Faculty of Business & Management

Assessment Brief 2018/19

A: Assessment Details

Module Title Strategic Financial Management

Module Code BU7006
Module Leader Dr Brian Gibbs
Component Number 2
Assessment Type, Word Count & Weighting Assignment, 2,400 words, 60% of overall module grade
Submission Deadline 8th August 2019
Submission Instructions Via Turn it in
Feedback Return Date 8th September 2019

B: Learning Outcomes
1. Assess and evaluate the theoretical basis of financial strategic decision making

2. Analyse and interpret data, and by the integration of theory and practice, investigate and apply relevant
tools to the assessment of a variety of business problems

3. Evaluate and synthesise the problem solving mechanisms from strategic financial decision-making and
assess the value to enhanced decision making of the application of relevant tools and techniques.

C: Assessment Task

Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has launched a furious attack on his firm's shareholders,
accusing them of stabbing him and the company in the back. He said shareholders had failed to
support him and chairman Keith Hellawell, who resigned on Wednesday. Mr Ashley denounced
the "media circus" surrounding the firm and said "true entrepreneurs" would never be accepted.
Mr Hellawell stepped down after it emerged he was unlikely to be re-elected at the firm's annual
meeting.

In his statement, Mr Ashley said shareholders had "made it extremely challenging for future
engagement to take place". He went on: "On the one hand they are delighted with our
performance and progress, yet with the other hand they have stabbed Sports Direct and myself
in the back by repeatedly hounding Keith Hellawell."

Mr Hellawell's decision to step down from the board followed last year's meeting where he was
re-elected by just 53% of independent shareholders. He had said he would step down at the
next annual meeting if he did not win their support again. The former chief constable of West
Yorkshire Police had faced criticism about the way Sports Direct was run.

Article dated 14th September 2018: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45523294

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Assessment Brief 2018/19

A financial summary of Sports Direct’s financial performance for 2012 and 2015:

Profit
before Earnings
Revenue Tax per
Year (£m) (£m) share (p)
2012 1,807 148 18.24
2013 2,186 151 26.64
2014 2,706 239 30.8
2015 2,833 313 40.6

Required:

Compile recent financial information yourselves. Using all the financial data available, critically
review the financial performance of Sports Direct PLC.

Your report will need to include an analysis of any new plans and strategies.

 Assess and review the financial summary above and the most recent financial
performance of the group leading up to and including 2018. You are required to undertake
additional research to determine the following:-

 What have been the underlying reasons for the financial performance? (identify and
discuss significant strategic developments)

 What significant trends/ developments have occurred since 2012 in respect of the case
study organisation and relevant business sector?

 What do you consider to be the major financial performance challenges and opportunities
in the foreseeable future?

D: Specific Criteria/Guidance

 Use a report format

 As per general marking criteria for Level 7 you must:

 Show knowledge and understanding
 Show that you have researched the topic and the chosen company
 Show critical analysis and interpretation
 Show attention to layout, presentation and referencing

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Assessment Brief 2018/19

Suggested marking guide Indicative Marks

Word
count
1 Use ratio analysis to assess the financial 720 30
performance of Sports Direct Plc.
2 Assess significant developments within Sports 480 20
Direct and the wider Retail sector. Review the
situation of the stakeholders alongside the
relevant regulatory authorities.
3 Assess challenges and opportunities for the 720 30
company’s foreseeable future. Include financial
and non-financial elements.
4 Conclusion and presentation 480 20
2,400 100

E: Key Resources

Atrill, P. and McLaney, E. (2016) Accounting and Finance: An introduction, 8th Ed., Pearson.

Atrill, P. and McLaney, E. (2015) Management Accounting for decision makers, 8th Ed., Pearson.

Collis, J., Holt, A. and Hussey, R (2017) Business Accounting, 3rd Ed, Palgrave.

Drury, C. (2018) Management and Cost Accounting, 10th Ed., Cengage learning

Dyson, J. and Franklin, E (2017) Accounting for non-accounting students, 9th Ed., Pearson

Hornren, C., Sundem, G, Burgstahler, D and Schatzberg, J (2014) Introduction to Management

Accounting, 16 Ed., Pearson

Prowle, M. and Lucas, M (2016) Management Accounting in the contemporary business world, Palgrave.

Additional digital resources will be provided on Moodle and discussed in the seminar and lecture sessions.

F: Submission Guidance

 You must submit assessments in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

 The file must be no larger than 40MB.
 Your writing is expected to conform to Standard English in terms of spelling, syntax and grammar.
 You must include your Assessment Number (J Number) in the header or footer.

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Assessment Brief 2018/19

 Include your word count at the end of the assignment or the front cover.
 Set up your page for A4 paper in portrait style.

 The font size must be a minimum of point 12 Calibri (or equivalent) for the body of the assessment and
footnotes must be 2 points smaller.

 Line spacing in the body of the assessment must be 1.5 lines.

 Number the pages consecutively.

 Students should submit work before 12 noon on the deadline date electronically via Moodle. Please follow
the ‘Turnitin submission’ link on the module space and follow the on-screen instructions, paying particular
attention to any specific instructions for each assignment.

 You must submit your work with the following details written on the first page:
- Title of your work
- Module title and code
- Module Leader and Seminar Tutor (if relevant)
- Number of words
- Your student assessment number (J Number)

Student work that does not have this information on will not be identifiable after marking has taken place
and risks being recorded as a non-submission.

G: Academic Integrity and Penalties

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with all of the information contained in this brief as failure to
do this may impact on your achievement.

Please refer to the various Assessment Guidance below for detailed information on:
 Academic Integrity
 APA Reference Guide
 Excess Word Count Penalties
 University Generic Marking Criteria
 Late Work Penalties

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Assessment Brief 2018/19

H: Rubrics and Criteria

Please see above rubric.

Suggested areas to be covered Indicative Marks

Word
count
1 Identify and discuss the different analysis methods 480 25
available to the chosen company. Use examples
where possible.
2 Evaluation of and discussion of the different 1,120 75
categories of Financial Risk relating to the chosen
company. Using examples where possible.
3
4

2,400 100

General marking criteria Level 7 will be used for marking (see criteria above)

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Internal Validation of Assessment

You will need a copy of the Module Descriptor & Marking Criteria.

 Does the assignment brief/examination paper conform to all the details given in the unit
specification?
 Are the assignment brief/ examination paper requirements appropriate for the level of
the unit (e.g. level 4, 5, 6 or 7)?
 Is it clear to students what they need to do?
 Is the wording and presentation of the assignment brief/examination paper clear?
 Has a detailed check been made for typographical errors?
 Does the marking scheme meet the assessment criteria? Has it been properly drawn up
and completed to ensure fair and consistent marking?

Moderation Of Assessment: Tick One:

Acceptable
Task wholly meets requirements for the module / module descriptor and UoC academic quality
√
standards.

Marginal
Task aligns with requirements for the module/module descriptor and UoC academic quality
standards.

Unacceptable:
Task is not aligned with UoC academic quality standards and requires amending and resubmitting
for internal validation.

Moderators Comments.

The assessment is set to the required standard. The use of this particular case will help students
contextualise their learning and appreciate the relevance of the theory. Also, application of theory to
practice required at this level is given an opportunity to ‘shine’.

Moderator Signature Date

Dr. David Acquaye 02-05-2019

EXTERNAL EXAMINER COMMENTS:

Faculty of Business & Management

Sign Off

Signature Date

External Examiner

(Assessment Officer):

Signed Date