Module Title:                        Business Environment    

Module Code:                      MOD003353                  

Interim Assignment – Background

Africa has for a few years been touted by commentators as being „the next big thing‟ for investors. The appeal of Africa has been described as being that „its future lies ahead of it‟ (Reuters, 2014). This comment alludes to the comparatively large number of young people of working age, as a proportion of the total population.

You are a consultant in a firm that provides business development advice. You have been approached by the CEO of Tuffstuff Ltd, a company with well-established operations in the UK and continental Europe. Tuffstuff manufactures cement. It is actively considering setting up a manufacturing and distribution operation in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular Rwanda. The company has no previous distribution experience but thinks that there won‟t be much competition in Africa.

In discussions with the CEO you have suggested that it would be a good idea for Tuffstuff to carry out a

PEST analysis with regard to this proposed investment. The CEO replied that “People are always talking about PEST but I don‟t really understand what it‟s supposed to achieve; you people just present me with questions but no solutions.”

Tasks 

1. Describe the organisational structure that is most likely to be applicable to Tuffstuff Ltd

(10 marks)

1. Discuss the utility, as an analytical tool, of a PEST analysis. (30 marks)

Apart from describing the tool and explaining why it is used, your discussion should consider limitations in its use and possible alternative tools.

• Prepare a business report for the CEO of Tuff stuff Ltd that analyses the key factors to be considered with regard to Tuff stuff’s proposed venture and sets out your recommendation. It is expected that a PEST analysis of Tuff stuff‟s proposed venture in Rwanda will form the basis of your report.

The CEO has also requested that your report includes an explanation of how the company could build

on the PEST analysis by going on to perform a SWOT analysis.            (50 marks) iv.  Additional Marks for the academic quality of the assignment     (10 marks)

These marks will be reserved for the overall quality of the assignment in terms of: appropriate use of referencing, extent and evidence of research, structure of the submission, coverage of issues, presentation and use of appropriate language

Total Marks  (100 marks) Assessment Criteria 

This assignment requires you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of:

• Organisational structures their applicability to particular types of business
• The role of the PEST analysis tool when companies are considering change             Relevant macro factors for a company considering investing in Rwanda               The possible relationship between PEST and SWOT analyses.

Where you are asked to: discuss in task (i), analyse and recommend in task (ii) it is important that your answers are not descriptive in nature but should provide clear evidence of a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the task under consideration. Your answers to these tasks   must be supported by evidence of wider academic reading.

Your paper must comply with the business report format and the Harvard referencing guidelines.

There is no correct number of academic references to be utilised as the student must draw on as many references as required to provide a high quality answer.  However, a minimum of 8 academic sources are

expected, and a majority of these should be current, internationally peer reviewed articles/journals or accredited textbook references.  Sources such as Wikipedia are not accepted.  Sources available only online should be avoided.

You must be mindful that marks will be allocated based on your knowledge and comprehension and your ability to define, explain , apply, analyse and evaluate the key concepts.  The chart below demonstrates how the marks (for content) will be allocated according to the criteria shown

Overall Marking Guide

Overall Marking Guide
	Skill Level	Actions carried out by student	Maximum marks Achievable
1)	UN	Student identifies/states key definitions, terms and concepts as required in various tasks	20
2)	UN	Student explains key definitions, terms and concepts relating to a PEST and SWOT analysis as required in various tasks. Reference should be made to the current and forecast situation in Rwanda where appropriate.	45
3)	AP	Student applies knowledge of the analytical tools to the specific situation given in the assignment.	65
4)	AN	Student analyses the destination country (Rwanda) in relation to the specific proposed venture.	80
5)	EV	Student recommends a proposed course of action based on the analysis carried out.	90
Total marks available for content of assignment			90
6)		Marks reserved for academic quality of assignment:Student demonstrates competence in applying Harvard referencing. Student writes with a good flow and structure, with very few obvious spelling/grammatical errors	10
Total marks available for the assignment			100

 

Key to skills demonstrated
UN	Demonstrates Understanding
AP	Demonstrates Application of knowledge
AN	Demonstrates Analytical skills
EV	Demonstrates ability to evaluate
CEV	Demonstrates ability to critically evaluate

 

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