Part A Assessment Brief
Introduction
In Part A, we assess learning outcomes related to Units 1-5.
In this assessment, you will identify a key player in the agricultural and food sector of any country/region. After selecting a company of your choice, you will determine the strategic position of the company and make strategic recommendations with a focus on how to implement a sustainable strategy to decarbonise its activities.
Background
The agricultural and food sector contributes to 25% of carbon emissions in the world. Governments, NGOs and private organisations are investing significant sums of money to develop alternate ways to produce sustainable crops. But there is still a long way to go.
Scenario
Following the successful completion of your Masters degree course, you have secured a strategy consultant job in a top-tier consultancy firm. You are attending the first meeting with your team. Your line manager asks you to introduce yourself to colleagues and share your passion for strategy and sustainability. You explain with brio how future business winners need to implement today sustainable strategies for tomorrow.
Task
Enthused by what you enthusiastically conveyed about sustainable strategy, your line manager is keen to test your strategic planning skills. Your manager asks you to select an organisation of your choice in the agricultural and food sector.
Your task is:
1. To produce a strategic position analysis for the company of your choice.
2. To make recommendations to adapt the company’s strategy for a sustainable future.
You are expected to research relevant information about the sector and the company of your choice, and to use frameworks and models stemming from the lecture, textbook and academic sources covered in the module. You should use diagrams and tables as much as possible to illustrate your core ideas. Tables and diagrams are not included in the word count. Chapters 3 (Macro-Environment Analysis), 4 (Industry and Sector Analysis) and 5. (Resources and Capabilities Analysis) from Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases might be useful to perform the strategic position analysis, as well as content from the LAS.
Structure
Given that the report is going to be shared with the senior management team, the line manager suggests the following structure for your report:
1. Title
2. Executive summary
3. Table of contents
4. Introduction
5. Strategic Position Analysis
• External Analysis: Macroenvironment and Industry Analysis
• Internal Analysis: Analysis of resources and capabilities
6. SWOT resulting from the analysis
• External (Opportunities and Threats)
• Internal (Strengths and Weaknesses)
7. Recommendations for sustainable strategy
8. Conclusion
9. Reference list
10. Appendix
Presentation: Academic Writing, Genre, and Style
A good piece of work is attractively styled and logically structured, with a high standard of written English. The report should be written using British English spelling: avoid “z’s” such as “organization” and use the standard British English spelling of “organisation”, “behaviour”, “centre”, etc.
Use the report format and include appropriate headings. Be sure to include an introduction, descriptive headings for each section, and conclusion/recommendations. Do not label the body of your report as “main body” and do not use long questions as headings; instead, use descriptive headings which signpost the content of each section. Do not use footnotes in your reports.
Bullet points and numbered lists should not be used in your report; instead, write in full sentences and develop your arguments using evidence from the academic literature.
Format your report using the Times New Roman or Arial fonts, size 12; 2.5 cm margins. “justify” alignment and double line spacing. Do not use single spacing.
Research
You are strongly advised to support your statements with evidence, doing this via in-text citations and adding a list of references. Ideally, you will cite at least 15 sources within the text, inclusive of books, academic peer-reviewed and formal sources. All the works cited must be referenced using the APA Referencing system. Also, please refer to the University guidance notes on the avoidance of Plagiarism.
Do not cut and paste phrases or paragraphs from published material without citing your sources. You should seek to use your own words to explain concepts and theories while acknowledging the work of other scholars through proper referencing, both in-text and reference list.
The following databases may be particularly useful in finding relevant literature sources to help you develop your report:
• ABI Inform Complete (ProQuest),
• Ingenta,
• Science Direct.
• Corporate reports and websites
• Forbes
• Harvard Business Review
Word count
The total word count of your answers to both questions must be 2,000 words and it must comply with the guidelines provided here:
• Introduction and background section: 200 words
• Strategic position analysis: 1100 words
• SWOT: presented in a table
• Recommendation: 500 words
• Conclusion: 200 words
The word limit for Part A does not include the cover page, title page, executive summary, table of contents, reference lists, tables and diagrams, and appendix.
The word count is subject to a ±10% allowance to the allocated word count. Where a submission exceeds the stated word limit (allowing for the +10%), the maximum grade awarded will be P1.
Appendices can be useful to provide additional information from your analysis, but you must incorporate the key analytical arguments into the main body of your answer.
File format and naming
Assessments MUST be submitted as either a word file (.doc/.docx) or a PDF file (.pdf). We will not be able to read any other file formats.
Please note that we have to mark what you submit. If you submit the wrong version of your coursework (for example, a incomplete version) this will have a negative impact on your grade. Please make sure that you clearly name the final version of your coursework, and double check that you have uploaded the correct version BEFORE submitting.
Useful Guidance Notes
The introduction should set the scene and explain the need to perform this strategic position analysis. Relevant figures and data should be used to reinforce the background. The introduction should present an overview of the report.
Part 1
Firstly this section focuses on the external part of the strategic analysis. All elements from the external environment influencing the organisation’s strategy should be considered and segmented into opportunities and threats. You are advised to support your analysis using relevant frameworks and evidence stemming from your own research.
Secondly, this section focuses on the internal part of the strategic analysis. All elements associated with the internal focus of the organisation should be considered and segmented into strengths and weaknesses. You are advised to support your analysis using relevant frameworks and evidence stemming from your own research.
This section above should culminate into the SWOT analysis
Part 2 Recommendations and Conclusion
The recommendations should be Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time-bound (SMART) and should recommend a clear strategy for a sustainable future for this organisation in the agricultural and food sector.