Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice
February 2003 Update
Page 1 of 6
Business Management 5th edition
February 2003 Update
Unit 3 Corporate management
By Steve Barrile and Terry Cameron
ASSESSMENT ADVICE
Students and teachers please note that review questions for
Business Management 5th edition can be accessed by clicking here.
School Assessed Coursework is allocated 100 marks in Unit 3 (and a further 100 in
Unit 4). It is then combined with your end-of-year exam to calculate your Study Score.
The most important thing is to maximise your result on the assessment tasks provided by
your teacher for the School Assessed Coursework. Below is some advice to assist you in
your preparation for Unit 3 assessment tasks.
1
WRITTEN ANALYSES
Three sample tasks are provided on pages 27, 52 and 74 of the textbook but only two are
required for assessment.
Scope of task
According to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Advice on School
Assessment each written analysis task will have the following characteristics:
 each will involve a response of between 250–300 words
 you will be given a fixed class-time period of 40–50 minutes to write a response
 you can use study notes and other materials while you complete the task
 the combined value will be 25 marks out of your school assessed coursework score of
100 for unit 3
 the tasks are based on a set of assessment criteria, which are directly related to
outcome 1.
Assessment criteria
The material used (such as company documents, newspaper articles, case studies etc.)
and the questions your teacher asks you to complete should be designed to allow you to
meet the following criteria.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.
Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice
Criteria 1:
February 2003 Update
Page 2 of 6
Your response should demonstrate ‘knowledge of large
organisations, organisational elements and the role of
management’.
Comment and advice
The piece of work you are requested to complete as a written analysis will cover some
aspect(s) of the first two areas of study. For example, the first sample written analysis on
page 27 has a focus on types of large organisations, macro and operating environments
and performance.
Keep in mind the following:
 Your answers to the questions are your chance to show that you know the particular
aspect(s) of the course.
 Try to identify the aspect(s) of the course covered by the task set by your teacher and
then refer to your notes and the book to help you with your answers to the questions.
 Describe and discuss the aspect(s) at every opportunity provided by the questions.
Criteria 2:
Your response should demonstrate ‘definition of a range of
management terms.’
Comment and advice
The course has a great deal of management terms and concepts, many of which you are
recording in the glossary activity at the end of each section of the book. Each written
analysis will provide you with the chance to use some of these. Sometimes you might be
asked to find an error in a defined term or say whether a statement is true or false.
Keep in mind the following:
 Identify the key words that require definition.
 Use your book and your developed glossary to shape your definition using largely
your own words.
Criteria 3:
Your response should demonstrate ‘discussion of key aspects
of corporate management in practice’.
Comment and advice
Each written analysis will provide you with some application of the aspect(s) of the
course in practical, real business situations. Some of the questions will require you
identify and analyse this material.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should consider how the practical, real business situation matches to the relevant
theory.
 Undertake your analysis of the practical, real situation through the relevant
question(s).
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.
Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice
February 2003 Update
Page 3 of 6
General advice
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2
Complete the various ‘learning activities’ (discussions, note taking, textbook
activities, videos, excursions etc.) set by your teacher in the period leading up to each
written analysis.
The learning activities are developing the knowledge and skills you need to do the
written analyses.
Develop your ability to write clear paragraph-length answers within limited time
periods – practise this with work provided by your teacher.
Use your own words, based on your reading and notes, as often as possible.
TEST – OPEN BOOK CASE STUDY
Two sample tasks are provided on pages 115–120 of the book but only one of this type of
task is required for assessment.
Scope of Task
According to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Advice on School
Assessment the test will have the following characteristics:
 a case study and questions will be provided by the teacher
 you will be given a fixed class-time period of 50 minutes (including reading time) to
write a response to each question
 formal test conditions apply – no talking permitted, sit alone etc.
 you can use study notes and other materials while you complete the task
 the task will be worth 25 marks out of your school assessed coursework score of 100
for unit 3
 the task is based on a set of assessment criteria that are directly related to outcome 2.
Assessment criteria
The case study material and the questions you are asked to complete will be designed to
allow you to meet the following criteria.
Criteria 1:
Your response should demonstrate ‘knowledge of different
management styles’.
Comment and advice
The case study will cover the management styles as a central part of the course in unit 3,
and which are covered thoroughly in the book.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to describe different management styles, explain features of them
and consider advantages and disadvantages related to each. These are thoroughly
discussed in section 3.1 of the book.
 Try to identify the particular style(s) appropriate to the case study set by your teacher
and then refer to your notes and the book to help you with your responses.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.
Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice
Criteria 2:
February 2003 Update
Page 4 of 6
Your response should demonstrate ‘knowledge of a range of
management skills’
Comment and advice
The case study will have covered management skills as a central part of the course in unit
3 and which are covered thoroughly in the book.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to describe different management skills, explain characteristics of
each skill and then discuss those relevant to the case study. These are thoroughly
covered in section 3.2 of the book.
 Try to identify the particular skill(s) appropriate to the case study set by your teacher
and then refer to your notes and text to help you with your responses.
Criteria 3:
Your response should demonstrate ‘application of a
management style to a given context’.
Comment and advice
Part of the case study and the questions will require you to apply a particular
management style to the situation(s) in the case study.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to identify, recommend and justify a management style given the
situation(s) as described in the case study.
 Link the ‘elements of the situation’ (see pages 78–9 of the textbook) in the case study
to the most logical style.
Criteria 4:
Your response should demonstrate ‘application of
management skills to a given context’.
Comment and advice
Part of the case study and the questions will require you to apply management skills to
the situation(s) in the case study.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to identify, recommend and justify management skills given the
situation(s) as described in the case study.
 Link the situation in the case study to the most logical and needed skills that would
contribute to better management performance.
General advice
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Complete the various ‘learning activities’ (discussions, note taking, textbook
activities, videos, excursions etc.) set by your teacher in the period leading up to the
test.
The learning activities developing the knowledge and skills to do the test.
Develop your ability to write clear paragraph-length answers within limited time
periods – practise this with work provided by your teacher.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.
Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice



3
February 2003 Update
Page 5 of 6
Use your own words, based on your reading and notes, as often as possible.
Examine the modelled case study on pages 111–13 of the book.
Do a practice test prior to the actual assessment.
ESSAY
Sample questions and resource advice for three major issues are provided on pages 150–8
of the book.
Scope of Task
According to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority Advice on School
Assessment , the essay task will have the following characteristics:
 a topic and resource advice will be provided by the teacher
 you will be given a fixed class-time period of 80–100 minutes to write your essay
 the essay should be in the range of 700–800 words
 you can use study notes and other materials while you complete the task
 the task will be worth 50 marks out of your school assessed coursework score of 100
for unit 3
 the task is based on a set of assessment criteria which are directly related to
outcome 3.
Assessment criteria
The essay will be designed to allow you to meet the following criteria.
Criteria 1:
Your response should demonstrate ‘knowledge of
organisational change’.
Comment and advice
The essay requires a general understanding of organisational change which is covered
thoroughly in the book.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to describe organisational change as covered in section 4.1 of the
book.
 Try to identify the typical sources of change.
Criteria 2:
Your response should demonstrate ‘knowledge of an effective
change management process’.
Comment and advice
The essay requires you to show the connection between the fact that change occurs in
large organisations and needs to be effectively managed.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to describe a process of effective change management as covered
in section 4.2 of the book.
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.
Business Management VCE Units 3 & 4: Corporate, human resource and operations management
Assessment advice

February 2003 Update
Page 6 of 6
Try to identify the factors that contribute to effective change management.
Criteria 3:
Your response should demonstrate ‘discussion of a significant
change issue’.
Comment and advice
The essay will have a strong focus on one issue.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to explain key elements of the one issue you are covering. The
book gives you introductory information on three issues (see section 4.4).
 Link the relevance of key elements of the issue to the management of large-scale
organisations.
Criteria 4:
Your response should demonstrate ‘analysis of the effective
management of a significant change issue’.
Comment and advice
This criterion involves discussion of how the issue can be effectively managed and its
possible impact.
Keep in mind the following:
 You should be able to discuss two or three factors that would indicate effective
management of the issue.
 Analyse the impact of the issue on the internal environment (such as on two or three
of the targets for change identified on page 134 of the book).
Criteria 5:
Your response should demonstrate ‘discussion of a practical
representation of the effective management of a significant
issue’.
Comment and advice
This criterion allows you profile a practical, real business that highlights effective
implementation of the issue.
Keep in mind the following
 You should be able to explain and justify a practical, real business as representing
effective management of the issue.
General advice
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Complete the various ‘learning activities’ (discussions, note taking, textbook
activities, research, videos, excursions etc.) set by your teacher in the period leading
up to the essay.
The learning activities are developing the knowledge and skills to do the essay.
Develop your ability to write extended answers within limited time periods.
Focus on developing a wide understanding of one significant issue.s
Published by Macmillan Education Australia, www.macmillan.com.au © Barrile and Cameron 2003.
Permission is granted to copy this material for the purpose of teaching, study or review only when used with
Business Management VCE Units 3 &4 5th ed.