Term Paper Assignment Guidelines

Getting Help with the Term Paper

Purpose and Overview of the Term Paper Assignment

This individual assignment provides students with a unique opportunity to identify and analyze a major problem that is challenging the ongoing success of an organization.

In completing this assignment, each student should assume that they are a management consultant with an excellent reputation for helping managers to identify primary problems that could challenge the future success of their company and to develop solutions to resolve these problems. Students should also assume that they have just been hired to assist Four Seasons or Pfizer (case study options for this assignment) to:

identify and analyze the primary probleme., the focal issue that is presenting a challenge to the company’s managers and ultimately, the success of the company
complete a PESTI and a SWOT analysis of the company
identify possible cause(s)of the company’s primary problem by analyzing the findings of the PESTI and SWOT analyses and the practices (notably those that are ineffective) used by the different levels of managers in the company
recommend threepossible solutions that could be used for resolving the company’s primary problem; sources of solutions may relate to the results of the PESTI and SWOT analyses, be based on solutions used by other companies that successfully resolved similar problems or other solutions as developed by the student; students must integrate specific management concepts that are relevant to the possible solutions
identify the most appropriate solution(of the three possible solutions) for resolving the company’s primary problem and indicate the actions that different managers would likely complete in implementing this solution
identify two waysthat the company could assess the effectiveness of the selected solution

Students should contact the instructor if they have questions about the assignment. As necessary, the instructor will arrange an online meeting.

The due date for the Term Paper assignment is December 7, 11:59 pm. Students should upload their term paper and the plagiarism statement to the Term Paper dropbox.

In general, the level of plagiarism in the paper should be less than 20%. Students should use SafeAssign to check the level of plagiarism in their paper. The instructor will contact any student whose paper exceeds 30% plagiarism. The plagiarism statement is included at the end of these guidelines.

The term paper is worth 25% of the course mark and is marked out of 100. A rubric is posted in the Term Paper folder.

Marks will be deducted as follows:

Insufficient number of articles from acceptable sources (up to 5 marks)
Concepts from the course not used (up to 5 marks)
Paper less than 8.5 pages or more than 12 pages (up to 5 marks)
Plagiarism statement not included (5 marks)
Late submissions – 20% (one day late) and 40% (two days late)

Students must choose one of two companies - Four Seasons and the Threat from Airbnb or Pfizer and Intellectual Property Regulation. These case studies are posted in the Term Paper folder,

The length of the paper (not including the reference list and personal reflection) should be 9.5-11.5 pages double-spaced.

Students must use APA standards for the title page, font (Times New Roman, font 11 or 12), margins (2.5cm), page headers (capitalized) and correct pagination (numbers at the top of the page).

The paper must be written in a professional business style. Students should use language and a writing style that are appropriate for a business audience (e.g., no contractions and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling) and refer to - rather than repeating information covered in earlier sections of the paper. Students should not include irrelevant information. Information is available at:

Students must use supporting material from approved secondary sources, course materials (the textbook) and the case study.

Students must use a minimum of five sources of material (from acceptable sources as noted below) in completing this assignment. The MRU librarians can help students find suitable sources of information.

Due Date for the Term Paper Assignment

Acceptable sources of secondary information include business periodicals such as:

Canadian Business
Fast Company
Harvard Business Review
Report on Business
Bloomberg Businessweek
Forbes
Other business or management publications, magazines and newspapers (such as the New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and The Wall Street Journal)
Peer-reviewed journals

General information from the Internet such as Wikipedia, Bizfluent and Business Insider are not considered suitable sources of information for this assignment. Students should contact the instructor if they have questions about the suitability of a source.

Students must also use management concepts and theories from the course materials (the textbook) to describe and explain the company’s primary problem, recommended solutions to resolve the company’s primary problem and actions that the managers could use in implementing the recommended solution.

Students must also information from the case including as appropriate, names, facts and data.

Citing Sources of Material in the Term Paper and Reference List

Students must cite all secondary sources of material (including articles and the course textbook) in their paper and the reference list. Students do not need to cite the case in their paper or reference list.

A grading rubric for the term paper is posted in the term paper folder. Students should use the rubric to guide the development and final review of their paper.

Recommended Steps for Completing the Term Paper Assignment

Two articles (cases) - Four Seasons and Pfizer - are posted in the term paper folder on Blackboard. Students should select one of the two cases as the focus of their term paper.

Once a case is selected, students should complete some secondary research to learn more about the company and the industry in which it competes. Examples of acceptable sources of secondary material are included on page 2.

Write the term paper in keeping with the following guidelines for headings, content requirements and length of the different sections.

The purpose of the introduction is to let the reader know what the paper is about; it should include:

An attention-grabbing opening statement i.e., a quote or data (source must be cited) that relates to the company or its primary problem i.e., the focal issue that will be examined in the paper
The purpose of the paper - often begins with a statement such as “The purpose of this paper is to” or “This paper will discuss”
Key topics that are included in the paper i.e., what the reader will know after reading the pape

The Primary Problem at (add the name of the Company) (approximately .5 page)

This section requires students to identify the company’s primary problem i.e., the main issue that is challenging the company and its success. In completing this section, students must:

Clearly state the primary problem i.e., the main issue that is presenting a challenge for the company and its managers. Students should use facts and information from the case to illustrate the primary problem.

Note: The primary problem must relate to the time frame in the case - for example COVID 19 would not be relevant to the Four Seasons case study as the situation in the case relates to events in 2017.

Clearly describe the primary problem for the company. For example, a company could determine that its “primary problem” was loss of its competitive advantage. This loss of competitive advantage would be a primary problem for several reasons including a decrease in the company’s profit, loss of customers, lost market share and a risk of going out of business.

PESTI Analysis of (add the name of the Company) (approximately 1.5-2 pages)

The PESTI (or PESTEL) analysis examines relevant factors in the company’s external environment (as described in the case) that are currently impacting or could impact the company in the future. Some of the information from the PESTI analysis will be useful in completing the “analysis of the primary problem” section of the paper.

Plagiarism Check

In completing the PESTI analysis, students should not describe the purpose of a PESTI Analysis; rather students must:

Choose the three forcesof the PESTI that are the most relevant to the company’s situation and its primary problem as described in the case
Use information from the caseand at least one acceptable source of material (see p. 2) in completing the PESTI analysis. Cite the source(s) in the paper and in the reference list.
Not simply copy and pastea PESTI analysis from the company’s website or from an article since the findings would likely not be relevant to the company’s primary problem or the time frame of the case.

Students should use the three headings in completing the PESTI analysis section. The headings should relate to the selected element in the PESTI analysis – for example, if the political element was selected, the heading would be:

SWOT Analysis of (Add the name of the Company) (approximately 1.5-2 pages)

The SWOT analysis examines relevant factors in the company’s internal and external environment (as described in the case) that are impacting the company or could impact the company in the future. This information will be useful in completing the “analysis of the focal issue” section.

In completing the SWOT analysis, students should not describe the purpose of a SWOT analysis; rather students must:

Choose the three elementsof the SWOT that are most relevant to the company’s situation (as described in the case) and primary problem.
Use information from the caseand at least one source of material (see page 2) in completing the SWOT analysis. Cite the source(s) of material in the paper and the reference list.
Not simply copy and pastea SWOT analysis from the company’s website or from an article since the findings would likely not be relevant to the company’s primary problem or the time frame of the case.

Students should use three headings for example, if the S of the SWOT analysis was selected, the heading would be:

Analysis of the Primary Problem at (Name of company) (approximately 2.5-3 pages)

This section requires students to examine the underlying causes of the company’s primary problem. In completing this section, students must:

Consider the findingsof the PESTI and SWOT analyses and indicate if and how factors in the company’s internal and external environments could have caused the primary problem or contributed to the cause of the primary problem. For example, a weak economy (E in the PESTI analysis) could mean that a company would have significantly fewer customers because people would likely have less money to spend. As a result, the demand for their products would likely be less and because of this, the company might have to lower prices or lay off employees – and this would be a problem for the company.
- Identify and discuss at least three relevant management concepts or theories(see page 1 for possible topics) from the textbook that clearly relate to the company’s primary problem. Students should clearly integrate this information with facts from the case to explain the causes of the primary problem rather than simply summarizing concepts or describing the steps of a process. Students could consider concepts such as:
  - decision-making, which managers made decisions in the company, whether the decision-making methods used by the managers were ineffective and why or the kind of decision-making model that was used
  - the features of a high performing organization and discuss whether the company’s practices were or were not representative of those used by a high performing company – i.e., were its practice effective and efficient – or ineffective and inefficient
  - different kinds of organizational structures and discuss whether the company does or does not have the right organizational structure for its type of business - i.e., a company with a functional structure could have problems being financially successful unless it decides to use a new structure – for example a geographical structure
  - change management and discuss whether the company used ineffective practices to make changes once the problem has been identified
  - which level(s) of managers would be involved in resolving the company’s primary problems and why

Note: the management concepts must clearly relate to the primary problem – notably what was not done well rather than being simply a summary of management concepts.

The information from this section will be used as one foundation for writing the next section of the paper - three possible solutions that the company’s managers used to resolve the company’s primary problem.

Students should use material from the textbook and at least two acceptable sources of material (see page 2) in completing this section.

Three Alternative Solutions for Resolving the Primary Problem at (Name of Company) (approximately 1.5-2 pages)

This section requires students to develop three alternative solutions that the company’s managers could use to resolve its primary problem. Sources of the alternative solutions include a) solutions related to the findings of the PESTI and SWOT analyses, b) solutions that other companies have used to resolve similar problems (these are often reported in business periodicals or journals and c) unique solutions based on the student’s analysis and integration of management concepts. All solutions must be feasible to implement.

Recommend threealternative solutions that the company’s managers could use to resolve its primary problem. Each of the solutions must be practical and feasible to implement and, from a manager’s perspective, clearly suitable for resolving the company’s primary problem. For example, if the company’s primary problem was incompetent middle managers, possible solutions could be terminating ineffective middle managers, making certain that the hiring process for new middle managers included tests to verify that they had the needed competencies or retraining middle managers so that they could acquire the necessary skills and competencies to become effective middle managers
Review a variety of publications and summarize the methods that other organizations have used to successfully resolve similar problems - for example, if the company’s primary problem was not having a competitive advantage, students could review articles about how other companies have gained - or regained - a competitive advantage

In completing this section, students should use at least three acceptable sources of material (see page 2) as well as concepts from the textbook.

Recommended Solution to Resolve the Primary Problem at (Name of Company) and the Reason for Choosing This Solution (approximately .5 -.75 page)

This section builds on information from the previous section - three alternative solutions for resolving the company’s primary problem. In completing this section, students must:

Select thesolution that would be the most effective for resolving the company’s primary problem. State one key reason for recommending this solution – for example, if the recommended solution was to retrain incompetent managers, some reasons for recommending this solution could be that it would be cost-effective for the company as severance packages would not have to be paid, there would be no recruiting costs and the retraining could be customized to the needs of the middle manager

This section builds on information from the previous section - the recommended alternative solution that would be most effective for resolving the primary problem. In completing this section, students must:

Briefly describe two actionsthat the managers would use in implementing the recommended solution to resolve the company’s primary problem. For example, if the recommended action was to retrain incompetent middle managers, some actions could be: identify the incompetent middle managers, determine the areas of incompetency, determine the necessary kind of retraining, determine how and when the retraining will take place, determine the cost of the retraining and confirm how the company would assess effectiveness of the retraining once it is finished.
Indicate which level(s) of managerswould be involved in implementing each of these actions. For the above example, the senior level managers to whom the middle managers report would likely be involved as well as the Director of Human Resources and the middle managers who had been shown to be incompetent.

Another example - if the recommended solution was for the company to downsize, actions could include creating a plan for downsizing (middle managers), communicating the need for downsizing to employees (middle managers) and deciding which jobs would be eliminated (frontline managers).

Two Methods for Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Recommended Solution

This section builds on information from the previous section. Students must indicate two ways that the company’s managers would know that the solution, once implemented was effective in resolving the company’s primary problem. Students should use and cite concepts from the textbook. For the above example, the retraining solution would be effective if the middle managers were able to carry out their responsibilities once the retraining was completed.

Conclusion (approximately .5 page)

For this section, students must:

Critically consider the management concepts that wereidentified in their term paper and summarize one key take-away learning that would be important for all levels of managers to know and the key reason why it would be important.

Students should consider the material in the course and how this has influenced or could influence their future career choices. This section could include:

How their perceptions about management have changed after completing the course
The greatest challenge for today’s managers and why
Their intentions to become (or not become) a manager and why

Reference List (sources must be APA formatted)

Step 4 - Submit the Term Paper by the Due Date – December 7, 11:59pm

Students must also upload their term paper including the plagiarism statement (see below) by midnight December 6 (last day of class) to the Term Paper drop box where it will be assessed through SafeAssign, an anti-plagiarism software.

Plagiarism Statement – Each student must complete the following statement and submit it at the conclusion of this assignment.

I _______________________________________ acknowledge that this assignment is my own original work and was not copied in part or in full from the work of another student or has been previously submitted. I also understand that this assignment is subject to review by SafeAssign, a plagiarism check software used by Mount Royal University.

I understand that all instances where there may be evidence of plagiarism will be reported to the Office of Community Standards for handling.

Signature ___________________________________________________ Date _______________

Available Marks	Relevant Criteria
Exceptional to Excellent (85-100 marks) A to A+	The paper fully meets or exceeds the stated requirements for all parts of the paper - i.e., headings, sections of the paper, length, number and sources of secondary sources of material, use of textbook material and facts from the case; the paper demonstrates an excellent to exceptional level of original thought, critical thinking and in-depth synthesis of material from the case, secondary sources of material and the textbook; facts and ideas from the case, secondary sources and the textbook are highly relevant, exceptionally well-integrated and summarized in an orderly, cohesive manner rather than just being stated; the analysis of the company’s external and internal environments, notably the results of the PESTI and SWOT analyses, the company’s primary problem and its causes are grounded in facts from the different sources. The three alternative solutions, the recommended solution and the two actions to implement the selected solution are well-chosen and very suited to the facts in the case, represent effective choices to resolve the primary problem and would be highly feasible to implement. There is minimal or no irrelevant material or undue repetition of material in the paper. The paper demonstrates excellent compliance with APA standards (title page, page headers, pagination, citing of sources in the paper and reference list, spacing, font (Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri) and font size; the writing style is highly suited to an audience of business professionals. There are minimal or no errors in writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, punctuation and use of paragraphs.
Very Good to Good (70-84 marks) B- to A-	The paper fully or generally meets the stated requirements for all or most parts of the paper - i.e., headings, sections of the paper, length, number and sources of secondary sources of material, use of the textbook material and facts from the case; the paper demonstrates a good to very good level of original thought, critical thinking and synthesis of material from the case, secondary sources of material and the textbook; facts and ideas from the case, secondary sources and the textbook are mostly relevant, generally well-integrated and summarized in an orderly, cohesive manner rather than just being stated; the analysis of the company’s external and internal environments, notably the results of the PESTI and SWOT analyses, the company’s primary problem and its causes are generally or partly grounded in facts from the different sources. The three alternative solutions, the recommended solution and the two actions to implement the selected solution are good to very good given the facts in the case, represent good or acceptable choices to resolve the primary problem and would be generally feasible to implement. There is some irrelevant material or undue repetition of material in the paper. The paper demonstrates good to very good compliance with APA standards (title page, page headers, pagination, citing of sources in the paper and reference list, spacing, font size and font - Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri); the writing style is well-suited or suitable to an audience of business professionals. There are some or few errors in writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, punctuation and the use of paragraphs.
Fair (60-69 marks) C- to C+	The paper partly meets the stated requirements for all or most parts of the paper - i.e., headings, sections of the paper, length, number and sources of secondary sources of material, use of textbook material and facts from the case; the paper demonstrates a fair to poor level of original thought, critical thinking and synthesis of material from the case, secondary sources of material and the textbook; facts and ideas from the case, secondary sources and the textbook while stated are sometimes irrelevant, not well-integrated or not summarized in an orderly, cohesive manner; the analysis of the company’s external and internal environments, the company’s primary problem and its causes are only partly or not grounded in facts from the different sources, notably the PESTI or SWOT analyses. The three alternative solutions, the recommended solution and the two actions to implement the selected solution are included but might not represent effective solutions to resolve the primary problem or be feasible to implement. There is some irrelevant material or undue repetition of material in the paper. The paper demonstrates fair to good compliance with APA standards (title page, page headers, pagination, citing of sources in the paper and reference list, font size an font - Times New Roman; the writing style is only partly or not suited to an audience of business professionals. There are a variety of errors in writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, punctuation and use of paragraphs.
Poor to Very Poor (50-59 marks) D to D+	The paper does not meet or only partly meets the stated requirements for all or most parts of the paper - i.e., headings, sections of the paper, length, number and sources of secondary sources of material, use of textbook material and facts from the case; the paper demonstrates a fair to poor level of original thought, critical thinking and synthesis of material from the case, secondary sources of material and the textbook; facts and ideas from the case, secondary sources and the textbook while stated are frequently irrelevant, or not well-integrated or summarized in an orderly, cohesive manner; the analysis of the company’s external and internal environments, the company’s primary problem and its causes are generally not grounded or only partly grounded in facts from the different sources. The three alternative solutions, the recommended solution and the two actions to implement the selected solution are included but may not represent effective choices for resolving the primary problem or be feasible to implement. There is significant irrelevant material or undue repetition of material in the paper. The paper demonstrates poor to very poor compliance with APA standards (title page, page headers, pagination, citing of sources in the paper and reference list, font size - Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri); the writing style is poorly or not suited to an audience of business professionals. There are a significant number of errors in writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, punctuation and use of paragraphs.
Fail (0-49 marks)	The paper does not meet or only partly meets the stated requirements for all or most parts of the paper - i.e., headings, sections of the paper, length, number and sources of secondary sources of material, use of the textbook material and facts from the case; the paper demonstrates a poor to very poor level of original thought, critical thinking and synthesis of material from the case, secondary sources of material and the textbook; facts and ideas from the case, secondary sources and the textbook while stated are frequently irrelevant, not well-integrated or summarized in an orderly, cohesive manner; the analysis of the company’s external and internal environments, the company’s primary problem and its causes are missing or generally not grounded in facts from the different sources including the PESTI and SWO analyses. The three alternative solutions, the recommended solution and the two actions to implement the selected solution may not be included, represent effective choices to resolve the primary problem or be feasible to implement. There is significant irrelevant material or undue repetition of material in the paper. The paper demonstrates poor to very poor compliance with APA standards (title page, page headers, pagination, citing of sources in the paper and reference list, font size and font - Times New Roman; the writing style is poorly or not at all suited to an audience of business professionals. There are a significant number of errors in writing mechanics - spelling, grammar, punctuation and use of paragraphs.