Assignment Brief
Academic Year 2023-24
Module code
and title:
FY021 Introduction to Business
Studies
Module leader:
Diana Mladin
Assignment
No. and type:
CW1
Assessment
weighting:
100%
Submission
time and date:
Friday 19th January 2024 before
2 pm.
Target feedback
time and date:
3 weeks after submission
deadline.
Assignment task
There are 3 elements to this assignment which are all detailed in the assignment task below. The
assessment will include:
 A 10 min Group Powerpoint Presentation. This will relate to the internal and external factors which
impact on business (Learning outcomes 2 and 3).
 A poster. This will relate to one part of the Marketing Mix, either Promotion, Price, Place or
Product. This is an individual element. (Learning outcome 1).
 A report – 1500 words. This is an individual piece of work on The Body Shop. (Learning outcome
1, 2 and 4).
This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:
LO 1
Describe the role of HR, Marketing and finance functions within organisations
LO 2
Develop an understanding of collaborative working practices
LO 3
Demonstrate an understanding of the main factors, both internal and external, which impact
businesses
LO 4
Demonstrate knowledge of the role of financial management and reporting within the organisation
Task requirements
This assignment is a Portfolio assignment where you will work on 3 pieces of work throughout the module.
The assessments will include: A 10-minute Group Powerpoint Presentation, a poster and a report.
These will be completed throughout the module, and although a mark will not be awarded until the end of
the module, detailed formative feedback will be provided together with the opportunity for the student to
Internal approval: Name, Date
1
improve the work until the final deadline providing formative developmental opportunities. Please see the
MODULE HANDBOOK for details of when formative feedback opportunities will be provided.
TASK 1. 10-minute Group Presentation.
Note: this contributes to 40% of the weighting of the portfolio.
Instructions:
Choose an organisation (preferably an SME) and discuss how ONE internal and ONE external
environmental factor affect/impact that chosen organisation.
You are required to form groups in order to carry out this assessment. Please confirm your groups with
your module tutor.
Choose one organisation (preferably an SME) to carry out this and discuss how both internal and external
environmental factors affect/impact that chosen organisation.
The presentation should include:
a)
Introduction of your group and chosen business organisation.
b)
Discussion on how one internal and one external environmental factor affect your chosen
organisation? Use a Swot analysis to aid discussions.
c)
Narrative/written script for each slide (include a slide with sources - author/contributor).
d)
Conclusion.
TASK 2 : A Marketing Poster
This will relate to ONE part of the Marketing Mix, Promotion, Price, Place or Product. This is an individual
element. (Note: this contributes to 33% of the weighting)
You are required to choose an organisation of your choice and design a poster addressing one element of
the Marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place). On the first page is the poster, the second page is
your argument/write up about 1-2 paragraphs.
Instructions:
Choose a business or an organisation and select one product that the business provides. Produce a
poster to demonstrate one of the 4 P's that make up the marketing mix (These are Product, Price, Place
and Promotion). Don't forget, you are assessing only one from the four. E.g. Price: Is the pricing strategy
effective? What problems might the business face if they get the pricing strategy wrong?
What to include:
Main body: This section should address all relevant issues relating to the title. You will have to use
headings, pictures, graphs and charts in this section. (1 st page)
The main argument discussed in a paragraph below the poster (2 nd page)
References: using Harvard referencing format, providing academic/industry references in support of your
content.
Task 3. Report – The Body Shop 1500 words.
This is an individual piece of work. (Note: this contributes to 33% of the weightage to the portfolio)
Instructions:
Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the Human Resources (HR) and Financial management
strategies within The Body Shop. Which of these do you feel contributes most significantly to the
business success?
To complete this task you will need to include the following in your report:Introduction
2
Information on the Human Resources (HR) strategies of the organisation. Consider their recruitment
strategy, training and development reward. You will need to identify evidence to support this section.
Information on the Financial management strategies of the organisation. Review their Profit & Loss and
Balance sheet and analyse their strategies through research.
Evaluation/Conclusion – which of these strategies do you believe contributes most significantly to their
success?
Assignment parameters – Harvard referencing, writing style, word count, layout etc.
Referencing and research requirements
Please reference your work according to the Harvard referencing style as defined in Cite Them Right
Online (http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and
Shields, G. (2016) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 10th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan. Copies are available via the university library.
How your work will be assessed
Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning
outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria, as defined in the University’s
institutional grading descriptors. If it is appropriate to the format of your assignment and your subject area,
a proportion of your marks will also depend upon your use of academic referencing conventions.
This assignment will be marked according to the grading descriptors for Foundation Level.
Submission details

This assignment should be submitted electronically. Please use the relevant Turnitin submission
point in the Upload My Assignment area on LSST Connect.

Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format. Turnitin will only accept
the following file types: Microsoft Word, PDF. Your file must also contain at least 20 words of text,
consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less than 40MB in size.

You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit
your work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.

Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission, which
will be sent to your LSST e-mail address. Please keep this receipt for future reference, along with
the original electronic copy of your assignment.
You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on the
University website: https://bucks.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/9546/Academic-Misconduct-Policy.pdf.
In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these
regulations.
3
Submission date and time
This assignment should be submitted before 14:00 UK time date specified above.
Work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be accepted as a late
submission. Late submissions will be marked, and the actual mark recorded but will be capped at the pass
mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work submitted after this period will
not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.
Feedback and marks for this assignment will be available 3 weeks after submission deadline.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity means taking responsibility for your own work.
When you submit an assignment, you are effectively making a declaration that it is your own work and that
you have acknowledged the contribution of others and their ideas in its development (for example, by
referencing them appropriately).
For further information and guidance, please see the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/currentstudents/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/academic-integrity-and-misconduct
You are also expected to take responsibility for maintaining and managing confidentiality issues in your work.
You should maintain and respect confidentiality in relation to the protection of personal, technical and/or
commercial information of a sensitive nature in their assessed work, whatever the format.
Confidentiality issues will vary from subject to subject and you are encouraged to seek advice from your
course team if you are unclear about requirements in your context. For further information and guidance,
please see the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/academic-confidentiality
Please note: the Marking Scheme below is currently under review. The final
version will be provided shortly.
4
Assessment Criteria
0-34 (F) –
Fail
Not successful
Academic Year 2023-24
35-39 E –
Marginal fail
Below required
standard
40-49 (D)
Pass
Satisfactory
50-59 (C)
Pass
Good
60-69 (B)
Pass
Very Good
70-79 (A)
Pass
Excellent
80-100 (A+)
Pass
Outstanding
Knowledge and
understanding
There is
insufficient or no
This should include evidence of
reading of given
evidence of:
sources.
 Discusses
knowledge of
business terms
 Introduction,
Appendix
 Reports
external
‘theory’
sources,
company info
 Meaningful
use of
readings,
resources and
research
There is limited
evidence of
reading of given
sources and/or
reading largely
lacks relevance.
Wider reading is
relevant using
given sources but
only partially
integrated into the
work.
Wider reading is
relevant using
given sources and
has clearly
enhanced the
work.
Wider reading
shows a range of
relevant given
sources being used
and applied.
Application of a
wide range of given
reading is largely
evident in the work.
Application of a
wide range of
given reading and
beyond is fully
evident
throughout the
work
Analysis and
criticality
A limited ability to
use ideas and
information to
devise and sustain
arguments
A sufficient ability
to use ideas and
information to
devise and sustain
arguments
A consistent and
confident ability to
use ideas and
information to
A highly proficient
ability to use ideas
and information to
devise and sustain
arguments
A highly
accomplished
ability to use ideas
and information to
An exceptional
ability to use
ideas and
information to
devise and
An insufficient or
no ability to use
This should include ideas and
information to
evidence of:
5
Assessment Criteria
0-34 (F) –
Fail
Not successful



Logic and
argument
Clear
explanations
Use models of
analysis to
form and
sustain points
(ie SWOT,
PEST etc.)
Transferable skills
(written
communication)
35-39 E –
Marginal fail
Below required
standard
40-49 (D)
Pass
Satisfactory
devise and sustain
arguments
Insufficient or no
ability to use
digital literacy and
This should include written
communication
evidence of:
skills, applicable to
 Accurate
academic and
spelling,
professional
punctuation
contexts
and grammar
 Language use
appropriate to
purpose and
context
6
Academic Year 2023-24
50-59 (C)
Pass
Good
60-69 (B)
Pass
Very Good
devise and sustain
arguments
A limited ability to
use digital literacy
and written
communication
skills, applicable to
academic and
professional
contexts
A sufficient ability
to use digital
literacy and
written
communication
skills, applicable to
academic and
professional
contexts
A consistent and
confident ability to
use digital literacy
and written
communication
skills, applicable to
academic and
professional
contexts
A highly proficient
ability to use
digital literacy and
written
communication
skills, applicable to
academic and
professional
contexts
70-79 (A)
Pass
Excellent
80-100 (A+)
Pass
Outstanding
devise and sustain
arguments
sustain
arguments
Work demonstrates
a highly
accomplished
ability to use digital
literacy and written
communication
skills, applicable to
academic and
professional
contexts
Work
demonstrates an
exceptional
ability to use
digital literacy
and written
communication
skills, applicable
to academic and
professional
contexts
Assessment Criteria
0-34 (F) –
Fail
Not successful


Academic Year 2023-24
35-39 E –
Marginal fail
Below required
standard
40-49 (D)
Pass
Satisfactory
50-59 (C)
Pass
Good
60-69 (B)
Pass
Very Good
70-79 (A)
Pass
Excellent
80-100 (A+)
Pass
Outstanding
There is a
consistent and
confident ability
to: -present
cohesively to meet
obligations to
others in a team
effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
There is a highly
proficient ability
to:
-present
cohesively to meet
obligations to
others in a team
effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
There is a highly
accomplished
ability to:
-present cohesively
to meet obligations
to others in a team
effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
There is a
sufficient ability
to:
-present
cohesively to meet
obligations to
others in a team
effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
There is an
exceptional
ability to:
-present
cohesively to
meet obligations
to others in a
team effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
-use Initiative to
take responsibility
for initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures for
presentation
-use Initiative to
take responsibility
for initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures for
presentation
-use Initiative to
take responsibility
for initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures for
presentation
-use Initiative to
take responsibility
for initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures for
presentation
Appropriate
structure for
the format
Referencing
Transferable skills
(for presentations
only)
There is
insufficient or no
evidence of an
This should include ability to:
-present
evidence of:
 Teamwork and cohesively to meet
obligations to
presentation
others in a team
skills
effort
 Structures
- contribute and
presentation
manage their
 Structures
learning and work
slide/time
under direction or
usage
supervision
 Uses
appropriate
-use Initiative to
language style take responsibility
and mechanics for initiating and
 Cites sources
completing tasks
in some form
and procedures for
presentation
7
There is a limited
ability to
-present
cohesively to meet
obligations to
others in a team
effort
-contribute and
manage their
learning and work
under direction or
supervision
-use Initiative to
take responsibility
for initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures for
presentation
-use Initiative to
take
responsibility for
initiating and
completing tasks
and procedures
for presentation
Assessment Criteria
0-34 (F) –
Fail
Not successful
8
Academic Year 2023-24
35-39 E –
Marginal fail
Below required
standard
40-49 (D)
Pass
Satisfactory
50-59 (C)
Pass
Good
60-69 (B)
Pass
Very Good
70-79 (A)
Pass
Excellent
80-100 (A+)
Pass
Outstanding