INFS5885: E-Business

Session 2, 2014

Individual Assignment

Following are the requirements for the
Individual Assignment. Please read these requirements carefully before you
commence your assignment and then again when you have completed your assignment
so to ensure that it meets the requirements.

Value:

20% of your overall course mark.

Due Date &
Lodgement:

This assignment requires both online
and hardcopy submissions.

The online
submission (made via the Turnitin mechanism in the Assignment folder on the
course website by midnight Tuesday 2 September)

The hardcopy is to be submitted at the
start of the Week 6 Seminar (2/9/2013).

Mode:

To be undertaken individually

Learning Outcomes
Addressed:

1
Identify electronic business
technologies, applications, and skills relevant to solve business problems and
explore business opportunities

2
Propose and evaluate strategies for
intra-organizational use of electronic business technologies.
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Objectives:

The purpose of this assignment is for
you to investigate what makes for an effective online sales channel for an
established retailer and to apply your findings to an Australian clicks &
bricks retailer and analyse their online sale presence for its effectiveness.

Required:

Write a report of no more 2,500 words
(absolute maximum) that:

1. Discusses, in general terms, what
makes for an effective online sales presence for established bricks and
mortar retailers within a particular industry / market and explains how this
might differ from the online only businesses within that industry / market.

2. Analyses the effectiveness of the
online sales presence of an established bricks and mortar retailer using the
criteria you created from your understanding of the literature.

3. Make recommendations for the business
you examined in part 2 as to how it might improve its online presence /
e-business operations.

Your report must note any assumptions
you made.

INFS5885,
S2, 2014 1

Sources
of Literature

It is important in the first part of
the assignment that you draw on the current literature both academic and
practitioner – by practitioner we mean industry / trade journals and magazines,
consulting white papers and the like). It is also important that you find
recent articles there will be lots of literature from about 10 to 15 years
ago and while this will be of some help, things have changed and you will need
to make sure you include more up-to-date references.

Your starting point should be the text
as this will provide references to other literature. Access to journals and
papers is via Sirius (accessible from the UNSW Library website). The following
databases are recommended:

ABI/Inform IEEExplore

Science Direct

Selection of
Industry/ Market and Business to Investigate

You need to make choices in your
assignment:

1. Choice of industry you can choose
any industry you like, however it must at least some online only (or
predominately online) businesses
2. Choice of bricks and mortar business
you can choose any business you like from within your chosen industry. You will
need to establish that is has both a physical retail operation and an online
sales presence
3. Please note that your choice of
industry / organisation is not limited to retailers of physical goods, you can
select a service organization as long as it has both a physical and online
presence and services can be purchases both online and not online and it is a
retailer (ie sells to the public).

Please select the industry / business
you intend to investigate with care. Assignments that are completed on an
industry / business that does not meet the criteria set out in the section
Selection of Industry / Market and Business to Investigate, will be penalised
(see penalties for details).

Please note that you should be able to
find all of the information related to the business that you need to complete
the assignment from the businesss website and in media reports. You should not
contact the organization you have selected to investigate in regard to this
assignment.

Length:

The maximum word length of the assignment is 2,500 words.
Assignments that exceed this limit will be penalised. The expected length of
the report is between 2,250 and 2,500 words.

Please note that the executive
summary, bibliography and appendices are excluded from the word count.

You should be mindful of the marks awarded to each part
(as per the marking criteria below) when allocated the amount of words spend on
each part.

Format:

Your report should make use of:

Headings and sub-headings (at a
minimum, each of the parts should start with a heading) Bullet points

Tables

Diagrams and figures

Your report must also include:

A Table of Contents is required

INFS5885,
S2, 2014 2

An Executive
Summary is required

Your report must make use academic
style referencing.

Specific requirements:

10 or 12 point font

Page numbers on each page Normal
margins

Binding is not permitted simply
staple you assignment in the top left hand corner.

Coversheet:

You must use the coversheet provided.

Referencing &
Reference List:

It is expected that your report will
make use of at least ten academic journal articles and practitioner articles.

A list of references (bibliography)
must be included. The reference list is not included in the word count for your
assignment. Your reference list must reference all websites used in the
assignment. The reference list should only list documents / websites that are
actually cited in the assignment

The method for citing references is
Harvard. If you are unfamiliar with Harvard then consult the ASB Harvard
Referencing Guide at http://wwwdocs.fce.unsw.edu.au/fce/EDU/harvard_ref_guide.pdf

Using a citation method other than
Harvard referencing will result in a penalty.

Late Lodgement &
Extensions:

Late assignments (without approved
extensions) will attract a penalty of 10% of the available marks per day of
lateness. This means for this assignment, each day that it is late will incur a
penalty of 2 marks, which will be deducted from the mark you assignment is
awarded. Please note:

Extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances
and documentation is required where an extension is sought on medical grounds.

You should note that extensions are not usually granted
for computer-related problems or heavy workloads (at either your job or
University).

All applications for extension should
made to Ken Stevens

Penalties:

Penalties will apply in the following
circumstances:

Assignment is completed on an Industry
/ Market and Business that does not meet the criteria set out in the section
Selection of Industry / Market and Business to Investigation 50% of the
marks awarded.

The assignment
contains spelling and grammatical mistakes (1 mark penalty) The submission
requirements have not been adhered to (1 mark penalty).

Failure to use the Harvard referencing
method (1 mark penalty).

The assignment is submitted late (2
marks penalty per day of lateness)

The assignment contains material which is not properly
cited in accordance with University policy.

INFS5885,
S2, 2014 3

You
should also note that plagiarism or other academic misconduct will not be
tolerated and all instances found will be pursued. At a minimum this typically
entails the student being award zero (0) marks the plagiarize assignment.

Assistance:

Please contact Ken Stevens ([email protected])
if you require assistance with this assignment.

Marking Criteria:

The following criteria will applied to
marking the assignment:

In general:

Each part (1, 2 and 3) will be marked
on the extent to which that part answers the question pertaining to that part
and supports that answer with sound logic and references to the literature. The
marker will also consider extent to which the answer demonstrates a clear
understanding of the concepts involved in the question, an appreciation of the
context of the question, an insight into question.

Reports that address each of the
criteria set out below very well will be rewarded with a very good mark for that
section. Reports that address each of the criteria set out below well (or some
very well, and other not so well) will receive a good mark. Reports that fail
to adequately address most of the criteria set out below will receive a poor
mark.

Part 1: (30%)

Question:

1. Discusses, in general terms, what
makes for an effective online sales presence for established clicks and
mortar retailers within a particular industry / market and explains how this
might differ from the online only businesses within that industry / market.

Marking Criteria:

When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the assignment:

Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.

Provides a clear and concise
discussion of the key factors that are seen to make up / determine the
effectiveness of an online presence for an established business.

Clear differentiates between factors
that relate to clicks and bricks and those that related to online only.

Provides clear and
concise criteria for use in the analysis of the business. Makes use of relevant
literature and supports key points with references.

In addition the marker will consider
the extent to which the assignment:

Demonstrates an appreciation of differences between
business that have grown up on the web and those that have had to add the web
to their existing business.

Includes additional
discussion that is relevant to question. Discusses the online sales use within
the industry

Part 2: (40%)

Question:

INFS5885,
S2, 2014 4

2.
Analyses
the effectiveness of the online sales presence of an established bricks and
mortar retailer using the criteria you created from your understanding of the
literature.

Marking Criteria:

When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the answer:

Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.

Provides a clear and concise overview
of the relevant aspects of the business and its online presence.

Demonstrates that a methodical and
well thought through analysis of the business has been undertaken

Presents the finds of the analysis is
a clear, concise and logical manner.

Present well founded discussion and
opinion as to the effectiveness of the business current online sales presence.

Part 3: (20%)

Question:

3. Make recommendations for the business
you examined in part 2 as to how it might improve its online presence /
e-business operations.

Marking Criteria:

When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the assignment:

Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.

Presents well founded recommendations
that are mindful of both the business context and the effectiveness criteria
being applied

Provides a clear linkage with the
discussion of Part 2.

Presentation (10%)

Marks will
be awarded for the quality of the presentation of the report. In judging the
quality of the presentation of a report, the marker will consider to extent to
which the report:

Is written in clear and concise language and is free of
grammatical errors, typographical mistakes and unnecessary hyperbole.

Follows a logical structure

Has consistent formatting throughout

Includes properly formatted references (using the Harvard
method) and a properly formatted reference list (using the Harvard method)
Makes use of the supplied coversheet

Has the appearance, demeanour and substance of
professional report, suitable to be presented to, and read by senior management

INFS5885,
S2, 2014 5
INFS5885: E-BusinessSession 2, 2014Individual AssignmentFollowing are the requirements for the
Individual Assignment. Please read these requirements carefully before you
commence your assignment and then again when you have completed your assignment
so to ensure that it meets the requirements.Value:20% of your overall course mark.Due Date &
Lodgement:This assignment requires both online
and hardcopy submissions.The online
submission (made via the Turnitin mechanism in the Assignment folder on the
course website by midnight Tuesday 2 September)The hardcopy is to be submitted at the
start of the Week 6 Seminar (2/9/2013).Mode:To be undertaken individuallyLearning Outcomes
Addressed:1
Identify electronic business
technologies, applications, and skills relevant to solve business problems and
explore business opportunities2
Propose and evaluate strategies for
intra-organizational use of electronic business technologies..gif”>.gif”>.gif”>.gif”>.gif”>.gif”>Objectives:The purpose of this assignment is for
you to investigate what makes for an effective online sales channel for an
established retailer and to apply your findings to an Australian clicks &
bricks retailer and analyse their online sale presence for its effectiveness.Required:Write a report of no more 2,500 words
(absolute maximum) that:1. Discusses, in general terms, what
makes for an effective online sales presence for established bricks and
mortar retailers within a particular industry / market and explains how this
might differ from the online only businesses within that industry / market. 2. Analyses the effectiveness of the
online sales presence of an established bricks and mortar retailer using the
criteria you created from your understanding of the literature. 3. Make recommendations for the business
you examined in part 2 as to how it might improve its online presence /
e-business operations. Your report must note any assumptions
you made.INFS5885,
S2, 2014 1Sources
of LiteratureIt is important in the first part of
the assignment that you draw on the current literature both academic and
practitioner – by practitioner we mean industry / trade journals and magazines,
consulting white papers and the like). It is also important that you find
recent articles there will be lots of literature from about 10 to 15 years
ago and while this will be of some help, things have changed and you will need
to make sure you include more up-to-date references.Your starting point should be the text
as this will provide references to other literature. Access to journals and
papers is via Sirius (accessible from the UNSW Library website). The following
databases are recommended:ABI/Inform IEEExplore
Science DirectSelection of
Industry/ Market and Business to InvestigateYou need to make choices in your
assignment:1. Choice of industry you can choose
any industry you like, however it must at least some online only (or
predominately online) businesses 2. Choice of bricks and mortar business
you can choose any business you like from within your chosen industry. You will
need to establish that is has both a physical retail operation and an online
sales presence 3. Please note that your choice of
industry / organisation is not limited to retailers of physical goods, you can
select a service organization as long as it has both a physical and online
presence and services can be purchases both online and not online and it is a
retailer (ie sells to the public). Please select the industry / business
you intend to investigate with care. Assignments that are completed on an
industry / business that does not meet the criteria set out in the section
Selection of Industry / Market and Business to Investigate, will be penalised
(see penalties for details).Please note that you should be able to
find all of the information related to the business that you need to complete
the assignment from the businesss website and in media reports. You should not
contact the organization you have selected to investigate in regard to this
assignment.Length:The maximum word length of the assignment is 2,500 words.
Assignments that exceed this limit will be penalised. The expected length of
the report is between 2,250 and 2,500 words.Please note that the executive
summary, bibliography and appendices are excluded from the word count.You should be mindful of the marks awarded to each part
(as per the marking criteria below) when allocated the amount of words spend on
each part.Format:Your report should make use of:Headings and sub-headings (at a
minimum, each of the parts should start with a heading) Bullet pointsTablesDiagrams and figuresYour report must also include:A Table of Contents is requiredINFS5885,
S2, 2014 2An Executive
Summary is requiredYour report must make use academic
style referencing.Specific requirements:10 or 12 point fontPage numbers on each page Normal
marginsBinding is not permitted simply
staple you assignment in the top left hand corner.Coversheet:You must use the coversheet provided.Referencing &
Reference List:It is expected that your report will
make use of at least ten academic journal articles and practitioner articles.A list of references (bibliography)
must be included. The reference list is not included in the word count for your
assignment. Your reference list must reference all websites used in the
assignment. The reference list should only list documents / websites that are
actually cited in the assignmentThe method for citing references is
Harvard. If you are unfamiliar with Harvard then consult the ASB Harvard
Referencing Guide at http://wwwdocs.fce.unsw.edu.au/fce/EDU/harvard_ref_guide.pdfUsing a citation method other than
Harvard referencing will result in a penalty.Late Lodgement &
Extensions:Late assignments (without approved
extensions) will attract a penalty of 10% of the available marks per day of
lateness. This means for this assignment, each day that it is late will incur a
penalty of 2 marks, which will be deducted from the mark you assignment is
awarded. Please note:Extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances
and documentation is required where an extension is sought on medical grounds.You should note that extensions are not usually granted
for computer-related problems or heavy workloads (at either your job or
University).All applications for extension should
made to Ken StevensPenalties:Penalties will apply in the following
circumstances:Assignment is completed on an Industry
/ Market and Business that does not meet the criteria set out in the section
Selection of Industry / Market and Business to Investigation 50% of the
marks awarded.The assignment
contains spelling and grammatical mistakes (1 mark penalty) The submission
requirements have not been adhered to (1 mark penalty).Failure to use the Harvard referencing
method (1 mark penalty).The assignment is submitted late (2
marks penalty per day of lateness)The assignment contains material which is not properly
cited in accordance with University policy.INFS5885,
S2, 2014 3You
should also note that plagiarism or other academic misconduct will not be
tolerated and all instances found will be pursued. At a minimum this typically
entails the student being award zero (0) marks the plagiarize assignment.Assistance:Please contact Ken Stevens ([email protected])
if you require assistance with this assignment.Marking Criteria:The following criteria will applied to
marking the assignment:In general:Each part (1, 2 and 3) will be marked
on the extent to which that part answers the question pertaining to that part
and supports that answer with sound logic and references to the literature. The
marker will also consider extent to which the answer demonstrates a clear
understanding of the concepts involved in the question, an appreciation of the
context of the question, an insight into question.Reports that address each of the
criteria set out below very well will be rewarded with a very good mark for that
section. Reports that address each of the criteria set out below well (or some
very well, and other not so well) will receive a good mark. Reports that fail
to adequately address most of the criteria set out below will receive a poor
mark.Part 1: (30%)Question:1. Discusses, in general terms, what
makes for an effective online sales presence for established clicks and
mortar retailers within a particular industry / market and explains how this
might differ from the online only businesses within that industry / market. Marking Criteria:When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the assignment:Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.Provides a clear and concise
discussion of the key factors that are seen to make up / determine the
effectiveness of an online presence for an established business.Clear differentiates between factors
that relate to clicks and bricks and those that related to online only.Provides clear and
concise criteria for use in the analysis of the business. Makes use of relevant
literature and supports key points with references.In addition the marker will consider
the extent to which the assignment:Demonstrates an appreciation of differences between
business that have grown up on the web and those that have had to add the web
to their existing business.Includes additional
discussion that is relevant to question. Discusses the online sales use within
the industryPart 2: (40%)Question:INFS5885,
S2, 2014 42.
Analyses
the effectiveness of the online sales presence of an established bricks and
mortar retailer using the criteria you created from your understanding of the
literature. Marking Criteria:When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the answer:Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.Provides a clear and concise overview
of the relevant aspects of the business and its online presence.Demonstrates that a methodical and
well thought through analysis of the business has been undertakenPresents the finds of the analysis is
a clear, concise and logical manner.Present well founded discussion and
opinion as to the effectiveness of the business current online sales presence.Part 3: (20%)Question:3. Make recommendations for the business
you examined in part 2 as to how it might improve its online presence /
e-business operations. Marking Criteria:When marking this section, the marker
will look at how well the assignment:Addresses all aspects of the question
in a clear, concise and logical manner.Presents well founded recommendations
that are mindful of both the business context and the effectiveness criteria
being appliedProvides a clear linkage with the
discussion of Part 2.Presentation (10%)Marks will
be awarded for the quality of the presentation of the report. In judging the
quality of the presentation of a report, the marker will consider to extent to
which the report:Is written in clear and concise language and is free of
grammatical errors, typographical mistakes and unnecessary hyperbole.Follows a logical structureHas consistent formatting throughoutIncludes properly formatted references (using the Harvard
method) and a properly formatted reference list (using the Harvard method)Makes use of the supplied coversheetHas the appearance, demeanour and substance of
professional report, suitable to be presented to, and read by senior management
INFS5885,
S2, 2014 5