MMM710 – Emerging Issues in International Operations – Trimester 3 2025

Assessment Task 1 – Written Assessment – Individual

Assessment Details

• Due Date: Monday, 8th December (Week 6), by 8pm (Melbourne time)
• Percentage of Final Grade: 50%
• Word Count: 2500 words (+/-10%)

Description

Purpose

This task provides you with opportunities to account for international and sustainability perspectives, examine the operational environment of a global firm, apply relevant theories and frameworks, analyze and evaluate strategies, recommend strategic propositions, and learn discipline-specific knowledge, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving (ULO 1, ULO 2, ULO 3, GLO 1, GLO 3, GLO 4, and GLO 5). By completing this task, you will develop your skills in researching, understanding, applying, evaluating, and presenting information required of business professionals.

Context/Scenario

For this task, assume you are applying for a graduate role in the given organization, and you must prepare and submit a business analysis report examining emerging issues in international operations that are relevant to the organization as part of the job application process.

Specific Requirements

Your task in this written assignment is to answer the following questions after thoroughly understanding the selected focal firm. You will draw on your knowledge of the topics covered from Weeks 1-5 in providing comprehensive but concise answers to the questions presented below. This written assignment will challenge your ability to apply what you have learned from this unit to date.

In this assignment, you will do well if you build on the theories, concepts, models, and frameworks that we have covered in this unit to date (i.e., textbook, lectures, tutorials, workshops, readings, and links through our Cloud Deakin unit site) when you answer the questions below. You are free to adapt your style, approach, and layout to present your answers to these questions in a formal written report. In other words, if you think you can give your arguments/ideas in narrative, tabular, graphic, or bullet-list forms (or a combination of these forms) clearly and persuasively, then please do what you think is best. However, there is a word limit for each question (i.e., the number of words).

The assignment has a total word limit of 2500 words. Please indicate the ACTUAL number of words at the end of your answer to each of the two questions.

• Minimum number of words: 2250
• Maximum number of words: 2750
• Minimum number of references: 10 references (please only include relevant references)

Please indicate the actual total number of words (excluding references, etc) on the cover page of your assignment.

Formatting:

• Please use Times New Roman or Calibri, font 12, double space, and a 1-inch margin on all sides.
• Cite the references you have used using the Harvard referencing style (author-date system).
• The reference list should be provided at the end of your answer to Question 2.
• References are NOT counted in the maximum number of words.
• You may have appendices for some supporting analyses, but use these sparingly, as these are not counted in the word limit and will not be marked.
• Relevant tables and figures should be presented in the main text rather than the appendix.

You will submit/upload your assignment in a Word document file to an Assessment Task 1 folder on our Cloud Deakin unit site. Please refer to the evaluation rubric, which the unit’s teaching team will use in marking your assignment.

You are expected to draw on our unit’s teaching and learning resources, such as our class and seminar resources, and other learning resources found on our Cloud Deakin unit site.

Assignment Task

AT1. Select a firm that has international operations with headquarters based in the Asia-Pacific region and prepare a report that answers the following two questions. You need not write these questions in your report to save space – either use the question numbers or appropriate headings.

Q1. Provide a descriptive analysis of the firm and its environment. This may include discussing the nature of the business, level of competition it endures, peer group, target customers, financial performance trend, locational issues, environmental concerns, geopolitical situation, and so on. NOTE: Do not use Porter's 5 Forces Model!

In writing your descriptive analysis, it is very important that you clearly incorporate and articulate your understanding of at least one aspect of relevant theory as covered in the weekly classes up to Week 5 of the trimester.

Please do not try to incorporate everything covered in the classes up to Week 5 – you can pick and choose one or two relevant aspects of the theory that best fit your research context.
(Approximately 1250 words)

Q2. To what extent do you think the firm’s operations management and supply chain practices are sustainable?

• What evidence can you find through your online research about the firm’s ongoing relationship with other firms?
• In your opinion, how resilient are the firm's operations and supply chain practices to any future disruptive events?

Based on your research findings on the firm’s business operations management and supply chain practices, provide two recommendations to maintain/improve the sustainability of their operations and resilience to future disruptions going forward.
(Approximately 1250 words)

Learning Outcomes

This task allows you to demonstrate your achievement towards the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs), which have been aligned to the Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs). Deakin GLOs describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates acquire and can demonstrate on completion of their course. This assessment task is an important tool in determining your achievement of the ULOs. If you do not demonstrate achievement of the ULOs, you will not be successful in this unit. You are advised to familiarise yourself with these ULOs and GLOs as they will inform you on what you are expected to demonstrate for successful completion of this unit.

The learning outcomes that are aligned to this assessment task are:

Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs)

Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs)

ULO1: Critically analyse and evaluate key strategic decisions associated with operations from international and sustainability perspectives.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2: Apply theories, models, tools, and frameworks to different organisations and propose solutions to operational challenges.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3: Apply strategic and operational decision-making using digital technologies.

GLO3: Digital Literacy

Submission

You must submit your assignment in the Assignment Dropbox in the unit CloudDeakin site on or before the due date. When uploading your assignment, name your document using the following syntax: <your surname_your first name_your Deakin student ID number_[unitcode].doc (or ‘.docx’). For example, “Jones_Barry_123456789_MMM710.docx”.

Submitting a hard copy of this assignment is not required. You must keep a backup copy of every assignment you submit until the marked assignment has been returned to you. In the unlikely event that one of your assignments is misplaced, you will need to submit your backup copy.

Any work you submit may be checked by electronic or other means for the purposes of detecting collusion and/or plagiarism and for authenticating work.

When you submit an assignment through your CloudDeakin unit site, you will receive an email to your Deakin email address confirming that it has been submitted. You should check that you can see your assignment in the Submissions view of the Assignment Dropbox folder after upload, and check for, and keep, the email receipt for the submission.

Marking and Feedback

The marking rubric indicates the assessment criteria for this task. It is available in the CloudDeakin unit site in the Assessment folder, under Assessment Resources. Criteria act as a boundary around the task and help specify what assessors are looking for in your submission. The criteria are drawn from the ULOs and align with the GLOs. You should familiarise yourself with the assessment criteria before completing and submitting this task.

Students who submit their work by the due date will receive their marks and feedback on CloudDeakin 15 working days after the submission date.

Extensions

Extensions can only be granted for exceptional and/or unavoidable circumstances outside of your control. Requests for extensions must be made by 12 noon on the submission date using the online Extension Request form under the Assessment tab on the unit CloudDeakin site. All requests for extensions should be supported by appropriate evidence (e.g., a medical certificate in the case of ill health).

Applications for extensions after 12 noon on the submission date require University level special consideration, and these applications must be submitted via StudentConnect in your DeakinSync site.

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit an assessment task after the due date without an approved extension or special consideration, 5% will be deducted from the available marks for each day after the due date up to seven days*. Work submitted more than seven days after the due date will not be marked and will receive 0% for the task. The Unit Chair may refuse to accept a late submission where it is unreasonable or impracticable to assess the task after the due date. *'Day' means calendar day for electronic submissions and working day for paper submissions.

An example of how the calculation of the late penalty based on an assignment being due on a Thursday at 8:00pm is as follows:

• 1 day late: submitted after Thursday 11:59pm and before Friday 11:59pm– 5% penalty.
• 2 days late: submitted after Friday 11:59pm and before Saturday 11:59pm – 10% penalty.
• 3 days late: submitted after Saturday 11:59pm and before Sunday 11:59pm – 15% penalty.
• 4 days late: submitted after Sunday 11:59pm and before Monday 11:59pm – 20% penalty.
• 5 days late: submitted after Monday 11:59pm and before Tuesday 11:59pm – 25% penalty.
• 6 days late: submitted after Tuesday 11:59pm and before Wednesday 11:59pm – 30% penalty.
• 7 days late: submitted after Wednesday 11:59pm and before Thursday 11:59pm – 35% penalty.

The Dropbox closes the Thursday after 11:59pm AEST/AEDT time.

Support

The Division of Student Life provides a range of Study Support resources and services, available throughout the academic year, including Writing Mentor and Maths Mentor online drop-ins and the SmartThinking 24-hour writing feedback service at this link. If you would prefer some more in-depth and tailored support, make an appointment online with a Language and Learning Adviser.

Referencing and Academic Integrity

Deakin takes academic integrity very seriously. It is important that you (and if a group task, your group) complete your own work in every assessment task. Any material used in this assignment that is not your original work must be acknowledged as such and appropriately referenced. You can find information about referencing (and avoiding breaching academic integrity) and other study support resources at the following website: http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/study-support

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Student

As a student, you have both rights and responsibilities. Please refer to the document Your rights and responsibilities as a student in the Unit Guide & Information section in the Content area in the CloudDeakin unit site.