The document provides guidance on analyzing assignment questions and structuring essay responses. It recommends analyzing the topic, focus, and task required by the question. Students are advised to divide the question into parts and dedicate 1-3 paragraphs to each part. Each paragraph should focus on one element of the required response. Additional resources like workshops and online materials are referenced to help with research and writing skills.

1. ASSIGNMENT ANALYSIS,
STRUCTURE & FLOW
• Analysing questions
• Building a paragraph framework
This presentation can be seen at:
http://tinyurl.com/assignmentquestions2016
• Paragraph structure and flow

2. Centre for Teaching and
Learning
Online resources
http://owll.massey.ac.nz Videos, APA tool, Examples
http://tinyurl.com/6xy9hy Academic English Podcast
Open Mon Fri 8.30–17.00
Library – Level 3
Email: slc-alb@massey.ac.nz
Phone: (09) 441 8143
http://tinyurl.com/studyup2016 Live workshops

3. 3 crucial questions to ask
about any assignment
What is it about?
What do I include?
What do I have to do?
Topic
Focus
Task

4. fight the question in your
These questions are your weapons as you _

5. Example question
analysis
Choose ONE environmental issue and examine what
the national government of ONE country is doing to
improve the situation. Evaluate the extent to which
the government has been successful and justify your
argument with evidence and examples.
Topic
Focus
Task
One environmental issue
What ONE national government is
doing to improve the situation
Evaluate (success)
& Justify (your argument)

6. Use the TOPIC as the key search term in
your research AND use it throughout the
essay itself to make sure you are
answering the question
Globalisation has led to the accidental or deliberate introduction of
species into ecologies where they had previously been absent. These
invasive species can cause not only ecological damage (for instance,
in forcing native plants into extinction), but economic hardship (by
damaging agricultural production and the tourism industry). In the US
alone, it has been estimated that invasive species caused nearly
$100bn in economic damage between 1906 and 1991 (Cook, Thomas,
Cunningham, Anderson & De Barro, 2007). Countries like New
Zealand, whose ecology has been isolated for millions of years, are
especially vulnerable to invasive species.
Opening sentences from an introduction paragraph
(introducing the topic, putting it into context and
showing why it’s important)

7. Use the FOCUS as a secondary search term
in your research, to choose relevant examples
AND use the TASK words to help you structure
the essay into different parts.
Preview sentence from an
introduction paragraph
The New Zealand Government aims to reduce the damage
caused by invasive species in three ways: Biosecurity, control
and elimination. This essay evaluates the success of each
approach in relation to three different invasive species.

8. Identify
Investigate
/ Examine
Consider
Discuss
Evaluate
Give a clear definition and explanation of an
issue or concept
Present relevant facts and figures about the
causes and effects of something
Present evidence for and against a
proposal
First, define a topic or concept and refer to
a range of opinions on it, giving the
evidence or arguments for each opinion.
Identify the purpose(s) of X, describe the
actual outcome and describe how far X
achieved its purpose(s)
Common Task Words

9. Question analysis
practice
The world’s ecosystems, from the oceans to the land, are
currently under severe pressure as humankind seeks to feed
itself. Yet according to the United Nations, the world’s population
is projected to grow from 6.1 billion in 2000 to 8.9 billion in
2050. Investigate how the farming methods employed in two
countries, in different regions (e.g. tropical/ temperate, arid/
wet), impact the environment and whether they currently meet
their population’s food needs. Based on your research, suggest
how these regions could develop farming practices to meet future
food demands in an environmentally sustainable way.
Topic
Focus
Task
Farming Methods
2 countries in different regions
Investigate (impact on env & how they meet
population’s food needs)
Suggest (environmentally sustainable ways to
meet future food needs)

10. First … Use your question analysis to
identify the different parts you’ll need
in your essay
Approach 1 (biosecurity): What is it?
How successful has it been
Approach 2 (control): What is it?
How successful has it been
Approach 3 (elimination): What is it?
How successful has it been
…. for example, different ways NZ has tried to deal
with the problem of invasive species
Building a paragraph
framework

11. Then … Decide how many paragraphs to
use for each part and add on your intro
and conclusion
I generally recommend writing
paragraphs of between four and eight
sentences (about 100 to 200 words)
So, a 1200 word essay breaks down
neatly into either 6 long or 8 medium
paragraphs

12. Using the same method, you can
convert any word count into paragraphs
___________________________________________
• 500 words: 3 – 5 paragraphs
• 800 words: 5 – 6 paragraphs
• 1000 words: 6 – 8 paragraphs
• 1500 words: 8 – 10 paragraphs
• 1800 words: 9 – 12 paragraphs
• 2000 words: 10 – 14 paragraphs
• 2500 words: 12 – 16 paragraphs

13. Question analysis
practice
Compare and contrast ONE Western and ONE non-Western
approach to Leadership or Management and discuss how relevant
these theories are to modern day organisations.
Topic
Focus
Task
Leadership or Management
1 Western / 1 non-Western approach
Relevance today
Compare and contrast (approaches)
Discuss (relevance)

14. Leadership has been defined as “the process of influencing the
activities of an organized group toward goal achievement” (Rauch &
Behling, 1984, p. 46). Given its central importance within society, it
is no surprise that leadership has been a major focus of study and
debate throughout history. This essay compares two approaches to
leadership from Western and Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s
century-old Administrative Principles approach, considered to be one
of the foundations of the study of Management as a distinct
discipline. Indeed, Management theory has been described as “in
large measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales, 1993, p.
3). The second approach is the much older and more culturally-
embedded set of beliefs known as Confucianism, which is said to
continue to guide leadership and management across China and
much of South-East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, & Fu, 2004). It
will be argued that, despite their diverse origins, these two
approaches share certain core values, and an understanding of their
potential and limitations continues to be a core component of
management expertise in the modern business environment.
What makes this a successful introduction paragraph?

15. Look at the paragraph again and look
for examples of these academic
writing strengths:
• focus on the topic
• expert definition of the topic
• summary of relevant research
• logical structure
• academic vocabulary and style
• smooth flow of ideas

16. Leadership has been defined as “the process of
influencing the activities of an organized group toward
goal achievement” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46).
Given its central importance within society, it is no
surprise that leadership has been a major focus of
study and debate throughout history. This essay
compares two approaches to leadership from
Western and Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s
century-old Administrative Principles approach,
considered to be one of the foundations of the study of
Management as a distinct discipline. Indeed,
Management theory has been described as “in
large measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo”
(Hales, 1993, p. 3). The second approach is the much
older and more culturally-embedded set of beliefs
known as Confucianism, which is said to continue to
guide leadership and management across China
and much of South-East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang,
& Fu, 2004). It will be argued that, despite their
diverse origins, these two approaches share certain
core values, and an understanding of their potential
and limitations continues to be a core component of
management expertise in the modern business
environment.
Strength
1: Focus
on the
main topic
of the
essay

17. Strength
2: Expert
definition
of the
topic
Leadership has been defined as “the
process of influencing the activities of an
organized group toward goal achievement”
(Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46).

18. Strength 3:
Summary
of relevant
research
The second approach is the much older and
more culturally-embedded set of beliefs
known as Confucianism, which is said to
continue to guide leadership and
management across China and much of
South-East Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, &
Fu, 2004).

19. Strength 4:
logical
sequence
of
elements
(definition
+ context
+ preview
+ thesis
statement)
Leadership has been defined as “the process of
influencing the activities of an organized group toward
goal achievement” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46).
Given its central importance within society, it is no
surprise that leadership has been a major focus of
study and debate throughout history. This essay
compares two approaches to leadership from Western
and Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s century-old
Administrative Principles approach, considered to be
one of the foundations of the study of Management as
a distinct discipline. Indeed, Management theory has
been described as “in large measure, a reply to Fayol’s
original memo” (Hales, 1993, p. 3). The second
approach is the much older and more culturally-
embedded set of beliefs known as Confucianism, which
is said to continue to guide leadership and
management across China and much of South-East
Asia (Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, & Fu, 2004). It will be
argued that, despite their diverse origins, these two
approaches share certain core values, and an
understanding of their potential and limitations
continues to be a core component of management
expertise in the modern business environment.

20. Strength
5: Smooth
flow of
ideas
Leadership has been defined as “the process of
influencing the activities of an organized group toward
goal achievement” (Rauch & Behling, 1984, p. 46).
Given its central importance within society, it is
no surprise that leadership has been a major focus of
study and debate throughout history. This essay
compares two approaches to leadership from
Western and Eastern traditions. The first is Fayol’s
century-old Administrative Principles approach,
considered to be one of the foundations of the study of
Management as a distinct discipline. Indeed,
Management theory has been described as “in large
measure, a reply to Fayol’s original memo” (Hales,
1993, p. 3). The second approach is ........... It
will be argued that, despite their diverse origins,
these two approaches .......

21. Strength 6:
Academic
Vocabulary
and Style
Leadership has been defined as xxxxxxx
...... xxxxxx, considered to be one of the
foundations of the study of Management as
a distinct discipline. Indeed, Management
theory has been described as xxxxxxxx
(Hales, 1993, p. 3). The second approach is
the much older and more culturally-
embedded set of beliefs known as
Confucianism, which is said to xxxxxxxxxx
It will be argued that, despite their diverse
origins, these two approaches share certain
core values, and an understanding of their
potential and limitations continues to be a
core component of management expertise
..........

22. PARAGRAPH FLOW. Topic sentence followed by sentences
which all start by linking back to previous one.
In contrast to Fayol’s pragmatic focus on management of
organisations, Confucianism is a systematic, philosophical approach to
the maintenance of human relationships in society as a whole (de
Bettignies, Ip, Bai, Habisch & Lenssen, 2011). These relationships are
categorised into five types: emperor-subject, father-son, husband-
wife, older-young brother, and friend-friend (Li, 1984). Leadership is
central to these relationships because society is viewed as
hierarchical, with each member typically having power over some,
while being subservient to others. Harmony, is seen as a paramount
objective in order to secure the sustainability of the society (Ip,
2009), which otherwise might be riven by power struggles. Therefore,
in an organisational context, leaders are encouraged to avoid any
extremes and ensure that employees willingly accept their duties
(Tsui, Wang, Xin, Zhang, & Fu, 2004). This approach involves a
delicate balance between obedience (which is expected of employees)
and rewards (which they may expect in return from the manager, in
the guise of a benevolent father-figure) (Zhang, Lin, Nonoka, & Beom,
2005). Obedience also depends on the leader’s commitment to
continual self-improvement, with the aim of achieving the
status of junzi, or superior man, (Ip, 2011).

23. Key Points
•Analyse the question: topic, focus, task
•Divide the question into parts and use 1, 2 or 3
paragraphs for each part
• Use each paragraph to focus on one part of the
question
• Log onto OWLL and join our Study Up sessions for
more ideas about research and writing
This presentation can be seen at:
http://tinyurl.com/assignmentquestions2016