Assessment Brief 2025/26
MGT4108 – Art of Influencing**
Please read the full assessment instructions carefully to ensure you understand all requirements.
If anything is unclear, post your question on the Moodle Discussion Forum where a member of the teaching team will respond.
Assessment Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Course Code | MGT4108 |
| Course Title | Art of Influencing |
| Course Coordinator | David Potter |
| Assessment Weighting | 100% |
| Question Release Date | 22 September 2025 |
| Submission Deadline | 03 December 2025 |
| Feedback & Grades Released | 07 January 2026 |
| Word Count | As specified under each option (+/–10%). Refer to the word-limit policy. |
| Penalty for exceeding word limit | One grade band deduction |
1. Assessment Task Overview
Type of Assessment
- Individual assignment
Assessment Format
You must choose one of the following three assignment options:
- A written report/essay
- Another written report/essay
- A combined written report and PowerPoint presentation
Intended Learning Outcomes Assessed
This assignment evaluates your ability to:
- Critically reflect on how emotional, cognitive, and behavioural self-regulation enhances influence.
- Apply influencing techniques to real situations.
- Analyse social dynamics using a rapport-building model.
- Evaluate methods for gaining social influence.
- Design strategic approaches to influence in social contexts.
Assessment Options
OPTION 1: Influencing a Person
Word limit: 2,500 words (excluding references)
You must conduct a real influencing attempt during this module.
You may NOT use an attempt made before the course began.
Your assignment must include the following:
1. Brief description of the influencing situation
Present the current influencing context concisely so that you retain enough word space to justify your chosen models and reflect on the outcome.
2. Selection of influencing ideas
Choose several influencing concepts taught in the module and explain why they are relevant to your situation.
3. Critical review of the chosen ideas
Engage with academic literature to critically examine the theories or models you intend to use.
4. Application to a real-life scenario
Your applied section must include:
a) Identification of the target person
Refer to the individual only as Mr X or Ms/Mrs Y. Do not disclose real names.
b) Your influencing strategy
Explain how you will use your chosen ideas.
Describe:
- What you will say and do
- How you will structure the situation
- Why you have designed your approach this way
Link your explanation to course concepts and relevant theory.
c) Execution of the plan
Carry out the influencing attempt.
Immediately after the event, record detailed notes of what happened.
d) Reflection on the experience
Analyse:
- What you said/did
- The other person’s reactions
- Which elements worked or did not
- Whether your influencing attempt was fully successful, partially successful, or unsuccessful
- How the relationship between you and the target person may have affected the outcome
- Any contextual or personal factors that shaped the interaction
e) Critical evaluation of outcomes
Discuss:
- Limitations of the influencing ideas used
- What you would change if repeating this attempt
- What you learned about influencing from this activity
Support your evaluation with theory and research evidence.
OPTION 2: Influencing Your Graduate Job Application
This assignment contains two tasks.
Assume you have been invited to interview with Google (or another organisation of your choice).
You must deliver a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation on:
“How I Will Contribute to the Future Development of This Organisation.”
Task 1: Influencing Strategy Report (2,250 words)
Prepare a detailed report explaining your plan to design and deliver the presentation using techniques covered in the course.
Your report must:
- Draw on course theories, models, and wider evidence-based literature
- Explain how and why you will structure your presentation in a particular way
- Demonstrate awareness of the organisation’s needs and expectations
- Reflect on your own strengths, weaknesses, and personal influencing style
- Provide a critical, research-informed rationale for your approach
Task 2: Reflective Summary (250 words)
Conclude with a short reflective statement explaining:
- What you learned from completing the assignment
- How this will shape your ongoing job-seeking strategy
- Links between your reflection and relevant theory/literature
OPTION 3: Relationship Management – Influencing Skills Training Programme
Word limit: 2,500 words (excluding references)
Imagine you are a consultant hired by a large catering organisation that wins business through competitive tendering and drives revenue through upselling in its restaurants.
Your task:
Design a training programme to enhance managers’ and service staff’s influencing capabilities, aiming to:
- Improve tender success rates
- Increase unit sales by 10%
- Strengthen client–contractor relationships
- Improve management–staff relations
- Build supplier collaboration for sales campaigns
- Enhance team leaders’ overall capability
You may use a real catering or hospitality organisation as a case example. Reviewing press articles or industry reports may help identify current challenges.
Required Structure
- Introduction
- What the research tells us
- A concise review of the importance of influencing skills in organisational performance
- Client issues
- Objectives of the training programme
- Key stakeholders
- Influencing skills to be developed
- Tailored to each stakeholder group
- Include definitions, justification, and literature-linked critical evaluation
- Methods to be used
- Define and justify selected training methods
- Evaluate these methods using relevant literature
- Evaluation of theory to inform practice
- Sample training day schedule (table format; excluded from word count)
- Desired training outcomes
- Methods of measuring impact
- Include critical evaluation of these methods
- Conclusion
2. Assessment Criteria (Rubric)
Each criterion carries equal weight.
| Criterion | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Satisfactory | Weak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Ability | Responds precisely to key elements with sophisticated synthesis | Responds well to key elements with strong synthesis | Addresses most key elements with good synthesis | Addresses some elements with adequate synthesis | Fails to identify or respond to key elements; weak synthesis |
| Use of Literature | Excellent and consistent application of a broad range of sources | Very good range and use of relevant literature | Good application of appropriate sources | Adequate but limited use of literature | Weak or inconsistent use of literature |
| Referencing | Consistent, accurate Harvard referencing | Very good use of Harvard referencing | Mostly correct Harvard referencing | Acceptable but inconsistent referencing | Poor or incorrect referencing |
| Structure | Clear, logical, and highly focused structure | Clear structure with good focus | Generally good structure with minor lapses | Adequate but inconsistent structure | Disorganised structure affecting clarity |
| Theory & Practice Integration | Highly insightful, innovative engagement with theory and practice | Frequently insightful engagement | Some application of theory and practice | Mostly descriptive with limited theoretical integration | No meaningful engagement with theory or practice |
| Critical Engagement | Extensive, relevant critical review of academic and practitioner sources | Some consistent critical review | Mostly descriptive with limited critical analysis | Minimal critical engagement; mostly descriptive | No evidence of critical engagement |
| Application of Techniques | Excellent selection and justification of relevant techniques | Very good identification and justification | Some ability to select and justify techniques | Satisfactory but limited application | Little to no identification or justification of techniques |
3. Feedback Method
Feedback and grades will be provided through Moodle, referencing each rubric criterion.