Assessment Briefing – 2024/25

Module Code and Module Name

MPSY4181

Leadership, Engagement and Motivation

Assessment Type and Weighting

Case Study

Deadline or Assessment Period

20th March, 2025

Word Limit

3,000 words

Assessment Description

Waltham’s is a leading retailer specialising in a high end clothing, food and home wear products.

Annabelle has been a Senior Manager at Waltham’s for four years and leads the Customer Services Department of the company. In a recent appraisal, Annabelle undertook a 360-degree leadership survey and scored above average in the competency ‘Inspires and Motivates Others to High Performance’. Her report also indicated that her manager, peers, and direct reports saw this competency as critical for someone in her position. Some of the written comments in her survey indicated that if she demonstrated and applied this competency more often, it would have a significant positive impact on her success on the job. For these reasons, she’s focusing her personal leadership development over the next year on this competency.

Robin is a Customer Service Team Leader who reports directly to Annabelle. He has worked at

Waltham’s for nine years and his historical performance in sales has been excellent. He joined

Annabelle’s team twelve months ago from the home wear sales team. It is generally known among the team however that Robin does not have as strong an ability to manage time and communicate decisions effectively to enable his team to deal with customer queries and complaints. At the same time it is also well known that he is reluctant to put in any extra hours needed to meet personal and team goals and

regularly emphasizes that he does not ‘live to work’.

Unfortunately, Robin has had several performance setbacks on the job over the last three months. One of them revolved around some critical missed deadlines, which resulted in unresolved customer complaints that had to be escalated to senior management level.

Annabelle had also assigned him two projects with some goals that were not easy for Robin to hit, but she had issued those tasks specifically to give him development opportunities he had requested. This approach was typical for her, as she generally has a positive, confident approach with her employees. She worked together with him on his plans and checked in regularly with him during the weeks leading up to the deadlines. Each time she was assured by him that everything was on track. These were very visible failures that ended up impacting the performance of Robin’s entire team.

Other setbacks were related to workplace confrontations Robin has had with several of his team members following the missed deadlines. Annabelle has met with Robin during the past few months, moving quickly to pick him up on his missed responsibilities and inappropriate behaviour, to make clear to him and the team that she was holding him accountable for his actions. She interviewed Robin’s team to get their understanding of what happened and the impact these situations were having on the team. She’s also spent a good deal of time with Robin to try and establish the reasons for his behaviour and to help him get back on track. During her meetings with him, she sometimes downplayed the seriousness of the situations in order to make him feel better about himself.

At Waltham’s, a single reward system is implemented whereby end of year bonuses are awarded to employees based on annual performance ratings of teams. However, staff turnover is currently increasing, particularly amongst Customer Service staff, and recent interviews conducted by Annabelle have identified that Robin’s team feel that rewards based on team performance, rather than individual performance, are unfair. Team members expressed their lack of enthusiasm for going above and beyond for the organisation when their bonus was impacted by Robin’s missed deadlines.

Going forward, Annabelle planned regular meetings with Robin, where he expressed concerns about his ability to lead and motivate others since his role change, which has caused him to withdraw from his day-to-day responsibilities. Robin would much prefer to have a social life than a bonus and he can’t understand why his team are so angry. Annabelle suggested she would put Robin forward for management training to develop his skills and confidence. She also promised to feedback concerns about the current reward system to the Senior Management team. Although Robin has accepted Annabelle’s feedback and has shown willingness to take responsibility for his actions, he is feeling demotivated by the tensions in his team and with Annabelle.

With reference to academic literature, critically discuss the problems within the case study and outline a practical plan for how these could be resolved in relation to three of the following topics:

1. Engagement, commitment and organisational citizenship

2. The psychological contract and perceptions of justice

3. Motivation and reward

4. Leadership

5. Group processes

6. Appraisal

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. A systematic knowledge, critical awareness and practical understanding of leadership, employee engagement and motivation including the ability to critique theoretical frameworks.

2. A comprehensive critical understanding of the practical and ethical issues that face business/ occupational psychologists in the areas of leadership, employee engagement and motivation, including organisational citizenship and group processes.

3. Critical understanding and application of appropriate theories, to management systems including appraisal or rewards, to modern organisational contexts.

4. Conceptual understanding to identify needs, analyse needs, and formulate solutions and evaluate methodologies in the design and implementation of leadership, employee engagement and motivation systems.

Why this assessment?

This assessment has been chosen to help develop your skills and knowledge of leadership, engagement and motivation in organisations.

Required Sections

The following structure for your work is recommended:

Introduction

• Critical discussion of relevant literature and issues identified from the case study in relation to the three chosen topics.

Method

• Provide a clear description of your plan to address these issues and how this plan links to the three chosen topic areas. Consider potential practical and ethical issues with evidence to support your approach.

Evaluation

• How would you evaluate if your plan has been successful, include any practical or ethical considerations.

References

Advice for Success

Tips for success:

• Support for this assessment will be provided during teaching sessions, directed study and tutorial support with the module team. Please make the most of this support whilst completing your assessment.

• There is a formative task for this assessment, details will be provided on Blackboard and during teaching sessions. Ensure you complete this formative task to get the most out of the assessment.

Students who have done a similar assessment before recommend that you…

• Make sure you plan time to work on your assessment. This includes allocating time for reading, writing, editing, and formatting.

Advice from your Academic Librarian

• Use Library Services to search for relevant books, conference proceedings and journal articles

• Book an appointment with an Academic Liaison Librarian to discuss library services search terms, advice on referencing software and support with understanding and applying APA referencing

Important information about your assessment

You must submit an individual report that is YOUR OWN WORK. It is essential that you abide by the University Regulations on Academic Honesty, and any form of cheating will be dealt with in accordance with the University Regulations: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/681.htm

This module will be using Turnitin via the Blackboard module for assignment submission. Students will have the opportunity to view their own originality report, make amendments and re-submit up until the due date. Academic tutors will also be able to view the originality reports and occasionally they may be used as part of the process of investigation into suspected cases of academic misconduct.

To submit your work, go to the Blackboard site for this module and submit your work via the Turnitin submission portal under the ‘assessments’ section. Do not forget to click ‘Accept submission’ to save. You can also generate a receipt. You should always check that your work has been correctly uploaded following submission.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT YOUR ELECTRONIC ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION:

• Assignments not submitted via Blackboard will not be accepted and a NS mark will be entered in such cases.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you up-load your assignment in good time before the deadline and to the correct drop-box or gateway.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that you up-load the correct file with your assignment. Double copies of assignments will not be accepted and in such cases the first submission will be marked.

• Assignments submitted incorrectly (i.e.: in the wrong place, empty file, work simply pasted into a window on Blackboard) will not be marked and a NS grade will be entered.

• Assignments submitted after the deadline will be subject to the usual penalties for late submission.

• If you experience difficulties with the IT systems, please contact the ILS helpdesk tel@worc.ac.uk and NOT the module team.

• Mitigating circumstances citing reasons such as “Blackboard did not work” will not be accepted

unless ILS issues a formal notification of system failure on the relevant days.

• Please use Arial 12pt font and double space your work. Remember to use APA format for citations and references.

• Marking is done anonymously by default and students are not required to put their names in the assignment.

You must adhere to the word limit for the assessment. There will be a +10% margin, beyond which nothing will be marked. The word count refers to everything in the main body of the text. Everything before (ie abstract, acknowledgements, contents, executive summaries etc) and after the main text (ie references, bibliographies, appendices etc) is NOT included in the word count limit. Tables in the main body of the assignment are included in the word count. The marker will not consider any work after the

+10% word count has been reached, within the allocation of marks. Students may therefore be penalised for a failure to be concise and for failing to conclude their work within the word count specified. For presentation assignment, the same approach will be taken with regard to a +10% time limit. Please provide an accurate word count on the front of your work.

Arrangements for feedback: Provisional grades and feedback for assessment 001 (Public Communication) will be available to you on SOLE (where you will receive your grade) and Blackboard (where you will receive your feedback) after 20 working days of the deadline.

Reassessment: In the event you are required to take a reassessment for either assignment you will receive formal notification of this from Registry Services, after the meeting of the Board of Examiners in late June, including details of the reassessment task(s). In the event of not being notified of the reassessment task(s), a copy will be available via the SOLE pages or by contacting the Registry. Re- assessments will be in the form of a report.

CRITERIA

GRADE A

GRADE B

GRADE C

GRADE D

GRADE F

GRADE G

Relevance (relationship to the

Exceptional

Very strong

Good thorough

Sufficient response

Weak response to

Very poor response

assessment criteria)

response to all the

response to the

response to

to assessment

main assessment

to main assessment

Does the work answer the

assessment criteria

assessment criteria

assessment criteria

criteria for the task

criteria for the task

criteria for the task

question set to show attainment

for the task

for the task

for the task

of the learning outcomes?

Advanced Knowledge and

Exceptional

Highly developed

Good systematic

Adequate sound

Limited advanced

Very limited

understanding

systematic mastery

systematic advanced

advanced

advanced

knowledge and

advanced

of advanced

knowledge and

knowledge and

knowledge and

understanding of

knowledge and

knowledge,

critical

understanding of

understanding of the

area of study

understanding of

principles and

understanding of

area of study

area of study, some

area of study

concepts in area of

area of study,

including awareness

of which is informed

study, together with

including

of current issues and

by developments at

very strong

independent critical

insights at the

the forefront of the

independent critical

awareness of current

forefront of the

discipline

and evaluative

issues and insights

discipline

understanding of

at the forefront of the

current issues and

discipline

insight at the

forefront of the

discipline

Analysis (Critical analysis)

Goes well beyond

Evidence of

Evidence of

Evidence of

Insufficient evidence

Significantly

Does the work provide evidence

what is taught in

systematic breadth

systematic breadth

independent

of independent

inadequate evidence

of conceptual understanding,

insightful, advanced

and depth of

and depth of

engagement with

engagement with

of independent

applied analytical interpretation

study/research, to

critically appraised

independent

advanced research

advanced research

engagement with

and evaluation?

develop original

and insightful

engagement with

and study to inform

and study and/or of

advanced research

critical analysis and

advanced study/

advanced study and

satisfactory

relevant current

and study

evaluation that

research to develop

research to develop

response to task, but

academic references

shows exceptional

independent original

relevant critical

limited in range and

initiative and an

critical analysis and

analysis to inform

depth of critical

authoritative

evaluation

good response to

analysis

independent grasp

task

of issues

Understanding of techniques

Exceptional ability in

Well developed

Comprehensive

Comprehensive

Evidence of critical

Evidence of critical

of enquiry

accomplished and

competent critical

critical and practical

critical and practical

and practical

and practical

innovative

and practical self-

understanding of

understanding of

understanding of

understanding of

application of

directed application

techniques of

techniques of

techniques of

techniques of

comprehensive

of techniques of

enquiry and

enquiry and

enquiry for area of

enquiry for area of

critical and practical

enquiry to provide

independent

application to

study has significant

study is significantly

understanding of

original solutions to

application to

research/advanced

gaps or flaws

lacking

techniques of enquiry to provide original solutions to complex problems in

the field of study

complex problems in the field of study

research/advanced scholarship in field of study

scholarship in field of study

resulting in limited ability to critique advanced scholarship in field

Quality of argument

(Argument/ Communication)- Is the work presented logically, with themes and links made between sources of theory and evidence?

constructing

academic arguments and communicating complex ideas/ viewpoints/ information/ evidence to advance knowledge and understanding

Very well developed

communication/ presentation of complex ideas/ viewpoints/ information/ evidence to sustain scholarly arguments that advance understanding

Effective logical and

coherent communication/ presentation of complex ideas/ viewpoints/ information/ evidence to sustain informed arguments

Competent logical

and coherent communication/ presentation of complex ideas/ viewpoints/ information/ evidence to sustain argument with some weaknesses, eg in structure, coherence or currency, but generally sound if

standard judgement

Argument/

explanation is weak/poorly constructed, unsubstantiated or significantly lacking in coherence or validity

Little evidence of an

independently constructed argument with appropriate supporting analysis or evidence

Evaluation & Conclusion (Skills development) How well is the information evaluated & is there a conclusion?

Exceptional demonstration at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

The work shows that different and complex views have been discussed, leading to a justified, independent conclusion/s based on an evaluation of the evidence.

Relationships between knowledge derived from different contexts are demonstrated as appropriate (e.g. information from different modules)

Capable and effective application at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

The work shows that different and complex views in the information have mostly been evaluated to reach a coherent conclusion/s.

Consistent and effective application at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

The work shows some recognition of the complexity of academic debate and conflicting views in the information have, in general, been discussed and some conclusion/s drawn.

Effective demonstration at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

The work shows limited recognition of the complexity of academic debate.

Conflicting views in the information are presented in a simplified unevaluated way.

Any conclusion/s are limited.

Insufficient evidence of demonstration at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

Very limited evidence of demonstration at a professional level of competency in relevant evaluation skills

Format and style (Skills development)

Is the format and style in line with subject conventions? E.g., APA for Psychology

Exceptional demonstration of format and style

An appropriate format and style including language, layout and referencing has been consistently applied.

Capable and effective demonstration of format and style

An appropriate format and style including language, layout and referencing has been mostly applied.

Consistent and effective demonstration of format and style

An appropriate format and style including language, layout and referencing has

been partially applied.

Effective demonstration of format and style

An appropriate format and style including language, layout and referencing is apparent in places

Insufficient demonstration of format and style

The work has an inappropriate format and style

Very limited demonstration of format and style