MODULE: Critical Issues In Business

Purpose of the Assessment

The purpose of this assignment is to write a critical literature review on a current business topic
– New Thinking in Strategic Management
o this would be a good starting point for your academic research on this topic: Blue Ocean Strategy.

It is essential that you are able to critically review literature as this is a key component of master’s level work.
This assignment also requires you to read and analyse a range of academic materials, again a key component of master’s level study.
It is important that you can demonstrate your ability to read widely and that you are able to discuss, analyse and critically analyse the research that you use in your work.
As a masters level business student it is also essential that your knowledge is up to date in relation to key business issues and that you can reach evidence based conclusions in your writing. This means that all of your writing is supported by quality academic material and is correctly Harvard Referenced.

Assessment Task

You must then write a 2,500 word critical literature review on your topic. You must use good quality academic sources to give an overview of your chosen topic such as academic journals and quality practitioner materials and sources. You must discuss and critique the sources that you use in order to reach evidence based conclusions.

You are required to use good quality academic sources throughout your work to support your arguments.
This assignment requires you to justify your choice of key topic, why have you chosen a particular topic, why is it the most relevant topic for discussion? Use evidence to support your choice.
A critical literature review requires you to look at good quality research on your chosen topic to give an overview of the research in this area. This will require you to discuss academic definitions, identify key themes in the literature, and discuss the potential applications and implications of the literature and to show that you understand the quality of the sources that you are using.
Complete your discussions with an overall conclusion which is based on and referenced with quality academic material.
Your work must be fully Harvard referenced and include a separate reference list at the back of your work.

Assessment Submission
31st March 2016.
Assessment Guidance
This assignment requires you to justify your choice of key topic, why have you chosen a particular topic, why is it the most relevant topic for discussion? Use evidence to support your choice.
A critical literature review requires you to look at good quality research on your chosen topic to give an overview of the research in this area. This will require you to discuss academic definitions, identify key themes in the literature, and discuss the potential applications and implications of the literature and to show that you understand the quality of the sources that you are using.
Complete your discussions with an overall conclusion which is based on and referenced with quality academic material.
Your work must be fully Harvard referenced and include a separate reference list at the back of your work.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes being addressed through this assignment are:

a) Critically explain the value and importance of an integrated perspective to organisational leadership.
b) Apply a range of analytical models and conceptual tools and techniques in the analysis of organisations.
c) Demonstrate knowledge applied to practical situations of business management.
d) Engage in critical, developmental reflection about professional knowledge.
e) Produce evidence-based arguments and conclusions.

f) Demonstrate an ability to work effectively as an individual and group member in order to carry out tasks linking theory to practice
g) Make discriminating use of a range of learning resources in order to solve business related problems.
h) Communicate the solutions arrived at, and the thinking underlying them, in written form.