Introduction to management

Assessment task 2: Ideas in management – ANZ Banking Corporation case study – (critical essay). (55%)
This is a substantial piece of writing which :
Initially requires you to collate the presented case material, and then further build the case study material, from the basics provided, using your chosen management topic as the expander of the theory, or practice, or an issue in management, that you wish to explore in relation to this ANZ Banking Corporation case study, and or the banking industry itself.
You must submit your essay topic choice to your tutor for either: guidance, or development and refinement, as well as approval, by the end of week 5. Failure to do this will compromise your ability to get the best from your assignment.
Choose one of the following six topics and write your critical essay using the case study as your background and context against which to critically explore some part (negotiated with your tutor) of that topic question.

1. Diversity
Critically examine the concept of workforce diversity, and the implications for current management and workplace practices in ANZ in Australia, and offshore.
Consider that within many companies there is a difference between the espoused theory and the reality of the practice of workforce diversity.
Alternatively you may consider the concept of diversity in relation to the customer base. Who is traditionally lent to and why? And how the management of ANZ and the banking industry is looking to strategically extend their lending into much more diverse customer sets? What questions and issues does this raise for the managers who implement these strategic diversity decisions.

2. Globalisation
Critically examine the managerial implications for borderless organisations.
Identify and consider some of the key issues and concerns for ANZ internal management policies and practice across multi-national sites, cultures and workforces. Or consider ANZ management’s (or the banking industry’s) oversight of, or local responsibilities for transnational corporate customers.

3. Ethics and Governance
The ANZ Banking Corporation has strongly stated governance, and corporate ethics/code of conduct expectations, and espoused practices to which all managers and staff are required to be signatories.
But in early 2014 there was a great deal of media coverage and criticism about ANZ’s ethical and corporate social responsibilities in relation to controversial Cambodian sugar plantation loans, and the financial support of corporations whose practices dispossess and undermine local and historical tenants in other countries.
What does this sort of example say about the reality of ANZ’s (and the banking industry’s) actual ethical and CSR practices in their judgments about who they lend to? And what ethical and CSR issues their lending oversights should address? What is, or should be, the manager’s role in this?

4. Managing for Sustainability
“Sustainable” business practices are being touted, or even required, more and more by western society. What is ANZ’s sustainability policy and how is this congruent (or not) with cutting edge sustainability thinking and theory.
What are the implications for the management of ANZ of imposing western views of sustainability on developing countries? How does this sustainability thinking and practice change across borders? And if so, how does the ANZ’s Australian head office engage with it? Does what they espouse align with the reality of their practice? What does the theory say about this ? What is, or should be, the manager’s role in this?

5. Internal “Entrepreneurship”
The ANZ apparently fosters the growth of an intrapreneurial spirit within its ranks across all regions, both in Australia and offshore. How does the ANZ address and cultivate intrapreneurial activities and behaviours? What is their intent? And what is their approach?
Consider what is the reality of their practice as seen through the mass media and scholarly investigations, as versus their own statements about their intraprenuerial practices – ie reality vs rhetoric – is there a gap?

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6. Individual topic development
OR you will select an aspect/element of one of the weekly lecture topics, and critically explore it in some detail as per the essay instructions below. If you choose to develop this type of essay topic then you MUST submit the topic to your tutor for guidance, refinement and approval, before you commence writing. It MUST be signed off by your tutor. Failure to do this may result in the waste of a lot of, or even all, your time and effort.
The tutor has the right of topic refusal. (Some topics such as “the evolution of management” will be specifically excluded from consideration.)

The essay assessment rubric:
A rubric has been built within the course website on myRMIT and includes the following key elements:
1. Summarise current approach(es) to topic (congruence / discord in theory, practice)
2. Contextualisation of key topic concepts to the Banking sector (not necessarily ANZ Bank specifically)
3. Supported by academic literature (evidenced by the inclusion of at least five contextualised scholarly articles, and the inclusion of other resource material)
4. Logically structured, referenced in compliance with the RMIT Business Referencing style and written in substantially essay format.
The critique must be fully referenced. Correct and thorough referencing will be a key evaluation element in each required segment. You are required to use RMIT Business Referencing Guidelines. The quality and credibility of your sources will also be considered in the evaluation of your assignment. A minimum of five scholarly articles are required; expand this basic reference list with more articles, including those from mass media, film and video sources, and other resource materials. (NB Wikipedia is not considered an appropriate reference. Neither are many other online sources considered credible.) Please ensure that your spelling, grammar, and syntax is correct before you submit your essay. Your tutor, and the course website, will advise on a variety of support services such as SLAMS and the SLC to help you with this.
Further information about essay presentation and referencing style will be provided in your tutorial and on the course website.
Word count: The critique should be within the range 2000 – 2500 words. Your reference list, any cover sheets, any appendices, and the assessment rubric are not to be included in the word count.
Due date: no later than 11.59pm on the Friday of week 12 (Friday 17th October) of Semester 2, 2014. Any additional specific submission instructions for Assessment Task 2 will be posted under the BUSM4176 course information link in MyRMIT.
Submission process: the critical essay in MS Word format must be submitted online through the course Blackboard site. Use the requested file naming protocols to ensure that your essay will be found, retrieved, and marked by your tutor without difficulty. You may be required to (additionally) submit a hard copy of the essay, but only if your tutor requests one. Your class lecturer/tutor will advise on this.
File naming protocols: will be posted on the course Bb website
Turnitin (Anti-plagiarism software) will be an automatic part of your online submission process. Submission instructions will be on the course website under “Assessment tasks”. You will be able to make multiple practise submissions using this process until the due date cut-off. Please use this function to help refine your referencing skills etc.
This assessment task links to the following learning outcomes / capability developments:
•   explore and discuss key issues in management practise
•   interpret and explain foundational contributions to management theory
•   comprehend and critically discuss key management concepts and arguments and place these within their principal cultural, economic, historical, philosophical and social contexts