Suss student handbook

BUS204e Copyright © 2017 Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) Page 1 of 10 ECA – July Semester 2017

BUS204e

End-of-Course Assessment – July Semester 2017 Business Excellence __________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:

1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises TEN (10) pages (including the cover page).

2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Title, Your PI,

Your Name, and Submission Date.

3. Late submission will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University.

IMPORTANT NOTE

ECA Submission Deadline: 3 November 2017, 12 noon

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ECA Submission Guidelines Please follow the submission instructions stated below: A - What Must Be Submitted

You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading: • A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage). • A Video Presentation:

o SUSS conducts Hands-on workshop on how to record ECA video presentation for SBIZ students every semester. Students will receive an invite to the workshop via Student Portal, Canvas as well as email, a month before the ECA cut-off date.

o The ECA video recording and submission guides are also available as an external links/downloads in the invite.

• The set of PowerPoint slides, converted to PDF, upon which the video presentation is

based. Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items. B - Submission Deadline • The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be submitted by

12 noon on the submission deadline. • You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date for each of the THREE (3) items. • Late submission of any of the THREE (3) items will be subjected to mark-deduction

scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student Handbook. C - How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted • The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection) • The Video: submit online to Canvas (refer to workshop invite for the user guide) • The Presentation Summary:

o submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (PPT must be converted to PDF and submission is in PDF only)

o The PPT must contain at least 20 words o Refer to workshop invite for the user guide

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• Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files.

D - Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows:

1. Report • Please ensure that your Microsoft Word document is generated by Microsoft Word 2007 or higher.

• The report must be saved in .docx format.

2. Video • Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.

• Time Duration: a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 6 minutes

There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Record Media Video can be recorded via Canvas through desktop/laptop with built- in webcam and microphone or through Canvas mobile app. For Upload Media Video can be recorded using other recording devices and uploaded as a media file. Do ensure that your video file conforms to these requirements: a) File Format: .mp4 b) File Size: No more than 500MB Note: You will receive an invite to the ECA Hands-On workshop via Student Portal, Canvas as well as email, a month before the ECA cut- off date. The invite will allow you to register for the workshop as well as download a copy of the user guide.

3. Presentation Summary

• Your PowerPoint presentation must contain at least 20 words.

• Please ensure that your PowerPoint presentation is converted to PDF format before you submit.

• The maximum number of slides is fifteen (15).

• Please do NOT download and use PowerPoint slide design

templates from the Internet.

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E – Please be Aware of the Following: Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with your ECA. You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early. Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by submitting your ECA at the last minute. It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted to Canvas. F - Plagiarism and Collusion Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based on your own individual effort. The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that SUSS takes a tough stance against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to SUSS’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.

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Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria

Note: Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of the video

recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio clarity. Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.

Organisation of Presentation /8

• Logical flow of presentation

Posture & Body Language /5

• Posture: Standing, straight back etc…

• Body language:

– Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc…

Eye-Contact /5

• Looking at the video camera

• No reading of slides or notes or cue cards

Pace & Articulation /7

• Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow

• Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation.

TOTAL /25

Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria

Format and Style of Slides /3

• Layout, clarity of text elements, colour blends, graphical enhancements

Clarity and Coherence /4

• Proper flow - title page, introduction, body, results, recommendations / discussion points, conclusion/summary; quick to understand, free from grammatical errors

Creativity /3

• Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation so as to enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts

TOTAL /10

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Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions

Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines:

1. 80% of the marks are allocated to the content of your answers:

 The marks awarded to what your answers cover depend on the extent to which they cover the key points that correctly and comprehensively address each question.

 The key points should be supported by evidence drawn from course materials and, wherever relevant, from other credible sources.

2. 20% of the marks are allocated to the presentation of your answers:

Wherever applicable, the marks awarded to how your answers are presented depend on the extent to which your answers:

 form a sound reasoning by developing those key points in a clear, logical and succinct manner;

 provide proper and adequate in-text citations and referencing to content drawn from course materials and other credible sources;

 strictly follow APA formatting and style guidelines1, in particular for: • in-text citations and end-of-report references; • the identification of figures and tables;

 use, wherever relevant, the specialised vocabulary and terminology commonly used in discussions about the topic(s) covered by each question;

 provide a reference or bibliography at the end of the main report;

 include the less relevant details in an Appendix;

 use sentence constructions that are grammatically and syntactically correct;

 are free from spelling mistakes; present the workings, numerical formulations and results in a logical manner that follows the APA formatting and style guidelines;

 design and present graphs, diagrams and plots that follow the APA formatting and style guidelines;

 are highly original;

 have proper formatting, which may: • include a properly formatted cover page; • respect the answer length/word count set out in the assignment guidelines, if

any is prescribed; • present answers in paragraphs with proper spacing and page margins; • include page numbers and appendices, if necessary.

1 You can find a short tutorial on the APA formatting and style guidelines here: https://is.gd/mgEOnC . Additional details (pertaining to tables and figures) can be found here: https://is.gd/O4vDdT .

https://is.gd/mgEOnC

https://is.gd/O4vDdT

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SECTION A (Total 65 marks) Note: Where applicable, your answers for this ECA shall be based on the new SPRING Singapore Revised Business Excellence (BE) Framework, effective 1 April 2017 (available at https://www.spring.gov.sg/Building-Trust/BusinessExcellence/Documents/Revised_BE_Framework.pdf) Question 1 The development of the Singapore economy and the Infocomm industry depends on whether the telecommunications sector has achieved global competitiveness. Telecommunication service providers must offer innovative, high quality and cost-effective services. In this ECA, we will focus on companies that offer mobile telecommunication service (Telco). There are currently three Telcos, SingTel, StarHub and M1, offering mobile telecommunication services as well as fixed line telephony, Internet broadband services, etc. As at July 2017, the fourth Telco, TPG Telecom, is in the process of building its infrastructure with no further announcement on the rollout of their services. For this assignment, you have to use your current mobile telecommunication service provider as your subject of analysis (thereafter called the ‘subject”). Your answer shall be based on your experiences, observations, researched information from multiple sources such as the company’s website and annual report, and the application of BE theories and models. (a) Describe the following that relates to the subject:

(i) Identify the subject and the business challenges that it is currently facing.

(ii) How the subject segments its mobile telecommunication service customers.

(iii) Two ways, with relevant examples, the subject differentiates itself from its competitors. For example, it can be differentiation by offering unique products or services bundling and/or pricing to attract customers.

(8 marks) (b) The following is a simplified Business Excellence self-assessment tool. Assume that

you are a SPRING Singapore Business Excellence assessor performing an assessment on the subject. You are required to practise and rate the subject according to the statements. For each statement, explain the rating that you have assigned by providing evidence, reasons or comments. Finally, you must compute the Total Rating and Percentage Total.

Note: You need to provide your answer in a table format similar to that below, without the “Statements” column.

https://www.spring.gov.sg/Building-Trust/BusinessExcellence/Documents/Revised_BE_Framework.pdf

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S/N Statements 5 4 3 2 1 Evidence, reasons or comments on the rating assigned.

1 Leadership: The firm has a clear vision and mission, they are clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

2 Leadership: The firm involves stakeholders to contribute to the community and the environment.

3 People: The firm provides learning and development opportunities to achieve organisational and personal growth.

4 Strategy: The firm develops long and short-term strategies to achieve organisational goals.

5 Process: The firm engages key suppliers and partners to co-create products and services.

Rating Total Percentage Total (Rating Total x 4) Rating: 5- Excellent, 4- Very Likely, 3- Likely, 2-

Sometimes, 1- Unlikely (Indicate EACH STATEMENT with a rating of between 5-to-1 using * or )

(Add all ratings from the 5 statements to get Rating Total, out of 25 points).

(15 marks) Question 2 (a) Customer demands are ever increasing. This could be partly due to advancements in

technology and increasing competition. Relate the Customer-Driven Quality Cycle model to how the subject launched one of its services and how this service has evolved over a period of time (can either be mobile telecommunication or non-mobile telecommunication service offered by the subject).

(12 marks)

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(b) The fourth Telco that is awarded the mobile telecommunication service provider license, TPG Telecom, is a foreign operator. It would be essential for it to understand the Singapore market before starting operations here. Write a short essay of about 300 words (indicate word count at the end of your answer) to discuss how benchmarking against the subject will be helpful to TPG Telecom. Your essay must refer to the Rapid Knowledge Transfer framework. Define and interpret this framework and apply it to this given scenario.

Note: You are not required to perform the benchmarking exercise. (10 marks) Question 3 Write a short essay of not more than 700 words (indicate word count at the end of your answer) on the following: For the subject’s mobile telecommunication service, identify four “moments of truth”. Illustrate and discuss how the subject can or has enhanced the five Attributes of Service Quality: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy and Responsiveness, to provide excellent mobile telecommunication service. For each attribute, relate the subject’s effort to one of Deming’s 14 Points, and discuss how it can address at least one moment of truth identified. Note: You can repeat the same Deming’s point(s) in different attributes but you must use at least 4 different Deming’s Points to relate to all attributes.

(20 marks) SECTION B (Total 25 marks) With reference to Question 3 in Section A, assume that you are the Business Consultant of your current mobile telecommunication service provider (i.e. the subject). You are contracted to advise on its business excellence journey. You are to prepare a presentation to the subject’s top management on the following: 1. Identify four critical “moments of truth”.

2. Discuss how the company can enhance the five Attributes of Service Quality to address

the moments of truth. Relate the effort in each attribute to the relevant Deming’s Points. Prepare a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes. There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record Media or Upload Media. For Upload Media, please note that your file size should be no more than 500MB and the format is in .mp4.

(25 marks)

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SECTION C (Total 10 marks) Prepare a set of PowerPoint presentation upon which the video presentation is based. Please note that the PowerPoint must be converted to PDF before submission to Canvas.

(10 marks)

----- END OF ECA PAPER -----

1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises TEN (10) pages (including the cover page).

IMPORTANT NOTE

Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions

Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines: