Overview
Please read this assignment brief and scenario very carefully.
The assignment for this module is based on the examination of key issues in the field of new product development management, focusing on theoretical and practical issues. You are required to address two aspects in this assessment:
- Address a specific question on new product development management.
- Select a topic from those analysed during the module.
For both parts of the assessment you are required to write a critical essay, weighted at 100% of the module assessment. This is an individual piec of work which requires you to describe and analyse both the importance and features and critically evaluate the relevance of each topic, integratin theory, examples and related product development management practices.
Learning Outcomes
The assignment addresses these module learning outcomes:
LO1: Critically evaluate product development and management theories and concepts.
LO2: Discuss and reflect upon one or more aspects of product development management using appropriate theoretical models and frameworks from the academic literature.
LO3: Demonstrate an understanding of the various activities involved in the management of new product development within an organisation, whilst integrating both academic and practical information.
Essay Questions
The assignment consists of two essays, the marks for each essay are equally weighted. You must complete both parts A and B.
Part A: Set topic (2,500 words)
You should complete your first essay by critically analysing the following statement:
“Crawford and Di Benedetto’s, 2014* five phase model of the product development process provides a prescriptive linear model that can be utilise for the management of all types of new product development projects within a company’s new product portfolio”.
*see your reading list for: Crawford and Di Benedetto, 2014. New Products Management (Irwin Marketing). New York: Mc Graw Hill.
Part B: Choice of topics (2,500 words)
1. Select a topic that interests you from the list below:
Sustainable product development management
Managing the fuzzy front end of new product development
Managing new packaging development
- In your essay, your chosen topic should then be developed with regard to a specific theme that was explored during the week we covered the topic. For example, if you were to select ‘managing the fuzzy front end of new product development’, you may want to focus more on knowledge problems and how they can be overcome. This is entirely up to you as long as the title of your essay builds on the topics explored.
Word Count
The total word count for this assignment is 5,000 words (+/- 10%).
This includes everything you write, but excludes:
Title page
Reference list
Tables, graphs
In-text citations.
Penalties will be applied to assignments that do not comply with the word count, which should be stated at the top of the document submitted.
You should allocate the words equally between the two parts of the assignment as the marks for each part are equally weighted (eg 2,500 words for Part A and 2,500 words for Part B).
Reference lists should be included within the document submitted, but are not included in the 5,000 word limit (although in-text references are).
Essay Guidelines and Structure
For each aspect of the assignment follow the guidelines below:
You are required to integrate both academic and non-academic sources in the critical part of the essays. In order to use the most reliable ones below are some useful websites that are acknowledged as good business sources:
The Economist
Tech Radar
The Entrepreneur
Business Insider
Relevant company websites and annual reports.
You should use academic journal sources, and to support this, you should consult relevant journal databases and ABS guide to evaluate the reliability and field of the consulted sources.
The work should be structured in an essay style: Introduction, Main body, Discussion and Conclusions. Additional sub-headings can be include within this overall style.
Essay structure requirements
Title: Your title should communicate the analysis done in the essay.
For example, “Examining the challenges in managing the fuzzy front end of product development: an analysis of knowledge problems and coping
mechanisms: a review on firm characteristics stimulating innovation”.
The title page should also include the word count, your student ID, and name of the module.
Table of contents:
Introduction: This section should establish your key concepts and briefly state aims of the essay. For example, if you were choosing the topic related to the fuzzy front end you would then explain how your work will try to address particular key aspects of the topic.
Main Body: The main body of the essay should reflect the structure of the different aspects you are planning to analyse. There is no specific requirement as this is entirely up to you and the way you would like to communicate your analysis. The example of the structure below provides you with a potential approach which would start by exampling what the fuzzy front end and the knowledge related challenges are.
Main Body Structure Example
Part 1: Understanding the importance of knowledge problems in the fuzzy front end
Part 2: Types of knowledge problems in the front end and their different characteristics
Part 3: Coping with different types of knowledge problems in the front end and implications for its management.
Discussion and conclusions: This section should summarise the points made in the main body of the essay and suggest any important future research aspects.
References: All in text citations should be in APA 7th edition. A list of references is required for the works cited in the essay.
Appendices: Additional materials can be included in the Appendix.
Assignment Deadline
Use the Assessment tab for details of the assignment deadline.
To ensure the assignment deadlines displayed in your Moodle account are accurate, check your profile is set to your current time zone.
To adjust your time zone settings:
Click your name in the top right
Select profile
Select edit profile
Click timezone
Note : Please remember, it is your responsibility to submit your assignment on time. Allow yourself plenty of time to upload it. The typical late submission and word limits penalties apply.
Grading Criteria
The grading criteria will be applied to your work. The information below is to help you understand how elements of your assignment will be marke and provide you with a weighting reference.
Marking Criteria For Essay Answers apply to both Part A and Part B.
For further Grading Descriptors Guidance, please refer to the Marking and Assignment Criteria page in the Course Hub.
Knowledge and Understanding (weighting 40%)
Critical Thinking and Analysis (weighting 40%)
Presentation, Communication and Narrative Writing (weighting 20%)
Submission
Your submission will be checked by Turnitin and an originality report will be generated. Please note, the originality report may take 24 (or more) hours to be generated, after you submit.
You have a submission window of two weeks. You can therefore submit your work to the dropbox prior to the deadline, view the similarity repo and amend your submission, should you choose to.
Moodle submission to correct submission box ONLY. You are NOT ALLOWED to submit by other means, eg email.
Late submissions are not permitted via this submission box. If you are attempting to submit after the deadline specified below, you must use the late submission box.
Unless you have a valid ECF (extenuating circumstances form), your mark for your submitted work to the late submission box will be capped a 40%.
You can find more information on uploading your assignment and the Turnitin originality report here.
Issues Submitting
Students experiencing problems uploading their work to Moodle are advised to take a screenshot of the error or problem they have faced and, during UK office hours should contact Mary Watkins mary.watkins@port.ac.uk and out of office hours should contact servicedesk@port.ac.uk with the following details:
- Student Number
- Unit Name (where you are trying to submit work)
- Course Name
- Screenshot of the error you encountered
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