Assessment: Practical Assessment: The Case Study (1200-1500 words or a 4-5 minute video)
This is an individual assignment. Students have the choice of submitting a written case study or a video case study.
The objective of Assessment 1 is to build students' research, critical thinking, business evaluation and entrepreneurial skills. While researching the case study, students are encouraged to explore and learn about different business models, including the type of business models that are most associated with success and high levels of profitability. By learning about a number of businesses and their business models, including their competitive environment, and writing a deep case description of a particular innovative business venture, students will not only learn how to identify the most important aspects of a successful business model but also how to effectively explain winning business models to others.
Although this is an individual assignment, students should feel free to work with others taking this unit. For instance, students may want to collaborate with others when making a video. This allows students to learn much more potentially about practical video production than they would have done if making the video themselves.
However, it should be noted that the assignment work submitted should be wholly the student's own work. No two students in the unit should do the same case study.
Before commencing, students must confirm with their lecturer that the organisation they plan to write about is permissible and that no other student doing the unit is doing the same case study. The organisation that is the focus of the case should also be a relatively new, innovative business venture, which means it was most likely established in the last five years.
Comprehensive description of the business, including the product(s) and service(s) that the business makes available to customers and its business model.
Your evaluation of the strategy and future prospects of the organisation (students can apply SWOT, PEST, ratio or other analytical techniques to derive and justify their evaluation).
Summary of the key points, including a discussion of the one aspect of the business model you think is the most important for the management of the organisation to keep in mind to ensure the ongoing success of the organisation.