Posted: August 14th, 2015

Academic Essay

Academic Essay

Order Description

1 Written Assessment
Assessment Title Academic Essay
Task Description
Purpose
The primary purpose of this assessment task is to help students develop skills in the use of Operations Management principles, theories and models in the analysis of the current operations of a manufacturing enterprise. The assignment requires you to analyse the current situation. The objective is to identify and specify the problems that exist – DO NOT TRY TO ‘SOLVE’ THE CASE.

The secondary purpose of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to enhance their analysis, critical thinking and written communication skills; particularly in the areas of argument development and essay writing.

Description
Assessment task 1 requires the writing of an academic essay. This essay should be an ‘argumentative essay’, and must therefore contain an argument that is used as the structuring element of the paper. The assignment is based on a short case study that describes a manufacturing organisation that is going through a process of growth and change. The purpose of the essay is to identify the operational issues within the case, and to identify root causes of the problems that are evident. Students are expected to engage in extensive research within the academic literature relating to operations management.

Full details of the case and assignment requirements are available on the course website.

Assessment Criteria
CONTENT: Does your essay demonstrate: Weighting
a thorough knowledge and critical analysis of the problem(s) identified in the case study expressed from an Operations Management perspective within a well developed academic essay? 20%

a critical review of the academic literature relevant to the problem(s) identified in the case study? (Should be embedded in the discussion, not presented as a separate section.) 20%

appropriateness of evidence-based responses to the case study topic question(s) including an effective analysis of the situation along with relevant commentary on the issues of concern? 20%

appropriate use of argument within the paper, including a properly structured introduction and comprehensive conclusion? 10%

relevant and accurate use of the literature? (minimum to to pass this criterion is TEN (10) relevant academic journal articles and appropriate reference to the prescribed textbook) 15%

PRESENTATION: Does your essay demonstrate:
clarity of expression/grammar and correct spelling using Australian English? 5%

strict conformity to referencing style of the Author-date system of referencing as set out in the Australian Government Publishing Service 2002, Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 6th edn, AGPS, Canberra? (Refer to the current version of the Abridged Harvard Referencing Guide) 5%

appropriate presentation of the paper formatted as required by the Assignment Writing Requirements document and presented within the limit of 3000 ±10% words. 5%

Referencing Style Harvard (author-date)
Submission Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
1. critically discuss the role of operations managers
2. apply a systems approach to the management of operational functions
3. explain and assess the linkages between areas of management such as systems analysis, research, economics and service delivery