Achievement grades at level 2

Sample question

Discuss the impact of Kai Enterprises Ltd decentralising its decision-making. In your answer:

• explain how Kai Enterprises Ltd might decentralise its decision-making
• fully explain ONE advantage of decentralisation for Kai Enterprises Ltd
• justify the decision to decentralise the decision-making as an appropriate course of action for Kai Enterprises Ltd.

Achieved

Explaining: Students give reasons for the statement/description.

• State what the answer is to the question asked, then
• Expand by giving the reason(s) why the what occurs or links ideas to provide a coherent rationale.

Example

Kai Enterprises Ltd may decentralise its decision-making with senior executives passing on operational decision-making to store managers. This allows store managers to have more flexibility and responsibility for decision-making. One advantage of flexibility for Kai Enterprises Ltd store managers is that stores can respond to local customer needs, and make decisions which allow them to better satisfy local or regional customers.

Merit

Fully explaining: Students develop their explanation with further expansion of how the situation/action could impact on potential business or stakeholder goals, or a particular outcome. This will generally relate to effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences.

• State what the answer is to the question asked, then
• Expand by giving the reason(s) why the what occurs or links ideas to provide a coherent rationale.
• Support the reason(s) with examples(s) or information that relates to effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences. Show how the effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences contribute to a particular outcome or business or stakeholder goals.

Example

Kai Enterprises Ltd may decentralise its decision-making with senior executives passing on operational decision-making to store managers.  This allows store managers to have more flexibility and responsibility for decision-making.  One advantage of flexibility for Kai Enterprises Ltd store managers is that stores can respond to local customer needs, and make decisions which allow them to better satisfy local or regional customers. For example, local stores may stock a range of locally produced goods or have different opening hours, depending on their customer requirements.  This will better cater for the different customer demand, thus resulting in higher sales for each local store.

Excellence

Fully explaining and justifying: Students develop their explanation with further expansion of how the situation/action could impact on potential business or stakeholder goals, or, how effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences contribute to a particular outcome. Justify with relevant evidence, the significance of the decision or the likelihood of success.

• State what the answer is to the question asked, then
• Expand by giving the reason(s) why the what occurs or links ideas to provide a coherent rationale.
• Support the reason(s) with examples(s) or information that relates to effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences. Show how the effects, advantages, disadvantages, and/or consequences contribute to a particular outcome or business or stakeholder goals.
• Justify with relevant evidence the significance of the decision or the likelihood of success. This should include reference to alternative courses of action or new information to further support the decision that has not already been established in earlier parts of the question.

Example

Kai Enterprises Ltd may decentralise its decision-making with senior executives passing on operational decision-making to store managers. This allows store managers to have more flexibility and responsibility for decision-making. One advantage of flexibility for Kai Enterprises Ltd store managers is that stores can respond to local customer needs, and make decisions which allow them to better satisfy local or regional customers. For example, local stores may stock a range of locally produced goods or have different opening hours, depending on their customer requirements. This will better cater for the different customer demand, thus resulting in higher sales for each local store. Decentralising its decision-making also allows store managers and staff to feel more empowered as it demonstrates trust in and commitment to them. Productivity in the decentralised stores may increase, leading to increased motivation within Kai Enterprises Ltd and lower costs in the long-term.

Last updated February 5, 2015

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