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Assignment Guidance for LC565 – Understanding Work Environment I
Title: Choose an organisation you wish to analyse. This can be an organisation in:
Private sector (e.g. Amazon, Deliveroo, Bupa, AXA Health, etc.);
Public sector (e.g. the NHS, the BBC, the Armed Forces, etc.); or
‘Third sector’ (e.g. Oxfam, Cancer Research UK, etc.), as you prefer.
Contents Page:
Include the table of contents, with page numbers for each section.
Include your total word count (excluding reference list).
Introduction
Hook (interesting opening sentence): Tell the reader something that is interesting about your chosen organisation. For example, if you choose to analyse Amazon: When Jeff Bezos first started the company in 1995, it was just a bookstore run out of his home garage. In February 2022, it was in the top three of Fortune Magazine’s list of World’s Most Admired Companies. Expand slightly on this – remember the word count.
Background information. Give some information about your chosen company:
The type of organisation (statutory/non-statutory? What does it mean – give a definition);
Its overall purpose(s) or goal(s);
Any other relevant arrangements (e.g. organisational structure, stakeholders, etc.). Keep it short, as you are going to expand on it later.
Aim of the report:
What will this report discuss? Or, what is the focus of this report?
What sociological issue related to organisations will be analysed? (Refer to Module’s Learning Outcomes (LO 1-4) in the assignment brief).
What TWO forms of social identity (e.g. class, gender, ethnicity, disability, age, etc.) will be discussed, relating to the chosen organisation?
What concepts, policies and theories will be used and applied to support debates?
Main body (approx. 1500 words). Include headings and sub-headings:
Explore and show understanding about your chosen topic. Your arguments should be clear, logical and well-structured. It should also have a detailed analysis of your chosen organisation with evidence of significant research, including:
Discussion of organisation’s main purpose and goals;
The organisation’s values and ethical practices;
Relevant public policy and legislation, depending on the sector;
Two forms of identity (e.g. class, gender, ethnicity, disability, age, etc.) and how organisation is approaching inequalities related to these;
Discuss evidence from other similar (or, indeed, contrasting) organisations in developing key points.
You should also use relevant theories such as modernity, late modernity, the globalization (Durkheim; Beck), conflict, class struggle, labour division (Marx), free market economy – ‘the invisible hand’ (Smith), hierarchy and bureaucracy (Weber); Trade Unions theories (see Week 2, 3 lecture materials), etc.
Conclusion (200 words):
This should include a summary of your findings from your report, with some recommendations for future improvement. Usually, the references are not required for this section.
Do not introduce new concepts, theories and other aspects of the topic in your coclusion (these should be discussed in the main body).
Reference list (not included in your word count):
Include your Reference list at the end of your report. Ensure you are referencing correctly, using Harvard Referencing Guide available on LSST Connect portal.
Remember to use in-text citations continuously throughout your work, to demonstrate relevant empirical (research) evidence and to avoid plagiarism.
LC565 Assignment GuidanceProduced by Oksana Svetalovska H&SS 2021-22