Melbourne Institute of Finance & Management
Guideline to Assignments
2
Assessments
Every Advanced Diploma of Business subject will require the completion of assessments
throughout the semester which contribute to the final grade for the subject. This might be an
exam, essay, case study report, presentation or any combination of these.
It is the responsibility of you the student to know what the assessment requirements are for
each subject you are enrolled in and the due dates. If you are unable to complete the
assessment on the due date then you must make a request for an extension from the teacher
responsible for that for that subject. It is also at the discretion of the teacher if to grant the
extension or not and the length of period to grant it for.
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Table of Contents
1. Assignments .................................................................................................................4
1.1 General Assignment Writing Tips ................................................................ 4
2 Plagiarism....................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Referencing ............................................................................................................6
2.1.1 Citing References in the Text ............................................................................7
2.1.2 Direct quotation ..................................................................................................7
2.1.3 Citing References in the Reference List or Bibliography ...................................8
3 Essay ........................................................................................................... 10
4 Report .......................................................................................................... 11
4.1 Title Page .............................................................................................................11
4.2 Table of Contents .................................................................................................11
4.3 Executive summary..............................................................................................11
4.4 Introduction ..........................................................................................................11
4.5 Body .....................................................................................................................12
4.6 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................12
4.7 Recommendations ................................................................................................12
4.8 Appendix ..............................................................................................................12
4.9 List of References ................................................................................................12
5. Case Study .................................................................................................. 13
5.1 Case Study Format ...............................................................................................13
6. Presentations ............................................................................................. 14
6.1 Planning ...............................................................................................................14
6.2 Preparing ..............................................................................................................14
6.3 Practicing .............................................................................................................14
6.4 Involving the audience .........................................................................................15
7. Useful words in assignments ....................................................................... 16
8. Appendix – Sample Report ......................................................................... 18
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1. Assignments
Most subjects will require the submission of an assignment as well as the completion of a
final exam; assignments may be completed in the format of an essay, report, case study or
presentation.
Regardless of the format it is important to adequately prepare and plan all assignments well
to ensure that it is not rushed and all requirements are answered. All written assignments
require the use of the Harvard referencing method.
1.1 General Assignment Writing Tips
Regardless of the style the assignment is required to be written the process involved in
preparing the assignment will be the similar.
1. The Purpose
Identify the purpose of the assignment and the requirements that need to be answered.
Try to read over the questions carefully and ensure it is clear as to the exact meaning of
the questions to ensure that the correct information is gathered.
2.
Identify The Reader
Look at the assignment and make sure it is clear as to who the assignment is being
written for. It might be a teacher, maybe a client or a boss. Once the reader has been
identified, think about how much information and previous knowledge the reader will
have on the subject so that you can prepare an assignment that will suit the reader. Try to
explain any jargon or terms introduced during the assignment.
3. Collecting Information
When researching and collecting information for the assignment, focus on the
information that is needed in order to answer the questions of the assignments. Additional
information that is not relevant to the topic will not receive any additional marks but take
up more of the word limit.
To get a wider range of ideas and more interesting information look for information from
a wide range of sources outside the textbook including journal articles, newspaper
articles, websites, interviews and videos.
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4. Planning
After collecting the information, a plan needs to be made as to what will be discussed in
the assignment. Plan all the points that will be raised in a logical order and try to think
about how each new idea can build on to each other.
5. Preparing a draft and editing
The next step is to start writing the assignment, putting all the information into your own
words as much as possible. Direct quotes can be used if the information is not too long
and loses meaning when paraphrased. Direct quotes must been referenced directly as
mentioned in section 2.
When editing the draft try not to go straight into editing the draft after writing it as it is
often best to leave it for an hour or so. This clears the mind of the thoughts on the topic,
and helps to concentrate on the English and how well the draft reads.
6. Submitting the final product
When submitting the assignment try to make sure that the presentation is clear and easy
to read; it helps to include page numbers, a margin down the side and title page with the
title of the assignment and your name on it.
Source: Cotesta, P. & Kimberley, N., (1998), Q Manual, Monash University, Melbourne, p.
23-24
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2 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of cheating in assessment. Plagiarism may occur in oral, written or
visual presentations. It is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person,
without appropriate referencing, as though it is your own. Plagiarism is not acceptable.
The use of another person’s work or ideas must be acknowledged. The penalties for cheating
in assessment are severe, whether the cheating involves plagiarism, fabrication, falsification
of data, copyright infringement or some other method.
Penalties can include chargers of academic misconduct, cancellation of results and exclusion
from your course. It is also a disciplinary offence for you to allow your work to be
plagiarised by another student. You are responsible for keeping your work in a secure place.
Source: Emerson, G,. Plagiarism, <www.mifm.vic.edu.au/ > 13 February 2006
2.1 Referencing
The Harvard reference system (or author-date system) is the means by which you identify
books and other sources which you have used in your writing. It is the system you are
recommended to use unless your tutor directs you to use another. It is very important to be
consistent and accurate when citing references. Citations in the body of your writing should
give the author’s surname with the year of publication. The full details of all these references
should be listed alphabetically by author name as a reference list at the end of your writing. If
you wish to acknowledge other sources that have been used in your learning these should be
given in a separate bibliography. If you are writing an academic essay you need to use
citations to acknowledge your sources in the following circumstances: If writing a
dissertation or a practice based project, there is an expectation of wider reading to inform
your work, so it is appropriate that both a reference list and a bibliography should be
submitted.
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if you are using an actual quotation from another source;
if you are paraphrasing another source;
if you are referring directly to another source;
if your own writing is closely based on, or is drawn heavily from, the work of another
writer;
if you wish, for some other reason, to draw attention to a source.
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2.1.1 Citing References in the Text
In-text citations should give the surname of the author or editor, the date of publication and,
where necessary a precise page reference which is separated from the rest of the information
by a comma. Some examples are listed below:
Single author
Kaufman (1987) advances the notion that elderly people maintain a sense of continuity with
their past lives.
Early recordings show how distinctive the orchestras of different countries sounded at the
start of the twentieth century (Roberts, 1989, p.22-48).
Two authors
In the study by Basford and Slevin (1995)….
More than two authors
Benner et al (1996) concluded that….
Note: however all the authors’ names should appear in the reference list.
2.1.2 Direct quotation
When quoting directly from a source use quotation marks and acknowledge the writer’s
name, year of publication and page number.
Short quotations (up to 2 lines) can be included in the body of the text:
Weir (1995, p.10) states that "defining roles and their remits is not simple".
Longer quotations should be indented in a separate paragraph:
In discussing staff development Thomas and Ingham (1995, p.33) state that:
"Development is infectious, and staff who previously have recoiled from undertaking a
degree or conversion course have been encouraged by the success of others"
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2.1.3 Citing References in the Reference List or Bibliography
Printed Sources
Arrangement
References should be listed in alphabetical order of author's or editor's surnames. If the
author's surname is not known use the abbreviation 'Anon.' for 'Anonymous', and list the
book under 'A'. If the publication is produced by a company or organisation it should be
listed in the alphabetical sequence under the initial letter of the first major word of the
organisation's name ('A', 'An' and 'The' are not regarded as major words).
A book by a single author:
Stiglitz, J. (2002) Globalisation and its discontents. London: Allen Lane.
A book by more than two authors should have all the authors acknowledged:
Bowes, A., Gleason, D. and Smith, P. (1990) Sociology: a modular approach. Oxford:
Oxford University Press
A book by a corporate author (e.g. a government department or other organisation):
United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2001) World public sector
report: globalization and the state 2001. New York: United Nations.
An edited book:
Basford, L. and Slevin, O. (eds.) (1995) Theory and practice of nursing: an integrated
approach to patient care. Edinburgh: Campion.
An article in a journal by one author:
Allen, A. (1993) Changing theory in nursing practice. Senior Nurse, 13 (1), p.43-5.
An article in a journal by two or more authors:
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Colley, A., Banton, L., Down, J and Pither, A. (1992) An expert-novice comparison in
musical composition. Psychology of music, 20, p.124-34.
An article in a newspaper:
Leadbetter, C. (2002) Why globalisation is a good thing: analysis. The Times, June 26, p.6.
Internet Sources
Individual works
Author/editor surname, Initial (year) Title [online]. Edition. Place of publication, Publisher.
Available from: <URL> [Accessed date].
No specified Author
Organisation. (Year) Title [online]. Edition statement if given. Place of publication:
Publisher. Available from: <URL>. [Accessed date].
Citing electronic journals
Author surname, Initial. (Year) Title of article. Journal title [online], Volume (part).
Available from: <URL>. [Accessed date].
Source: Clark, C., Guidelines on reference listing: the Harvard system,
<www.mifm.vic.edu.au/ >13 February 2006
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3 Essay
In an essay you will usually be required to answer one long question, which might be
informative, persuasive or argumentative. Most times the reader will be your teacher and
therefore the style can usually be written more academically. All essays will have an
introduction, body and conclusion.
1. Introduction
The introduction should let the reader know what you are going to discuss in the body of the
essay and might even mention the development of your ideas as per the body of the essay. It
might also be necessary to explain key terms that will be referred to often in the body of the
essay in the introduction.
2. Body
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The body should discuss the ideas on the topic and should be written in a logical
method where each idea develops into the next idea well. Hence making it easy for
the reader to follow.
It is important to use new paragraphs and maybe even subheading for each new idea
that is introduced to the reader.
To support and give value to the points being raised a wide range of reliable sources
should be used during the essay. Sources of information must be referenced using the
Harvard method as per section 2.21.
3. Conclusion
A conclusion should be a paragraph about the main idea/ideas discussed in the body of the
assignment which you want the reader to take away with them. If it is an argumentative or a
persuasive essay this might be a paragraph which will leave the reader more persuaded to
your point of view.
4. References
A list of references as previously mentioned should always appear at the end of an essay.
Please refer to section 2.21
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4 Report
A report format is the most common assignment that you are likely to come across in the
Advanced Diploma of Business and the formatting of a report is very important. The
following sections should be included in the report. The appendix contains a sample report.
4.1 Title Page
The title page should include the title of the report, the subject, the name of the teacher
the report is being submitted to, student name and number.
4.2 Table of Contents
The table of contents should list the sections of the report and give corresponding page
numbers.
4.3 Executive summary
The executive summary should be about ½ a page long and should give a summary of the
whole report including the recommendations. A person should be able to read the
executive summary and get a clear picture of the entire report.
4.4 Introduction
The introduction should include the following
a. Purpose of the report. Why is the report being written?
b. Background is about 1 or 2 sentences about the background of the report topic
or problem
c. Scope: this again should be fairly short and should include things such as the
amount of data collected and the time frames. If primary research was
conducted it would discuss the size of the research, time frames and sampling.
d. Methodology should briefly mention what data was used to be able to
complete the report.
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4.5 Body
The body is the significant part of the report or where the majority of the information is
included. The information should be arranged in a logical order that is divided into sections
with headings and subheadings. This information should include supporting examples,
theory, tables, diagrams and illustrations. The source of the information also needs to be
referenced according to the Harvard method of referencing.
4.6 Conclusion
The conclusion should be around ½ a page which summaries all the main and important
points that were discussed in the body of the report.
4.7 Recommendations
Recommendations are based on the findings and problems presented in the body of the
assignment and should describe the action that should be taken in order to prevent or improve
upon these issues.
4.8 Appendix
Contains any data or information that help support the finds discussed in the body of the
report but were too large or too difficult to include in the actual body should be put into the
appendix.
4.9 List of References
A list of references using the Harvard method should always be included at the end of a
report. Refer to section 2.21.
Source: Cotesta, P. & Kimberley, N., (1998), Q Manual, Monash University, Melbourne, p.
29-31
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5. Case Study
A case study assesses the ability to apply the knowledge and theory that you have learnt on a
topic to an actual situation. You will often be information on the situation and a list of
questions to answer about it. It is important to include both the theory on the topic and use an
example from the situation to support the answer.
5.1 Case Study Format
The format for a case study required for the Advanced Diploma of Business should be
similar to a report format as per section 2.5.
It should include a title page, table of contents, introduction, body, conclusion,
recommendations and list of references. It is also expected that there will be subheading and
numbering each for different sections that correspond to the questions from the case study.
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6. Presentations
Most students will have to complete an oral presentation at some point during their study and
it will often be the most difficult assessment to complete. However if the presentation is well
prepared and planned then it will be much easier to complete.
6.1 Planning
As with every other assessment it is important to plan a presentation. You will firstly need to
think about the audience you are presenting to, and their knowledge on the subject you are
presentation on. You will need to use appropriate language for the audience. You then need
to think about the things that you will discuss during the assignment.
6.2 Preparing
When preparing what you are going to talk about in your presentation try to arrange the ideas
and information in a way that flows well and is easy for the audience to follow.
It is a good idea to write the presentation out in dot points rather than in full sentences so that
you are less likely to just read what you have in front of you. However if you want to include
data or quotes that aren’t easy to remember it is worthwhile making sure you have all the
details you will need for the presentation.
6.3 Practicing
It is important to practice your presentation beforehand so that you are very familiar with
what you are going to talk about before you present it to a group. When you do present to a
group should feel much more confident about the information you are presenting which
should reduce the nervousness.
It will also mean that you won’t need to read the presentation and be able to make more eye
contact with the audience.
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6.4 Involving the audience
It is also import that your presentation is interesting for the audience and the following are
some ways that will help do this by involving them.
a. Visual Aids
The use of visual aids are very good during a presentation as it helps give the audience a
clear picture of what you are talking about and it is also another media to engage their
senses beside just listening to your voices. Visual aids can include pictures, diagrams,
drawing on a board, overheads, or a short video.
b. Handouts
Handouts are another medium that can be used to engage the audience. The type of
handouts might include a summary of you presentation, have questions about the
presentation, activities for the audience to complete in relation to the topic or might even
include some data or diagram you discuss during the presentation.
c. Questions
It is important to allow the audience to be involved by giving them some time at the end
of the presentation to ask you questions. If you find your audience is losing interest you
can even ask then questions in relation to the presentation.
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7. Useful words in assignments
Analyse
The topic should be pulled apart and discussed in detail how it
works and if it works well. Also why it works well or why it
doesn’t.
Compare
Focus on characteristics that are similar to each other and give
examples of how.
Contrast
Concentrate on the differences of the two topics given and
provide supporting examples.
Compare and Contrast
As mentioned above this will include a discussion of the
similarities and then the differences of the topics given
including examples.
Define
Provide a clear and concise meaning to the term and in order to
this it might be necessary to provide an example.
Describe
Give the reader a comprehensive picture of the topic. Once
again examples are likely to be required able to do this.
Discuss
Analyse and examine thoroughly the topic detail, including
reasons for and against.
Evaluate
Systematically examine the advantages and disadvantages of
the problem and discuss which outweighs the other and why.
Explain
In detail provide a clear understanding of the topic to the
reader. Include definitions of any terminology and give
supporting examples and reasons.
List
Provide the information in a series.
Outline
Give the main points of the topic, leaving out any minor details
Prove
Present reliable evidence and logical reasons to find your
points or idea plausible.
Relate
Give information that connects the one topic to another.
Include examples to support the information.
Review
Thoroughly evaluate the subject and discuss the significant and
important issues that arise.
Summarise
Present the information in a concise form where by only
including the most important points.
8. Appendix- Sample Report
4. Appendix - Sample Report
MKT 1111- Marketing
Five Forces Analysis of the Grocery Industry
John Smith
Student No. 12345690
Submitted to Mr. Davis 10/10/2006
Sample Report
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... 17
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 2
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Purpose ................................................................................. 3
1.2 Scope .................................................................................... 3
1.3 Method................................................................................... 3
1.4 Limitations ............................................................................. 3
1.5 Background ........................................................................... 3
2. Industry Evaluation .................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Industry Overview .................................................................. 4
2.2 Five Forces Analysis ............................................................. 5
2.2.1 Threat of new entrants ........................................................................................ 5
2.2.2 Bargaining power of suppliers ............................................................................ 5
2.2.3 Bargaining power of buyers ............................................................................... 6
2.2.4 Intensity of rivalry .............................................................................................. 6
2.2.5 Availability of substitutes ................................................................................... 6
3. Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 7
4. Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 8
References ........................................................................................................................ 9
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Executive Summary
This report investigates the grocery industry and makes recommendations as to the
attractiveness of the market and strategies a new player should consider when entering the
market.
Through the use of Porter’s ‘Five Forces Analysis’, the Australian industry was assessed
to determine it’s current state, and it’s attractiveness to a new entrant. Due to the high
levels of competition and the prevalent power of buyers to drive margins down through
demands for lower prices, the industry at a glance seems unattractive. However there are
opportunities for new entrants who should look at being a low cost player in the market and
should exploit economies of scale.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this report was to investigate the grocery industry and make
recommendations to a potential new entrant.
1.2 Scope
In investigating and making recommendations, the report takes into consideration Porter’s
theories of ‘Five Forces’ of the industry.
1.3 Method
Academic journals, industry reports and market articles, as well as general news about the
industry were used in researching this report.
1.4 Limitations
Specialty retailers and convenience stores were not considered as part of this analysis.
1.5 Background
The grocery industry is a large industry within Australia it is expected to grow, and the
competition in the industry is strong.
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2. Industry Overview
2.1 Industry Overview
The Australian grocery industry includes retailers of food goods, both fresh and packaged,
and household items. The products are sourced from a variety of suppliers, both domestic and
international. Industry revenue in 2003-4 totalled AU$54.5 billion, among some 3,700 stores,
and employing 242,888 people (Ibisworld, 2005, p5). Real growth in 2003-4 was 3.6%, an
increase of 1% year on year (Ibisworld, 2005, p5).
The dominant players in the grocery industry of Australia are Woolworths (businesses
include Woolworths, Safeway, Food For Less and Flemings) with the largest market share of
up to 42% and Coles (businesses include Coles and Bi-Lo) with up to 32%. Other players in
the industry include Foodland, with 2.5%, ALDI with around 1%, and independents making
up the balance. (Ibisworld, 2005, pp 33-42)
Industry Market Share
23%
w oolw orths
42%
1%
coles
foodland
ALDI
2.50%
Independants
32%
Source: Ibisworld
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Sample Report
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2.2 Five Forces Analysis
Porter’s five force model will be used to give an in depth understanding of the current situation
and competitiveness of the grocery industry.
2.2.1 Threat of new entrants
The threat of new entrants entering the industry is low for several reasons. These include
economies of scale that the current participants are able to exploit, the absolute cost
advantage and the high capital required to enter the market.
Due to the industry participants like Woolworths and Coles having such large portion of
the market share (at over 70%) they are able to utilise economies of scale. In recent times this
power has been accused of being used in a predatory fashion, with major participants making
specific demands on everything from product size, packaging, payment terms, and price.
(Griffith, 2004)
2.2.2 Bargaining power of suppliers
The low bargaining power of suppliers to the grocery industry exists generally because it
consists of farmers and processed food manufacturers. These suppliers are unable to dictate
the price to the industry market and must take the price the industry offers, this is because of
the suppliers being fragmented and it is difficult for them to integrate forward.
As suppliers of the grocery industry generally are farmers they are therefore made up of
large amounts of small individuals who are unable to have collective power to demand higher
prices or conditions from grocery outlets. Coles recently demanded that wine be supplied in
boxes of 6 bottles, rather than the traditional 12, for occupational health and safety reasons.
Despite the higher costs, smaller suppliers were forced to accept the costs, or risk having
their supply contracts cancelled. (Atkinson, 2005)
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2.2.3 Bargaining power of buyers
The bargaining power of the buyers in the grocery industry is medium-low. This is due to
buyers consisting of individuals and households. They are therefore fragmented and are also
unlikely to integrate backwards to purchase from farmers. While trends may run towards
consumer demand for lower prices, there are no formal buying blocs or groups that can
quickly shift prices.
However, due to the nature of groceries, the ability for outlets to differentiate themselves is
limited, and many of the buyers are unwilling to pay added premiums for value-added
services, or premium quality products, particularly in certain segments where grocery items
make up a significant cost. Food and non-alcoholic beverage expenditure is typically the
highest percentage of household expenditure, even exceeding housing costs. (Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2005) This leads to prices being driven lower.
2.2.4 Intensity of rivalry
The market share of Woolworths and Coles is very close with only 10% difference between
the two at the end of 2004 financial year. Furthermore, Foodland and Franklins also have a
very similar market share to one another. This creates a large amount of competition between
the supermarkets, both within and between the major players and smaller competitors.
The industry is experiencing growth with revenue expected to increase at least 3% year on
year over the next 5 years (Ibisworld, 2005, p46) This growth means that the industry
participants are not just competing for the current value of the market and trying to attack
each other’s market share but they are also competing to capture the growth of the industry
which raises the intensity of competition.
2.2.5 Availability of substitutes
The availability of substitutes is low, primarily due to the fact that there is very little ability
for buyer to integrate backwards or suppliers to integrate forwards.. The only threat to the
traditional offering of supermarkets is online purchasing and convenience store buying, both
of which have been dominated by Coles and Woolworths as a method of protecting
themselves from any loss of market to this segment.
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3. Conclusion
In conclusion with the intensity of rivalry being high and upon entering the market, the
ability to compete with existing participants would pose an inhibition and therefore make the
market unattractive.
However there are some attractive aspects of the market with the low availability of
substitutes and therefore the industry does not have to contend with similar items penetrating
the industry, a threat that is rife in many other commodity-type markets. Furthermore, with
low bargaining power of suppliers and a rather low bargaining power of buyers this can pose
as an opportunity for a new firm entering the market.
.
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4. Recommendations
It is recommended that a new entrant should consider the high intensity of rivalry before
they choose to enter the market but if they do enter the make then they should be highly cost
competitive as discussed consumers are unwilling to pay premium prices for groceries.
This can be done by trying to establish themselves as large supermarket chain so they are
able to exploited economies of scale from suppliers and therefore offer lower prices to the
consumer.
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References
Atkinson, B, (2005) “Liquorland carton demands anger suppliers” Foodweek, 29th July,
viewed 14th August 2005
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005) 2003-2004 Household Expenditure Survey, Canberra
Griffith, G.R, (2004), “The Impact of Supermarkets on Farm Suppliers”, Australian
Economic Review, Vol 37 Issue 3, pp329-336
IBISWorld Report, (2005), “G5111 – Supermarkets and other grocery (except
convenience) stores in Australia”, http://ibisworld.com.au/industry, Accessed 14th August
2005
Lloyd, S, (2003), “Smaller supermarkets are using strategy rather than strength”, Business
Review Weekly, 12th June, viewed 14th August 2005
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