Assessment 2
Assessment type: Individual Written Report, 1500 words (Summative)
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your ability to analyse, discuss and present an IT-based business and its technological innovation. This assessment contributes to learning outcome c.
Value: 20% Due Date: Week 6
Assessment topic: Case Study Assignment
Task Details: Choose an IT/IS technology company and analyse, discuss and present their technological innovation:
o The core business activity and the role of innovation in their value proposition.
o How innovation is making this business different than competitors?
o Research and development and its relationship with the organisation's innovation.
o What factors affected the firm’s innovation success? Is their innovation a “sciencepush” or “demand-VVVVVVVVVVVVVA/VVVVVVV
push”?
o What’s the firm’s innovation category? What type of innovation does the firm propose? Explain the | innovation type from different aspects of innovation type.
o Study the firm’s technology S-Curve. What is the stage of this business on the S-Curve?
o How successful the firm has been in utilising innovation in their own advantage?
Submission requirements details: Make sure your report is written based on the guideline of assessment 2 in the Course Guideline.
Some notes on report writing can be found below.
Report format (required for Assessment 2):
Readers of reports expect certain information to be in certain places. They do not expect to search for what they want and the harder you make it for them the more likely they are to toss your report to one side and ignore it. So what should you do?
o Follow the generally accepted format for a report: Title/Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Introduction, Main Body, Conclusions, Recommendations and Reference List.
o Organise your information within each section in a logical fashion with the reader in mind, usually putting things in order of priority - most important first.
Report Title/Table of Contents. This is simply the front cover page identifying the report and a Table of Contents page showing each key section of the report and the page number where it can be found in the report.
Executive Summary: Give a clear and very concise account of the main points, main conclusions and main recommendations. Keep it very short, a few percent of the total length. Some people, especially senior managers, may not read anything else so write as if it were a stand-alone document. Keep it brief and free from jargon so that anyone can understand it and get the main points. Write it last, but do not copy and paste from the report itself; that rarely works well.
Introduction: This is the first part of the report proper. Use it to paint the background and objective of the report and to show the reader why the report is important. Then explain how the details that follow are arranged. Write it in plain English.
Main Body: This is the heart of your report, the facts. It will probably have several sections or sub-sections each with its own subtitle. It is unique to your report and will describe what you discovered about what is being reported on. These sections are most likely to be read by experts so you can use some appropriate jargon but explain it as you introduce it. Arrange the information logically, normally putting things in order of priority - most important first. In fact, follow that advice in every section of your report.
Conclusions: Present the logical conclusions of your investigation and analysis. Bring it all together and maybe offer options for the way forward. Many people will read this section. Write it in plain English.
Recommendations: What do you suggest should be done? Don't be shy; you did the work so state your recommendations in order of priority, and in plain English.
References: As your report must be academically sound as well as making good business sense, it is essential that your report is supported by accurate in-text referencing and the inclusion of a reference list. Although some reports in the workplace do not require full referencing (and some students may be used to this), it is a requirement in the academic environment and in Assessment 1 (please refer marking guide). This is equitable for all students.