2 
Essay Assignment Materials:
Company Competitive
Analysis – the Search for
Competitive Advantage
Alistair Sutton
ASSIGNMENT 2 – Essay (50%) –
28.04.15
You are required to produce a correctly-referenced essay (using the Harvard referencing system) on the topic below. Your answer should not exceed 2,500 words, be in Verdana 11 point and have 1.5 line-spacing. Ensure that you read the “key assessment criteria” in the box below – you will be assessed according to these!
First Sit and Re-Sit title:
Critically review the search for competitive advantage within either global retailing or civil aero-engine manufacturing, paying particular attention to both inside-out and outside-in views of strategy. You should use both appropriate theory and a range of company examples.
What is an essay?
• http://skillshub.northampton.ac.uk/tag/essay-writing/
• An essay is not a report – so it does not have a contents page. Just put the full title at the top and make sure you do a good short introduction which tells the reader how you will be answering the question. Try and do this by writing in paragraphs and avoiding the sorts of bullet points or diagrams that you would use in a report.
• Always reference the sources of information – in respect of authors and companies. Make sure that you have a full reference list at the end.
• Finally, by following the instructions above you should avoid any possible academic misconduct but you should also be aware that if you have shared any materials with your friends the Turnitin system will identify that as academic misconduct as well!
Key Assessment Criteria
•
Articulates the theoretical underpinning ie academic articles and other sources of theory exploring the argument referred to in the title
Evaluates the position of a suitable range of companies in the light of the above theory
Draws sensible conclusions from your argument which answer the question.
•
•
•
Correctly uses the Harvard referencing system and features a broad range
Company Competitive
Analysis – the Search for
Competitive Advantage
Alistair Sutton
ASSIGNMENT 2 – Essay (50%) –
28.04.15
You are required to produce a correctly-referenced essay (using the Harvard referencing system) on the topic below. Your answer should not exceed 2,500 words, be in Verdana 11 point and have 1.5 line-spacing. Ensure that you read the “key assessment criteria” in the box below – you will be assessed according to these!
First Sit and Re-Sit title:
Critically review the search for competitive advantage within either global retailing or civil aero-engine manufacturing, paying particular attention to both inside-out and outside-in views of strategy. You should use both appropriate theory and a range of company examples.
What is an essay?
• http://skillshub.northampton.ac.uk/tag/essay-writing/
• An essay is not a report – so it does not have a contents page. Just put the full title at the top and make sure you do a good short introduction which tells the reader how you will be answering the question. Try and do this by writing in paragraphs and avoiding the sorts of bullet points or diagrams that you would use in a report.
• Always reference the sources of information – in respect of authors and companies. Make sure that you have a full reference list at the end.
• Finally, by following the instructions above you should avoid any possible academic misconduct but you should also be aware that if you have shared any materials with your friends the Turnitin system will identify that as academic misconduct as well!
Key Assessment Criteria
•
Articulates the theoretical underpinning ie academic articles and other sources of theory exploring the argument referred to in the title
Evaluates the position of a suitable range of companies in the light of the above theory
Draws sensible conclusions from your argument which answer the question.
•
•
•
Correctly uses the Harvard referencing system and features a broad range