Leadership and Management

Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

Module Code: HR9737

Module Title: Leadership and Management

Distributed on: Week 1

Submission
Time and Date:

TBC

Word Limit: 3500 words (+/- 10%)

Weighting This assessment accounts for 100% of the total mark for this module

Submission of
Assessment

Assessments must be submitted electronically via Turnitin by the given
deadline. You will find a Turnitin link on the module’s eLP site under
‘Assessment and Submission’.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your assignment arrives before the
submission deadline stated above. See the University policy on late
submission of work (the relevant extract is set out below).

General Information

Further information about general assessment criteria, ARNA regulations, referencing and
plagiarism can be found on the e-Learning Portal (Blackboard) site for the module. Students are
advised to read and follow this information.

Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs)

1. Demonstrate the ability to work in culturally diverse groups and teams and make
appropriate and personal contributions to team effectiveness

2. Have critically evaluated personal strengths and weaknesses and have demonstrated the
ability to engage in reflective self-development

3. Have critically reviewed the development of inter-personal and intra-personal skills in
relation to what employers seek in postgraduate students

Instructions on Assessment

The module will be assessed by one summative assessment of 3500 words which comprises the
following three components:

Part A – academic essay (1500 words) 40% of overall mark

Using a range of relevant literature (both academic and professional sources), you are required to
identify and critically evaluate contemporary issues and challenges facing your target
profession/industry/sector.

You must:

 Provide a clear introduction to your target profession/industry/sector (e.g., a graduate
development scheme, self-employment, working for your family’s business, a promotion
with your current employer, etc). You should highlight if this will be in the UK, your home
country or elsewhere.

 Provide an overview of the context and key characteristics of your target
profession/industry/sector (e.g. labour market characteristics, opportunities for graduates,
professional bodies).

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Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

 Identify key challenges and issues relating to your chosen profession/industry/sector. This
may include professional body viewpoints, recent organisation case studies and published
academic studies. You may also include a combination of challenges and issues facing the
wider profession/industry/sector as well as those facing postgraduates.

 You are not required to identify a specific number of issues and challenges, these will differ
depending on the profession/industry/sector in question. We are looking for evidence of
critical evaluation of these issues and challenges, supported with credible academic and
professional sources.

 Provide a succinct conclusion, indicating the impact of these challenges and difficulties for
your target profession/industry/sector moving forward.

Part B – reflective essay (1500 words) 40% of overall mark

Drawing on the results of the toolkits you have completed throughout this module, along with other
appropriate evidence, you are required to conduct a self-analysis identifying your strengths and
weaknesses across a range of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills relevant to your target
profession/industry/sector.

You must:

 Using the template provided – please download this from the Assessment Folder on the BB
site – provide a summary of your strengths and weaknesses supported with evidence from
the toolkits and other psychometric test results/other diagnostics provided to you, or that
you have identified from previous work or assessment centre experience, or researched
online.

 Critically evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and reflect on any patterns of behaviour
you have identified. Referring back to your Section A, consider the implications of your
skills, attributes and patterns of behaviour in relation to your target
profession/industry/sector and the challenges they face. How ‘ready’ are you to enter into
the career of your choice?

Part C – Areas for Development (500 words) 10% of overall mark

Based on your self-analysis in Section B identify three areas for development and outline briefly
the specific steps that you will take to address these.

Presentation: 10% of overall mark

You must present all component parts in one document.
You must use the template provided on the Blackboard site to set out your strengths and
weaknesses in Part B.
You must present your work to the academic standard commensurate with Level 7 and that you
use APA referencing throughout.

Academic Misconduct

The Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) contain the Regulations and
procedures applying to cheating, plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.

The full policy is available at: http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/qualitysupport/asspolicies/

You are reminded that plagiarism, collusion and other forms of academic misconduct as referred to
in the Academic Misconduct procedure of the assessment regulations are taken very seriously by

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http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/qualitysupport/asspolicies/

Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

Newcastle School. Assignments in which evidence of plagiarism or other forms of
academic misconduct is found may receive a mark of zero.

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives:

At the end of your programme of study you will have achieved the following goals:

Goal 1: To develop the skills necessary for employment and career progression
Goal 2: Be culturally and ethically aware
Goal 3: Have developed leadership and management capability
Goal 4: Have developed and applied knowledge of international business and management theory
Goal 5: Have developed a range of research skills and project capabilities

All of the learning that takes place within modules is designed to enable you to achieve the above
goals and your assessment tasks are mapped directly to these goals. In this module you will be
assessed on objectives relating to Goal 1 :

1.1 Demonstrate awareness of your personal strengths and weaknesses and the ability to engage
in continuing self-development

1.2 Critically review and develop your inter-personal and intra-personal skills

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Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

Criteria Scales
0-39%
Standard Not
Met 1

40-49%
Standard Not Met
2

50-59%
Meets Standard 1

60-69%
Meets Standard 2

70-79% Exceeds
Standard 1

80-89% Exceeds
Standard 2

90-100%
Exceeds Standard
3

Part A (40%)

Critical evaluation
of target
industry/profession
& challenges faced

Completely
Insufficient:
Essay not
submitted OR
work giving
evidence of
serious
academic
misconduct
(subject to
regulations in
ARNA
Appendix 1) OR
work showing
no evidence of
the knowledge,
understanding
and skills
appropriate to
level 7.

[0-15]

Evidence of
knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector is
insufficient. Very
limited evidence of
research (e.g., you
provide few
references). Target
profession/industry/
sector is unclear.
Large sections are
irrelevant to the
essay topic. Essay
structure requires
significant
improvement.

[16-19]

Adequate evidence
of knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector. An
introduction and
conclusion are
provided, and
relevant challenges
and issues have
been identified.
However, large
sections of your
essay are
descriptive, and
additional
supporting sources
are required in
parts.

[20-23]

Good evidence of
knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector. You have
provided a good
overview of your
target
profession/industry/
sector and
references are used
to good effect for
identification of
relevant challenges
and issues. Some
indication of future
implications of
these challenges
and issues for the
industry/sector

[24-27]

Very good
evidence of
knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector.
Identification of
challenges and
issues is supported
with relevant
academic and
professional
sources, and there
is a very good
attempt to critically
evaluate this
literature.

[28-31]

Excellent evidence
of knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector. Several
relevant challenges
and issues have
been identified, and
relevant future
implications for
target
profession/industry/
sector are offered.
Critical
appreciation of
academic and
professional
sources is
excellent.

[32-35]

Outstanding
evidence of
knowledge and
understanding of
issues and
challenges facing
target
profession/industry/
sector. A wide
range of sources
have been utilised
critically and
creatively to
identify a range of
relevant challenges
and issues.
Conclusion
highlights several
future implications
of these challenges
and issues for
profession/
sector/industry. An
exemplary piece of
academic work
providing in-depth
discussion and
understanding.

[36-40]

Part B (40%)
Completely Reflective Adequate reflective Good reflective Very good Excellent reflective Outstanding

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Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

Goal 1 Objective 2
Critically review
and develop your
inter-personal and
intra-personal
skills (in relation to
what employers
seek in postgraduate
students)

Insufficient:
Reflective
statement not
submitted OR
work giving
evidence of
serious
academic
misconduct
(subject to
regulations in
ARNA
Appendix 1) OR
work showing
no evidence of
the knowledge,
understanding
and skills
appropriate to
level 7.

statement is
insufficient. It is
lacking in detail on
patterns of
behaviour and/or
the implications of
your self-analysis
with regard to your
career of choice and
the challenges and
issues discussed in
essay. Large parts
of reflective
statement are
unclear/irrelevant

statement,
demonstrating
adequate discussion
of patterns of
behaviour and/or
the implications of
your self-analysis
with regard to their
career of choice.
However some
parts tend to be
descriptive rather
than reflective with
insufficient linkage
between the self-
analysis and the
challenges and
issues identified in
Part A. As a result
implications for
you and your career
in this
industry/sector
could be stronger

statement. There is
a good attempt to
discuss patterns of
behaviour and/or
the implications of
your self-analysis
with regard to
career choice.
There is good
evidence of
reflection on all
these elements.
Overall, you have
demonstrated a
good understanding
of the extent of
your career
readiness for your
choice of
industry/sector etc

reflective
statement. You
have demonstrated
a very good
understanding of
the implications of
your patterns of
behaviour and self-
analysis with
regard to your
career of choice
and the challenges
and issues
discussed in the
essay. There is
little description
but very good use
of evidence and
understanding of
key issues.

statement. You
have demonstrated
an excellent
understanding of
how your patterns
of behaviour and
identified strengths
and weaknesses
will have
implications for
you in terms of
your career of
choice and the
challenges and
issues you have
discussed in the
essay. This is
incisive discussion
with excellent use
of evidence and in-
depth
understanding of
key issues.

reflective
statement. You
have demonstrated
an outstanding and
in-depth
understanding of
how your patterns
of behaviour and
the results of your
self-analysis have
implications for
you in terms of
your career of
choice and the
challenges and
issues you have
discussed in the
essay. This
discussion
demonstrates
outstanding levels
of critical
evaluation and use
of evidence to
demonstrate
understanding of
the key issues.

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Assessment Brief – Newcastle School

Part C (10%)

Goal 1 Objective 1
Demonstrate
awareness of their
personal strengths
and weaknesses
and the ability to
engage in
continuing self-
development

Completely
insufficient
awareness of
personal strengths
and weaknesses
demonstrated by
inappropriate areas
for development
identified.

[0-3]

Insufficient
awareness of
strengths and
weaknesses
demonstrated by
inconsistent areas
for development
identified

[4]

Identification of
appropriate
strengths and
weaknesses which
lead to an adequate
discussion on
relevant areas for
development

[5]

Good awareness of
personal strengths
and weaknesses
which lead to
detailed areas for
personal
development.

[6]

A very good
awareness of
personal
strengths and
weaknesses
demonstrated by
very strong and
appropriate areas
identified for
personal
development

[7]

Excellent
awareness of
personal strengths
and weaknesses
from which
evidence-based
areas for personal
development are
identified.

[8]

Outstanding
awareness of
personal strengths
and weaknesses
demonstrated by
detailed and
evidence based
areas identified for
personal
development.

[9-10]

Professional
presentation (10%)

Presentation and
formatting
throughout are
completely
insufficient
Numerous spelling
and grammatical
errors
Failure to cite
references correctly
in the main text. No
reference list

[0-3]

Presentation and
formatting
throughout are
insufficiently
professional
Many spelling and
grammatical errors
Referencing
throughout and in
the reference list is
insufficiently
correct.

[4]

Presentation and
formatting are
adequate
Few spelling and
grammatical errors
Most references are
presented
appropriately in the
main text
List of references is
accurate

[5]

Good presentation
throughout
Spelling and
grammar of a good
standard
Very good
referencing
throughout the main
text
Accurate list of
references

[6]

Very good
presentation
throughout
Spelling and
grammar of a
high standard
Very good
referencing
throughout the
assignment

[7]

Excellent
professional
presentation
throughout.
Excellent spelling
and grammar.
APA referencing
used throughout
the main text and
list of references

[8]

An outstandingly
crafted piece of
work which is
professionally
presented
throughout.
APA referencing
used throughout the
main text and for
the list of references

[9-10]

Overall Mark [0-39] [40-49] [50-59] [60-69] [70-79] [80-89] [90-100]

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