Order instructions
The individual assignment of 3000 words will be weighted at 70% of the overall course nassessment. The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to demonstrate the ability to use what you have learnt on the course to analyse and critically review the business research methodology process.
Topic: Company analysis.
The course assignment is around company performance and our analysis of it. The requirement is for this analysis to be on a company of your choice using relevant financial ratios from the course content. Typical companies used could be British Airways, Unilever, Virgin, Tesco, Marks and Spencer. These are suggestions but by no means an exhaustive list. In addition, you may include other methods of analysis in your assignment including, for
example but not exclusively, those in the Balanced Scorecard as well as others as discussed in other parts of our course. The objective of the assignment is to analyse the company and write a report on the result of your analysis. The main body of the text should be about the analysis.
Please use a company that has adequate data available as in about 3 to 5 years in order to make the analysis meaningful. The structure should be such that the calculated ratios can be either in the main body of the text or (preferred) included as an appendix and summarily used to enhance the discussion areas within the main body of the text. The word count (excluding calculations) should be no more than 3000 words.
Please respect the word count limits as assignments which use more words will be penalized. Assessment criteria
The assignment is more to do with the analysis rather than just about the calculation of the ratios. Please try to see company reports as the “telling of stories”. It is our role as analysts to tease out that story by using appropriate rations but then, importantly, to use the ratios to discuss their meaning especially their impact on the company in terms of your, critique, assessment of results and recommendations.
The report must be word-processed in 11 font Arial and double spaced. Please note that following criteria will be used to assess the submitted work in its
entirety:
1. Criticality and discussion: a critical approach is adopted and theoretically rooted
arguments are developed and built to address key elements of the question.
2. Analysis and application: The extent to which the literature chosen is used to inform
and support the subsequent analysis and application of practice. 3. The paper meets the required standards of presentation including correct Harvard
style referencing, a logical structure, clear use of sub-headings, correct grammar, punctuation and spelling, clear diagrams and tables where included.
