As a business school graduate, you are expected to demonstrate superior business acumen. Graduate recruiters seek candidates with the ability to lead both others and themselves

Assignment task

This module aims to provide an understanding of the core competencies related to management and leadership skills in organisations. It will examine management and leadership models, evaluating their effectiveness in the 21st century, including the distinctions between management and leadership. Additionally, students will complete a self-reflective report considering the development of their own leadership skills throughout the module, which will include updating their e-portfolio.

The Context

As a business school graduate, you are expected to demonstrate superior business acumen. Graduate recruiters seek candidates with the ability to lead both others and themselves. This assignment requires you to identify a leadership development activity that you can reflect upon to demonstrate your growth.

The Task

• Analyse your existing leadership profile using a range of leadership assessments such as Belbin, Myers-Briggs, DISC, or other reputable self-assessment tools.
• Identify a specific developmental need from the analysis, which can be either strength-based or developmental.
• Carry out a developmental event that specifically addresses the identified need. Provide evidence of your developmental activity and journey before critically reflecting upon your self-development in a 1,000-word reflective essay.
• Submit your supporting evidence to a separate e-portfolio submission point. Note that an e-portfolio refers to an electronic submission in this context.

Key Independent Learning Activities, Employability Skills, and Stretch Activities:

• Assess your own leadership and management skills.
• Construct a leadership self-developmental plan.
• Identify key information needs using core textbooks to develop commercial acumen.
• Search commercial databases, research reports, and other reputable sources to build an evidence- based argument for the self-development event.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO2: Develop and demonstrate effective leadership skills

Practicalities: Referencing, presenting and submitting your work

Please see your programme handbook for information on the required referencing style, any presentational requirements and the process for submitting your work.

Confidentiality

You should maintain and respect confidentiality in relation to the protection of personal, technical and/or commercial information of a sensitive nature in your assessed work.

For further information and guidance, please see your programme handbook.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity means taking responsibility for your own work.

When you submit an assignment, you are 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.bnu.ac.uk/current-students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/academic-integrity-and- misconduct

Please also see the University’s guidance for students on the appropriate use of generative AI as part of assessed work: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/current-students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-advice/artificial- intelligence-guidance-students

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

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

Criterion 1

Knowledge and understanding

25%

(Key indicators for Knowledge and understanding)

• Depth of knowledge and understanding of leadership and management theories.

• Engagement with subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts, and principles using reputable leadership and management self- analysis tools.

• Background investigation, analysis, research, enquiry and/or study.

The work demonstrates a limited and/or substantially inaccurate or no understanding of key aspects of the subject, with few if any examples of coherent and detailed knowledge, which is unlikely to be at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates insufficient understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, little of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates a basic yet systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates a sound breadth and depth of systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including some coherent and detailed knowledge, some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates a sophisticated and critical systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including coherent and detailed knowledge, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject beyond what has been taught, including coherent and detailed knowledge, most of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

The work demonstrates an exceptional systematic understanding of key aspects of the subject, including coherent and detailed knowledge well beyond what has been taught, all of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of the discipline e.g., recent research, latest techniques, including:

Leadership theories and models, personal development and leadership development activities, or critical self- reflection.

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

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

Criterion 3

Application and practice 25%

(Key indicators for application and practice)

• Development and/or application discipline- specific specialist skills

• Accuracy, coordination, and proficiency in completion of practical tasks/processes

Work demonstrates a limited or no ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline- specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows no ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work fails to address all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an insufficient ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows insufficient ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self- development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work fails to address all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates a sufficient ability to select and apply appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows sufficient ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work mostly addresses the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a consistent and informed manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows good ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a capable and effective manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows very good ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a highly accomplished manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows excellent ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a highly accomplished and innovative manner appropriate, discipline specific methods and techniques to develop and apply knowledge and understanding and to initiate, and in turn:

Shows excellent ability to develop, plan and execute a leadership self-development activity and critically reflect upon the success of the activities.

The work meets all the required elements set out in the briefing.

0-34 (F) –

Fail

Not successful

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

Criterion 5:

Assignment Parameters

10%

This should include evidence of:

• Harvard referencing.
• Use of English.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Presentation of work
• Suitable academic & professional sources used.

An unacceptable range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work. Incorrect Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages. Major spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is unacceptable and incapable of being presented to a board of directors. Work is outside of the +/-10% word count.

A below standard range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work. Incorrect Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages. Major spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is below the standard required and incapable of being presented to a board of directors.

Work is outside of the +/-10% word count.

A satisfactory range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work.

Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages.

Significant spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is satisfactory but not suitable for being presented to a board of directors. Work is outside of the +/-10% word count.

Good range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work.

Noticeable issues with the Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages.

Noticeable spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is good and capable of being presented to a board of directors only with significant corrections and improvement. Work is only just outside the +/- 10% word count.

Very good range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work.

Correct Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages. Minor spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is very good and capable of being presented to a board of directors with some corrections.

Work is within +/-10% word count.

Excellent range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work.

Correct Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages. Very minor spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is excellent and capable of being presented to a board of directors as is. Work is within +/-10% word count.

Outstanding range of academic, professional and peer reviewed sources applied within the work.

Correct Harvard referencing in text and in reference list pages. No spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Presentation of work is outstanding and capable of being presented to a board of directors as is. Work is within +/-10% word