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CS173 INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT
Autumn Semester 2005
Coursework Instructions
The arrangements for coursework on this module are as follows:
1. The coursework accounts for 50% of the assessment of the module and the class
exam for the remaining 50%.
2. The coursework splits into two parts:
a) A 500 word, individual, written response to questions on a specific
management topic
b) A group presentation on the same topic
3. There will be eight groups of students : each group dealing with a different
management topic (see pages 3- 6, where topics and group members have been
defined).
Groups should plan on a presentation time of about 15 minutes per group
4. Each student will be marked on:
a) His/her written work (50%)
b) The mark achieved by his/her group presentation (50%)
5. The written work must be submitted on Tuesday 15th November, either in class or
given to the Undergraduate Office
There will be a penalty for late submission (5% per day)
Written work must include a word count, please.
Students must keep an electronic copy of their submissions.
Appearance, as well as content, will be marked
Manuscript work is not acceptable
6. Presentations will be made before two assessors towards the end of the semester,
in early December.
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It is anticipated that three or four students from each group will make the
presentation. Groups are free to choose which of their number will make the
presentation.
However, every member of each group must attend their group’s presentation:
failure to attend will mean zero marks for the presentation for that group member
7. Groups will, of course, need to plan their presentation together.
Groups may discuss approaches to the work and share the collection of
information.
However, individual written submissions are required. Joint work will not be
accepted
Copying is plagiarism
8. The aim of the coursework is to encourage students to:
a) Quickly gather very basic information about companies and industries. The
internet is, of course, a potentially powerful source of information, and companies
reports and accounts can usually be found on their websites (tip: do not try and
read a report in detail – focus on the five year summary of sales and profits and on
the reports of the chairman and the chief executive – try to get the big picture).
Try, also, not to rely totally on what companies say about themselves – find
outside opinions, which often give a different angle.
The BBC, Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Financial Times and The Economist
websites are also potentially useful in searching for past articles and news items.
b) Identify and understand the important issues and forces at work in particular
situations
c) Apply management concepts and tools, where these are appropriate
d) Summarize and present simple conclusions
There are no standard ‘right’ answers to the questions presented.
___________________________
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Coursework Topics
Group Topic Questions
Trace the history of the MG Rover car company in the UK
over the last ten years. What were the major forces
Appleton MG Rover operating upon the company in this time and what do you
think were the key management decisions (both inside and
outside the company – e.g. in government) which led to its
eventual collapse? Give facts and figures to support your
conclusions.
Why are most of the major international airlines in
financial trouble? Give some quantitative as well as
Bragg International Airlines qualitative answers to this question.
& British Airways
What has been the British Airways strategy over recent
years to improve its performance? Consider not only sales
and profits but also customer numbers, reputation,
facilities, routes. . . How far do you think this strategy
has been successful?
Founded in 1884, Marks & Spencer has been a major
player in the retail high street market, with sales, profits
and share price increasing year after year. However, in
recent years their performance has been much less
satisfactory. Would you please:
Chadwick Marks & Spencer a) Sketch out their sales and pretax profits over the last
five years
b) List the reasons which you believe are responsible for
these poorer results, giving supporting facts & figures
where possible
c) List the actions which top management have taken to
improve the company’s position, indicating the degree
of success which these have achieved.
Compare the sales and profits figures for a) Tesco and b)
Sainsbury over the last five years. What do you think are
Curie Tesco and Sainsbury the main reasons for this difference in performance of
these two supermarket groups, giving facts and figures to
support your conclusions. Do you see any threats to
Tesco’s continued dominance of the market?
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What do you think are the major forces acting upon the
world’s major motor car manufacturers, such as General
Dirac The world motor car Motors and Toyota? Illustrate your answer with facts and
industry figures wherever possible. What kinds of decision are
these forces causing the management of these companies to
take? Give specific examples.
Describe the different competitive strategies of Boeing
Fermi Aerospace: USA and Airbus Industrie (in your examination, look at the
versus Europe range of each company’s commercial activities)? Which
do think will be the more successful, long term, and why?
Use facts and figures to support your conclusions.
In the year to May 1995, W H Smith plc (the newsagents,
booksellers and wholesalers) had sales of £2.7 bn and
operating profits of £114m. 9 years later, the figures were
£2.8 bn and £72m. What competitive forces were acting
Hawking W H Smith on the company during this time? What were the key
decisions taken by top management and where do you
think that these have been a) successful, b) unsuccessful
and c) not yet proven? Support your answers with facts
and figures wherever possible.
In 2004, the smaller supermarket chain, Morrison’s, bought
the larger chain, Safeway. Summarize the successes and
Hubble Morrison’s and the difficulties which Morrison’s has experienced in
Safeway running the new, bigger, group. Consider not only sales
and profits but also the impact on top management and on
the different stakeholders.
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GROUPS NAMES ALPHABETICALLY
TITLE SURNAME FORNAME GROUP TITLE SURNAME FORENAME GROUP
MR ABBASI JABEER Appleton MR ABBASI JABEER Appleton
MR AMNER DANIEL Appleton MR AMNER DANIEL Appleton
MR BATES JOSHUA Appleton MR BATES JOSHUA Appleton
MR DAYANTIS FILIPPOS Appleton MR BELCHER THOMAS Curie
MR DHADA NAVEED Appleton MR BRADDICK JAMES Hubble
MR MASON AARON Appleton MR BROCK SCOTT Hubble
MR C LOURENCO JOAO Dirac
MR CARVALHO LUIS Hubble
MR CHUKWURAH JUSTUS Bragg MR CHARLES JOHN Hawking
MISS FACEY KATRINA Bragg MR CHUKWURAH JUSTUS Bragg
MR FREITAS DAMIAN Bragg MRS CROW FAITH Hawking
MR LAW CHUNG Bragg MR DAYANTIS FILIPPOS Appleton
MR LI XIN Bragg MR DHADA NAVEED Appleton
MR LI ZIXIONG Bragg MR DUNCALFE PHILIP Dirac
MISS FACEY KATRINA Bragg
MR FREITAS DAMIAN Bragg
MR MCMILLAN PAUL Chadwick MR GARRAWAY MARC Hawking
MR OLUYEMI PETER Chadwick MR GRAY LUKE Hubble
MR RUSSELL JAMES Chadwick MR GRIFFITHS MARC Hawking
MR RYAN DANIEL Chadwick MR GUO HONGZHANG Fermi
MR SABADOS VLADIMIR Chadwick MR JEFFERY RICHARD Hubble
MR SOKOLI JETMIR Chadwick MR KANARIOS XENOFON Hawking
MISS KAYANI MARIA Hubble
MR KIANI SAEED Fermi
MR BELCHER THOMAS Curie MR KIMBLE ELLIOT Hubble
MISS PATEL VANITA Curie MR LAW CHUNG Bragg
MR POMEROY NICHOLAS Curie MR LI XIN Bragg
MR RAMIREZ CEDRIC Curie MR LI ZIXIONG Bragg
MR SPEARING CHRISTOPHER Curie MR LOVE DAVID Fermi
MR WIEBKIN ROBERT Curie MR MASON AARON Appleton
MR MCMILLAN PAUL Chadwick
MR NATTRESS PETER Fermi
MR C LOURENCO JOAO Dirac MR OLUYEMI PETER Chadwick
MR DUNCALFE PHILIP Dirac MISS PATEL VANITA Curie
MR ROLFE ALISTAIR Dirac MS PLANKYTE AISTE Fermi
MR VAITKUS ARUNAS Dirac MR POMEROY NICHOLAS Curie
MISS VO QUYNH Dirac MR RAMASAMI MURUGESU Fermi
MR YIAMAKIS ALBERT Dirac MR RAMIREZ CEDRIC Curie
MR ZAND ALIREZA Dirac MR ROLFE ALISTAIR Dirac
MR RUSSELL JAMES Chadwick
MR RYAN DANIEL Chadwick
MR GUO HONGZHANG Fermi MR SABADOS VLADIMIR Chadwick
MR KIANI SAEED Fermi MR SOKOLI JETMIR Chadwick
MR LOVE DAVID Fermi MR SPEARING CHRISTOPHER Curie
MR NATTRESS PETER Fermi MR VAITKUS ARUNAS Dirac
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MS PLANKYTE AISTE Fermi MISS VO QUYNH Dirac
MR RAMASAMI MURUGESU Fermi MR WELTON JONATHAN Hawking
MR WIEBKIN ROBERT Curie
MR YIAMAKIS ALBERT Dirac
MR CHARLES JOHN Hawking MR ZAND ALIREZA Dirac
MRS CROW FAITH Hawking
MR GARRAWAY MARC Hawking
MR GRIFFITHS MARC Hawking
MR KANARIOS XENOFON Hawking
MR WELTON JONATHAN Hawking
MR BRADDICK JAMES Hubble
MR BROCK SCOTT Hubble
MR CARVALHO LUIS Hubble
MR GRAY LUKE Hubble
MR JEFFERY RICHARD Hubble
MISS KAYANI MARIA Hubble
MR KIMBLE ELLIOT Hubble
PDA
October 2005
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