This document outlines the assessment requirements and criteria for Assignment 1 in the course. The assignment involves conducting a strategic analysis of Singapore Post (SingPost) in a report of up to 7,500 words. Students will analyze SingPost's external environment, industry, resources/competencies, stakeholders, and current strategy. The assignment is designed to develop skills in critical thinking, analysis, and application of strategic management frameworks. Students will work in groups and be assessed based on demonstrating knowledge of relevant theory and rigor in applying analytical tools to draw conclusions about SingPost's strategic context and strategy.

1. How we deliberately design your assessment to not
only be a test of what you know, but to also build lifelong
learning skills.
Assessment in this course refers directly to the Australian
Qualifications Framework (Level 7) learning outcomes criteria
for Bachelor Degrees. These criteria are expressed as
Knowledge, Skills and Applications:
Knowledge: Graduates of a Bachelor Degree will have a
broad and coherent body of knowledge, with depth in the
underlying principles and concepts in one or more disciplines as
a basis for independent lifelong learning
Skills: Graduates of a Bachelor Degree will have:
• cognitive skills to review, critically, analyse, consolidate
and synthesise knowledge
• cognitive and technical skills to demonstrate a broad
understanding of knowledge with depth in some areas
• cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking
and judgement in identifying and solving problems with
intellectual independence
• communication skills to present a clear, coherent and
independent exposition of knowledge and ideas
Application: Graduates of a Bachelor Degree will
demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:
• with initiative and judgement in planning, problem
solving and decision making in professional practice and/or
scholarship
• to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts
• with responsibility and accountability for own learning

2. and professional practice and in collaboration with others
within broad parameters
These learning outcomes are, of course, for your whole
Bachelor’s Degree and as such we are not required in this
specific course to address all of them - some of these learning
outcomes will have been addressed in other courses you have
undertaken as part of your degree.
This course uses a case study approach to learning and
assessment. This case study is ‘live’ in that it consists of
working with an existing organisation in real- time. You will be
engaged in the case over a whole semester within which time
you are required to;
• undertake an analysis of the organisation and its operating
environment(s)
• determine what you believe to be the current strategy of the
organisation using established frameworks
Your assessment will involve you designing and publishing a
report for use by managers as the basis for their ongoing
strategy. This is a real-life organisation with a real-life need.
Page 7 of 7
Your assessment pieces have been designed to give you the best
possible opportunity to help Singapore Post to survive and
thrive into the future. The skills that you will be developing
include:

3. • cognitive conceptualisation skills
• critical thinking and analysis skills
• creative application skills.
All these are valuable skills you will need in future
employment. How well you are able to demonstrate mastery of
these skills will impact not only on you and your group (in
terms of a mark) but also has the potential to influence the
future of the case study organisation. Your work matters.
You will be working in groups of six throughout the semester.
Your groups will be allocated to you.
Assignment 1: Strategic analysis and context evaluation
(40%) (report 35% / map 5%)
Length: A maximum of 7,500 words + one page (A3) ‘map’ Due
date: To Be Advised.
Overview
Main report: A Maximum of 7,500 words + One page ‘map’
You are required to conduct a strategic analysis and context
evaluation for a real-life organisation – Singapore Post
(http://www.singpost.com).
The purpose of this assignment is to apply the theoretical
framework, concepts, and analytical tools covered in this course
to analyse the organisation’s strategic position.
As part of your report you will provide a reasoned conclusion

4. based on rigorous analysis detailing what you believe
SingPost’s current strategy is and whether it is appropriate.
You will also produce a one page (A3 size) ‘map’ that captures
and summarises your findings.
While you will undertake this assignment as part of a group of
four, you will need to identify each individual’s contribution.
This means that there is potential for individuals within a group
to earn different grades. You will each be required to sign
and agree to an Equity of Contribution ‘policy’ that will outline
the relative contribution of each student.
How this assignment connects to the learning
opportunitiesafforded by this course:
This assignment is designed to enable assessment of your
knowledge, skills and abilities across three dimensions:
1. Your ability to learn and understand the strategic
management theory and concepts contained within the course.
This may include other theories and concepts not specifically
covered in the course that you discover through your reading of
the (strategic) management literature.
2. Your ability to critically evaluate theory and to understand
the implications of applying the theory.
3. Your ability to apply the theory in an appropriate or creative
manner.

5. What a typical report includes (this is a guide only):
1. A description of the relevant background and history of
SingPost.
This information should be accurate and relevant to the analysis
of SingPost. As a group you need to decide what should be
included; it may include ownership, history, size, business
scope, major products/services, and major ‘markets’ and spheres
of influence of the organisation. Only include the relevant
material that will have a material affect on your analysis.
This provides the background against which you undertake
subsequent analysis.
It may also include an outline of the significant moments in the
history of SingPost and why you believe these moments
were/are consequential to the way SingPost undertakes its
activities today. Your choices here about which information to
include or exclude are important and will require you to use
your critical and analytical skills.

6. ****2. Conduct a macro-environment analysis for the operating
environment withinwhich SingPost operates.
“PESTLE”
You must use analytical tools/frameworks that have been
published in recognised scholarly publications.
Focus on developing and demonstrating:
• an understanding of the purpose of this analysis
• identification of key factors/forces and their implications
in terms of key opportunities and threats
• determine the overall direction of the operating environment
in the future.
Draw well reasoned conclusions that have been supported by
analysis about the nature of the macro-operating environment of
SingPost. Use this analysis to inform later aspects of your
assignment.
3. Undertake a industry/sector/market analysis.
You must use analytical tools/frameworks that have been
published in recognised scholarly publications. Focus on
developing and demonstrating:
• an understanding of the purpose of this analysis
• a critical understanding of any tools/frameworks you select
for the analysis
• an understanding of how this analysis is connected to the

7. macro environmental analysis previously undertaken.
You must make reasoned, argued conclusion(s) on the structure
of the Industry/market/sector(s) and any
competitive/cooperative forces that are operating on and within
it. Use this analysis to inform later aspects of your assignment.
4. Identify any resources and competences that are likely to
providesustainable competitive advantage for SingPost (and
whether or not SingPostpossess these)
Justify why these resources and competences can be regarded as
strategic capabilities and discuss how useful they are in relation
to the macro-environmental and industry/sector/market analysis
that you have conducted earlier.
You must use analytical tools/frameworks that have been
published in recognised scholarly publications.
Focus on developing and demonstrating:
• an understanding of the purpose of this analysis
• a critical understanding of any tools/frameworks you select
for the analysis
• drawing conclusions as to whether you believe SingPost
currently possess the resources and competencies that you have
identified.
Use this analysis to inform later aspects of your assignment.

8. 5. Identify and assess who the key stakeholders are for SingPost
and how andwhy they are important.
Justify your choices about who the stakeholders are and why
you have indicated that they are important. Broad categories are
discouraged.
Focus on developing and demonstrating:
• an understanding of the purpose of this analysis
• a critical understanding of any tools/frameworks you select
for the analysis
• drawing conclusions as to how and why each of these
stakeholders are important to SingPost and how this knowledge
can help you to shape strategic recommendations for SingPost.
6. Identify and discuss the current strategy of SingPost and
assess if it issuitable given the strategic context.
Use a well established strategic framework (e.g. Porter’s
generic strategies or Miles and Snow’s strategic typology, or
similar) to classify the strategy of SingPost. Clearly justify your
choice with a well developed and logical argument.
Justify whether you believe the current strategy is appropriate
for the organisation or whether it needs to change. Explain why.
Focus on integrating the conclusions from the analysis that you
have undertaken in previous aspects of your assignment to make
a coherent, logical argument supporting your position.

9. What you have to do: the publishing and reporting
There are only a few constraints to the format of the
assignment, but they are important:
1. The maximum length of the ‘document’ (including any
executive summary should you choose to include one, but
excluding reference list and appendices) is 7,500 words.
(NOTE: This includesthe usual 10%
allowance. i.e the word limit is 6,750 words + 10% = 7,500
words
MAXIMUM).
2. The onus is on you not to exceed 7,500 words. Any
assignments submitted that do not meet this criteria will be
returned to you for editing and resubmission. Consequently,
penalties will apply for late submission - as outlined in the
course guide.
3. The final, published ‘document’ should be typed in Times
New Roman font,
12pt size with 2.0 line spacing and 2.5cm margins.
In addition to the main part of the assignment, you are to design
and publish a one page ‘map’ summary of your analysis and
findings in your assignment. This map must not be any larger
than A3. This ‘map’ must be a flat, static document; it is not to
include any multimedia or links to other documents or websites.

10. How we'll assess your work
Assessment of your work will be based on how well you
research, conceptualise, critically analyse/evaluate and applythe
theory based components of this course together with your
ability to construct and communicate a well argued conclusion
to the questions: “What is the strategic context of SingPost”;
and, “What is the current strategy of SingPost and is it
appropriate?”
We are seeking to understand how well you have learned:
• the ‘what’ of doing a strategic analysis
• how sophisticated your understanding of the
theory/tools/frameworks that you have chosen to use is
• whether you can apply and justify your choices with a sound
argument.
• we will provide you with a marking rubric against which
your assignment will be judged. Ensure that you have regard to
the requirements of this assignment and the marking rubric
when constructing your assignment.

11. Academic staff will base their assessment on their judgement of
the quality of the work you submit and how well it meets the
requirements of the assignment. We will undertake a rigorous
and transparent moderation process to ensure that all work is
assessed to the same degree and standard.
Harvard referencing - quick guide
Important: This document is meant for use as a guide only. Itis
based on the Style manual for authors, editors and printers
2002, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Qld. See our
Harvard Extended Guide for further examples.
To avoid losing marks, confirm the referencing requirements of
your School with your lecturer.
Business students should use the RMIT Business style, NOT the
general Harvard style.In-text references: examples
Single author
It is argued that ... (Carroll 2012).
Carroll (2012) argues that …
‘A major criticism of business is that it abuses its power’
(Carroll 2012, p. 26).
Carroll (2012, p. 26) contends that ‘a major criticism of
business is that it abuses its power’.
Two or three authors
It is suggested that … (Cabrera & Unruh 2012).
Kuratko, Goldsby and Hornsby (2012) suggest that …

12. Note the use of an ampersand (&) in brackets and the full word
‘and’ in sentences.
Four or more authors
It is recommended that… (Chalkley et al. 2012).
Chalkley et al. (2012) recommend that…
Multiple citations for one sentence
List all citations alphabetically, with a semi-colon (;) to
separate them.
It has been claimed that… (Carroll 2012; Chalkley et al. 2012;
Kuratko, Goldsby & Hornsby 2012).
Secondary citations
When you refer to the work of one author cited by another,
indicate the original source of the information and where you
read it. In the reference list, only include the text you read, not
the original source. In this example, Hosany and Martin would
be in the reference list.
Early research indicated ... (Heath & Scott, cited in Hosany &
Martin 2012).
Heath and Scott (cited in Hosany & Martin 2012) claim that ...
Personal communication

13. Information obtained through personal communication such as
interviews, phone conversations and letters are not included in
the reference list.
My field placement supervisor commented ‘… ‘ (CM Burns
2014 pers. comm., 20 April).
Ms Merrick (Melville Shire Council CEO) confirmed the details
by email on 25 April 2014.
Documents without authors
Publications such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias and newspaper
articles without authors do not need to be included in the
reference list.
It is stated that … (Encyclopaedia of Computer Science 2012).
The Age (21 May, p. 12) reports that …
Documents without page numbers
If quoting from a document without page numbers, use either a
paragraph or section heading to show the location of the quote.
Optimal immunisation schedules … (World Health Organization
2014, para. 3).
Deaths due to malaria … (World Health Organization 2013,
Reported deaths section)
Reference list: examples
A reference list provides the bibliographic details of sources of
information used in your assignment. The list is organised in

14. alphabetical order by authors’ surnames. Details in each
reference should follow this general order:
Author’s family name, initial(s) Year of publication,
Publication title, Publication details.
For example: Young, JK 2014, My very important book,
University Press, Melbourne, Vic.
Book
e-Books with full page format/imaging (PDF) should be cited as
if it is a print copy.
Single author
Carroll, AB 2012, Business & society: ethics, sustainability,
and stakeholder management, 8th edn, South-Western Cengage
Learning, Mason, OH.
More than one author
List all authors in order of appearance on the title page of the
book and use an ampersand (&) to separate the last two authors.
Chalkley, T, Brown, A, Goodman, M, Cinque, T, Warren, B,
Hobbs, M & Finn, M 2012, Communication, new media and
everyday life, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.
No author
Style manual for authors, editors and printers 2002, 6th edn,
John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Qld.
Chapter in an edited book
Schirm, V 2013, ‘Quality of life’, in IM Lubkin & PD Larsen
(eds) 2013, Chronic illness: impact and interventions, 8th edn,
Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA.

15. Journal article
E-journals from a database with full-page format/imaging (PDF)
should be cited as if it is a print copy.
Taylor, CM, Karunaratne, CV & Xie, N 2012, ‘Glycosides of
hydroxyproline: some recent, unusual discoveries’,
Glycobiology, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 757-767.
Newspaper article
For articles without an author, include date and page number in-
text; no need to include in your reference list.
Martin, P 2014, ‘Melbourne tops nation’s growth’, The Age, 7
April. p. 2
Podcast, vodcast
Isherwood, B 2012, Where ideas come from, podcast, viewed 5
June 2014, <http//itunesu.rmit.edu.au/node/862>
Video, film, DVD
The format should be specified after the date, e.g. video
recording. Any useful additional information can be noted after
the citation, e.g. directed by…
The Book Thief 2014, DVD, Twentieth Century Fox Home
Entertainment, Moore Park, NSW.
Website

16. World Health Organization 2014, WHO recommendations for
routine immunization - summary tables, World Health
Organization, viewed 1 May 2014,
<http://www.who.int/immunization/policy/immunization_tables/
en/>