ENGR 2080StatisticsResearch Project.

You will choose a Statistics topic from the material that you learned this semester andwrite a report about your topic. You will conduct research on the background of the topic and include an example of how the statistical approach is used in modern Engineering.

Projects Due:August 15, 2015:
– Research projects are to be at least 5 pages including images and excluding the Literature Cited
– Paper Format: 12 Times font, single spaced, 1 in. margins
– Submission: Your project is to be submitted using Blackboard and will be uploaded using the TurnItIn link under the “Statistics Project” tab

•    Introduction:(˜ 1/2 page)
o    Briefly describe the reason that you chose this topic
o    Briefly describe the importance of this statistical approach
•    Background:(˜ 1page)
o    Describe the statistics topic
o    Explain who invented the approach
o    Give  a historic background on how this technique came about
•    Importance in Statistics: (˜ 1-2 page)
o    Describe why this topic is important to statistics
o    Explain in which areas of our society this approach is important
•    Importance in Modern Engineering: (˜ 1-2 page)
o    Describe why this topic is important to engineering in today’s world
o    Explain in which areas of engineering this approach is most important
•    Example of Statistical Technique: (1/2  page)
o    Make up a real world example problem of your choosing and analyze the solution to this problem using the statistical approach that you chose. It would be best for you to use Excel for this, but you are welcome to use any software you like.
o    Briefly describe what the importance is of the solution to your example problem.
•    Literature Cited:
o    At least 3 sources
o    Example Reference:[1] A.B. Smith, C.D. Jones, and E.F. Roberts, “Article Title”, Journal, Publisher, Location, Date, pp. 1-10.

NOTE: Here are some good sites for statistical data:
http://www2.stetson.edu/~jrasp/data.htm
http://www.lib.jmu.edu/resources/statistics_datasets.aspx
http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum96/data.collections/datalibrary/data.set6.html

[You are welcome to use this Final Report Template]

TITLE
Name
Date

Introduction:
Text

Background:
Text

Importance in Statistics:
Text

Importance in Modern Engineering:
Text

Example of Statistical Technique:
Text

Literature Cited:
[1] A.B. Smith, C.D. Jones, and E.F. Roberts, “Article Title”, Journal, Publisher, Location, Date, pp. 1-10.

Figure 1: Histogram of Wind Speed versus Probability Density including a Wiebull Distribution Curve Fit

14.

Global & International Business Contexts

Further information about general assessment criteria, ARNA regulations, referencing and plagiarism can be found on the module’s site on the e-Learning Portal.  Students are advised to read and follow this information.

Read following all Requirements carefully?

Instructions on Assessment:

This assignment is an INDIVIDUAL piece of work. It represents 100% of the module mark. Students are required to produce a word-processed report in three parts.

The context: You are employed by the Boston Consulting Group. Your company has been recently approached by a multinational corporation, which is looking for new business opportunities overseas. One option that has been suggested to a board of directors is wine production in Tunisia. Your task is to evaluate the attractiveness of this industry. You are required therefore to carry out the necessary research to construct an analysis of the overall competitiveness and investment attractiveness of the Tunisian wine industry. You should use a range of published sources of information in this task, such as books, academic journals, periodicals, web resources and relevant databases.

Part 1: Porter’s National Diamond Analysis (60 marks)

Apply the extended version of Porter’s National Diamond (PND) model to the Tunisian wine industry.

Part 2: Contemporary Management Issues (20 marks)

Discuss TWO key management issues that should be taken into account before developing operations in the Tunisian wine industry.

Part 3: Market Entry Strategy (20 marks)

Based on your research and analysis in Part 1 and 2, identify TWO possible market entry strategies and discuss the advantages and limitations of each. You need to provide a clear recommendation to the board of directors.

READ THE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE NOTES CAREFULLY!

Guidance Notes

•    The word limit for the overall assignment is 3600 words.

•    Late submission without formal agreement will be marked as zero.  An electronic version of your assignment must be handed in together with the hard copy. PLEASE DO NOT PUT EVERY PAGE OF YOUR WORK IN A SEPARATE FILE! The electronic copies will not be returned to students, you must retain a copy of this assignment for yourself.

•    Write your analysis as a piece of business communication in report style, using headings and a numbering system, including any illustrations you think are useful. All the figures, charts and tables used in the main body of the report must be explained and justified.

•    There should be no first person references (I, we, us) in the report.  If self-reference is required, you may refer to yourself as “the author” or “this report”.

•    This is a research-based assignment. Your analytical discussion must be supported by a significant number of information sources. Be selective and prioritise to highlight the most important factors.

•    Clarity and concision are encouraged and will be rewarded. You should be thorough and detailed in your analysis, and all the points should be fully explained and justified – but there is a balance to be sought between a mass of detail and a thorough, yet relatively concise reasoning.

•    The report should have the following structure:

?    Cover page – including the module code, title and word count
?    Table of contents – including the page numbers
?    Part 1
?    Part 2
?    Part 3
?    List of references
?    Appendices (if necessary)

•    Make appropriate use of Appendices to support your discussion and analysis in the main body of the report.  Appendices should be properly organised with the reader being referred to the appropriate appendix at the appropriate point in the text.

•    Appendices must not exceed 5 pages in total and are not to be marked.  These should be used for supporting of the main analytical points and issues in the main body of the report.

•    The work must be word-processed and must be printed on single sided A4 paper.  Spacing may either be set at double or one and a half line spacing, depending on the machine used.  The body of the report should be in Font size 12. Arial is the preferred font face.

•    The assignment requires you to demonstrate that you understand and can use theoretical frameworks in your analysis. It is therefore expected that you apply appropriate models and theories studied on the module when generating your answers. It is not necessary to explain the frameworks that you use.

•    Work which is badly written, badly organised and/or badly presented will attract a low grade.

•    DO NOT copy text from any sources!  Use the information to produce your own analysis. Please familiarise yourself with what constitutes plagiarism and academic misconduct. Use only high quality, reliable sources or comment on the quality of the sources used.

•    PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL MATERIALS AND SOURCES USED IN YOUR WORK ARE PROPERLY REFERENCED!

Word limits and penalties for assignments

If the assignment is within +10% of the stated word limit no penalty will apply.

The word count is to be declared on the front page of your assignment and the assignment cover sheet.  The word count does not include:

•    Title and Contents page    •    Reference list    •    Appendices    •    Appropriate tables, figures and illustrations
•    Glossary    •    Bibliography    •    Quotes from interviews and focus groups.

Please note, in text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. “dib-dab nonsense analysis” (Smith, 2011 p.123)] are INCLUDED in the word count.

If this word count is falsified, students are reminded that under ARNA page 30 Section 3.4 this will be regarded as academic misconduct.

If the word limit of the full assignment exceeds the +10% limit, 10% of the mark provisionally awarded to the assignment will be deducted.  For example: if the assignment is worth 70 marks but is above the word limit by more than 10%, a penalty of 7 marks will be imposed, giving a final mark of 63.

Students are asked to submit an electronic version of their assignment.

Submission of Assessment:

All assignments must be submitted via the Undergraduate Programme Office.  Each assignment must be accompanied by an Assessed Work Form which must be completed in full.  The assignment will not be accepted by the Undergraduate Programme Office unless the form is completed correctly.

Marked assignments will be returned to students.  It is advisable to retain a copy of your assignment for you own records.  Your mark will be returned on the Assessed Work Form via the Undergraduate Programme Office.

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives:

This assessment will contribute directly to the following Undergraduate programme goals and objectives.

1. Knowledgeable about the theory and practice of international business and management
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

X    1.    Acquire knowledge of functional areas of business and management.

2.    Acquire knowledge of specialist areas of business.

X    3.    Apply their knowledge to business and management contexts.

X    4.    Conduct contemporary research into business and management.

2. Skilful in the use of professional and managerial techniques and processes
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1.    Provide evidence of self-reflection as a means of informing personal development planning.

2.    Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work in a team.

X    3.    Demonstrate critical thinking skills.

X    4.    Demonstrate problem solving skills.

3. Aware of ethical issues impacting on business and professional practice
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1.    Identify an ethical dilemma in a business situation

2.    Suggest ethical solutions to this dilemma

4. Employable as graduates
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

X    1.    In the context of securing graduate employment demonstrate the skills of self presentation.

Assessment Criteria (NBS)
Module Specific Assessment Criteria

Trait    0 – 29    30 – 39    40 – 49    50 – 59    60 – 69    70 – 79    80 – 100
Very poor use of the analytical concepts.  There is no evidence of any understanding how frameworks and models to be used or may not have been applied to analyse the context and address the tasks. No evidence of research. The work tends to be inarticulate and badly organised. The referencing method is not adhered to.      Poor understanding of the purpose of the analysis and the use of the analytical concepts. Many errors and inadequacies in the application of the theoretical frameworks. Poor analytical discussion which fails to adequately reflect on international business management issues and cross cultural intelligence. Insufficient evidence of the prior research. The work is poorly structured, badly referenced and does not provide any clear recommendation.    Analysis will demonstrate a general understanding of the frameworks and concepts studied on the module and show a basic competence in their application.  Analysis may be unsophisticated with using only the basic PND model without external variables. The use of other concepts and theories is limited. The work may not fit together well and discussion may be superficial with substantial flaws. There may be gaps in the analysis, but it is adequate and demonstrates a basic understanding of the international business contexts. Analytical discussion relies on assertion and description without sufficient support of the prior research. Referencing is inconsistent. Recommendation lacks relevance.    A reasonable analysis using appropriate frameworks to answer the questions and address the assignment tasks. Some lack of understanding may be shown at times but this is counterbalanced by good analysis elsewhere. Adequate application of the extended PND model with external variables and other theoretical concepts.  Adequate analysis of the international business issues and contextual factors.  Some reflection and thinking has taken place about cross cultural management issues and cultural intelligence. The use of references is not always consistent with requirements. The structure of the report needs more clarity and analysis more depth. Recommendation lacks evidence and convincing rationale.    Content is always relevant to the assignment tasks with good and clear explanation.  A good analysis using appropriate frameworks to address the tasks.  Good application of the extended PND model with external variables and other analytical concepts. Good ability to critically evaluate is demonstrated.  Decent number of analytical points are identified and supported by a good discussion and thorough research.  Good evaluation of external environment and the options for the organisation are provided.  Good justification for the market entry modes is given.  Good application of the theoretical concepts and theories in international business contexts applied into practical recommendation. Good use of referencing system with only minor deficiencies.    Very good understanding and knowledge of the frameworks studied on the module is demonstrated through a very good analysis of the external business environment and potential market entry strategies. Very good application of the extended PND model with external variables and other analytical concepts. The work demonstrates ability to critically evaluate information and make reasonable judgments. The arguments are well supported with evidence of very good research.  Work is well structured and generally well written with very good use of referencing.  The information provided demonstrates very good understanding of how the concepts of international business can be applied into practice. Very good recommendation is provided.    Excellent understanding and knowledge of the frameworks is shown through an excellent analysis of the international business contexts and environment.  Excellent application of the extended PND model with external variables and other analytical frameworks. Arguments are well supported and the analysis fits together to produce a coherent justification.  Well-articulated key analytical points raised in the discussion.  Work is well written, well-structured and appropriately referenced.  Evidence of excellent research skills and good use of the theories is provided, demonstrating an astute understanding of how the concepts of international business can be applied into practice. Excellent recommendation is given.

Note:     For those assessments or partial assessments based on calculation, multiple choice etc.  Marks will be gained on an accumulative basis.  In these cases, marks allocated to each section will be made clear.

Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment and it must be made available within 24 hours of them requesting it be submitted.