辅导 Corporate Governance and Ethics (N1622): Assessed Essay Spring Term, 2024辅导 C/C++语言

Corporate Governance and Ethics (N1622): Assessed Essay

Spring Term, 2024

Essay: (30% of total module assessment).

Submission Deadline: Week 10

Word Count: 1,000 words +/- 10%

- The essay should be 1,000 words in length (excluding references and appendices). It should be word processed, double spaced, and written in an appropriately academic style.

Essay Topic:

Boardroom diversity has been gaining focus as the concept of Corporate Governance is gaining strength. There are many facets of boardroom diversity but, Gender Diversity in particular is catching the attention. The presence of women on boards has been growing over time. However, the evidence that board gender diversity benefits firms is mixed.

Critically discuss whether the participation of women in the firm's board of directors enhances financial performance. Support your discussion with relevant theories, literature and examples.

Essay Structure

The essay will be graded as a piece of independent academic research and as such should have the following formal structure:

Abstract

This abstract can be roughly viewed of as being in two parts. The first introduces the problem (s) or issue (s) to be tackled in the essay. The second briefly outlines the key findings from your piece of research (the essay).

Introduction

This is where you should introduce the reader (marker) to the problem you are researching and justifying why the reader should be interested i.e. making clear the importance of this problem/ issue. At the end of the first paragraph you should clearly place a research question along the lines of…….. “….and as such I am interested to study the impact of currency and monetary unions on the repatriation of operating profits of MNE firms” for example. The very last part of the introduction should outline how you intend to proceed i.e. “In the next section I outline the literature behind this problem. In section 3 I analyse and discuss key findings while the final section concludes.”

Background Literature and analysis

This is where you must outline the background literature to your topic. As such you must access the electronic library, JSTOR, and specifically academic journals and look for material that is highly relevant to the specific issue you have chosen to research.

This section is your opportunity to analyse what you have found in the literature on your chosen research topic. As such you should make your analysis real and pertinent to the literature and critically appraise the literature i.e. the arguments that have been presented in literature. Very often any subject in the literature will have many researchers/ authors researching it. These researchers will commonly have various viewpoints or arguments/ perspectives on that particular subject or issue. As such this section is your opportunity to demonstrate how well you have read the subject – how good your understanding is and to what depth you have understood the issues.

Conclusions

Summarise your key findings .

References

ALL references WITHOUT FAIL must adhere to Harvard referencing style. (www.sussex.ac.uk/skillshub/?id=379 ) . Marks will be deducted if this is not achieved.

Marking Scheme

Indicative criteria for assessment of student work with non-quantitative components

First Class

(1)

70%-100%

A First Class (or Distinction) level answer is an excellent answer which demonstrates a systematic understanding of detailed, relevant knowledge. These pieces of work will display many of the following features:

Structure

· Clearly written, well organised and signposted.

· Coverage

· Comprehensive coverage of issues in relation to question.

· Thorough understanding of a relevant range of literature.

· Analysis

· Argument demonstrates depth of analysis, knowledge and understanding.

· Evidence of reflection and own analysis of the literature together with an ability to see how lessons learned could be applied to other contexts/examples.

· Critical evaluation of a wide range of material; may make reference to other relevant issues.

· Very good use of supporting evidence and examples.

· Clear conclusion.

Upper Second Class

(2.1)

60%-69%

This is a very good answer, which demonstrates a good level of knowledge. These pieces of work will display several of the following features:

Structure

· Clearly written, well organised in a logical manner and clearly signposted.

Coverage

· Successfully completes task and displays clear understanding of the main issues.

· Substantial coverage of relevant literature and knowledge of topic.

Analysis

· Describes and analyses issues in relation to the question.

· Critical discussion and presentation of an argument.

· Good use of supporting evidence.

· Clear conclusion.

Criteria

Lower Second Class

(2.2)

50%-59%

This is a good answer which competently completes the task. It generally reproduces taught material but may display little evidence of independent reading. A 2:2 answer will display several of the following features:

Structure

· Adequately written.

· Maybe poorly structured without clear signposting.

Coverage

· Completes most tasks expected, but could be too simplistic.

· Demonstrates some understanding of lecture material and basic reading.

· Coverage of relevant literature but the sources are not always fully referenced.

Analysis

· Summarises the literature rather than critically engaging with it.

· Descriptive and lacking analysis.

· Some understanding but lack of critical thought.

· Insufficient evidence of critical thinking.

Third Class

(3)

40%-49%

This is a weak answer which demonstrates some knowledge, but it tends to be superficial, incomplete or poorly understood. A third class answer will display several of the following features:

Structure

· Maybe poorly written and badly structured.

· Lacking introduction.

Coverage

· Shows a limited range of reading.

· Fails to address question or misses an important aspect of the question. Shows confusion but some basic knowledge and relevant discussion.

· Shows knowledge of the major issues, but not strictly relevant to the question.

Analysis

· Major gaps in analysis.

· Demonstrates no widespread knowledge or analysis.

· Limited understanding of relevant issues.

· Limited discussion.