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Security of Connected Systems
4,500 words
CW: Security Evaluation
This assignment is an individual technical report focused on the security evaluation and strategic development of a rapidly expanding Internet of Things (IoT) systems developer based in Coventry. The client specialises in innovative IoT devices and systems for residential and commercial applications, particularly smart energy monitoring, and is planning to scale its operations and expand into new markets. The report is designed to provide practical and strategic guidance on how the organisation can achieve this growth while maintaining strong cybersecurity. The assignment requires students to act as an external IoT Security and Scaling Strategist and critically evaluate the organisation’s current and future security needs. The report covers four principal areas: organisational change strategy, secure design and development strategy, security audit strategy, and security recommendations. The organisational change section considers internal and external factors influencing growth, the development and implementation of an organisational strategy, monitoring against objectives, and approaches to leading and managing strategic change using relevant change management theories and models. The secure design and development section requires an overview and evaluation of possible secure design processes for IoT systems, including their strengths and weaknesses, followed by a recommendation for an appropriate process. The security audit section examines methods such as PTES and OWASP and develops a guide for conducting a security audit, including the testing methodology, rationale for each stage, and evaluation of different approaches. The security recommendations section requires a case study of an IoT security vulnerability, examination of where the security flaw was introduced, assessment of weaknesses in the secure design or audit process, consideration of the resulting security impact, and recommendations for improvement. The report should be written for a technical audience, particularly the client’s software development team, and should use appropriate structure, technical language, diagrams where useful, and APA referencing. The organisational strategy and strategic change proposal should be included in appendices and referenced within the main report. The assessment is worth 30 credits and has a maximum word count of 4,500 words, with the main sections weighted across organisational change, secure design, security auditing, security recommendations, and report structure.
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International Business / Strategic Management
200 words
Individual Reflection on Tencent’s Strategic Reorganisation and International Business Strategy
This International Business Strategy assessment is an individual reflective exercise based on a case-study discussion undertaken during Weeks 5–8 of the module. Its purpose is to develop students’ ability to critically reflect on learning experiences and use that reflection to improve future academic and professional performance. Students participate in approximately 30-minute seminar discussions in which theoretical concepts from the module are applied to real-world business cases with tutors and peers. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref For this entry, the selected case is Tencent: “third time lucky?”. The case examines how Tencent evolved from a Chinese instant-messaging company into a major technology group spanning messaging, gaming, entertainment, investment and cloud services. It focuses particularly on three major organisational reorganisations undertaken in 2005, 2012 and 2018 as the company attempted to address increasing organisational complexity, coordination problems, changing technologies and new strategic priorities. The 2005 restructuring responded to Tencent’s growing scale by dividing the organisation into major business and platform-development groups. By 2012, further growth and the success of products such as WeChat had created new organisational complexity, leading to a structure organised around seven distinct business groups. The case highlights that this arrangement subsequently contributed to a “silo culture”, creating difficulties in sharing ideas, data, code and customers across business units. The 2018 reorganisation responded to a strategic shift toward the “industrial internet”, including greater emphasis on cloud services, business-to-business solutions and digital transformation. Tencent reorganised around six major groups, including Cloud and Smart Industries, Platforms and Content, Interactive Entertainment, Corporate Development, WeChat, and Technology and Engineering, while also establishing a technical committee intended to improve internal coordination and data sharing. The case asks students to consider both the strategic rationale for each restructuring and whether the 2018 changes adequately addressed Tencent’s organisational challenges. The reflection itself must be between 150 and 250 words. Students should explain what the week’s topic and case study were about, what they learned from the discussion, how the conversation helped them apply theory to their final report, and what key insights they gained. They should also reflect on what went well, what challenges were encountered and what they would change if repeating the session. At least one reflective framework, such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, must be applied. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref The wider learning outcomes emphasise strategic management theory, internationalisation, internal and external environmental influences, critical analysis of international organisations and the use of analytical tools to evaluate strategic options. The task therefore combines strategic thinking, international business analysis and reflective professional development. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref The accompanying Tencent case specifically asks students to consider why each major reorganisation occurred, whether the 2018 restructuring adequately addressed Tencent’s challenges, and what additional “hard” and “soft” implementation measures might have been necessary. Case+study+7
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Cyber Security / Internet of Things / Connected Systems
4,500 words
Security Evaluation for Connected Systems: IoT Strategy, Secure Design, Security Auditing and Organisational Change
This Security of Connected Systems assessment requires students to act as an external IoT Security and Scaling Strategist for a rapidly expanding Coventry-based technology startup specialising in connected devices and smart energy-monitoring systems. The client intends to scale its operations and enter new markets and therefore requires both organisational-change guidance and a comprehensive evaluation of its cybersecurity posture. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… The report combines business strategy with technical cybersecurity analysis. Students must review different secure design and development methodologies, compare their strengths and weaknesses, and recommend an appropriate approach for integrating security into the client's IoT software-development lifecycle. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… A major component of the assessment focuses on organisational change strategy. Students examine the internal and external factors driving organisational growth, develop a comprehensive strategy for achieving the client's business objectives, and explain how that strategy should be implemented and monitored. The report must also critically evaluate relevant change-management theories and models and address the complexities of leading and managing strategic transformation. This section carries 35% of the marks and is allocated approximately 2,000 words. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… The Security Audit Strategy section requires students to design a guide for auditing the client's connected system. Different approaches, including methodologies such as PTES and OWASP, should be compared and evaluated. Students must explain each stage of the selected testing methodology and justify why the individual steps are required. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… The final technical component applies these principles to an IoT vulnerability case study. Students research a real vulnerability in an IoT device, explain where the security flaw was introduced, identify weaknesses in the secure-design or audit process, assess the resulting security impact and propose appropriate corrective actions. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… Overall, the coursework integrates IoT cybersecurity, secure software development, security auditing, vulnerability analysis, organisational strategy and strategic change management. The marking scheme allocates 35% to organisational-change strategy, 20% each to secure design and development, security auditing and security recommendations, and 5% to report structure. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… Important: the brief states that it is for Coventry University Group students' own use and must not be passed to third parties or posted on a website. 38f2fba9a933f212c9e46e8cc591cf2… So use an original public summary like the one above, but do not upload the original brief itself.
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Global Business Strategy
2,500 words
Global Business Strategy – Strategic Analysis of a Global Company
This assessment is an individual portfolio for the Global Business Strategy module. The assignment requires students to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis of a named global company that is facing a significant business problem and to develop strategic options that can support the organisation's sustainable growth and future success. The selected company can be from any industry and may be a large or small global organisation. Students must identify a company that has experienced significant challenges during the past five years or is currently facing strategic difficulties. These may include loss of market position, inability to gain or regain market share, operational challenges, or declining revenues and profits. The assessment requires students to investigate the company's strategic purpose, vision, mission and objectives before examining the internal and external global business environment that may have contributed to its challenges. Relevant strategic theories and models should be applied to support the analysis. The portfolio is developed progressively across the semester. The first stage focuses on selecting the global company, identifying its key problem and analysing the internal and external business environment. The second stage examines sustainable business strategies, diversification and competitive advantage through a resource audit, together with an appropriate model for supporting global business growth. Students must also propose an appropriate mode and strategy for entering an international market in which the selected company does not currently operate. The third stage focuses on strategic change, leadership and governance. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of effective leadership styles, the role of leadership in strategic change, good governance and the importance of ethics in international business. Practical examples should be used to demonstrate how leadership, governance and ethical considerations can contribute to business growth. The fourth stage addresses good strategy execution and evaluation. Students must justify how the proposed strategy can be effectively implemented using available organisational resources and process management tools that support continuous improvement. The analysis should lead to strategic recommendations and an evaluation of how the proposed strategies could affect the company's future performance and competitiveness in the global market. After completing the individual portfolio tasks, students must prepare a summary report of approximately 1,000–1,500 words. This report should synthesise the key learning and insights gained from each task and demonstrate how the different strategic concepts have been applied to the selected organisation. The final e-portfolio is compiled as a single academic report in PebblePad and submitted as a PDF through Turnitin. The overall report should be approximately 2,500 words ±10%, excluding references and appendices, and sources should be cited using the ULBS Harvard referencing style.
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Corporate Strategy
4,000 words
Strategic Case Study – Corporate Strategy
This Corporate Strategy assessment requires students to undertake a critical strategic analysis of a chosen organisation and develop evidence-based recommendations for its long-term growth and competitive position. The assignment is presented as a 4,000-word Strategic Case Study and focuses on analysing practical business situations through the application of corporate strategy theories, analytical tools and strategic frameworks. The assessment aims to develop students' ability to evaluate an organisation's competitive advantage, identify significant strategic challenges and opportunities, and propose practical strategies for sustainable growth. The report begins with an introduction explaining the purpose of the case study and identifying the selected company. The strategic positioning section then examines the organisation's current competitive advantage, differentiation from competitors, fundamental competencies and resources. Relevant theories and strategic frameworks should be applied to support the analysis. The external environment section requires a critical evaluation of industry attractiveness using Porter's Five Forces. Students must also examine the factors driving organisational change, compare the selected organisation with close rivals and provide strategic recommendations for addressing identified challenges. The international strategy section critically analyses the effectiveness of the company's existing international expansion strategy and requires students to propose a new expansion strategy for a geographical location in an international market. An appropriate internationalisation theory and market-entry mode should be applied to support the proposed strategy. The challenges and opportunities section examines major issues affecting the organisation, including areas such as market competition, technological disruption and regulatory change. Students must identify opportunities that could strengthen the company's competitive position and use an appropriate framework to consider the development, leadership and implementation of organisational change. The proposed leadership-driven strategy should also be reflected upon in relation to the company's strategic goals. The final main section provides two to three actionable strategic recommendations that the organisation should implement to sustain or enhance its competitive advantage. Students are also required to include an appendix of no more than 500 words containing concise explanations, models or frameworks demonstrating their understanding of theories and concepts relevant to the assessment. The appendix should support the main analysis and be clearly referenced within the report. The assessment develops several strategic management capabilities. The assessed learning outcomes include critically analysing a company's strategic position using analytical tools and theoretical frameworks; developing corporate-level strategies and considering their implementation and control; integrating innovative and sustainable practices into strategic planning; and using performance measurement instruments to assess strategic initiatives. The brief also aligns with CMI Level 7 Strategic Management and Leadership Practice units covering strategy development and strategic change. The submission is an individual written coursework assignment submitted through Turnitin. The written assignment must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document rather than PDF. Students must acknowledge and reference any AI tools used in developing the assignment and provide appropriate acknowledgement of all sources.
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