Posted: November 29th, 2022

BUS503 Introduction to Business Environments

BUS503 Introduction to Business Environments
Assessment 1

Weighting
25%
Learning outcome
1: Analyse the potential operational impacts of a range of internal environmental influences on a business entity.

Instructions
Complete and submit your assessment according to the Open Polytechnic’s Assessments webpage. This includes information on academic integrity, word limits and referencing.

• Include your name, student number and the assessment number.
• Number your pages.

Submission
• Submit your assessment in one file.
• Submit your work through your iQualify course.
• Emailed assessments will not be accepted.
• You will receive an automated notice following submission.

By submitting your assessment, you confirm that it is your own, original work.

Task 1: Internal Strengths/Weakness analysis
Amazon is a global web-based company that sells a wide range of products, both directly and as an intermediary between buyers and other retailers. It also develops technological products.
Gather information about Amazon using a range of online searches. Identify four internal environmental factors related to Amazon’s organisational resources and organisational culture. Then conduct a strengths/weaknesses analysis of the four factors you identified.
Write a paragraph about each factor.
(Word count: 500, total: 30 marks)
The four internal environmental factors are:
Physical resources (location, equipment, plant);
Financial resources (income and funding);
Intellectual property (IP);
Human resources (employees, management, board, volunteers).
Physical resources 1 location link it back to Amazon Reference url reference
2equipment
3 plant……
Financial resource

Intellectual capital

Human resources

Organisational culture identify at least ONE of the organisational cultural elements (artefacts, espoused values, beliefs & assumptions

1artefacts Link to Amazon url reference citations
1 Expoused values
2 Beliefs and assumptions
3

# strengths Link to Amazon context Citation/reference
1
2
3
Weaknesses Link to Amazon Citation/reference
1
2
3

Amazon.com Inc.’s Organizational Culture Characteristics (An Analysis)

Amazon’s Organizational Culture Characteristics (An Analysis)

Amazon Organizational Culture: harsh, but effectively contributing to the bottom line

Amazon Organizational Culture: harsh, but effectively contributing to the bottom line

Inside Amazon company culture: Intense and effective
Thao Nguyen Le
https://blog.grovehr.com/amazon-company-culture
AMAZON OUR WORKPLACE
https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace
Our Culture
What it means to work at Amazon
https://hiring.amazon.com/why-amazon/culture#/
What You Didn’t Know About Amazon’s Work Culture
Amazon’s success is unquestionable — but what’s it really like to work there?
https://candor.co/articles/tech-careers/what-you-didn-t-know-about-amazon-s-work-culture
Amazon’s Culture: a Source of Advantage?
https://medium.com/@MarcPhilippeB/amazons-culture-a-source-of-advantage-or-disadvantage-7d9fc2ee4855
Amazon’s Corporate Culture – The Balanced View
https://www.corporateculturepros.com/amazons-corporate-culture/

Task 2: Benchmark analysis
Conduct a benchmark analysis using Trade Me to identify areas of ‘best practice’ that could be used to Help Amazon to tackle some of the weaknesses raised above.
Note: All the information you require is available on the internet, particularly on the Trade Me company website. Please do not contact Trade Me directly.
(Word count: 400, total: 23 marks)

What is benchmarking?

What some positive aspect of Trade Me in term of best practice?
4 aspects of TradeMe, explain each of the best practice for the context of TradeMe, Why do you consider each of the identified issues as best practice.
1 identify the best practice, layout and design of website is easy and convenient for the customer. If it is easy to use and convenient, more customer will use TradeMe to buy and sill their products and services ……….explain how it is considered a best practice
2
3
4

Using each positive aspect of TradeMe best practice, how can Amazon improve its practice? How can Amazon improve its weaknesess based on the best practice of TradeMe?
1
2
3
4
Trademe url link
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace

Task 3: Appreciative inquiry
Considering what you discovered about Trade Me through the benchmarking above, conduct an appreciative enquiry exercise on one aspect of Amazon.

Discover – Identifying the best of ‘what is’. –
Dream – What could be?
Design – What is the ideal?
Deliver – How can we empower, learn and create?

Applying appreciative inquiry to one aspect of Amazon – for example organisational culture
Discover, what is the current situation of
Dream – what could it be?
Design, what is the ideal?
Deliver – how empower, learn and create?
(Word count: 300, total: 20 marks)

Task 4: Recommendations and possible operational impacts
Produce a table for inclusion in a report or a memo to your manager at Amazon based on your findings from the three previous tasks. What changes would you recommend? What are the possible operational impacts of these changes?
Write a memo to your manager at Amazon – memo format
Findings Recommended changes Operational impacts of changes
S/W
Task 1 findings
Weaknesses,
1,
2,
3..
Benchmarking
Task 2 findings
1
2
3
4
Appreciative inquiry
Task 3 findings

(Word count: 400, total: 23 marks)
Writing and referencing
Ensure your writing is clear and well-structured and follows any formats required in the tasks. Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation, and follow APA referencing conventions accurately.
(4 marks)

Marking schedule
24–30 marks 19.5–23.5 marks 15–19 marks 12–14.5 marks 1–11.5 marks
Task 1

Gather information on the provided business using a range of online searches.

You will need to consider their organisational resources and organisational culture.

Then conduct a strengths/weaknesses analysis of four of the company’s internal factors you identified.

For at least two strengths and weaknesses you identified (no more than four), write a paragraph about each.

(30 Marks)
Strengths and weakness analysis provided, correctly identifying four of the business’s internal factors.

A paragraph for at least two strengths and weaknesses identified in the analysis is provided that includes a clear and compelling explanation to support the analysis.

The analysis shows an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the business’s internal factors. Strengths and weakness analysis provided, correctly identifying four of the business’s internal factors.

A paragraph for at least two strengths and weaknesses identified in the analysis is provided that includes a clear explanation to support the analysis.

The analysis shows an adequate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the business’s internal factors. Strengths and weakness analysis provided, correctly identifying four of the business’s internal factors.

A paragraph for at least two strengths and weaknesses identified in the analysis is provided that includes a basic explanation. However, the explanation might need more accuracy/depth/ relevance.

The analysis shows some understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the business’s internal factors. Attempted to identify strengths and weaknesses for some areas in the analysis.

The identification might lack accuracy or is inadequate.

Attempted to provide a paragraph for two strengths and weaknesses identified in the analysis. The explanation might need more details and/or accuracy and/or examples from the designated company. No attempt made.

OR the identification of the strengths and weaknesses is seriously flawed. No explanation is provided.

OR the explanation is not correct or relevant.
18.5–23 marks 15–18 marks 11.5–14.5 marks 9–11 marks 1–8.5 marks
Task 2
Conduct a benchmark analysis using the provided businesses to identify areas of ‘best practice’ that could be used to Help the business from the strengths/ weaknesses analysis you completed, to tackle some of the weaknesses raised in the analysis.

(23 marks)
The response demonstrates a methodical and efficient analysis process.

The identification of the area of ‘best practice’ is accurate and insightful.

Provided clear and compelling explanation to support the argument. The response demonstrates a methodical analysis process.

The identification of the area of ‘best practice’ is mostly accurate.

Provided clear explanation to support the argument. The response demonstrates a basic structure of the benchmarking analysis process.

The identification of the area of ‘best practice’ is basically accurate.

Provided some explanation to support the argument. However, the explanation might need more accuracy/depth/ relevance. Attempted to apply the benchmark analysis. However, the process is incomplete or flawed.

Attempted to identify the area of ‘best practice’. The identification is partially accurate.

Attempted to provide an explanation to support the argument. The explanation is insufficient or seriously flawed. No attempt.

OR the attempt demonstrates a limited understanding of the benchmark analysis process.

And/or the identification is not accurate or relevant.

No explanation. Or the explanation is not relevant.
16.5–20 marks 13.5–16 marks 10–13 marks 8–9.5 marks 1–7.5 marks
Task 3
Considering what you discovered in your benchmark analysis, conduct an appreciative enquiry exercise on one aspect of the provided business.

(20 marks)
A thorough appreciative enquiry in relation to the aspect of the identified business has been conducted.

The appreciative enquiry includes explanation/discussion of each of the four D’s – Discovery, Dreaming, Designing and Delivering/Destiny. Supported by an insightful and in- depth explanation with examples from the designated company with reference to relevant sources.

The explanation shows an in-depth analysis of operational impacts of internal factors.
Has conducted a comprehensive appreciative enquiry in relation to one aspect of the identified busines.

The appreciative enquiry includes explanation/ discussion of each of the four D’s – Discovery, Dreaming, Designing and Delivering/Destiny. Supported by clear explanation with examples from the provided business with reference to relevant sources.

The explanation shows an adequate analysis of operational impacts of internal factors. An appreciative enquiry in relation to one aspect of the identified business has been conducted.

The appreciative enquiry involves analysis which includes explanation/ discussion of each of the four D’s – Discovery, Dreaming, Designing and Delivering/Destiny.

However, the explanation needs more accuracy/depth/ relevance.

The explanation shows a reasonable analysis of operational impacts of internal factors.
Attempted to conduct an appreciative enquiry aligned to benchmark analysis. However, the process is incomplete or flawed and may not cover the aspect in sufficient detail.

Some supporting explanation but the explanation is insufficient or seriously flawed. Attempt does not reflect an appreciative inquiry approach.

OR the attempt to conduct an appreciative enquiry is inaccurate or an insufficient explanation is provided.

OR an explanation has been provided that is not correct or relevant.
18.5–23 marks 15–18 marks 11.5–14.5 marks 9–11 marks 1–8.5 marks
Task 4
Produce a table for inclusion in a report or a memo to your manager for the business you conducted the strengths and weakness analysis on.

Based on your findings from the three previous tasks what changes would you recommend? What are the possible operational impacts of these changes?

(23 marks)
Table provided correctly and sufficiently covers the required points.

Recommendations provided are accurate.

Operational impacts provided are accurate.

Provided thorough and compelling explanation to support the argument supported by reference to the relevant sources of information.

Demonstrates a high understanding of operational impacts based on recommended changes. Table provided correctly and sufficiently covers the required points.

Recommendations provided are accurate.

Operational impacts provided are accurate.

Provided sufficient and clear explanation to support the recommendations and impacts.

Demonstrates a good understanding of operational impacts based on recommended changes. Table provided correctly and sufficiently covers the required points.

Recommendations provided are basically accurate.

Operational impacts provided are basically accurate.

Provided some explanation to support the explanation however, the explanation might need more accuracy/depth/ relevance.
Demonstrates some understanding of operational impacts based on recommended changes. Attempted to provide table however, the process is incomplete or flawed.

Recommendations provided are partially accurate.

Operational impacts provided are partially accurate but the explanation is insufficient or seriously flawed. Table not provided or attempted to provide table that included limited information which was either not accurate or relevant.

Recommendations not provided or were not accurate or relevant.

Operational impacts not provided or were not accurate or relevant.
4 – 3.5 marks 3 marks 2.5-2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark
Writing and referencing

(4 marks) No spelling and grammatical errors.
Writing is within word limit, and the structure and flow is clear and logical.
Provides correct in-text citations and a full reference list. No APA style errors. Has very few spelling and grammatical errors.
Writing is within word limit, and the structure and flow is clear and logical.
Provides in-text citations and a full reference list. There are minor errors in APA style. Minor spelling and grammatical errors.
Writing is within word limit, but the structure and flow is not quite clear.
Provides incomplete or incorrect in-text citations and patchy reference list with some minor APA style errors. Writing has critical spelling and grammatical errors.
Writing is within word limit.
Provides incorrect in-text citations and reference list. Writing is almost incomprehensible.

Student provides no in-text citations and no reference list.

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