Week 7 – Assessment Point 2 – Guidelines
Week 7 – Assessment Point 2: 50% of the overall module marks
Assessment Point 2
According to Dasgupta and Gupta “The increasing turbulence in the external business environment has focused attention on the resources and organizational capabilities as the principal source of competitive advantage.” (2009, p.204).
Discuss with reference to appropriate literature sources, the extent to which the creation, sharing and utilization of knowledge is central to this resource-based view of competitive advantage.
Reference: Dasgupta, M., & Gupta, R. K. (2009). Innovation in organizations: A review of the role of organizational learning and knowledge management. Global Business Review, 10(2), 203-224.
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Consider what to include in the body of your project and demonstrate a sound level of text synthesis. Essential information must be included in the body of the project and will be counted in the word count. Extra illustrative information may be included in the appendices. Along with the recommended readings included in this week’s section, support your paper with a minimum of three (3) resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles of your choice, may be included.
Your assignment will be assessed using the Writing Rubric located below of the Marking Criteria shell. Marking criteria
Element Weight Marking %
General presentation of the submitted work and application of APA referencing style 10%
Content quality, analysis, and review of the literature 50%
Structure and cohesion 30%
Academic writing style 10%

Students will decide on the appropriate structure and content. However, we expect to see the following elements:
1. Introduction: A good and appropriate introduction to the various approaches of analysing the external environment. Set the scene for the assignment. Make sure to define the primary aim of your project in the introduction.
2. Main body: Present and discuss the issues of the topic. Demonstrate in-depth critical examination and discuss evidence of independent research on the topic. Search the related literature using a variety of sources such as textbooks, academic and scientific journals. Organise and structure your work so that the reader can follow the line of the argument. Link the paragraphs by using linking words.
3. Conclusions: The conclusion section is an integral part of every project. Writing a good concluding paragraph can be challenging. Restate your thesis and summarise your main points of evidence for the reader. Similarly to the introduction section, the conclusion should be interesting! The conclusion should summarise the main points of your assignment. Implications: Demonstrate what you have learned from your assignment by addressing the central question and adequately summarise the findings of your research.

The following points should be noted for this part of the assessment:
● This is an individual assessment, not a group task.
● Your project should be submitted on the due date (i.e. Sunday of Week 7) by 11.59 p.m. (23.59 hours) VLE (UTC) time at the latest. To submit your assignment, please use the submission link titled “Assessment Point 2” that is located in Week 7 on the VLE page of your module.
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● Literature should be sourced from a range of journal articles and textbooks. A limited range of readings will be made available.
● The word count is 3000 words +/- 10%. This does not include the reference list and any appendices the assignment may include.
● Accurate referencing of sources is crucial in this coursework. The referencing system used in this module is the APA Reference system. Please make sure you are familiar with this. Marks will be deducted for inaccurate referencing.
● Academic Integrity: Students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity by completing their own work, assignments, and other assessment exercises. Submission of work from another person, whether it is from printed sources or someone other than the student; previously graded papers; papers submitted without proper citations; or submitting the same paper to multiple courses without the knowledge of all instructors involved can result in a failing grade. Incidents involving academic dishonesty will be reported to university officials for appropriate sanctions. Furthermore, students must always submit work that represents their original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in an assignment or assessment submission do not represent the student’s original words or ideas, all relevant sources must be cited along with the extent to which such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source.
● The assessment must be submitted electronically via “Turnitin.”