DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP,

Oct. 2020

COURSEWORK BRIEF

This module is assessed by coursework alone. You are required to submit a portfolio containing two parts, as detailed below, which
together count for 100% of the module assessment. The report comprises no more than 2000 words. The assignment will be marked by
the module leader and you will receive formal feedback on your submission following the completion of this process.

The purpose of the portfolio is for you to explore and reflect upon your own learning and development.

PART 1: Development records & Continuing Professional Development Action Plan (50% of overall module mark).

This part of your portfolio should contain three elements:

1.1 A summary record of your key development activities over the last 6 to 12 months (the choice of timescale is yours)
1.2 A continuing professional development action plan for the 12 months following completion of this module
1.3 A commentary on the development experiences summarised and the challenges you will face in undertaking your professional
development plan.

In your summary of your development records (1.1), you are not required to provide a comprehensive record of all your development in that
period. You are expected to summarise significant development activities undertaken during the period. These may link to activities on your
studies, that programme itself and activities in your working or personal life. For each activity you are required to provide:
 A brief record/explanation of the development activity.
 Evidence (in an appendix) that supports and substantiates the development undertaken.

In identifying evidence to substantiate your development this should ideally draw from multiple sources. Examples include (but are not
limited to):

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 Self-assessments and evaluation of the same
 Notes from lectures and tutorials
 Peer-evaluation from group exercises and other activities
 Your appraisal/performance review (or extracts from the same)
 Records of reading done (including notes on the book/source considered)
 Records of attendance/certificates of achievement.

Your evidence should be submitted as an appendix to your assessment with all the evidence included referenced within the assessment.

Your continuing professional development action plan (1.2) should focus on the specific areas of development that you want to address.
You are responsible for identifying the area of focus for your action plan. It is recommended, however, that your plan should, fall into ONE
of three broad areas for development:
 PERSONAL SKILLS aimed at improving self-awareness, self-reliance and personal effectiveness; for example, managing time or
stress, creativity, emotional intelligence, presentation skills, foreign language skills.
 PEOPLE SKILLS focused on building effective working relationships; for example, handling conflict, leadership, coaching, cross-cultural
skills, team working, negotiation, feedback.
 CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS for maximising opportunities arising from the changing environment and job marketplace, taking
responsibility for your career and managing the relationship with work and learning throughout your career; for example, CV
development, interviews, networking, assessment centre preparation.

This action plan should include the following features:

 It needs to express your purpose and intended outcomes; there is a strong link between your motivation and the likelihood of success.
 It should include both progress goals, which act as milestones, and outcome goals, to achieve your ultimate purpose. Progress goals
may be priority sub-skills. For example, you could identify voice projection as a skill which contributes to the overall goal of improved
presentation skills.
 An indication of how you would monitor each activity or progress goal and ensure it contributes to the final outcome stated.
 It should not rely solely upon one course of action. If you have a range of options available, you will be less likely to be deterred by
unexpected challenges or obstacles.
 It needs to be written in precise terms, following a rigorous and systematic analysis.

It is expected that your development record and action plan will be presented as a table and as such will not contribute to the
word count of the assignment.

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Your commentary (1.3) is expected to discuss the impact of and lessons learned from the activities in your development record and the
challenges and barriers you might face (personally and professionally) in undertaking your action plan and identify how these may be
minimised. The focus throughout should be on critical consideration of your development activities and the learning from these.

PART 2: Reflective Account (40% of overall module mark)

This should address the experience of studying on your MSc in general, this module and the business simulation in particular. The intention
is to consider your experiences of engaging in this developmental activity. The reflective account is your opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to learn from experience through analysis and look ahead to consider how it may be useful to you in the future. This should be a
personal account and therefore written in the first person (‘I’). A good reflective account will link to the content of Part 1 of this assessment
in a considered and detailed way.

Change pricing strategy

Production houses increase

Sales marketing

Targets achieve

Resources

Business mobile spare parts ka online wholesale business in my area as prices high in my area

Import from china to get on cheap prices

 Language English improve

 How to hire and fire
 Contingency plan learned

Msc ……….learning

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A single portfolio should be submitted containing both elements and these should be clearly separated from each other, with clear and
appropriate titles. Start each element on a new page. You are expected to split the 2000 word limit for the assignment in approximately
equal proportion to the weightings of the assessment indicated above.

It is NOT necessary to include an overall introduction and conclusion for your portfolio; however, both elements should be properly and
appropriately structured and the logic and structure of each element should be clear to the reader. It is a key skill of effective learning and
development to be able to order and structure your thinking and learning. This is a skill being tested here as well, and part of the
assessment mark is awarded for structure (5%) and clarity of expression (5%). The full marking criteria are included below.

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MARKIN Outstanding/ Very Good Good Satisfactory Significant Substantial
G Excellent fail fail
CRITERI (69-60%) (59-50%) (49-40%)
A (70% or (39-30%) (29% or
above) under)
HRM7503
-A

DEVELO Records and Records Records Records and Records and Record and/or
PMENT plans are and plans and plans plans are plans are plan is absent,
RECORD extensive and are are coherent and unclear/poorly missing major
S, effectively effectively reasonably logical but presented. elements or
CONTIN presented. presented. presented. limited/ Commentary incoherent.
UING Commentary Commentar Commentar descriptive. is descriptive Commentary
DEVELO offers y offers y offers Commentary and offers little is absent or
PMENT comprehensiv critical Some offers limited or no unclear with
PLAN & e critical insight into critical critical justification for no justification
COMME insight into developme insight into insight into the focus/skills for the
NTARY development nt developme development area adopted focus/skills
(50%) undertaken undertaken nt undertaken and no critical areas consider
and in-depth and undertaken and limited discussion of and no critical
and critical justification and some justification its feasibility discussion of
justification for for the justification for the and barriers its feasibility
the focus/skills focus/skills for the focus/skills and and barriers
area adopted area focus/skills area challenges in and
and detailed adopted area adopted. undertaking challenges in
critical and and critical adopted Tendency to the action plan undertaking
time sensitive and time and some a descriptive as outlined. the action plan
discussion of sensitive critical and approach Supported by as outlined. No
its feasibility discussion time and lacking and draws evidence or
and barriers of its sensitive effective from limited reference to
and feasibility discussion critical evidence and relevant
challenges in and of its discussion of is only poorly literature and

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 undertaking barriers feasibility its feasibility referenced to wider reading
the action and and and barriers literature and
plan. challenges barriers and wider reading.
Supported by in and challenges in
appropriate undertaking challenges undertaking
evidence and the action in the action
is referenced plan as undertaking plan as
to extensive outlined. the action outlined.
relevant Supported plan as
literature and by and outlined.
wider reading. draws from Supported
evidence by and
and is draws from
referenced some
to relevant evidence
literature and is
and wider referenced
reading. to some
relevant
literature
and wider
reading.

Continued overleaf…

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MARK Outstanding/ Very Good Good Satisfactory Significant Substantial fail
ING Excellent fail
CRITE (69-60%) (59-50%) (49-40%) (29% or under)
RIA (70% or above) (39-30%)

HRM7
503-A

REFL Detailed and Coherent and Reasonable Some (limited) Shows little Confused and
ECTIV insightful showing understanding understanding understandi showing no real
E analysis understanding of and some of and partial ng and understanding
ACCO showing in- of and critical critical critical critical of or critical
UNT depth consideration of consideration of consideration considerati consideration of
(40%) understanding the module/MSc the module/MSc of the on of the the module/MSc
of and critical as a learning as a learning module/MSc module/MS as a learning
consideration of experience. experience. as a learning c as a experience. No
the module/MSc Shows evidence Shows some experience. learning evidence of self-
as a learning of self- evidence of self- Tendency experience. awareness or
experience. awareness and awareness and towards Very insight into the
Shows perceptive occasional description descriptive. module and
extensive insight into the insight into the rather than Little or no broader and
evidence of self- module and module and discussion. self- deeper learning.
awareness and broader and broader and Limited awareness Just a collection
perceptive deeper learning. deeper learning. evidence of or insight of points. No
insight into the Use of Some use of self- into the use of examples
module and appropriate appropriate awareness module and
broader and examples/ examples/ and insight broader
deeper learning. literature. literature. into the and deeper
Use of extensive module and learning.
examples/ broader and Very little
literature. deeper use of
learning. Little

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 use of examples
examples.

CLARI Thoughts clearly Thoughts clearly Language Meaning Not fluent Poor fluency,
TY OF expressed. expressed. mainly fluent. apparent, but and unclear writing style
EXPR Fluent, Appropriate language not in places opaque.
ESSIO appropriate writing style always fluent. Language
N (5%) writing style. difficult to follow.

STRU Polished and Careful and Satisfactory Reasonable Disorganiz Organization

CTUR coherent logical presentation, attempt to ed, without and structure
E (5%) structure. organization of organization and organize a clear very unclear.
Appropriate and ideas. structure. thoughts in a structure. Inappropriate or
relevant Appropriate and Mostly logical with missing
references relevant appropriate manner. Some inadequate references.
throughout. references references. inappropriate references.
overall. referencing
noted.

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