All students are to write an essay as part of the module assessment. The essay topics and
evaluation criteria are listed below.
The essay should be no longer than 3,000 words (+/- 10%) and submitted with a header sheet.
Your identity will not be revealed to the marker. The work should demonstrate understanding of a
relevant theory or conceptual framework, with application to case study examples. Choose ONE
of the following four topics for your essay.
I. High street bricks-and-mortar retailers are increasingly conducting their
business online. For a while their branding can rely on their high street heritage
but how do you think the brand should be managed as the online presence comes
to dominate?
II. Mass customisation appears to offer the ideal combination of efficient mass
production with customisation to the individual customer. For a specific company
of your choice, critically analyse the challenges and limits of such a strategy.
III. Laws and attitudes to bankruptcy vary around the world. As an entrepreneur,
which country do you think has the most business-friendly approach?
IV. It might be argued that no matter how enlightened the human resource
management (HRM) strategy, the workers are still perceived as assets with
related costs and profits. An alternative approach might see workers as investors
of human capital. What lessons can be learned from HRM approaches around
the world that might resolve this argument?
The basic format of the essay should be a theory, concept or approach which is critically
analysed. Then a case study or practical example should be presented that not only illustrates
how the theory can be applied but also reveals further critical insights into the theory itself. The
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conclusion should demonstrate how the case study can lead to an improvement in the theory.
Students should make all efforts to avoid plagiarism by reading and reflecting on the information
sources before committing their own thoughts to paper. There is never a reason to copy,
although quotations may be occasionally appropriate. It is recommended that students should
take note of the Turnitin similarity score when they submit. Harvard style referencing must
always be used