You will be marked upon these criteria:
1) integration and application of a full range of appropriate principles, theories and evidence; 2) critical interpretation of the findings and comparison with the relevant theories;
3) presentation of the findings, appropriate use of the interview quotes;
4) correct formatting and references.
List of the topics for individual assignment:
1) Small businesses are/are not examples of entrepreneurship
2) Developing and transition economies do/do not exhibit entrepreneurial behaviour
3) Entrepreneurship can/can not be taught
4) Lifestyle entrepreneurs can/can not jeopardise economic development of tourism destinations
HOW TO DO IT?
• You will have to look into specific theoretical concepts
• You have to analyse relevant academic positions and controversial debates
• Therefore, selected topic has to be fully analysed
• Literature needs to be well researched
• Conclusion: You will have to argue either ‘for’ or ‘against’ a topic.
Please follow these guidelines:
1) All topics are debatable. This means that the literature does not have a clear stance and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ position. Among these four topics listed above, choose one topic of interest.
2) For a topic selected, you have to write an individual report. First explore the literature on the chosen topic in depth. Select and critically discuss a few most important issues, which gives us the overview of both positions (for and against). Conclude the report by outlining your position based on the evidence provided. Also, your conclusion can be strengthen by industry figures and hospitality and tourism examples to exemplify your case.
3) you will be marked upon these criteria:
1) evidence of research conducted;
2) the strength of the arguments;
3) evidence of the use of relevant up to date journal articles;
4) correct formatting and references.
Assignment Structure:
Length: 2 000 words excluding reference list, tables and figures.
First page
Conclusion – specific position outlined (‘for’ or ‘against’) with the key arguments summarised which justify selected position. It does not have to presented as a separate section but you have to select a specific view and shortly elaborate ‘why’.
Text should be fully justified
Each Table or Figure needs to have a title (placed above the Table/Figure) and source (placed below the Table/Figure)
Structure: It is an essay style. However, if you prefer to use a report style or your topic/selected arguments would work better (for instance, you have some nice statistics and charts) – please do use a report style. Do check marking guidelines – you can be marked down in relation to technical standards only if your presentation (eg font) and referencing is not correct. We won’t mark you down if you write this assignment in a report style.
How to approach the topic/structure the assignment:
a) Arguments oriented: you can select for instance, two or three arguments and discuss both stances. EG your topic is ‘entrepreneurs deserve/do not deserve heroic status in the society’. You will be looking at the eg two arguments: 1) social impact; 2) economic impact. You will analyse both arguments in relation to ‘for’ and ‘against’ perspective. Do not go crazy and select 6 arguments – it is better to select just a few of them, eg 2 or 3 and analyse them in depth.
b) Led by entrepreneurship/entrepreneurs definition – if you want to clarify first what is entrepreneurship or who are entrepreneurs and you consider these attributes as crucial to discuss the topic, you will use selected attributes as your arguments. Eg you say that entrepreneurs have to possess profit alertness and innovative behaviour. You will discuss profit alertness and innovative behaviour as your main arguments.
c) “For and against’ oriented: You will use a range of issues to explain why eg entrepreneurs do and do not deserve heroic status (this topic is not included in the assignment? )such as corruption, ethical/non ethical business practices….
There is no right or wrong approach. You have the flexibility to choose the style that works best for you. You just have to make sure that you:
1) discuss both ‘for’ and ‘against’ perspective;
2) use good amount of the literature and critically analyse those sources and
3) select your stance in the conclusion (based on the provided evidence).
Definitions
You do not have to find a ready-made definition. You can explain what is entrepreneurship by incorporating those elements you consider as necessary and back them up with the key references. Eg you can say entrepreneurship can be best defined through innovative behaviour (reference), business growth (reference) and risk (reference).
Please make sure that you do not bring conclusions that contradict your definition (eg you say that entrepreneurs have to possess certain traits which cannot be changed and in conclusion you claim that entrepreneurship can be taught).
Introduction to the each topic and key references document: this was just an example how you can approach each topic. You do not have to follow provided arguments and you do not have to use the key references provided.
If you want to use a specific example to further demonstrate your point (eg an entrepreneur who is a risk taker), do not spend too much words describing the entrepreneur. Just use the example to strengthen your conclusion. This can be done in a sentence or two.
Do not write about everything – eg entrepreneurship definitions through the history. This is not relevant for any topic. Focus your research and analysis on the selected topic only.
SOME TIPS FOR ASSIGNMENTS AT HONOURS LEVEL
Referencing
• Follow the guidelines provided by Lecturers regarding structure and content.
• Check out Harvard style referencing and use it consistently throughout your work.
• Remember that all direct quotes need to have the page number in the reference e.g. (Morrison, 2006:16). • Each time an important concept is introduced for the first time in your work, define it in academic terms and follow this with the reference source.
• Reference sources need to contain sound academic books and journals, don’t be over reliant on Internet sources.
• Ensure you check the accuracy of all references and cross-check that the ones in the text and the ones in the Reference List all match up. This includes the correct spelling of authors’ names and that the full citation is present.
• Avoid presenting too much text from one reference all at the one time.
• Avoid secondary referencing as much as possible Language
• Spell-check your work with UK English and make sure you invest time in proof reading before submission.
• Avoid abbreviations like e.g., i.e., it’s.
• Language should work on academic terminology and style and avoid slang, jargon and what might be considered a journalistic style. Academic writing is a very ‘tight’
•style of communication so edit out any ramblings that detract from the key focus and messages you want to communicate.
• Avoid use of personal pronouns in academic writing.
Academic Standard
• Adopt a critically analytic approach to key concepts and theories i.e. once you have defined and reference a core concept discuss different viewpoints in a critical manner rather than unquestioningly accepting the views of a particular author. Avoid being overly descriptive. •
At Honours level it is a must that you integrate academic theories, concepts and relevant references within your work. Be suspicious of presenting a block of text that does not have a reference – go back to it and question if it is OK to be like that or does it need strengthened through the integration of an academic reference?
• Invest in the conclusion section. There is a tendency to rush this as ‘that me finished’. However, this is where you can really demonstrate the quality of your academic analysis and pick up extra marks.