HSC Essay Question

[minesweeper67]

Hey all. I have to write an essay on the following question:
Analyse the relationship between performance objectives and operations strategies. (20 Marks)

Could someone please explain how I would structure the 3 body paragraphs of this essay? And also 3 case studies are needed, so what could be some relevant case studies I could use?

Thanks, Cal

[Grace0702]

Hey!

I saw this question many times and in many different forms when I did HSC and once you break it down it becomes fairly simple.

To achieve an answer in the higher bands the markers are looking at your ability to draw relationships from MULTIPLE performance objectives to operational strategies. So for starters you MUST talk about more than one performance objective per strategy.

Now there is many different ways in which you could structure this question, most of which are correct, it honestly depends on personal preference and your own writing style. When I did questions like this I would centre my argument around the operational strategies. I would choose 3-4 operational strategies time and knowledge depending. I would then choose 2-3 Performance Objectives and describe how they interlinked with that strategy. Honestly most of the time I would spend describing and analysing the strategy and would find there were easy links I could draw and then I would write them in.

Qantas was always a go to case study for me, they have some really good stats for outsourcing. As for other case studies I say search around companies like Woolies, Coles, Ikea, Apple all have great stuff if you dig deep enough. Towards the end of HSC I picked out my ideal case studies and my favourite strategies and I would recycle that information in different questions and it worked pretty well.

(also here is a great link to a bunch of case studies which I constantly referred to last year https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=178629.0)

I hope that all makes sense. Feel free to ask anything else

[Grace0702]

The great thing about performance objectives is that for it to be considered an effective strategy it really should tick all the boxes.

If we take a look at outsourcing like you have said, a primary reason businesses choose to do so is to decrease production costs. But there are also a bunch of other reasons. You can link it to quality and say that the business did not have the necessary skills and knowledge within their firm to produce a certain product. This also links to customisation as the business itself may not be able to produce the specific good customers are demanding.

Now think this way with your other two strategies to come up with other performance objectives (it is fine to repeat talking about them)

To achieve operations goals, broader business goals and particularly respond to external influences, operations managers can apply numerous operations strategies. Performance objectives are goals that relate to particular aspects of the transformation processes and is a unique operations strategy. Hence, performance objectives and operations strategies The aim of having performance objectives is to allow the business to become more efficient (achieving maximum profit with the lowest levels of cost involved), productive (maximising output) and profitable. There are also other operations strategies that include technology which is significant in a technological change, outsourcing which has grown due to globalisation and quality control which is important due to increasing quality expectations of consumers. These operations strategies all relate back to the performance objectives of speed, cost and quality respectively. Leading technological company Apple and fast-chain MacDonald’s are businesses that demonstrate the crucial relationship between performance objectives and operations strategies.

Markers will absolutely love the link to the influences, but I wouldn't include it in my thesis. I would mention it later in my introduction and then draw further links throughout my body paragraphs. Including it shows that you have extensive knowledge of the syllabus and will really allow you to get into those top bands.

Your writing style is quite good but my main suggestion is to use more high modality. In business studies my teach always taught me no matter the directive term using high modality certainly won't harm you.

I quickly typed this up as a thesis to the question.
In order of businesses to achieve the strategic role of operations it is detrimental they develop and implement effective operational strategies. To do so it is imperative businesses realise the pivotal relationship between the achievement of performance objectives and the success of an operational strategy.

Now just changing the language of the first sentence to have higher modality the reader is instantly engaged and you are already saying to the marker "hey I know it's important". It is always important to have a strong thesis because this is the first this markers will see and it gives them an impression of what the rest of your piece will be like. Even though I haven't included any content yet I already have their attention. Keep this in mind when writing the rest of your piece.

Hope this helps!