Proposal for Collaborative Advantage to Assist a Struggling Private Company

TMA introduction

In the light of covid-19 pandemic, many businesses are struggling and cannot seem to survive on their own particularly without any governmental support. In some economies, companies were able to survive due to government support be it in subsidizing certain operating expenses or helping businesses directly through financial support.

In other economies, businesses struggled to the extent where some have closed given the absence of public support at all levels.

What you need to consider before you start your TMA

Before starting your TMA, make sure to do your own research and ensure that the information needed for this TMA is available. This is very important since this TMA does not only rely on course material but on external resources that you will be choosing and referring to answer the question.

Question:

Choose from your local context One private company that you see is struggling and draft a proposal for a collaboration with another private company or NGO, etc. to help it overcome its challenges.

The proposal needs to include a clear introduction of the chosen private company and what are the challenges that it is facing and have led to this collaboration venture. It needs to clearly identify the bases for collaborative advantage, the main aims, and reflect on the collaboration six dimensions (word limit: 2000 words).

Hint: in your essay, you need to consider the following:

• Relevant course material: bases for collaborative advantage, types of goals, and the six dimensions of collaboration along with their elements.
• Clearly define the chosen private company, the challenges it is facing and why you consider there is a need for a collaboration and with which company (define if it’s a public, private or NGO).
• Clearly identify the company that you are proposing to collaborate with. Identify if it is a public, private or NGO and why you chose this company in particular.
• You may refer to other collaborations as a guidance but you must propose a totally new collaboration and not rely on previous ones already established.
• You have a plus or minus 10% with regard to word count.

Guidance:

• Pay attention: do not to copy information as is whether from the course material or the case. You are to provide a discussion and demonstrate understanding of various concepts and not just list and describe.
  
  
• External resources chosen private company website, chosen company to collaborate with website, reports about similar collaborations, etc.
  
  
• Remember to cite your sources in the text and to prepare a table of references at the end.
  
  
• Referring to course material alone is not enough. Referring to external resources alone is not enough. You need to use the course material as the base to explore and explain the information in the chosen external resources. 

General Instruction for Students:

1. Cut-off date:Specific date to be specified later by deanship. If you feel that you are unable to meet the cut-off date of the TMA because of unusual circumstances, please contact your tutor as soon as possible to discuss a possible extension to the cut-off date. The exact cut-off date will be assigned in due course.

TMA weight: 20% of total course grade.

2. Course material:

• Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 6.

3. Format: Writeyour answers in essay format. Failing to do so could result in grade deduction from presentation marks up to 5 marks. You may, however, use bullet points, diagrams, tables, or any graphs to support your arguments.
   
   
4. Plagiarism: Write your answers using your own words. Plagiarism will be penalized depending on its severity and according to AOU plagiarism policy (Enclosed after these instructions you will find the Arab Open University Rules of Cheating and Plagiarism).
   
   
5. Word count:Answers are expected to be within +/- 10% of the word limit. Answers that fall below or above this range can lose up to 5 marks.
   
   
6. Referencing:Use Harvard referencing style for in-text citation and make a table of references at the end. Failing to do so could result grade deduction of referencing marks up to 5 marks.  
   
   
7. Research:Use a minimum of two additional sources of information. It is strongly recommended that you use scholarly articles found in the E-library at LMS.
   
   You can lose up to 5 marks if you do not use at least two external sources. In addition, although text books assigned in the course may be used freely as references, you are required to use a minimum of 2 external sources.
   
   It is recommended that you use scholarly studies found in the E-library link at the LMS. Failing to do so could result in grade deduction of referencing marks up to 5 marks. If you do not find required additional information at the e-library, you can always refer to Google scholar.

 “The following acts represent studies of cheating and plagiarism:

• Verbatim copying of printed material and submitting them as part of TMAs without proper academic acknowledgement and documentation.
• Verbatim copying of material from the Internet, including tables and graphics.
• Copying other students’ notes or reports.
• Using paid or unpaid material prepared for the student by individuals or firms.
• Utilization of, or proceeding to utilize, contraband materials or devices in examinations.

Examples of Plagiarism

Copying from a single or multiple sources, this is where the student uses one or more of the following as the basis for the whole, or a good part, of the assignment:

1. Published or unpublished books, studies or reports
2. The Internet
3. The media (e.g.TV programmes, radio programmes or newspaper studies)
4. An essay from an essay bank
5. A piece of work previously submitted by another student
6. Copying from a text which is about to be submitted for the same assignment