General Instructions

1. This assessment must be your own work (no plagiarism). Contact your tutor if further clarification is required.
2. All assessment tasks must be completed.
3. Your submission should follow the format provided.
4. This assessment is to be completed individually. You are encouraged to conduct your own research.
5. You must complete all tasks in professional business
6. If you are unsure of any task stated in the assessment, consult your tutor to seek clarification.
7. “APA” 7th Edition referencing, and citation is required where indicated.

Grades

Students will be assessed using a grading-based approach.  The grades for each assessment range are outlined below.

• Students are required to achieve an aggregated course mark (total of all assessments), of 50% or greater to pass the course.
• Students who achieve less than 50% of the aggregated course mark (total of all assessments) will be awarded an ‘NA’ grade and are eligible for one resubmission of one assessment, if their first submission was 35% or greater.
• Students must achieve a minimum 50% pass for any resubmission.
• A passed resubmission must still ensure the student has met all the requirements of the learning outcomes within the course.
• When plagiarism is formally identified, and confirmed, students are not permitted any re-submissions to pass their assessments and are deemed to have failed that assessment.

Terms of Reference

 Authenticity of Students Work

Where students are suspected of assessment misconduct the following processes will be followed:

• The tutor will assess the level/amount of suspected assessment misconduct, prepare evidence and discuss with relevant Programme Coordinator.
• Where the intention of the student is considered clearly innocent, the work will be assessed as is.
• If appropriate, advice on academic integrity may be given by the tutor to the student.

Where doubt persists, a meeting is to be arranged with the student, student support person, relevant tutor and Programme Coordinator to present the allegation, evidence and to provide the student with an opportunity to discuss this. Where the Programme Coordinator and Tutor are one and the same, another Manager within the relevant PTE may be asked to participate.

Where assessment misconduct is established and acknowledged by the student, the student may be instructed to resubmit the assessment if allowed by the Programme Coordinator.

Other actions can include awarding a reduced grade or awarding a failing mark/grade. A note is made on the student’s file.

Where the assessment misconduct is serious or has not been acknowledged by the student, the relevant Programme Manager or Programme Coordinator must discuss the situation with Academic Director. This discussion will lead to a decision to either deal with the issue in the PTE or initiate the student discipline process. The tutor will inform the student of their appeal rights as detailed in the Student Handbook.

The purpose of this assessment is to assess the student’s ability to investigate the operational practices that support performance of a New Zealand business and analyse how the practices and principles of accounting support New Zealand business and its performance.

Business Operations (LO1)

For Task 1 – 3 you are asked to use a business you are familiar with or work in to answer the questions.

Note: Tasks 1- 3 do not require references or citations.

Task 1: Types of Operational Practices – (LO1) – 10 marks

a) Investigate two (2) New Zealand businesses that you are familiar with. State the name of each business and describe two (2) operational practices used by each business using examples of each practice.

(8 marks – 2 marks for each practice)

b) From one (1) of your chosen businesses, explain how each practice contributes to improving the business’s performance.

(2 marks – 1 mark each explanation)

Task 2: Quality Assurance – (LO1)  10 marks

Quality assurance is important for ensuring a high level of business performance.

a) Using one (1) of your chosen businesses explain how they use two (2) quality assurance processes to ensure quality.

(4 marks – 2 marks for each process)

b) Explain how each process in Task 2a can be monitored.

(4 marks -2 marks each explanation)

c) Explain two (2) reasons why the high standard of quality may still not be achieved if a quality assurance process has been implemented.

(2 marks – 1 mark per reason)

Task 3 – Continuous Improvement (LO1) – 12 marks

a) For your chosen business explain two (2) advantages of implementing continuous improvement to improve business performance.

(4 marks – 2 marks for each advantage)

b) If you were a manager in the chosen business, describe an approach you could use to encourage all employees to take ownership of continuous improvement.

(2 marks)

c) Describe one (1) outcome that your suggested approach in part b) aims to achieve in relation to improving the business’s performance.
(1 mark)

d) Describe what the PDCA Cycle is. Describe how you could use it in the continuous improvement of the business.

(5 marks total – 2 marks for the description and 3 marks for using it for continuous improvement in the business)

Business Accounting (LO2)

Task 4 – Applying Accounting Principles – (LO2) 8 marks

Select two (2) principles from the list below and analyse how each principle can be used to enhance business performance:

• Accrual Principle
• Cost Principle
• Matching Principle
• Full Disclosure Principle
• Conservatism Principle

1. Describe the two (2) principles and its impact on business performance.
   (4 marks – 2 marks each principle)
2. To analyse each principle, describe one (1) advantage and one (1) limitation for each principle.
   (4 marks- 1 mark each description)
   Minimum of two (2) references from two different sources are required.

Task 5 – Applying Accounting Practices – (LO2) 9 marks

• Analyse three (3) accounting practices that will assist a business to ensure the appropriate financial records are prepared accurately.
• To analyse each practice, describe what each practice involves and one (1) technique to ensure the financial records are accurate for each practice.
• (9 marks – 2 marks for describing each practice, 1 mark for describing each technique) Minimum of two (2) references are required.

Task 6 – Ratios – (LO2) 8 marks

Select two (2) accounting ratios, that will assist a business to ensure their financial performance is regularly monitored, from the list below.

• Debt-to-equity ratio
• Debt-to-asset ratio
• Working capital ratio
• Cash ratio
• Net profit margin
• Return on shareholders’ equity

a) To analyse each ratio, describe what each involves and outline what the ratio monitors.

(4 marks– 1 mark for describing each ratio, and 1 mark for outlining what each ratio monitors)

b) Explain two (2) advantages for applying accounting ratios in a business to enhance business performance.

(4 marks– 2 marks each explanation)

The assessment is formatted well, and professional business English is used.

3 marks (5% of total marks)