Unit 8 Activity and Grading Rubric
Complete this activity, in which you identify the operational processes in your own organization.
Learning Outcome
Identify the operational processes in the student’s own organization.
Specifications:
- 2-3 page paper
- Created in a Word document
- Follows APA, 6th edition formatting
- Includes a Reference page for cited sources
Instructions: Continuing the plan, compose a 2-3 page paper, using at least 4 scholarly sources, that identifies the following elements of your organization:
- Industry analysis: Use the following market research website* to help you research the industy/market your business intends to serve.
- Mission statement: Your business will need a mission statement and the following link for Fast Company Magazine* will help you in composing an effective statement for your organization.
- Business goals: These are specific interim or ultimate time-based measurements to be achieved by implementing strategies in pursuit of the company’s objectives, for example, to achieve sales of 3 million dollars in three years. Goals should be quantifiable, consistent, realistic, and achievable. They can relate to factors like market (sizes and shares), products, finances, profitability, utilization, and efficiency.
- Project objectives: State the business’s objectives in terms of the results it needs/wants to achieve in the medium/long term. Aside from presumably indicating a necessity to achieve regular profits (expressed as return on shareholders’ funds), objectives should relate to the expectations and requirements of all the major stakeholders, including employees, and should reflect the underlying reasons for running the business. These objectives could cover growth, profitability, technology, offerings, and markets.
- Value proposition: The Kinesis Company provides information on how to write a value proposition. Using the company website, you will find information you may use as a guide to identify your company’s value proposition.
- Products and services: You may refer to “Developing Your Brand” points 1-7 as a guide. A one or two line response per element that addresses what you intend to do with your business specifically.
Please score your paper or have a friend score your paper using the following “rubric,” or “scoring guide.” The levels will equate to the following letter grades:
4 = A; 3 = B; 2 = C; 1 = D; and 0 = F
| Level | Criterion |
| Research and Documentation (40%) | |
| 4 | Any research sources utilized should come from scholarly sources (i.e. textbooks, scholarly articles, etc.). This activity requires the use of at least 4 scholarly sources. Any in-text citations MUST be cited in APA format using the APA Manual 6th edition. You should also include a References page, also in APA format, at the end of your paper to cite any sources used. |
| 3 | The paper uses at least three scholarly sources to support your content, but it does not meet the minimum requirement for 4 sources. |
| 2 | Three or more popular sources (i.e. newspapers, internet sites, magazines, etc.) make up a majority of the references to support your content. The paper lacks credible, scholarly sources and does not meet the minimum number of sources required. |
| 1 | The paper includes one or two sources. The paper lacks the use of credible, scholarly sources and may focus on using popular sources. The number of sources used does not meet the minimum requirement (4 sources) and the resources used may not fully support the content of your paper. |
| 0 | The paper fails to cite referenced sources, or does not include any research or sources to support ideas. The paper is based off of non-original content. |
| Analysis and Argument (40%) | |
| 4 | Your paper Must address ALL of the following concepts from the activity instructions: industry analysis, mission statement, business goals, project objectives, value proposition, and products and services. |
| 3 | The content addresses only some of the questions presented in the instructions section and reflects minimal original thought and /or critical analysis relative to the business. |
| 2 | The content is vague and is weakly supported by researched evidence. The essay lacks critical analysis relative to the business. |
| 1 | The content does not address the required elements; ideas presented are not supported by research or critical analysis. |
| 0 | There is a lack of critical analysis for the operation management plan, and/or the essay does not address the business content from the Unit 1 Activity. |
| Grammar/Style (15%) | |
| 4 | The content contains a maximum of two grammatical, citation, and punctuation errors. The ideas are concise and presented in a logical manner that is easy for the reader to follow. |
| 3 | The content contains three or four grammatical, citation, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. The sentence structure flows in a concise, logical manner. |
| 2 | The paper contains more than four grammatical, citation, punctuation and/or spelling errors that distract the reader from the comprehension of ideas being presented. |
| 1 | The paper demonstrates poor writing skills, reflected by lack of syntax and proper grammar, which makes ideas difficult to communicate. Ideas are not presented in a logical manner that is easy to follow. |
| 0 | The paper contains numerous grammatical, citation, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. |
| Format (5%) | |
| 4 | The paper should properly formatted (paragraph style, margins, etc.), using the APA Manual, 6th edition. The content is typed in MS Word format, labeled with the student’s name and the activity title/unit number, and a reference section to cite any outside sources used. |
| 3 | The paper meets most of the requirements for formatting, using the APA Manual, 6th edition, though may contain some errors. |
| 2 | The paper lacks proper formatting, based on the APA Manual, 6th edition, and it may use another style of formatting (i.e. MLA, Chicago, etc.). |
| 1 | The paper is typed in a format other than MS Word. A style of formatting other than APA may be used, or there are numerous formatting errors that distract the reader’s comprehension. |
| 0 | The formatting does not comply with the APA Manual, 6th edition and is not created in MS Word. |