Reference no: EM13135742

The BMO1002 Assessment 3 task requires you to write a 3,000 word formal business report. The purpose of this report is to present the findings from your Field Study and Manager Interview. To assist you with the format and content expected for Assessment 3 the following Report Template has been provided as a guide. To use the template complete each section of the report by following the instructions in blue. When you have completed the report you can then delete these instructions. Please DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR REPORT WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS. 

(Executive Summary) 
In a formal business report an Executive Summary is placed prior to the Table of Contents and the page is numbered using Roman numerals. It is read separately to the report and should therefore stand alone as an overall summary of the main activities and findings of your report. For the Assessment 3 Report you should write 2-3 paragraphs, approximately 250-350 words. As it is a summary of your report, the word count for this assessment task does NOT include the Executive Summary. 

An Executive Summary for the Assessment 3 task would include an outline of: 
• the purpose and scope of your Field Study 
• how you gathered and analysed the data (your interview) 
• the most important findings and issues you discussed 
• your conclusions 
Remember - the Executive Summary is written after you have completed your report. 

Executive Summary 

The Table of Contents below is a guide only, you may wish to make changes by adding further headings or subheadings. It is important to remember that each heading should be specific and clearly describe the content of a section. Remember that in a formal report Roman numerals are used for numbering pages prior to the Introduction. The Introduction and following sections are numbered using Arabic numerals. 
Table of Contents 
Insert a page number for each section below 
Executive Summary 
1. Introduction 
2. Planning 
2.1 Theory 
2.2 Findings 
2.3 Analysis 
3. Organising 
3.1 Theory 
3.2 Findings 
3.3 Analysis 
4. Leading 
4.1 Theory 
4.2 Findings 
4.3 Analysis 
5. Controlling 
5.1 Theory 
5.2 Findings 
5.3 Analysis 
6. Conclusion 
Reference List 
Appendices 
Appendix 1. Interview Questions and Responses 
Appendix 2. Manager Contact details 
Appendix 3. Reflection on Group Skills 
Appendix 4. Team Members' Contribution to the Group Report 

1. Introduction 
A clear introduction is important in a report. It should provide your reader with an understanding of the context, background, and purpose of the report. Although it is presented first it is often written after you have written the body of the report. 

In the introduction for this report you will need to clearly state the following: 
• the purpose of the report - Why are you writing this report? What is the problem/issue you are addressing? What theories are relevant to the topic?(see the assignment description) 
• a description of the organisation, the industry it is part of, and where it is located 
• details of the interview - who you interviewed, their position and role, why you chose them, how they were contacted, and when the interview took place 
• an outline of the report structure so your reader knows what to expect 

Your introduction should consist of a paragraph on each of the points above and be approximately half a page in length. 

The main body of your report will contain a description and analysis of your findings and relate this to relevant theories. It will be accompanied by an appendix. An appendix contains information that supports your description and analysis but is not essential to the explanation. Therefore the raw data, your interview transcript, will be placed in Appendix 1. You should refer your reader to this appendix in your discussion, for example, ". . . see Appendix 1 for the interview questions and responses". 

The body is the longest part of your report and should be logically structured in clearly defined sections. These sections should correspond to the subject of your report - the classical management functions of planning, leading, organising and controlling. The headings listed below are a guide, you may wish to make changes by using other headings and subheadings to reflect your approach to this assessment task. 
Note: Some students make the mistake of using 'body of the report' as a heading, instead remember to use headings which specifically describe the information in each section. 

2. Planning 
2.1 Theory 
Before you can describe the relationship of your findings to the theory, you need to give your reader an overview of the theory. In this section provide an overview of planning with appropriate references to support your description. 

2.2 Findings 
A summary of your observations from the interview data 

2.3 Analysis 
This part of the report requires you to compare the information and observations you have collected about the manager with the theory of the classical management function of planning that you have outlined in section 2.1. 
By comparing actual management in practice with the theoretical "ideal best practice" described in the textbook and other sources you will be able to see how closely successful managers follow good theory. 
Your comparison should enable you to make informed comments about the role of the manager you interviewed and to explain how this relates to the theory. You may also mention in what ways the organisation draws on theory for its practice. 

3. Organising 
3.1 Theory 
Before you can describe the relationship of your findings to the theory, you need to give your reader an overview of the theory. In this section provide an overview of organising with appropriate references to support your description. 

3.2 Findings 
A summary of your observations from the interview data 

3.3 Analysis 
This part of the report requires you to compare the information and observations you have collected about the manager with the classical management function of organising. 
By comparing actual management in practice with the theoretical "ideal best practice" described in the textbook and other sources you will be able to see how closely successful managers follow good theory. 
Your comparison should enable you to make informed comments about the role of the manager you interviewed and to explain how this relates to the theory. You may also mention in what ways the organisation draws on theory for its practice. 

4. Leading 
4.1 Theory 
Before you can describe the relationship of your findings to the theory, you need to give your reader an overview of the theory. In this section provide an overview of leading with appropriate references to support your description. 

4.2 Findings 
A summary of your observations from the interview data 

4.3 Analysis 
This part of the report requires you to compare the information and observations you have collected about the manager with the classical management function of leading. 
By comparing actual management in practice with the theoretical "ideal best practice" described in the textbook and other sources you will be able to see how closely successful managers follow good theory. 
Your comparison should enable you to make informed comments about the role of the manager you interviewed and to explain how this relates to the theory. You may also mention in what ways the organisation draws on theory for its practice. 

5. Controlling 
5.1 Theory 
Before you can describe the relationship of your findings to the theory, you need to give your reader an overview of the theory. In this section provide an overview of controlling with appropriate references to support your description. 

5.2 Findings 
A summary of your observations from the interview data 

5.3 Analysis 
This part of the report requires you to compare the information and observations you have collected about the manager with the classical management function of controlling. 
By comparing actual management in practice with the theoretical "ideal best practice" described in the textbook and other sources you will be able to see how closely successful managers follow good theory. 
Your comparison should enable you to make informed comments about the role of the manager you interviewed and to explain how this relates to the theory. You may also mention in what ways the organisation draws on theory for its practice. 

6. Conclusion 
The conclusion of your report should: 
• restate the purpose of your report 
• sum up the key points you have made in the findings and analysis sections ,and 
• present a concluding statement. 
It can be helpful to answer the questions "What do the findings and their analysis mean?" and "What is the impact of this?" (ie. the implications of your analysis). The conclusion should not introduce any new material such as new evidence or arguments, it should be drawn from the information presented in the report. 

Reference List 
• Provide a Reference List that includes a minimum of three sources as well as your textbook, ie. you must have a minimum of four sources in your Reference List 
• The Reference List must MATCH the in-text reference citations in your report. Check that all the sources referred to in your report are listed in the Reference List, and that all the sources in the Reference List have been referred to in your report. 
• You must use the Harvard referencing style and list the sources in alphabetical order by author. See the Harvard Guide on the VU Library website for further guidance, https://guides.library.vu.edu.au/harvard 

Appendix 1 Interview Questions and Responses 
Remember:- each appendix should commence on a new page 

For Appendix 1: 
• Label your interview transcription, ie. your raw data, Appendix 1. Interview Questions and Responses 
• Make sure the Appendix 1 is referred to within your report, for example in the introduction under the outline of the report structure, and in the findings and analysis sections of your report when you are discussing the interview data 

Instructions for transcribing the interview:- For this assessment task you will not need to transcribe every word of the interview. You can paraphrase the responses and include specific phrases or statements made by the interviewee rather than transcribing each word. To do this you will need to extract the important points from the interview. Some students find it helpful to record the interview. You can then focus on conducting the interview whilst you are with the manager. Afterwards you can listen to the recording to confirm your understanding and to verify details. 

You could present the interview data in the following format: 

Question 1. How do you plan your work day? 
Manager Response: 
I usually check my diary the previous day to plan the next day's work tasks. I find this assist me to . . . 

Appendix 2 Manager Contact Details 
Remember:- each appendix should commence on a new page 

For Appendix 2: 
• Verify your interview process by providing the contact details of the manager you interviewed, with their business email address or web page address showing, if possible, both the organisation and their position or job title (e.g. company web page). 
• Make sure Appendix 2 is referred to somewhere within your report, for example in the introduction under the outline of the report structure. 

Appendix 3 Reflection on Group Skills 
Remember:- each appendix should commence on a new page 

For Appendix 3: 
• Label your analysis of the skills required by your group as 'Appendix 3' 
• Make sure Appendix 3 is referred to within your report, for example in the introduction under the outline of the report structure. 

The guidelines below are adapted from the BMO1102 description for Assessment 3 and will assist you to complete this section of the report. 

Your final task is to reflect upon and discuss the skills required by your group to complete this assessment task. 
Draw upon your group process journals to help you reflect upon how your group worked together and your current skill levels. You will find it helpful to refer to the description of Student Graduate Capabilities in the Unit of Study Guide for a list of skills that your group may have developed by doing this assignment, and to use the model of group development outlined in Chapter 10 of the textbook (i.e. Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing). 

When writing this section consider:- 
• What skills did you need to plan and prepare for this task? 
• What skills did you need to complete this task? 
• Outline the strengths and weaknesses of your assignment group in relation to the skills identified above. 
• How the skills of your group developed during the stages of completing the assessment task? 
• What could you do to improve the outcome in the future? 
• Why would you do things differently? 
• What are the possible problems with your suggestion/s, and how would you overcome them?. 

Appendix 4 
TEAM MEMBERS' CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROUP REPORT ASSIGNMENT 

Please provide a brief description of the work you contributed to the group assignment. This description of your contribution should be agreed to and signed by your fellow team members. 

Each member must: 
1. Complete 1 form individually 
2. Have it signed by the remaining group members, and 
3. Attach all individual statements to the group assignment (e.g. If there are 3 members in the group, there should be 3 copies of this form appended to your assignment). 

Brief description of YOUR contribution to the group assignment (in point form). 

YOUR name....................................................... 
Student No.:........................... YOUR signature....................................... 

Fellow group members' verification (fellow group members to write your names and sign alongside, if other MEMBERS AGREE with the contributions indicated in the above statement. If other MEMBERS DISAGREE with the contributions indicated in the statement, please consult your TUTOR). 

Names of other team members Student No. Signature 

1........................................................................................................... 
2.......................................................................................................... 

Remember to submit a Turnitin report with your assignment 

INTERVIEW: 
Introduction: 
• What is your managerial role title? 
o Manager city libraries, City Flinders, City Queen and King St 

• How long have you been in this role for? 
o Since 2006 started managing CF, last few years taken responsibility of all three libraries. 

PLANNING 
Goals, Plans and Strategies: 
• In this job, how far into the future do you plan? 
o All plans must be within University policy. Other colleagues work on campus plan, library plan, each own staff operational plan, and a yearly plan for each library. Own individual work plans. 

• What is the importance planning in order to achieve your goals? Why? 
o Guidelines, roadmaps, highlight things that need improving, plans often go astray, important to have campus wide plans that hinge off the library plan. Big picture plan. Need to have plans. Important for service delivery across all campuses. 

Decision Making: 
• What strategies do you use to help you make decisions, on a long term basis? 
o Strategies- meeting as a group, 3 leaders of the libraries. On a weekly and daily basis manage at a local level, making decisions about what needs to be done, uses timelines, depends on each performance plan, making sure things happen at the right times during the year, delegate smaller tasks, people should take responsibility in their own work places, e.g. see something get it fixed. From overall planning perspective allocate tasks, delegate and personal responsibility. 

• What makes these strategies effective? 
o Same as above. Dialogue is important, must meet expectations. Effect because staff are given responsibility. 

ORGANISING: 
Design and structure: 
• In your opinion, what type of structure does this organisation have? 
o See diagram executive, Higher Education worker 8, associate librarians. 

Groups and teams: 
• How do you make use of groups and teams in this organisation? 
o Regular meetings are very important, people feel free to respond to things, people take responsibility, helps group dynamics, sometimes consensus rules, sometimes an executive decision needs to be made, gives people responsibility, sometimes Peter needs to make the final decision. Sometime Peter is under direction hierarchy of uni. 

• When are groups and teams more effective? 
o Getting ideas to improve processes and tasks. 

LEADING: 
Motivation: 
• Motivating employees at work is critical to organisational success. How do you 
o VU use performance plans, no reward if you do a good job except for self motivation. Internally motivation is used. External awards are given at end of year. Feedback is important. Giving people responsibility helps internal motivation. Promotions- mostly internal vacancies, further education and training will lead to promotions. People want recognition, cant always reward but its important to recognize. 

Leadership: 
• How do you use your leadership skills to influence your employees? 
o Do as I do, pitch in a do things. Went down to basement to help with a mundane task, set a good example people will follow. If people aren't meeting requirements there is a performance process, if those requirements aren't meet then they are moved or fired. Don't like to micro manage, big on own responsibility. 

CONTROLLING 
Controlling the Organisation: 
• How do you ensure that individual employee performance is meeting the standards required? 
o Formal processes, performance review. Have one on one meetings, take out for coffee, any elephants in the room, relaxed confidential environment, not in formal meeting, much more relaxed easy for staff to tell the full truth. Because Peter has five staff it is easier to do may be harder at Footscray. 

Change: 
• When dealing with change, how do you promote change to your employees? 
o Big changes have occurred, lost positions, union involvement, HR. remaining staff: how did you promote change, promoted from the top, Head Uni Librarian visited all sites, if it effects Peter how, what, why... but hasn't had much of an effect at CF or QS. Manage staff between CF and QS, need to make sure libraries are staffed, little bit of autonomy but always goes back to management. Encourage feedback, change is continuous, must attract students. Many changes but fundamental things are the same. Core business of the uni. 

• What strategies do you use to assist change? 
o As above 

Conflict: 
• As a manager, how do you deal with employee conflict? 
o Conflict- there is a formal process, performance review 3-6 months, evaluate, staff conflicting. 
o Informal - talk it through give everyone a forum, group decides or Peter decides. Affinity exercise- put things on post it notes, pin it up, then come to a group consensus. Don't let it fester, sort it out immediately, sometimes conflict can be resolved, everyone needs to know where they stand. 
o Very difficult as a manager, need to use formal processes when other things fail. 
o Informal 
o Formal process 
o Generic rules in all campuses 
o Conflict comes from trying different things, we can try it trial. 
o Personal conflicts- not many personal conflicts, normally related to work, 
o Asks UNI Librarian when not sure. 
o Engender an environment that is inclusive. 

• How effective are these methods? 
o Very effective: not had major conflict. If people don't fit into group dynamic then we will try if not, then they may be moved on, (only once occurred in 8 years). 

FINAL QUESTION: 
• What other issues do you face in your management role and how do you deal with them? 
o Being consistent in delivering services, work within VU library and VU policies, ensuring safe and happy work place, making sure tasks are completed (operation level), need to ensure process are good, and give staff opportunity to give feedback. Likes testing ideas.