seasonality that you could consider are: Holiday /
vacation companies; Fresh produce; Fashion; Entertainment; Toy companies etc.

3. With your identified issue you should propose one business question. This will become your
title page.

For example: Why has the business changed xxx due to XX Seasonality? Or; How has the
(specified) Seasonal issue impacted on the company’s ability to xxx? Or; How the change of
xxx, that was required due to the (specified) Seasonality issue, helped the company to
improve in a specified area (e.g. profit, brand image, customer relationship, or something
else)?

4. Identify and explain the relevant Seasonal issue which you are going to apply on your
evaluation in task 5.

5. Critically evaluate how this Seasonal issue (which you discussed in task 4) has impacted on
your chosen business. (Ensure you find the answer to your question)

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 6. Following your critical analysis/evaluation and the insight and understanding you derived
from it, you will need to make recommendations on what the business should do in future.
Your recommendation should be justified with your evaluation.

7. Throughout your Report you must apply appropriate academic models and frameworks to
assist in your critical analysis and evaluation.

8. Your Report should be presented professionally with the aim of informing and guiding the
Senior Executive Team of your chosen business.

2.4 Guidance for Structure of your Report

This section shows the guided structure for the Business Report.

Business Report – The Module recognises that there is a range of contexts that can be used by
students in order to execute an effective report, depending on the objective. You should only conduct
secondary research. The structure should include:

 Cover Page (Standard BPP coursework submission sheet)

 Title Page (This should contain your Business question)
 Executive Summary - maximum 1 side of A4 (NOT included in word count)
 Table of Content (with numbered sections and pages)
 Written Content
 Context of your report:
 Brief company background and the current situation as it relates to your
chosen Seasonal issue.
 Identify the changes within the business that has occurred due to your chosen
Seasonal issue. How has the Seasonal issue impacted on your chosen
company and what decisions has the company had to make in response to
this situation?
 Explain the purpose of your report and ask one clear and concise business question.
 Discuss the relevant Seasonal issue that impacted on your chosen company. Critically
evaluate and critically analyse (using appropriate academic frameworks and models)
how this specific Seasonal issue has impacted on your business.
 Conclusion: Summary of your critical evaluation and analysis and the answer for your
business question.
 Recommendations on what the business should do in the future.

 References: To include all work and authors cited in the text.

 Appendices: This area will not be included in the marking and are not included in the word
count. Therefore, students should use this area ONLY as additional information which might
help readers to understand the work.
a. These should be an interesting ‘extra’ which adds further information a reader may
like to refer to; they are not a necessity to the report’s integrity.
b. Your work should make sense without these being read

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 c. Appendices should be presented in a numerical order that follows their reference in
your written work (e.g. see appendix A)

Marking allocation Guideline

Section Marks allocated

Context of your report (Approx. 560 20

words)

Purpose of report and One clear and 10

concise business question (This will
drive your report) (Approx. 280 words)

Discuss the relevant Seasonal issue 40

that impacts on your chosen company.
Critically evaluate and critically analyse
(using appropriate academic
frameworks and models) how this
specific Seasonal issue has impacted on
your business (Approx. 1,120 words)

Conclusion (Approx. 280 words) 10

Recommendations (Approx. 280 10

words)

Executive summary, Presentation, 10

referencing, grammar, etc.

TOTAL 100

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General
All assignments should use font size of 12, “normal” page margins (default A4 margins) and a minimum
of 1.5-line spacing. In addition, page numbers should be included (both in the main part and the
appendices). There are templates for all these options on the VLE for students to download. Harvard
referencing should be used throughout.

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Appendix I

BPP Coursework Cover Sheet

Please use the table below as your cover sheet for the 1st page of the submission. The sheet should
be before the cover/title page of your submission.

Programme

Module name

QAA Level

Schedule Term

Student Reference Number (SRN)

Report/Assignment Title

Date of Submission
(Please attach the confirmation of any
extension received)

Declaration of Original Work:

I hereby declare that I have read and understood BPP’s regulations on plagiarism and that this is my
original work, researched, undertaken, completed and submitted in accordance with the requirements
of BPP Business School.

The word count, excluding contents table, bibliography and appendices, is ___ words.

Student Reference Number: Date:

By submitting this coursework, you agree to all rules and regulations of BPP regarding
assessments and awards for programmes. Please note, submission is your declaration you are fit
to sit.

BPP University reserves the right to use all submitted work for educational purposes and may
request that work be published for a wider audience.

BPP School of Business and Technology

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 Appendix II
BIP1 MARKING CRITERIA

These criteria reflect the bespoke nature of student submission, ranging from business
plans to business reports.

Level 6 Assessment Criteria

PASS FAIL

Criterion 80-100% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% 30-39% 0-29%

Knowledge & (a) Very deep (a) Deep (a) Very (a) Good (a) Some (a) (a) Little or
Understanding knowledge of knowledge of good, knowledge knowledge Inadequate, no
the topic, the topic, thorough and and and poor or very knowledge or
a) Systematic explicit understandin understandin
Understanding explicitly explicitly poor understandin
related to related to knowledge & g of central g of central knowledge or g of central
b) Emerging extremely comprehensi understandin topic issues, topic issues. understandin topic issues.
Thought comprehensi ve g of the topic. some (b) Some g of central
An explicitly (b)
ve knowledge of evidence of topic issues. Significant
knowledge of the appreciation identified. the
of and Some (b) Not clear gaps in the
the discipline(s). understandin or precise understandin
discipline(s). Evaluation of explicit links appreciation g of the
to a wider of a wider understandin g of practices
Evaluation current thoughts and g of thoughts related to the
and knowledge field. field. practices and practices discipline
contribution (b) (b) Some (b) Clear related to the related to the indicated
to current Application clear evidence of discipline required
knowledge of recent evidence of an indicated. discipline
(b) Excellent emerging the understandin indicated
usage of thought or application of g of thoughts
recent practices thoughts and and practices
emerging from the practices at at the
thought discipline the forefront forefront of
and/or of the the discipline.
practices discipline
from a range
of
appropriate
disciplines

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 PASS FAIL

Criterion 80-100% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% 30-39% 0-29%

Argument (a) (a) A high (a) (a) The (a) Evidence (a) Work is (a) Work is
Consistently level of ability Presentation development of some descriptive wholly
a) Analysis, critical and
Synthesis & high levels of to analyse of a coherent of a critical descriptive
ability to critically critical analysis awareness. uncritical. and
Evaluation There is Generalisatio
analyse using a range argument without uncritical.
b) Numerical critically of demonstratin guidance. analysis ns, Contains
Analysis using a wide perspectives. g the ability Some ability which is unsubstantia numerous
c) range of Excellent to analyse, to synthesise structured ted generalisatio
Argumentation appropriate synthesis of synthesise concepts, within assertions ns,
criteria, elements of and evaluate theories and guidelines. and unsubstantia
d) Independent
sources and the argument to form a practice. Some exaggeration ted
Research
perspectives. including balanced and Application difficulty in . assertions
Excellent contrary supportable of a range of balancing and (b) Numeric and
synthesis of views. judgement. analytical substantiatin analysis that exaggeration
elements of Use of methods g points is incomplete .
(b) Numeric made.
the argument analysis that contrasting appropriate or contains (b) Numeric
including is complete perspectives. to the task. (b) Numeric errors which analysis is
contrary and mostly (b) Numeric (b) Numeric analysis that have critical almost non-
views. free from analysis that analysis that is mostly effect, or existent and
(b) Numeric errors with is complete is complete complete but methods that also incorrect
analysis that fluent and and mostly and mostly contains are applied (c) Total lack
is complete appropriate free from free from errors with inappropriate of
and free from application of errors with significant or significant ly consistency
errors with methods. relevant and critical errors effect, or (c) Lack of or structure
application of effective with methods that consistency in the
(c) Extremely are applied
methods that strong and application of appropriate or structure argument.
may be methods. application of inappropriate in the Nil or limited
consistent ly
insightful or argument (c) Evidence methods. argument. integration of
original that of an (c) Evidence (c) Evidence Serious evidence and
(c) Extremely convincingly argument of an overall of a weaknesses no awareness
strong and addresses that is convincing consistent in the of the
consistent issues generally argument but argument but integration of limitations or
argument including convincing may have may have evidence weakness of
making a uncertainties with a good weaknesses, weaknesses, and/or no research
convincing and conflicts. internal gaps or significant awareness of (d) Generally
whole with Excellent use consistency inconsistenci gaps or be the only a very
evidence of of and es. Clear use unconvincing limitations or restricted
originality. information addresses of . Clear use of weaknesses range of
Impressive gathered most issues. information information of the personal
ability in the which to Very good gathered but gathered but research. research
use of support and use of may have may not be (d) Over which is not
information further the information some sufficient to reliance on evaluated
gathered to argument gathered to weaknesses sustain the very and is not
support the support the in the argument. restricted directly
(d) related to the
argument. Substantial argument. integration (d) Evidence range of
into the of a personal or question
(d) Evidence research and (d) Clear
of an evidence of evidence of argument. consistent secondary
innovative or an innovative considerable (d) argument but research
original use use of a wide personal Appropriate may have much of
of extensive range of research and use of a wide weaknesses which may
personal personal the use of a range of or be not be
research research with diverse range personal unconvincing evaluated
which has clear and of research . Clear use of and may not
been consistent appropriate which is information be directly
thoroughly evaluation sources but critically gathered but related to the
evaluated conceptual may contain evaluated for may not be question
conceptually problems key sufficient to
with conceptual sustain
consistency issues
in the although this
conceptual may not be
evaluation consistent
throughout

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 PASS FAIL

Criterion 80-100% 70-79% 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% 30-39% 0-29%

Presentation (a) Excellent (a) Excellent (a) Good (a) Adequate (a) Adequate (a) Poor (a) Extremely
structure and structure and structure and structure and structure and structure and poor
a) Structure structure and
presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation
b) Referencing presentation
(b) Precise, (b) Precise, (b) Full and (b) Good (b) (b) Poor (b) Very
c)Use of full and full and appropriate references Competent references
Language limited or nil
appropriate appropriate references and notes references and notes referencing
references references and notes with minor or and notes but with multiple with
and notes. and notes. with minor or insignificant may contain inconsistenci numerous
(c) Subtle use (c) Precise insignificant errors or inconsistenci es, errors or errors and
of language use of errors omissions es, errors or omissions omissions
expressing a language (c) Clear and (c) Generally omissions (c) Serious (c) Extreme
high degree expressing precise use of clear use of (c) Generally errors in the errors in use
of thought complex language language understanda use of of language
with clarity thought with allowing a sufficient for ble use of language and an
and precision clarity, complex arguments to language but which makes extreme lack
to a level accuracy and argument to be readily significant meaning of clarity
appropriate precision be easily understood errors in unclear or
for which understood and followed expression imprecise
submission furthers and and followed affecting
for enhances the overall clarity
publication. argument

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