Literature Review

BUSM1100 ASSIGNMENT 1 GUIDE: Literature Review
VALUE: 40%
This guide answers frequently asked questions relating to:
1. GETTING ORGANISED
A. Individual assignment
B. Style of the assignment – literature review
C. References
2. APPLYING THEORY
3. ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION - Electronic and hard copy
Assignment Task: Review literature relevant to the case study: Genocide in Rwanda:
Leadership, ethics and organisational ‘failure’ in a post-colonial context. The case
focuses on the organizational factors that played a role in “failing” to prevent genocide
in Rwanda. In particular, it focuses on the interplay between key leaders and geopolitical relations.
GETTING ORGANISED
A. Individual assignment
Although the assignment is to be completed individually there will be
opportunities within small groups in the weekly class to prepare. When you discuss
and give feedback to each other, it contributes to your skill development in
integrating literature and theories with the case. This process provides an
opportunity for you
a. to have the local lecturer and your peers check your understanding of the
theories required for the assignment, as well as help prepare for the final end of
year exam.
b. to contribute to discussions relating to diverse economic, environmental, social
and political contexts to a variety of audiences
c. to work collaboratively
d. to develop an integrated view of human behaviour in the workplace.
B. STYLE OF THE ASSIGNMENT – Literature Review
1. The assignment states it must be presented as a ‘review [of] the
literature’. Where do I find information on how to undertake a ‘literature
review?
Many students find that writing a literature review can be a difficult task. The
literature review must follow a set structure. Information on writing a literature
review is found in two sites:
(i) the Learning Lab site which also has an on-line tutorial:
(http://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/literature-review-overview)
The online tutorial shows you how to write a critical examination of the most
relevant, recent and scholarly research of a topic that is not just a summary of
the articles you have read.
(ii) Your myRMIT BUSM1100 site also has information in the Assessment –
Assignment 1 – Electronic Assignment Planner – Step1: is it a case study? link. Page 2 of 5
2. Why is the format (double line-spacing, size 12 font, single sided,
black/white print) preferred?
The OB lecturers have many assignments to mark. This format ensures
your assignment is easy to read and grade. With the hard copy, the single sided allows
for space where comments can be made, if necessary. Black and white print is cost
effective for the hard copy printing. Applying colour does not earn you extra marks.
C. REFERENCES
1. Why are ‘academic’ references important to use and not other general
sites?
As a university student you are studying in an academic environment, which also
requires you to demonstrate your academic thinking. Academic references such as
journals and text books are the best source of applying theories, and well researched
applications of the theories.
a. Journals and e-textbooks are available through the RMIT Library site.
b. The course guide also lists recommended text books and journal titles that you
can read as a starting point.
2. The Course Guide does not tell me the minimum number of references to
apply; it just says to ‘review the literature’. How many references should I
apply?
The number of references is your choice. However, in order for you to
achieve the Learning Outcomes (listed in your Course Guide and the Marking Guide)
we expect the review to apply more than 3 references to demonstrate your breadth
of reading.
a. You need to show that you have read academic texts and journals that relate to
a ‘coherent body of knowledge in a particular context’.
b. ‘Coherent’ means that the literature (the body of knowledge about organisation
leadership) you have reviewed is of a consistent theme (‘different frameworks of
leadership’) in a particular context (geo-politics), and the structure of your
review is logically connected.
c. If your references are poor academic quality such as blogs, Wikipedia,
Businessmate and so on, you will lose marks as this shows you have not read
relevant academic sources.
d. We would expect as a minimum standard that you will have read and applied to
your literature review the readings we have supplied to help you get started in
the week 3 topic on ‘Organisations and Leadership’. If you only apply the
readings from the week 3 topic you will have shown you have not undertaken
extra reading, and thus the grade you are awarded will reflect this.
3. Where do I find the guidelines on how to apply the RMIT Business
referencing style which I have to apply?
It is important that you apply the correct referencing technique as you will
lose marks for poor referencing style. Point three of the Learning Outcomes (in the
Marking Guide) anticipates your assignment ‘expresses ideas, concepts and
arguments in a logical and coherent written form and in conformity with
relevant standards of academic writing in assessed contexts’.Page 3 of 5
‘Conformity with relevant standards of academic writing’ means that
referencing is applied using the correct technique, which for this assignment is the
RMIT Business style.
When reading the requirements for the RMIT Business style, pay particular
attention to the use of Capital letters, commas, full stops and so on. These are an
important part of using the correct technique.
We have provided several links in myRMIT BUSM1100 to help you:
a. Assessment –Assignment 1 – Electronic Assignment Planner – Step3:
references
b. ‘Referencing’ link explains the referencing technique through interactive
activities;
c. Library – point 5: Referencing
d. External Links – Guidelines for Referencing
APPLYING THEORY ‘Organisations and Leadership’ (Topic 3)
1. How do I ‘examine and illustrate the different frameworks of leadership
(discussed in detail in Week 3 class) available to understand the relations
between the leadership approaches and contexts which influenced the
particular approaches’?
‘Examine and illustrate’ means you will have read (examine) the academic theories
and frameworks that relate to organisation leadership and incorporated (illustrate)
these into your review of what you have read. First you must read books and articles
to help you form an understanding of leadership in organisations, not in non-business
activities such as sporting clubs or religious organisations.
You also need to understand what the key theories and concepts are of ‘leadership’ in
organisations.
As a starting point, literature on ‘different frameworks of leadership’ can be found in:
a. The Topic 3 lecture on ‘Organisations and Leadership’ will give an overview
of core theories and frameworks.
The information in the lecture and readings are starting points only…to get
a high mark in the assignment you will be expected to show you have
researched and applied information from other sources you have found
yourself.
b. The readings in the BUSM1100 – Course Content - Topic 3 - Readings
c. The RMIT Library site for academic texts and academic journals. If you
have trouble sourcing these, please use the ‘Ask a Librarian’ link in the
Library site.
‘…understand the relations between the leadership approaches and contexts
which influenced the particular approaches’ means you will not have just
described, restated or rewritten leadership theories.
a. When you read the literature, read carefully the context in which the article was
written. For example, is it written about leadership in organisations in a
particular country (e.g. USA, Singapore, UK…) or sector (finance,
manufacturing, military, logistics…); what year was the article written (recent or
more than a decade ago…).Page 4 of 5
b. Because the case focuses on the interplay between key leaders and geo-political
relations your review of the literature should also focus on leadership in geopolitical contexts (geo-political relates to politics, especially to the foreign policy
of a nation, as influenced by geographical factors).
2. What does ‘In the review, you should also express ideas, concepts, and arguments
in a logical and coherent written form consistent with academic standards’ mean?
This means you will write at an academic standard expected of university
level study. Information in the Assignment Planner (myRMIT BUSM1100: Assessment
–Assignment 1 – Electronic Assignment Planner) will help you understand the
standard that is expected.
3. What criteria is being assessed? The Course guide states ‘We will assess you
and give feedback on your ability to review critically, analyse, consolidate, and
synthesise knowledge, communication skills to present a clear, coherent, and
independent exposition’.
Make sure you read the Marking Guide (in myRMIT BUSM1100 –
Assessment -Assignment 1 –Marking Guide) where the learning outcomes for the
assignment are listed. The learning outcomes form the basis against which your
assignment will be assessed. The guide also explains what is expected for you to be
awarded a particular grade (e.g. High Distinction, Distinction etc.) and some of the
terms are hyperlinked to give detailed explanation on what each means.
‘…review critically, analyse, consolidate, and synthesise knowledge’ means you will
have demonstrated your ability to undertake an academic literature review at an
academic level. You will have considered the different points of view from within your
readings (the literature), analysed these in relation to each other and your personal
experiences, and then formed some conclusions.
a. From the readings, what are the theories and concepts that have common points
of view, what are the differences in the points of view?
b. Then… be ‘critical’ or question what you have read…do you accept the points of
view, or do you have a different point of view from your experiences?
‘…communication skills to present a clear, coherent, and independent exposition’.
This refers to your ability to express in writing (communicate) the requirements of the
assessment task at a suitable academic level. It also shows to what level you have
mastered the learning objective of the assessment task.
 To help you understand the levels of learning objectives that are commonly
applied in academic assessment tasks, read
http://enpub.fulton.asu.edu/mcneill/blooms.htm
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION - Electronic and hard copy
Information about the process of submitting your assessment for both the
hard copy and electronic copy is also in the Assignment 1 – Assignment
Submission folder. Read it very carefully! Page 5 of 5
The HARD COPY of the assignment must be submitted by the due
date in the Assignment box at SIM.
 A completed coversheet (downloaded from myRMIT BUSM1100 -
Assessment – Assignment 1) must be attached as the front page.
 The Marking Guide (downloaded from myRMIT BUSM1100 -
Assessment – Assignment 1- Marking Guide) must be attached
immediately after the cover sheet.
 Do not submit the assignment in a plastic cover or plastic sheets as
it will not be marked
You must submit a SOFT COPY of your assignment through the link in myRMIT
BUSM1100 –Assessment – Assignment 1 - Assignment submission.
1. What happens if my assignment is submitted after the due date and time?
Penalties for late submission (Regulation 6.1.1 Student Discipline Page 4) will be
applied for both the hard copy and soft copy.
The same deadline applies for the soft copy as for the hard copy. If there is any
dispute about late submission, then we will be take the submission time and date
recorded when you submit online as the official time and date of submission.
 All assignments will be marked as if submitted on time then the mark awarded
will be reduced by 10% for each day (or part of a day) it is late.
 Assignments that are late by 7 days or more will not be marked and will be
awarded zero marks.
2. Avoiding plagiarism: Your electronic assignment is automatically processed
through an academic software program called Turnitin. Turnitin checks every
assignment to see if there has been any copying from sources that have not been
referenced properly, or copying from assignments in previous semesters, or
copying of assignments from other universities.
a. If your assignment shows a ‘high’ similarity rate this means that you have either
not used the information from the references in an appropriate academic way,
or you have made a direct copy without giving the reference….and marks will be
deducted for these errors.
b. The similarity report shows where the information has come from so it is easy
for the lecturer marking the assignment to trace the source.
3. Turnitin - Giving feedback about your assignment
Turnitin is also helpful as a form of feedback to you in showing where improvements in
the way you write and apply references can be made, especially if there has been a lot
of direct copying of information where paraphrasing could have been applied.
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