Description
Question: Critically
Discuss the importance of the strategic tools you have learned for business,
corporate and network levels of strategy. In your answer use extant literature
to support your argument and examples to illustrate your statements.Instructions: Please answer this question in 1000 words (+ -10%). Use the MSWord or RTF format not PDF, A4, font 12, one-inch margin and double space. Write your student number in the first page as well as the word count for the whole document, and don’t forget to number every page. All references should be listed in full at the end while the author(s) and the year should be inserted in the body of the text. The list of references in the end is not part of the 1000 words (+ -10%). Best of luck.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Business Strategy Final Assessment 2023-24 (MAIN DIET)
Instructions: Please answer this question in 1000 words (+ -10%). Use the MSWord or RTF
format not PDF, A4, font 12, one-inch margin and double space. Write your student
number in the first page as well as the word count for the whole document, and don’t
forget to number every page. All references should be listed in full at the end while the
author(s) and the year should be inserted in the body of the text. The list of references in
the end is not part of the 1000 words (+ -10%).
Best of luck.
Question: Critically Discuss the importance of the strategic tools you have learned for
business, corporate and network levels of strategy. In your answer use extant literature to
support your argument and examples to illustrate your statements.
COMMON GRADING SCALE (CGS)
(predominantly essay-based courses)
STEP 1
Based on descriptors assess the band into which the work falls (A-G)
Band Descriptor
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Outstanding ability and critical thought.
• Evidence of extensive reading / research.
• Superior understanding showing significant signs of originality and an in-depth understanding of the topics covered (in
particular in relation to the comprehension and analysis of relevant legal theories and legal argument).
• Use of new information, new methodology or new theory.
• Original insight and power of analysis in which arguments are cogent and well supported in almost all respects or
demonstrate creativity or originality.
• Excellent grasp of appropriate critical concepts.
• Excellence in understanding and critical analytical ability.
• Evidence of wide reading and discriminating use of relevant literature sources and work experience where appropriate.
• A firm sense of relevance.
• Illuminating and intelligent use of quotation or other illustrative material.
• Ability to present well-structured and persuasive argument.
• A superior and effective command of English.
• No significant deficiencies within the context of the assessment format.
• Consistently high standard of presentation.
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Able to argue logically and organise answers well.
• Shows a thorough grasp of concepts.
• Good use of examples to illustrate points and justify arguments.
• Evidence of reading and wide appreciation of subject
• Good understanding of critical concepts.
• Ability to distinguish and deploy relevant material.
• Accurate and effective use of quotation or other illustrative material (e.g., well organised use of secondary material).
• Orderly / effective presentation of arguments which are mostly well supported.
• Clear and effective expression.
• Develops and analyses the core issues covered by the assessment while dealing with some advanced aspects of the
assessment topic and shows an ability to engage in debate on relevant material.
• Highly competent work demonstrating clear understanding of the issues.
• Some signs of presenting information in a new light or drawing strands together in a new framework.
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Repetition of lecture / seminar notes without evidence of further appreciation of subject.
• Lacking illustrative examples and originality.
• Basic / clear level of understanding of the relevant concepts.
• Knowledge of a sufficient number of core materials / ideas to substantiate general statements.
• Appropriate use of quotation or other illustrative material.
• Ability to recognise core issues and to construct a coherent answer which keeps these in view.
• Arguments are well constructed but omit or do not develop sufficiently some significant issues.
• Clear and grammatical style.
• Develops and analyses the core issues covered by the assessment to a limited extent but shows understanding of relevant
material.
• Satisfactory presentation.
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Limited ability to argue logically and organise answers.
• Failure to develop or illustrate points.
• Some knowledge of a restricted range of issues related to the assessment suggesting a lack of understanding of some key
concepts
• Limited understanding of relevant issues or technical terms.
• Presentation of material which shows only a limited ability to understand and correctly deploy the work of others.
• Identifies and states accurately relevant principles but fails to develop or analyse the core issues covered by the assessment.
o Shows limited understanding of relevant material.
o Arguments are badly constructed or superficial.
o Contains flaws in logic or methodology or both.
o Limited use of relevant literature sources and (where appropriate to the assignment) work experience.
o Weak/simplistic presentation.
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Poor / inappropriate / inaccurate presentation.
• Tendency to irrelevance.
• Some attempt at an answer but seriously lacking in content and or ability to organise thoughts
• Little evidence of coherent thinking or organisation.
• Inability to identify or state accurately even basic ideas relevant to the core issues covered by the assessment;
• Reproduces in an inappropriate or incorrect manner the work of others;
• Significant errors or misconceptions in respect of a core issue covered by the assessment which indicate a serious
misunderstanding of the assessment topic;
o Deficiencies in structure, presentation and formulation of arguments which are sufficiently serious to indicate a serious lack
of understanding of the assessment topic.
o Fails to meet the required standard.
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• No appreciable evidence of coherent thinking or organisation
• Contains major errors or misconceptions which indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of the assessment topic.
• Deficiencies in structure, presentation and formulation of arguments which are sufficiently serious to indicate a fundamental
lack of understanding of the assessment topic.
• Consistently poor presentation.
STEP 2
Band
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Pass
Weak
B2
C2
D2
E2
(may be
eligible for
compensator
y credit)
Poor
Honours
Class
Grade
A3
F2
AWARD
STEP 3
PGT Award
A1
22
A2
21.0021.99
A3
First
Distinction
19.0019.99
A5
18.0018.99
B1
17.0017.99
B2
Upper
Second
Merit
G2
16.0016.99
B3
15.0015.99
C1
14.0014.99
C2
Lower
Second
Pass
13.0013.99
C3
12.0012.99
D1
11.0011.99
D2
Third
Pass
10.0010.99
D3
9.009.99
E1
8.008.99
E2
Fail
Fail
7.007.99
E3
6.006.99
F1
5.005.99
F2
Fail
Fail
G2
G3
4.004.99
3.003.99
2.002.99
F3
Very Poor
20.0020.99
A4
G1
Token or no submission.
GRADE
POINT
Fail
Fail
1.001.99
0.000.99
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN COMMON GRADING SCALE (CGS)
(predominantly numerical-based courses)
STEP 1
Based on descriptors assess the band into which the work falls (A-G)
Band Descriptor
STEP 2
Band
AWARD
STEP 3
Grade
Honours
Class
PGT Award
First
Distinction
Upper
Second
Merit
Lower
Second
Pass
Third
Pass
Fail
Fail
Fail
Fail
Fail
Fail
A1
A2
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Outstanding knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories
• Superior skill and judgement in solving problems.
• A consistently high standard of accuracy in reasoning and calculation
• Ability to express arguments with a high level of precision.
• Possibly signs of creative ability.
Excellent
A3
A3
A4
A5
B1
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Sound knowledge and understanding of most concepts and theories.
• Ability to solve problems similar in general character to ones seen
previously.
• Reasoning and calculation generally accurate and correctly presented.
Very Good
B2
B2
B3
C1
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by evidence of the following:
• Competence in understanding central concepts and theories.
• Ability to produce standard lines of argument and calculations in problem solving.
• Few totally fallacious arguments or inaccurate calculations.
Good
C2
C2
C3
D1
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by the following:
• Ability shown in performing routine calculations and producing short logically correct
arguments in familiar situations
• Limited understanding of the theory.
Pass
D2
D2
D3
E1
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by the following:
• An insecure grasp of basic concepts leading to nonsensical reasoning.
• Ability to calculate correctly only in very restricted areas.
Weak
E2
(may be eligible
for
compensatory
credit)
E3
F1
Work, which is largely and predominately characterised by the following:
• A lack of knowledge and understanding of the basic theory thus making it impossible to
produce reasoned argument or accurate calculations.
E2
Poor
F2
F2
F3
G1
Token or no submission.
Very Poor
G2
www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/teaching/code-of-practice-2014-2831.php
G2
G3
GRADE
POINT
RANGE
22
21.0021.99
20.0020.99
19.0019.99
18.0018.99
17.0017.99
16.0016.99
15.0015.99
14.0014.99
13.0013.99
12.0012.99
11.0011.99
10.0010.99
9.009.99
8.008.99
7.007.99
6.006.99
5.005.99
4.004.99
3.003.99
2.002.99
1.001.99
0.000.99
How to write your Business Strategy essay?
Final Assessment Essay.
A 1000-word essay is the best way to assess the development of applicaGon, analysis,
evaluaGon and creaGon skills because it
requires succinctness to demonstrate insight. The
work required for this type of final assessment is much more than it would
be for a longer
essay. The essay needs to be the best 1000 words the student can produce and it
probably
requires wriGng and re-wriGng 10 Gmes more words to produce a high-quality 1000-word
essay.
The 1000-word essay should present your argument based on the quesGon provided. There
is no single answer to the quesGon,
which is only a general guide within which students
need to present an argument. In your essay,
you need to pick concepts from the quesGon
and demonstrate a relaGonship between them with
your own argument. Strong and weak
arguments are created by the writer craNing with words their insight
1
MS4536/QB4505.
obtained from acGvely
listening to teaching material, discussing ideas, individual reading and their reflecGons.
Strong arguments are detailed,
considerable, plausible logical and robust. Conversely, weak
arguments are imprecise, thoughtless, implausible, illogical and flimsy. When
reading and re-
wriGng the essay
the author will want to be criGcal with their wriGng to check the degree of
strength of the argument.
Ac$vely listening to teaching material, and discussing ideas:
The essay requires you to demonstrate applicaGon, analysis, evaluaGon and creaGon skills.
The 10 weekly seminars
on Friday are the best opportunity to hone these skills. There is no
way to replace these
interacGve hands-on sessions. The expectaGon is that students will
aUend these sessions having prepared the material provided and aUended brief prerecorded lectures.
Individual reading and their reflec8ons:
2
MS4536/QB4505.
The standard advice is to read week by week all arGcles provided as resources in the reading
list in MyAberdeen to start. Then, read further either using the list of references at the end
of each
arGcle or using Google Scholar and the University library to search for further
readings. The
expectaGon is to read over 50 arGcles and end up using about half of them, to
face the
essay project with the best chance. Please note that relevant arGcles can only be
found in 3 or 4 journals as per
the list provided by the Chartered AssociaGon of Business
Schools Academic journal guide hUps://charteredabs.org/academic-journal-guide-2021/ .
The author’s cri8cal thinking needs to be clear and explicit in their wri8ng.
Strategy concepts seem trivial at first, but as one learns more and discusses them with
others, for example at
seminars and tutorials, one realizes there is much more depth and
breadth to them. If you feel you understand
them fully as they seem to be common sense,
stop and think, as the opposite will be true.
AlternaGvely, you may feel they are too difficult,
3
MS4536/QB4505.
once more, stop and think.
Although it may feel as if you do not grasp them fully you are
only supposed to
demonstrate your understanding at an undergraduate level. Either way,
focus on being criGcal, ask quesGons, and bring
queries to weekly seminars both aNer
carrying out your individual reading and aNer wriGng up your
essay draNs during the
semester.
The 1000-word essay as final assessment requires you to present your argument and
support it with relevant references, logic and evidence.
You are not being asked to repeat
lecture or tutorial material. In other words, your lecturers know the lecture material they
do
not want
to read it again, they want to read what they don’t know. The essay will be
assessed on the depth and breadth of
its argument and on how well-supported the
argument is.
One way to start working on the essay is to think of one relaGonship between two concepts
stated in this year’s quesGon. Then look up this relaGonship in Google Scholar. You are likely
4
MS4536/QB4505.
to find many arGcles in journals 3 and 4 CABS which have covered the relaGonship you
thought of. You need to read the
abstracts of several of these arGcles and then select the
ones that are close to your individual
insight. Any number from 3 to 5 will be a good start.
Once you have become an expert in
these 3 to 5 arGcles you will want to have a go at
making your argument using them as support.
At this stage it may be that you need to
include or exclude concepts, you may need to read further or even
reflect further. Once
resolved have another go at wriGng your argument. Then you may need to find an
example
that illustrates your point which you may be able to find in the press. ANer several
iteraGons,
your essay will read beUer and eventually the author will feel it is good enough to
submit.
Finally, make sure you follow the format required. Please write 1000 words (+ -10%). Use the
MSWord or RTF format not PDF, A4, font 12, one-inch margin and double space. Write your
student number
5
MS4536/QB4505.
in the first page as well as the word count for the whole document, and
don’t forget to number every page. All
references should be listed in full at the end in
alphabeGcal order while the author(s) and the year
should be inserted in the body of the
text. The list of references in the end is not part
of the 1000 words (+ -10%).
Best of luck.
6
MS4536/QB4505.
How to write your Business Strategy essay?
Final Assessment Essay.
A 1000-word essay is the best way to assess the development of applicaGon, analysis,
evaluaGon and creaGon skills because it requires succinctness to demonstrate insight. The
work required for this type of final assessment is much more than it would be for a longer
essay. The essay needs to be the best 1000 words the student can produce and it probably
requires wriGng and re-wriGng 10 Gmes more words to produce a high-quality 1000-word
essay.
The 1000-word essay should present your argument based on the quesGon provided. There
is no single answer to the quesGon, which is only a general guide within which students
need to present an argument. In your essay, you need to pick concepts from the quesGon
and demonstrate a relaGonship between them with your own argument. Strong and weak
arguments are created by the writer craNing with words their insight obtained from acGvely
listening to teaching material, discussing ideas, individual reading and their reflecGons.
Strong arguments are detailed, considerable, plausible logical and robust. Conversely, weak
arguments are imprecise, thoughtless, implausible, illogical and flimsy. When reading and rewriGng the essay the author will want to be criGcal with their wriGng to check the degree of
strength of the argument.
1
MS4536/QB4505.
Ac$vely listening to teaching material, and discussing ideas:
The essay requires you to demonstrate applicaGon, analysis, evaluaGon and creaGon skills.
The 10 weekly seminars on Friday are the best opportunity to hone these skills. There is no
way to replace these interacGve hands-on sessions. The expectaGon is that students will
aUend these sessions having prepared the material provided and aUended brief prerecorded lectures.
Individual reading and their reflec8ons:
The standard advice is to read week by week all arGcles provided as resources in the reading
list in MyAberdeen to start. Then, read further either using the list of references at the end
of each arGcle or using Google Scholar and the University library to search for further
readings. The expectaGon is to read over 50 arGcles and end up using about half of them, to
face the essay project with the best chance. Please note that relevant arGcles can only be
found in 3 or 4 journals as per the list provided by the Chartered AssociaGon of Business
Schools Academic journal guide hUps://charteredabs.org/academic-journal-guide-2021/ .
The author’s cri8cal thinking needs to be clear and explicit in their wri8ng.
Strategy concepts seem trivial at first, but as one learns more and discusses them with
others, for example at seminars and tutorials, one realizes there is much more depth and
breadth to them. If you feel you understand them fully as they seem to be common sense,
stop and think, as the opposite will be true. AlternaGvely, you may feel they are too difficult,
once more, stop and think. Although it may feel as if you do not grasp them fully you are
only supposed to demonstrate your understanding at an undergraduate level. Either way,
focus on being criGcal, ask quesGons, and bring queries to weekly seminars both aNer
2
MS4536/QB4505.
carrying out your individual reading and aNer wriGng up your essay draNs during the
semester.
The 1000-word essay as final assessment requires you to present your argument and
support it with relevant references, logic and evidence. You are not being asked to repeat
lecture or tutorial material. In other words, your lecturers know the lecture material they do
not want to read it again, they want to read what they don’t know. The essay will be
assessed on the depth and breadth of its argument and on how well-supported the
argument is.
One way to start working on the essay is to think of one relaGonship between two concepts
stated in this year’s quesGon. Then look up this relaGonship in Google Scholar. You are likely
to find many arGcles in journals 3 and 4 CABS which have covered the relaGonship you
thought of. You need to read the abstracts of several of these arGcles and then select the
ones that are close to your individual insight. Any number from 3 to 5 will be a good start.
Once you have become an expert in these 3 to 5 arGcles you will want to have a go at
making your argument using them as support. At this stage it may be that you need to
include or exclude concepts, you may need to read further or even reflect further. Once
resolved have another go at wriGng your argument. Then you may need to find an example
that illustrates your point which you may be able to find in the press. ANer several iteraGons,
your essay will read beUer and eventually the author will feel it is good enough to submit.
Finally, make sure you follow the format required. Please write 1000 words (+ -10%). Use the
MSWord or RTF format not PDF, A4, font 12, one-inch margin and double space. Write your
3
MS4536/QB4505.
student number in the first page as well as the word count for the whole document, and
don’t forget to number every page. All references should be listed in full at the end in
alphabeGcal order while the author(s) and the year should be inserted in the body of the
text. The list of references in the end is not part of the 1000 words (+ -10%).
Best of luck.
4
Final assessment example and marking criteria
MS4536: Business Strategy
Dear student,
Below you will find one example of an anonymised good final assessment essay followed by
the marking procedure. By carefully reading this essay and relating its content with the
marking criteria used in the common grading scale you will be able to gauge the effort
required.
A 1000-word essay is the best way to assess the development of application, analysis,
evaluation and creation skills because it requires succinctness to demonstrate insight. The
work required for this type of assessment is much more than it would be for a longer essay.
The essay needs to be the best 1000 words the student can produce and it probably requires
writing and re-writing 10 times more words to produce a high-quality 1000-word essay.
The standard advice is to read week by week all articles provided as resources in the reading
list in MyAberdeen to start. Then, read further either using the list of references at the end of
each article or using google scholar and the University library to search for further readings.
The expectation is to read over 50 articles and use about half them to face the essay with the
best chance. Please note that relevant articles can only be found in 3 and 4 journals as per the
list provided by the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
The essay requires you to demonstrate application, analysis, evaluation and creation skills.
The 10 weekly seminars on Friday are the best opportunity to hone these skills. There is no
way to replace these interactive hands-on sessions.
Next, you will find one sample final assessment from previous years. After the sample essay,
you will find a thorough description of the marking procedure based strictly on the descriptors
of the Common Grading Scale. Please pay close attention to the CGS descriptors to figure out
the mark associated with them. We trust this will be helpful as you prepare your essay for the
final assessment. Please note that for fairness no further information will be provided on the
final assessment either as an individual or as a group.
MS536 Business Strategy Final Assessment 2022-23 (MAIN DIET)
Instructions: Please answer this question in 1000 words (+ -10%). Use the MSWord or
RTF format not PDF, A4, font 12, one-inch margin and double space. Write your student
number in the first page as well as the word count for the whole document, and don’t
forget to number every page. All references should be listed in full at the end while the
author(s) and the year should be inserted in the body of the text. The list of references in
the end is not part of the 1000 words (+ -10%).
Best of luck.
Question: Critically relate Innovation and Strategy. In your answer use extant literature and
examples to support and illustrate your argument.
Student ID:
XXXXXX
Word Count: 1099
Introduction
Innovation is a key aspect of a firm’s strategy. Strategy can be defined as a plan, method, or
series of actions designed to achieve a specific goal or effect (Wordsmyth Dictionary 2023).
Innovation is the process of creating and implementing new ideas into a firm (Dodgson,
Gann and Salter 2006). It can involve new technology which we will touch on through the
example of Sony, but it can also involve new business models and sectors of industry which
we will explain using the case of Yellow Tail Wine. Through examining different forms of
innovation such as product innovation, and strategic innovation using a blue ocean strategy,
we can clearly see how innovation within a firm relates to the firm’s overall business and
corporate strategy in achieving a competitive advantage.
Product innovation and a differentiation competitive advantage
Within a firm’s business strategy, the main objective is to obtain a competitive advantage
over rival firms, hence why it is often known as the business’ competitive strategy (Grant
and Jordan 2015). A firm holds a competitive advantage over rival firms when it earns (or
has the potential to earn) a continually higher rate of profit (Grant and Jordan 2015). The
emergence of a competitive advantage can come from either external or internal sources of
change. A competitive advantage may be achieved internally by change such as innovation.
Innovation can take many forms such as the introduction of a new product which rival firms
do not already offer. This is known as product innovation, which plays a vital role in creating
1
0
value for the customer (Biazzo and Filippini 2021). An appropriate example of a company
utilising product innovation would be Sony, who continue to launch new, innovative
products such as miniature personal electronics. This form of innovation creates a
differentiation advantage which is a type of competitive advantage where a firm provides a
product or service which is differentiated in a way that a consumer is willing to pay more,
which exceeds the cost of the differentiation (Grant and Jordan 2015). Sony are able to
exploit their own capabilities in creating miniature electronics to introduce new products and
create a differentiation advantage. Even though rival firms may imitate Sony’s new products,
over time and through innovation of constant product introductions, Sony creates a sustained
competitive advantage (Barney 1995). It seems that companies who create unique products
which set them apart from rival firms can effectively obtain a competitive advantage over
firm competing within the same industry. This is a key factor in achieving a successful
business strategy.
However, some firms may not be successful innovating and exploiting their own capabilities
like Sony to create a competitive advantage. Sometimes their innovations may not be
appealing to consumers, such as the ‘Google Glass’. The Google Glass was an eyewear
technology which sought to provide users a hands-free computer experience. However, the
product failed to take off due to its high cost, functionality concerns and feared consequences
of its use in human interactions and daily life (Klein et al 2020). This demonstrates that when
innovation is not carried out effectively, it can damage the strategy of the firm as Google
were unable to obtain a competitive advantage through the launch of the Google Glass.
2
0
Strategic innovation through a blue ocean strategy
Firms can use strategic innovation to gain a competitive advantage. Strategic innovation can
be defined as a process of creating, capturing and sustaining value from new ideas, products,
services and business models that align with a firm’s strategy (Damanpour, Walker and
Avellaneda 2009). Strategic innovations often include pioneering along one or more
dimensions of strategy such as launching products which create new markets (Grant and
Jordan 2015). This phenomenon is known as blue ocean strategy which creates uncontested
market space for the firm which creates the market by launching a particularly unique product
or service (Kim and Mauborgne 2015). This form of innovation is relevant to a firm’s
business strategy as it provides a competitive advantage through tapping into new customer
segments without any competition or imitators, creating a new demand. It is also relevant to a
firm’s corporate strategy which describes the scope of the firm in terms of the industries and
markets in which it competes (Grant and Jordan 2015). A successful example of a blue ocean
strategy being utilised would be Yellow Tail Wine who noticed that the wine industry was
filled by luxury wine brands who traditionally marketed towards a smaller elite group of
people who could afford and understand such complex wines. Yellow Tail then decided to
create a wine which was approachable to all consumer types by making their wine affordable
and the taste more consistent, making it easier for consumers who are less serious about the
complexity of the wine. By employing this blue ocean strategy, Yellow Tail Wine were able to
open up a new market and obtain the majority of the market share, providing a valuable
competitive advantage (Kim and Mauborgne 2005). By creating this new market for different
types of consumers, the blue ocean strategy directly affects the corporate strategy of a firm
since it concerns the market in which it competes, shifting the corporate strategy. However,
strategic innovation such as implementing a blue ocean
3
0
strategy needs to be executed correctly and requires extensive market research. Often firms
can push the boat out too far and enter markets which are out of reach from their own
competencies, suggesting a risk of failure (Forbes 2019).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear to see that innovation is closely related to the strategy of a firm. We
can see that successful innovation affects the business strategy by helping to achieve a
competitive advantage for the firm, and it affects the corporate strategy as it may affect where
the firm competes and in what market. When utilised correctly, all form of innovation can
have a positive effect on the firm’s strategy, clearly seen through the example of Sony
consistently introducing new miniature electronics which consumers are happy to pay a price
premium for. This allows Sony to obtain a sustained competitive advantage which is a key
goal of a firm’s business strategy. We can also see through the example of Yellow Tail Wine
using strategic innovation through a blue ocean strategy to tap in to a new, untouched market
of consumers benefits their corporate strategy and how it creates a competitive advantage.
However, extensive research must be done before innovation as it can have a direct effect on
the overall strategy of the firm, as seen through the example of the Google Glass which failed
to gain popularity.
4
0
List of References
Barney, J.B. (1995) ‘Looking inside for Competitive Advantage’, The Academy
of Management Executive, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 49-61.
Biazzo, S. and Filippini, R. (2021) Product Innovation Management. 1st edn.
Switzerland: Springer Cham.
Damanpour, F., Walker, R.M. and Avellaneda, C.N. (2009) ‘Combinative Effects of
Innovation Types and Organizational Performance: A Longitudinal Study of Service
Organizations’, Journal of management studies, vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 650-675.
Dodgson, M., Gann, D. and Salter, A. (2006) ‘The role of technology in the shift towards open
innovation: the case of Proctor & Gamble’, R&D management, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 333-346.
Forbes (2019) Looking for a Blue Ocean Strategy? Consider These Three Risks. Available
at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeroenkraaijenbrink/2019/09/03/looking-for-a-blue-oceanstrategy-consider-these-three-risks/?sh=2b8fe76923ed (Accessed 20th April 2023).
Grant, R.M. and Jordan, J. (2015) Foundations of Strategy. 2nd edn. Chichester: Wiley.
Kim, C.W. and Mauborgne, R. (2015) Blue ocean strategy how to create uncontested market
space and make the competition irrelevant. Expanded edn. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business
Review Press.
Klein, A., Sorensen, C., Freitas, A.S.D., Pedron, C.D. and Elaluf-Calderwood, S. (2020)
‘Understanding controversies in digital platform innovation processes: The Google Glass
case’, Technological forecasting & social change, vol. 152, pp. 119883.
Kim, C.W. and Mauborgne, R. (2005) ‘Creating a Blue Ocean of Profit’ Chief Executive,
no. 206, pp. 54-56.
Wordsmyth Dictionary (2023) Strategy. Available at: https://www.wordsmyth.net/?
level=3&ent=strategy (Accessed 19th April 2023).
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MARKING:
The first paragraph is a good enough attempt to “recognise core issues and to
construct a coherent answer which keeps these in view”. The paragraph defines
both strategy and innovation and links them, it uses references for definitions and
it gives an overview of what the essay is going to develop. Overall, the first
paragraph shows a “Basic/clear level of understanding of the relevant concepts”.
Room for improvement:
The essay opens with the statement “Innovation is a key aspect of a firm’s
strategy”, which is not a self-evident truth. It would require a reference to support
this statement. This would have shown “Evidence of reading and wide appreciation
of subject” and “Ability to distinguish and deploy relevant material”. Alternatively,
this could have been the thesis that the author would develop into an argument in
the essay showing “Outstanding ability and critical thought” and “Excellent grasp of
appropriate critical concepts”. Unfortunately, the statement is not developed
further and there is no acknowledgement of the argument the author wishes to
develop.
The definition used for strategy is taken from a dictionary, which is not ideal as
there is a whole pre-recorded lecture that offers a discussion of the definition of
strategy as well as resources in the reading list such as Mintzberg, 1985, Zajac et al
2000 and Rumelt, 1991. A quick look at Google Scholar would h
