DEVELOPING PERSONAL AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Assignment guidance for students

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ARDEN UNIVERSITY

BA (HONS) BUSINESS

BUS4009: Digital Skills and Professional Development

Portfolio of Professional Skill Development & Short Report

STUXXXXX

CHECK THE WORD COUNT POLICY ON THE ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT AND ALSO IN THE
ASSESSMENT DISCUSSION FORUM AND ADOBE SESSIONS.

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CONTENTS PAGE

• Include the titles of your main sections and sub-sections, together with the relevant page
number for each section/ sub-section.

• If you include Tables and Charts you could also include a Table of Figures.

• Please insert page numbers into your assignment. Please visit this link to learn how to insert
a table of contents. Insert a table of contents (microsoft.com)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-table-of-contents-882e8564-0edb-
435e-84b5-1d8552ccf0c0

Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4
HEADING: Question 1................................................................................................................4
Insert your own headings and sub-headings .........................................................................4
HEADING: Question 2................................................................................................................5
Insert your own headings and sub-headings (700-750 words) .............................................5
The Professional Development Plan-PDP (700-750 words) ..................................................5
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCE LIST .........................................................................................................................6
APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................6
• Appendix 1: Personal Skills Audit ....................................................................................6
• Appendix 2:SWOT Analysis .............................................................................................6
• Other evidence that you may have referred to in your assignment answers, for
example, courses you may have completed that have helped develop your skills. .............6

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DSPD Q1 & Q2:

- Define digital skills and Discuss various types of digital skills

- Amazon’s digital development in recent years and compare Amazon with another company to find
more insightful business’s digital transformation analysis.

- Explain continuing industrial advancement (like three models, diffusion and 4.0) and social
changes emerging from digital development and Digital transformation.

-Analysis why it is important to develop digital skills to demonstrate professional competency

within an organization (student could provide an example base on you desire role after
completing this degree and Q2 Audit skills (their desire role’s personal specific will help
them to know what are 3 non digital 2 digital skills they need to improve for professional
competency), SWOT, and PDP they can write based on that as well.) as well Q2- Reflection
of leadership skills

INTRODUCTION (100/200 words)

Outline what you are going to discuss in your assignment portfolio.

HEADING: Question 1

Insert your own headings and sub-headings (1500 words)

• Discuss/define digital skills, various types of digital skills and digital development in recent
years and explain the continuing industrial advancement. Please provide appropriate
examples. Comment on social changes emerging from this development and why it is
important to develop digital skills to demonstrate professional competency within an
organisation.

Additional points:

• The above answer to question 1, is to be presented in the report format, which must be
written in the third person.
• Underpin your arguments with academic literature.
• All references should be constructed using the Harvard referencing system.
• Guide to Harvard Referencing
http://moodle.bl.rdi.co.uk/guides/HarvardRef/AU_Harvard_Quick_Ref_Guide.pdf
- Guide to Harvard Citation
http://moodle.bl.rdi.co.uk/guides/HarvardRef/AU_Guide_to_Harvard_Citation.pdf

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HEADING: Question 2

Insert your own headings and sub-headings (700-750 words)

• Briefly introduce/discuss management and leadership (skills) in 1-2 paragraphs. Supported

by theoretical underpinning, discuss the terms/concepts of management and leadership and
compare and contrast them as well. This should be written in the third person.

• Reflect on your skills and learning style, supported by theory and the practical examples you
may have completed as part of the lesson activities. You could use of one or more of the
models of reflection that are considered in the lessons and are summarised in lesson 10 to
help you reflect in more detail. You may add a SWOT analysis and a skills audit in
preparation for the personal development plan. These can be moved to the appendix
section. This should be written in the first person.

Additional points:
• Underpin your arguments with academic literature.
• All references should be constructed using the Harvard referencing system.

The Professional Development Plan-PDP (700-750 words)

Note: Please switch to a reflective writing style for this section and you can write in first person
approach.

• To develop your PDP, you must reflect upon your current levels of personal, transferable and
digital skills and demonstrate how you facilitate an increased level of skill attainment to work
effectively and successfully in the contemporary workplace.
• The PDP can be developed using a personal skills audit and a personal SWOT. From this, you can
then create your PDP.
• Within your PDP include examples and evidence that demonstrate advanced learning methods,
learning resources, learning timescales, expected outcomes and any necessary communications
that may support your learning and development.
• You could use one or more of the models of reflection that are considered in the lessons and are
summarised in lesson 10 to help you reflect in more detail.
• You could also include discussion relating to your learning style, supported by theory and the
practical examples you may have completed as part of the lesson activities.
• Your PDP should be included in the main body as a part of the question 02; therefore, words that
comprise your PDP are included in the word count. However, the final word count excludes the
appendices, and skills audit and SWOT analysis can be placed in the appendices. Therefore, they
will not be part of the word count. Your module tutor will provide more guidance on this.

Your Personal Development Plan could be:

• Table format or narrative style, or both (page 7- template- you can use it as a guide)

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 • Clear objectives that are focused on skills development (helped by the completed skills
audit and SWOT analysis referred to above)
• You should include a minimum of three non-digital and two digital skills.
• State how you plan to develop in order to achieve the objectives. Please consider the
SMART goals theory (what resources will you use?, who could you approach for
guidance? how could they help? when will you review your progress? deadline? )

Additional points:
• Underpin your reflection with academic literature.
• All references should be constructed using the Harvard referencing system.

CONCLUSION (100/150 words)

REFERENCE LIST
• At the end of a piece of work, you must list references to documents cited in the text. This
list should be called a ‘Reference List’.
• In the Harvard System, all references are listed in alphabetical order by author surname in a
single list. (Please refer to the guide for more instructions)

APPENDICES
• Appendix 1: Personal Skills Audit
• Appendix 2:SWOT Analysis
• Other evidence that you may have referred to in your assignment
answers, for example, courses you may have completed that have
helped develop your skills.

** IMPORTANT** Please do not copy and paste from websites or from your reference sources –
this will impact negatively on your mark and may result in allegations of plagiarism. Please review
the Turnitin guide so you fully understand this process.

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TEMPLATE
• This is only a guide for your PDP.
• This should be included in the main body as a part of the Question 02, therefore, words you add to this document are included in the overall word count

Personal Development Plan

NAME: REASON FOR PDP:
COVERING THE PERIOD FROM: TO:

Planned outcome

Where do I want to be by the end of this period? What do I want to be doing? (This may be evolutionary or “more of the same”.)

What skill do I
want/need to
What activities do I need to undertake to achieve my What will my success
What are my skills-related development learn or Target dates for
objectives? criteria be? ( How
objectives? improve? review and
have/will you use this?
completion
What resources or support will I need? Any further action?)

Your objective should show links to the Please mention Think carefully about how you will try to achieve your What will you achieve Insert a realistic
completion of the skills audit and SWOT whether this is a objectives. What do you think you need to do in practice? through this skills-related and specific date
documents. This will help to justify your digital skill/ development objective? to fully achieve
objective of developing this skill. non-digital, or a Try to identify specific internal or external training courses, the objective.
combination of books, videos, etc. that you can access to help develop your How would you know that
Insert each objective on a separate row in both. skills. you have achieved the
this table. required level of that skill?
Consider who can help you, perhaps your manager, mentor,
Develop AT LEAST FIVE objectives. team leader, etc. How do you feel they could help you?

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 APPENDIX 1:
SKILLS AUDIT TEMPLATE

SKILL TYPICAL DESCRIPTORS SKILL LEVEL SPECIFIC COMMENTS

Low High
Organisation and time Prioritising, dealing with paperwork; 1 2 3 4 5
management interruptions; planning your day.

Decision making and Ability to make decisions; selecting suitable 1 2 3 4 5

problem solving solutions; analysis of appropriateness.

Planning Leading teams; consulting team members; 1 2 3 4 5

task allocation; objective setting.

Delegation Matching tasks to staff; providing guidance 1 2 3 4 5

and advice; maintaining staff motivation and
focus.

Motivation Applying motivational techniques; 1 2 3 4 5

understanding individual motives; making
tasks challenging; encouraging creativity;
providing team support; engendering trust
and openness.

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Coaching Providing guidance; listening skills; ability to 1 2 3 4 5
draw out information; reinforcing behaviour
using feedback; negotiating; planning goals
and objectives.

Target setting Understanding and communicating 1 2 3 4 5

organisational objectives; use of SMART
objectives to achieve targets.

Interpersonal skills Relating to others; building rapport and 1 2 3 4 5

positive relationships; being sensitive to
peoples’ needs; using influencing and
persuasive skills to help others improve
performance or overcome problems;
listening effectively and providing feedback;
being assertive; use of body language.

Written Structure and format of letters, memos, e- 1 2 3 4 5

communications mails, reports

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Oral communications Structure and format: techniques for 1 2 3 4 5
effective presentations; using the
telephone; meetings.

OTHERS SPECIFIC TO
YOUR ROLE
1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

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APPENDIX 2:
SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths: Weaknesses:
What do you do well? What could you improve?
What unique resources can you draw on? What do others see Where do you have fewer resources than others?
as your strengths? What are others likely to see as weaknesses?

Opportunities: Threats:
What good opportunities are open to you? What trends could What trends could harm you?
you take advantage of? How can you turn strengths into What is your competition doing?
opportunities? What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?

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Appendix 3-Other evidence that you may have referred to in your assignment answers, for
example, courses you may have completed that have helped develop your skills.

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