Tma moodle

OPEN UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Business Studies

BE322 – TMA - SPRING 2014-2015

BE322 – Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

TMA - Spring 2014-2015

I- INSCTRUCTIONS

II- CASES TO STUDY AND QUESTIONS

III- GRADES DEDUCTION

IV- AOU POLICY ON PLAGIARISM

V- PT3 FORM

I- INSCTRUCTIONS:

· Cut-off date: Submit this assignment no later than March 30, 2015. All late submissions require approval from the branch course coordinator and will be subject to grade deductions.

· Learning outcomes: The purpose of this assignment is to support students’ understanding and application of different concepts learned in BE322 especially in chapters 1, 2, 5 and 6.

· Word count: you should discuss the questions in no more or less than the number of words mentioned for each question (plus or minus 10%).

· Referencing: You must acknowledge all your sources of information using full Harvard Style Referencing (in-text referencing plus list of references at the end). Use E-library: to get journal articles on the topic (Emerald, EBSCO…). Use at least 2 articles.

· Plagiarism: Remember that you should work the information from references into your own original thoughts and INTO YOUR OWN WORDS. Plagiarism will lead to a significant loss of marks. Extensive plagiarism could mean that you failed your TMA. (Refer to AOU definitions of cheating and plagiarism at the end of this document)

· Essay guidance: Your response to each question should take the form of a full essay format. Avoid using subheadings and bullet points. Use BE322 textbook and slides, the case, and E-Library. Plan what you will write, and have a well-organized outline.

· Using PT3 form: When you have completed your TMA, you must fill in the assignment form (PT3) posted on your moodle account, taking care to fill all information correctly.

· Turnit-in upload: A soft copy of your TMA and PT3 form should be uploaded to Turnit-in via the link posted on your moodle account, within the cut-off date.

· This TMA is 20% of BE322 Grade.

I- CASES TO STUDY and QUESTIONS

SITUATION 1

Siblings Rob 37 and Julie 36, work in their family’s $15 million medical products firm. Both are capable leaders and have experienced success in their respective areas of responsibility. Compared to Julie, Rob is more introverted, more thorough and methodical in his planning, and much better with detail and follow-up. In contrast, Julie is more creative, more extroverted and stronger in interpersonal skills. Since childhood, they have been rather competitive in their relationships. Their 62-year-old father is considering retirement and the possibility of co-leadership, with each child eventually holding a 50% ownership in the company.

Question 1: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the co-leadership idea? Would you favor it or reject it? Justify your answer. (300 words – 25 marks)

SITUATION 2

A young journalist is contemplating launching a new magazine that will feature wildlife, plant life and nature around the world. The prospective entrepreneur intends for each issue to contain several feature articles – about the dangers and benefits of forest fires, the features of Rocky Mountain National Park, wildflowers found at high altitudes, and the danger of acid rain, for example. The magazine will make extensive use of color photographs, and its articles will be technically accurate and interestingly written. The proposed publication will avoid articles dealing with the general culture and confine itself to topics related to the natural world. Suppose you are a prospective investor examining a business plan prepared by this journalist.

Question 2: What details and important points would you look for in the business plan of this young entrepreneur? (250 words - 25 marks)

Question 3: Do you think this entrepreneur would need to raise closer to $1 million or $10 million in startup capital? Justify your answer.(150 words – 15 marks)

SITUATION 3

Question 4: Write a paragraph of 400 words, describing your personal qualifications and traits personality that are in favor of launching a new business at your country: Automobile retailing store. Then conduct a SWOT analysis of your regional market for this kind of small businesses. (350 words – 35 marks)

II- GRADES DEDUCTION:

TMA Presentation: (up to 5 marks)

Up to 5 marks should be deducted for poor presentation or poor organization of the TMA outline and discussion or TMA presented without PT3.

Proper referencing: (up to 5 marks)

Referencing should be both in-text referencing, plus a list of references at the end using Harvard style. Up to 5 marks should be deducted for poor referencing.

Use of E-Library: (up to 5 marks)

A minimum use of 2 articles from AOU e-library is required to support the discussions. Up to 5 marks should be deducted for no use or poor use of e-library.

Word count: (up to 5 marks)

The answers should be within the specified word count. A deviation of 10% is acceptable; if more, a deduction up to 5 marks will be applied.

III- AOU POLICY ON PLAGIARISM: