Business School

Course Study Guide

2010–11

Managing across Cultures

INDU 1033
Contents

1. WELCOME ........................................................................................................................................ 3
2. INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE................................................................................................. 4
2.1 AIMS ........................................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES ................................................................................................................. 5

2.2.1 Knowledge and understanding of: ........................................................................................ 5

2.2.2 Intellectual Skills: .................................................................................................................. 5

2.2.3 Subject practical skills: .......................................................................................................... 6

2.2.4 Transferable skills: ................................................................................................................ 6

2.3 LEARNING AND TEACHING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................ 6

3. CONTACT DETAILS ......................................................................................................................... 7

4. COURSE CONTENT ......................................................................................................................... 7
4.1 SESSION READING....................................................................................................................... 9

5. ASSESSMENT DETAILS .................................................................................................................. 9

5.1 SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 11

5.2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 11

6. OTHER DETAILS ............................................................................................................................ 14

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1. Welcome

Welcome to Managing across Cultures (INDU 1033). This course guide outlines the key details for this
course but please also refer to the course Web CT site for further information and course materials.

This course brings together knowledge and different interpretations which enable a critical analysis of
the issues and contexts relating to management and doing business across cultures. We will explore
aspects of national cultures and of cultural diversity, and we will critically evaluate relevant academic
research in the area of cross-cultural management to underpin the practical and applied work.

Although there is a need to acquire and adopt practical knowledge on various – national – cultures, the
course is delivered at a postgraduate level, which implies that students are supposed to deliver work
at a high academic level. Substantial reading of journals and other academic sources is a key
requirement for passing this course successfully. Evidence from the past, however, has also shown that
students may perform well, and at the same time enjoy the course, because of its high relevance for
current business and generally internationally operating organisations, like supranational bodies of
governance and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Furthermore, for many of our students the
course has a particular relevance because they have already a practical experience of living, studying
and, quite frequently, also working in another culture and they are continuously confronted with other
cultures.

The course is delivered to various postgraduate programmes, like the MA and MBA International
Business and MA International HRM. The course is part of these programmes as managing across
cultures is extremely relevant for both international business and the International HR-policy of
companies. The course looks at both general aspects of international business and HRM. HRM aspects
will be dealt with as HRM, and also International HRM, becomes ever more a strategic asset of
organisations and both general managers and HRM-experts have a role to play with the development
and implementation of policies with regard to cross-cultural management. Managing across cultures is
by its very nature linked with HRM and working with people in organisations.

This document outlines the course’s main features and provides you with the key information you
need during the course. However, if you need any information about the course please do not hesitate
to contact me. I am very excited by this subject, as it enhances our understanding of the globalised
world we currently live in, and look forward to lecturing on this course. On behalf of the team of
lecturers and tutors I wish you an enjoyable and interesting time.

Dr. Ulke Veersma

E-mail: vu01@gre.ac.uk

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2. Introduction to the Course

‘Managing Across Cultures’ examines the differences between cultures, their relation with business
and working in organisations and the way people from various cultures communicate and interact. The
topic is most relevant for the management of culturally diverse organisations. Managing across
cultures is a major theme for business as the workforce of organisations becomes more varied in terms
of culture, language and religion. Another major issue for modern organisations is internal and
external communication. The meaning of information is different in the context of diverse cultural
settings and problems may occur since the meaning of what is communicated is different for different
people with various backgrounds. Also, the underlying values of various cultures may be different,
which may lead to misunderstanding and may, hence, cause conflicts between various actors. In sum,
organisations underperform and may suffer from conflicts when the variety of cultures is neglected.
Therefore, various aspects of culture and their impact on working in organisations will be explored
during the course.

The success of managers is usually dependent on their sensitivity and open-mindedness to accept and
value aspects of other cultures which may be unfamiliar to them. Instead of looking at it as a threat
cultural diversity may be looked at as an asset. What is even more crucial for our understanding is the
fact that cultural diversity, and the living and working in another culture, exposes us to new insights
and ideas from divergent perspectives.

You are encouraged to reflect on your attitudes and behaviour towards other cultures both
individually and by participating in analytical discussion where feedback on tasks and skills is given and
received.

I encourage you to take responsibility for your learning and to mix with other students from the very
start of the course. I expect you to attend all timetabled teaching periods, to read and prepare
carefully and to take special note of assessment deadlines. A very important part of any Master’s
programme, especially for this course, is the interaction and discussion between students and staff
and the sharing of life experience. Please ensure that you fully involve yourself in discussion even if
this has not been your experience in study up to this point and even if you believe that other students
know more than you. Not involving yourself in discussion will waste a valuable opportunity for your
learning and personal development and deprives others in the class from a full learning experience.

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2.1 Aims
The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of managing employees across national
cultures. Drawing from advanced research on the impact of national and sub-cultures on
organisations, it explores the effects of cultural diversity on major organisational processes of
communication, decision making and the division of labour. The management of international
businesses is a central focus and there is a strong emphasis on differences between Anglo-American,
European, African and Asian cultures.

The course provides important professional expertise for contemporary human resource and
international business management. We explore the principle theories of cultural difference and
academic research on the effects of cultural diversity on communication, negotiation, motivation,
leadership and ethics in organisations. Through critical analysis and practical application, we extend
our awareness of the cultural differences that may impact businesses while reinforcing skills and
behaviours that can help managers adjust to, and accommodate, such differences.

2.2 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

 Understand, analyse, and evaluate the complexity of international management, and the need
to vary management practices in different cross cultural situations.
 Increase awareness of own cultural beliefs, assumptions, and practices;
 Critique cultural biases within existing management theories and practices
 Formulate responses to cultural influences on key management processes, such as
international staffing policies, the management of expatriates, team building, and training and
development
 Develop personally effective methods for dealing with new and challenging issues confidently;
 Empathise with people from different backgrounds;
 Identify the influence of cultural diversity on management problems within organisations.

2.2.1 Knowledge and understanding of:

As mentioned before, the course focuses on the impact of national and sub-cultures on organisations
and organisational processes like communication, teamwork, leadership and motivation. Students will
therefore gain knowledge and develop an understanding of different (national) cultures. Also, the
various aspects of diversity and aspects of organisations will be dealt with where members from
different cultural backgrounds work together. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of
requirements for working in this type of organisation.

2.2.2 Intellectual Skills:

This course requires critical reading and writing aiming to develop academic skills with regard to the
research and analysis of theories and research national cultures and related issues of doing business in
and between different cultures. These intellectual skills will be developed by raising the critical
awareness and understanding of cultural diversity and organisations. Students are required to

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question existing knowledge and analyse information in a systematical, structured way in order to
increase their own and others level of knowledge and understanding.

2.2.3 Subject practical skills:

Practical skills that are developed are with regard to presenting, debating, group discussion and
academic writing. Students have to present their findings and have to work in groups. In the tutorials
students will be put in groups that are as much as possible composed of various national cultural
backgrounds.

2.2.4 Transferable skills:

Students will develop transferable skills with regard to communication and teamwork. Also, they may
develop skills of leadership and develop a cultural awareness. Students will develop an awareness of
working in and with another culture but also the requirements for working in a different national
culture as an expatriate. This will increase skills to work in other cultural settings.

2.3 Learning and teaching activities

The course is structured around a programme of regular content, self study and case analysis. The
course will follow a standard format of a one hour lecture followed by a seminar session. The schedule
below gives an indication of the subjects covered in each session. The course will attempt to take into
account topical events and the current news agenda so new subjects may be introduced as the course
is delivered or the subjects below given a different context. In particular, the course is designed to be
receptive to what is happening in the world – especially in business - and the interests and needs of
the students.

At the same time, students will be expected to read widely and not just from the listed texts. Students
are expected to engage and participate fully in debates and discussion and come fully prepared to
seminars ready to play an active part.

Each seminar will focus on the theme of the previous lecture so that students have time to prepare.
Students are therefore expected to read as widely as they can from the key text(s) and journal articles.
They are also expected to bring cases to class.

Active participation in the programme and willingness to undertake reading and research between
classes is essential. Students should aim to develop a portfolio of useful background information
including articles from newspapers, magazines and journals and useful websites, as well as real-life
situations so that these can be shared with others in the tutorial.

At the start of the programme, students will be asked to form groups of up to five members. This
group will become the core focus of active learning and participation. Each team will be responsible for
presenting a case of a company operating across borders where cross-cultural issues are involved. One
of the core notions behind Managing across Cultures is that national cultures impact on various
aspects of companies, how they are structured and how they are managed and how people interact
and communicate. Explore issues that could be caused by different, possibly conflicting norms and
values and approaches to management and organisation. The suggested length of the presentation is
15 minutes.

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3. Contact Details

Room Email address Phone number

Course Leader:

Dr. Ulke Veersma QA 159 Vu01@gre.ac.uk 0208 331 9132

Tutors:
Dr. Ulke Veersma

Dr. Antoinette St. Hilaire QA 349 Sa50@gre.ac.uk 0208 331 8415

Angela Bowles QA 145 Ba39@gre.ac.uk 0208 331 7965

Farzam Bobani Bf27@gre.ac.uk 0208 331 7958

Admin Programme Coordinator:

Bettina Hirmer QM245 Hb34@gre.ac.uk 0208 331 9038

Please see your programme handbook for more detail

4. Course Content

Week Session Title and Description Reading or preparation

beginning (next table for details)
20-Sep

Joining / Welcome back

27-Sep Lecture Course Introduction

Seminar Initial meetings, group allocation and icebreaker

04-Oct Lecture Theories of cultures and the meaning of culture Schneider and Barsoux: Ch. 1 & 2.
Thomas: Ch. 3

Seminar Exercise with various cultures

11-Oct Lecture National cultures and cross-cultural interaction Schneider and Barsoux: Ch. 3 & 4.

Thomas: Ch. 4 (pp. 71-86)

Seminar Identifying a case with cross-cultural issues involved (You

have to come to class with a case linked to the assignment)

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18-Oct Lecture Cross-cultural decision making Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 3 (p. 58-
61) & Ch. 10. Thomas: Ch. 5

Seminar National cultures and assumptions on organisations – Preparation by searching website

discussion Geert Hofstede: www.geert-
hofstede.com

25-Oct Lecture Research – This week you should make preliminary Progress on coursework
enquiries about your case for assignment 1

Seminar The lecturer will be available for consultation.

01-Nov Lecture The structure of organisations and multinationals Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 4

Thomas: Ch. 9

Seminar Exercise: Who to hire? given out in the tutorial

09-Nov Lecture Cross-cultural issues of motivation, management Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 6
and leadership Thomas: Ch. 4 (pp. 87-89) and Ch.
7 and Ch. 6 (pp. 117-136)

Seminar Case study ‘multinationals – home country and host Material in class
countries’

15-Nov Lecture Communication, strategy and cross-cultural Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 2 (p. 43-
48) & 5
negotiations
Thomas: Ch. 6

Seminar Activity: Developing cross-cultural effectiveness Material in class

22-Nov Lecture International teams and developing cross-cultural Schneider & Barsoux: C h. 8;
relationships Thomas: Ch. 8

Seminar Simulation: intercultural conflict resolution Material in class

29-Nov Lecture The international manager and international Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 7
assignments Thomas: Ch. 10 & 11

Seminar Exercise: the diverse organisation Data collected by students *

06-Dec Lecture Towards the ‘global’ organisation Schneider & Barsoux: Ch. 9

Thomas: Ch. 11

Seminar Case ‘expatriates’ To be distributed in Tutorial

13-Dec Lecture Managing across cultures –Revisited

Seminar Review of the course and feedback

* students will collect data on diversity policies of companies. The outcomes to be discussed in class

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4.1 Session Reading

Reference Key aspects to consider

Schneider, Susan C, and Jean-Louis Barsoux (2003), Issues of cross-cultural management
Managing across Cultures. 2nd Ed. FT Prentice Hall,
London

Thomas, David C. (2008), Cross-Cultural Management: Theories of culture and management

Essential Concepts. Sage, London.

More relevant reading:

 Albrecht, Maryann H. (2000), International HRM: Managing Diversity in the Workplace.
London: Blackwell.
 Adler, Nancy J. (2007), International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour, 5th ed. London:
Cengage Learning.
 Beamer, Iris & Varner, Linda (2004), Inter-cultural Communication in the Global Workplace, 3rd
ed. London: McGraw Hill.
 Browaeys, Marie-Joëlle & Price, Roger, Understanding Cross-Cultural Management. London: FT
Prentice Hall.
 Deresky, Helen (2008), International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures, 6th
ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
 Dowling, Peter J. (2008), International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a
Multinational, 5th ed. London: Cengage Learning.
 Earley, P. Christopher & Singh Harbir (eds.) (2000), Innovations in International and Cross-
cultural Management, London: Sage.
 Elashmawi, Farid (2001), Competing Globally: Mastering Multicultural Management and
Negotiations. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
 Francesco, Anne Marie & Gold, Barry A. (2005), International Organizational Behavior: Text,
Readings, Cases and Skills, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
 French, Ray (2010), Cross-Cultural Management. London: CIPD. 2nd Edition.
 Gannon, Martin J. & Newman, Karen L. (2001), The Blackwell Handbook of Cross-Cultural
Management, London: Blackwell.
 Gooderham, Paul & Nordhaug, Odd (2003), International Management: Cross- Boundary
Challenges. London: Blackwell.
 Granrose, Cherlyn S. & Oskamp, Stuart (1997), Cross-cultural Work Groups, London: Sage.
 Guirdham, Maureen (2005), Communicating Across Cultures at Work, 2nd ed. London, Palgrave
Macmillan.
 Hall, Edward T., & Hall, Mildred R. (1990), Understanding Cultural Differences: Germans,
French and Americans. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
 Harris, Philip R., Moran, Robert T., & Moran, Sarah V. (2004), Managing Cultural Differences:
Global Leadership Strategies for the 21st Century, 6th ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
 Hofstede, Geert (2003), Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutionsand
Organisations Across Nations, 2nd ed. London: Sage.
 Hofstede, Geert (2004), Cultures and Organizations: Software for the Mind, 2nd ed. London:
Palgrave McGraw Hill.
 Inglehart, Ronald (1997), Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and
Political Change in 43 Societies, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

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  Jackson, Terrence (2002), International HRM: A Cross-Cultural Approach, London: Sage.
 Jandt, Fred E. (2010), An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global
Community, 6th ed. London: Sage.
 Lane, Henry W., Di Stefano, Joseph J., & Maxnevski, Martha L. (2000), International
Management Behaviour: Text, Readings and Cases, 4th ed., London, Blackwell.
 Lane, Henry W., Maznevski, Martha L, Mendenhall, Mark E., & McNett, Jeanne (2006), The
Blackwell Handbook of Global Management, 2nd ed. London: Blackwell.
 Luthans, Fred & Doh, Jonathan P. (2009) International Management, 7th ed.
 Mead, Richard (2005), International Management: Cross-Cultural Dimensions, 3rd ed. Oxford:
Blackwell. London: Palgrave McGraw Hill.
 Mole, John (2003), Mind your manners. Managing business cultures in Europe, 3rd ed.
London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
 Peng, Mike W. (2009), Global Business. London: Cengage Learning.
 Ricks, David (2006), Blunders in International Business, 4th ed., London: Blackwell.
 Samovar, Larry A., & Porter, Richard E. (1999), Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 9th ed.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
 Scollon, Ron & Scollon, Suzanne Wong (2000), Intercultural Communication: A Discourse
Approach. London: Blackwell. 2nd ed.
 Smith, Peter B.., Bond, Michael H., & Kâgitçibasi, Çigdem (2006), Understanding Social
Psychology Across Cultures: Living and Working in a Changing World. London: Sage.
 Tayeb, Monir H. (1996), The Management of a Multicultural Workforce. Chichester: Wiley.
 Terpstra, Vern, & David, Kenneth (1985), The cultural environment of international business.
Cincinnati, OH: South-Western.
 Trompenaars, Fons & Hampden-Turner, Charles (2000), Riding the Waves of Culture:
Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. London: Nicholas Brealey. 2nd ed.
 Ward, Colleen, Bochner, Stephen, & Furnham, Adrian (2001), The Psychology of Culture Shock.
London: Routledge.

Journals - Leading current thinking on cross-cultural management can be found in recent issues of:

 Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources

 British Journal of Management
 Communication Research
 Cross-Cultural Management
 European Journal of Management
 Global Business Review
 Harvard Business Review
 International Business Review
 International Journal of Human Resource Management
 International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management
 International Journal of Intercultural Relations
 International Journal of Public Sector Management
 International Small Business Journal
 Journal of Business Ethics
 Journal of International Business Studies
 Journal of International Management

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5. Assessment Details

To pass this course you must successfully engage in the assessment. There will be guidance and
assistance given by the course team but also remember that the University have a dedicated study
skills team who deliver support sessions each term. A timetable of these events is posted in October
and can normally be viewed at http://www.gre.ac.uk/studyskills/study_skills_timetable. Students
can also contact the Study Skills team on study-skills@gre.ac.uk or 020 8331 9894.

5.1 Summary of assessment

Assessment Title Weight Pass Length Due Date Return Header

towards Mark Date Sheet #
final grade
th
Written Report 30% 3000 words 6 December 17.01.11 172496

50% 2010. 3 PM
th
Individual Project 70% 3000 words 17 January 07.02.11 172498
2011. 3 PM

5.2 Detailed description of assessment

Team Presentation and Written Report (3000 words) – 30%

Small student teams will be formed during the first tutorial. Each team will be responsible for
presenting a case of a company operating across borders where cross-cultural issues are involved. One
of the core notions behind Managing across Cultures is that national cultures impact on various
aspects of companies, how they are structured and how they are managed and how people interact
and communicate. Explore issues that could be caused by different, possibly conflicting norms and
values and approaches to management and organisation. The suggested length of the presentation is
15 minutes.

The purpose of the presentation is to convey the key message of your presentation and you should not
read large amounts of text to the audience. You should research the case by using various sources. If
you have any questions or doubts then please contact your course tutor.

After every presentation, the group will receive informal feedback, both on the contents of the case
and the presentation itself. The discussion in class should help to identify the main problems and
critically discuss possible recommendations to the management and other actors. After the
presentation and the feedback received a report will be written and submitted as group work.

The focus of the written assignment is not only on operating across borders, but, first of all, on the
related concepts from this course: what theories are relevant to explain issues of the management of

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various cultures, theories of culture and management and organisation can be applied to the case and
how to increase cross-cultural awareness? Next, questions should be dealt with like: how can
problems of intercultural interaction and working be resolved more effectively? What important
lessons and insights can learnt by the management and other participants?

The written report prepared by your team needs to:

 briefly describe the case and the various cultures involved;

 identify potential problems or actual problems related to the various cultures and interaction
between cultures involved;
 analyse the national cultures at stake and use theory to investigate various cultures;
 write a short reflection on how you worked as a team – also addressing differences in
preferences of team members which may be linked to various national cultural backgrounds.

The report should demonstrate wide research on cultural issues and differences between national
cultures. Most important to demonstrate academic writing skills, including appropriate referencing,
and the report should contain a correct list of references with relevant book chapters and, more
importantly, articles from academic journals.

Individual Project (3000 words) – 70%

The main piece of coursework is individual and will focus on the evaluation of a company where
various cultures are involved. Assume the role of an international director preparing managers for
expatriate assignments. Given that you will have earned a postgraduate degree in international
business or international human resource management, you are well-equipped to draw from academic
theories as well as practically-applied skills in cross-cultural literature.

Part 1:

Taking an academic perspective, analyse and critique the models of cultural dimensions as developed
by the most influential researchers on national cultures like Hofstede and Trompenaars as tools for
increased understanding of doing business in and between various cultures.

 Explain each model and how it can be used to investigate national preferences.
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of each model? Is there any inherent bias in each (if so,
how might this be overcome)?
 In what other ways might these models be improved to be more useful? Critically discuss and
compare the aforementioned models and additional research with those from the likes of Hall,
Inglehart, Adler, the ‘European values’ study and the GLOBE project etc.;
 Select two different cultures and analyse the problems which may be caused for expatriates
coming from one cultural background working in the other culture;
 Then, discuss the realistic possibilities for expatriate managers coming from various cultural
backgrounds in terms of motivating and leading staff.

Be sure to fully explain your reasoning and support your conclusions with specific examples, verified
facts, and cited evidence from academic research.

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Part 2:

Your next task is to assess the value and relevance of training and orientation activities to prepare
employees for expatriate assignments. Explain, based upon articles from academic journals, how
companies prepare and support expatriates and their relatives with training, the reward and other
aspects of working in another country or culture.

 Explain how expatriates could be prepared on the basis of one or more relevant concepts from
the course;
 How could this support expatriates with various aspects of working within and managing
organisations (e.g., cultural awareness, resolving ethical dilemmas) with making managerial
decisions, communication and negotiations and conflict resolution)?
 What are the requirements for working in multi-cultural teams and developing intercultural
relationships?
 What lessons can be drawn from tutorials and discussion in class?
 How can multi-cultural awareness be raised and the impact of stereotyping be decreased?

Support your reasoning with evidence from readings and relevant academic journal articles.

Requirements

1. Write your answers in proper academic style - particularly ensuring you use ‘third person’
narrative -, Harvard-style in-text citation and referencing with a correct list of references.

2. If you paraphrase (i.e. rewrite any materials in your own words), you must identify the original
source. You must demonstrate evidence of extensive research into the topic.

3. Some useful information may be retrieved from the internet. However, work at postgraduate level
of academic study should not contain material from the internet as this is unreliable in most cases
and often concerns obscure information. Only in cases where websites contain reliable information
students are allowed to include websites as their source of information.

4. For the individual project, utilise a sufficient number of academic-style resources (e.g. textbooks,
books and journals) to support your points and try to ensure that you use no or only a small number
of internet sources. Please note how many marks are allocated for academic and theoretical
content.

5. For the team presentation and report, you are more likely to find also relevant information from
other sources, such as sites for business and management. Consult also the general business papers
like The Financial Times or The Economist. Be sure to use information from legitimate news media
sites rather than from blogs, social networking sites, and other personal accounts.

6. Note that the required word limit for your assignments excludes the cover page, reference list and
any footnotes or appendices.

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Below you find a summary of the marking criteria for all assignments:

Marks allocated to Criteria

criteria:
20 % Focus
Does the writing have a clear focus on the issues to be addressed? Does
the writing address these issues in a clear and meaningful way?
10 % Critical understanding Does the work show a critical understanding and
show originality in the thinking?
30 % Synthesis
Is the work based on sufficient sources of academic writing and does it
bring together the literature in a significant manner?
20 % Soundness
Does the writing indicate a comprehensive understanding of the topic area
and literature discussed?
10 % Clarity of structure
Is the work well organised and logically constructed to achieve synthesis
while being mindful of the needs of the reader?
10 % Mechanical Soundness
Is the writing clearly written, spell checked and grammatically sound and
referenced appropriately?

6. Other Details

The majority of information relevant to you while you study at the University has been brought
together into your programme handbook. Please refer to your programme handbook for any further
information you might require including methods of submitting assignments, advice and
administrative procedures.

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