Question:
Problem-Based Report (worth 50% of total mark)
| Description of
Assessment Task |
The report is an individual piece of work which enables students to put into practice the principles and data analysis approaches introduced in this module.
The report is designed to encourage students to work and learn independently. The length of the report will be 2000 words (± 10%).
The individual report should consist of mainly an analysis based on a problem identified.
You will need to use the data that is freely provided by the office of national statistics (https://www.ons.gov.uk/) to derive either an issue that can be resolved by market research or HR-related research (using the ONS statistics). Other sectors can be allowed by agreement. For the first part you will need to identify and process the relevant datasets to the problem identified and to process and analyse the data to resolve the problem.
Problems could include market research for a particular product; Recruitment potential for a particular industry based on UK demographics etc.
In more detail you should:
1. Define the problem to be studied and the purpose of research. You should state the relevant datasets that you would need to analyse and resolve the problem identified. 2. Provide an appropriate analysis of the data chosen and included. The type of analysis conducted should be consistent with your objectives and nature of the data collected. 3. Write a findings and conclusions section that explains of how the results of your data analysis are important and/or relevant.
You should maintain good references using the Harvard system. Incorrect referencing will be penalised. It is strongly suggested to make use of visual aids in order to facilitate your data analysis and presentation.
The essay needs to be submitted via turn-it in.
The purpose of the individual report is to allow the student the opportunity to engage in data analysis and demonstrate evidence of independent critical thought and research. An electronic copy of the Report, the data and the analysis must be provided. The purpose of the individual report is to allow the student the opportunity to explore an area of the course in depth, and demonstrate evidence of independent critical thought and research.
|
| Unit Learning Outcomes assessed: | 1. Perform a literature search and write a critical literature review.
2. Use a range of relevant research tools, e.g. for word processing, presentations and data analysis |
| Word Limit | The prose should be precise and concise; padding and expansive, long-winded prose is heavily discouraged. Total word count should be about 1,500 words +/- 10% excluding appendices and reference list.
Failure to meet these word constraints will probably indicate an inability to prioritize your material and construct a concise narrative that distils the essence of your proposal. Imprecise verbose language WILL result in lower grades. |
| Presentation Format
(eg Word document) |
Word Document (Soft Copies). |
| Resources/Support Available | |
| Assessment Criteria | Please use grading matrix below |
| Peer / Self Assessment Required | No |
| Details of how feedback will be provided | On BREO + general feedback |
Mini Dissertation Grading Matrix:
| Criteria | 0% -> 35% | 36% -> 39% | 40% -> 49% | 50 -> 59% | 60-69% | 70-100% |
| Intelligent identification of the datasets required to resolve the problem identified (40%) | There is no datasets chosen or any data provided. | There is limited explanation of data, limited datasets identified and most choices are irrelevant to the problem. | Some evidence of choosing appropriate datasets to the problem identified. | Evidence of systematic and coherent data identification and usage. Data used is mostly relevant and logical. | Evidence of good choice and range of data used and the data is all relevant to the problem identified. | Thorough, well-articulated inclusion of data that is relevant and accurately chosen to resolve the problem identified. |
| Data analysis, findings and conclusions aligned to the problem (40%) | There is no attempt for a coherent data analysis. No conclusions or meaningless conclusions. | There are very limited attempts for a coherent data analysis. No conclusions or meaningless conclusions. | Some evidence of data analysis but is not coherent and has flaws throughout. The data generated is ad hoc or irrelevant; the conclusions are not substantiated nor meaningful. The problem is not resolved. | An attempt to a data analysis Some flaws with the insights provided. Data generated is of limited use. The problem is only partially resolved.
|
Good, sensible data analysis. The data analysis is useful and valid. Conclusions meet the objectives of the project.
|
The data analysis is complete, well—developed, insightful and thorough. Conclusions provided are valuable and insightful. |
| Professional Formatting References Language (20%) | References section is missing. No attempt to use correct format, littered with mistakes. Poorly written, poorly presented. | References section is badly laid out, no attempt to use correct format, littered with mistakes. Poorly written, poorly presented. | Poorly formatted, imprecise language, spelling mistakes litter the work, badly labelled, careless and sloppy work | Correct English usage with some imprecise statements. Few if any spelling mistakes, and the same with grammar | Correct English usage with precise, concise statements and within the word limits. | Very well-written. English is correctly formatted, with precise and concise prose; correct spelling throughout, and within word limits. |
Answer:
Introduction
The current report revolves around the issues found in the manufacturing sector in UK. The major purpose of the report is to understand how the economy or the other sectors of the country influence the GDP growth. The report also helps to learn the relevant factors that could influence the success and the fall of the industry. Although, the manufacturing industry in UK contributed to the employment rate, the sector has observed a slow progress in the recent years. More specifically, it is learnt that the value of UK manufacturer’s product sales was £ 357.8 bn in 2015. A decrease of 1.3% has been observed in 2014. This could be attributed to the decrease of product price. This is known as the first contraction in manufacture’s sales due the economic downturn continued for years since 2010. The report is conducted based on the data published by Office for National Statistics. Based on the issue found, the report provides an appropriate analysis of the data selected. Existing literature has been reviewed to analyze the issue more accurately. An appropriate finding has been provided by based on the analysis conducted on the issue of manufacturing industry in UK.
1. Defining the problem to be studied and the purpose of the research
The data published by Office for National Statistics, UK indicates that manufacturing industry in UK registered worst performance in previous years. The major purpose of the research is to understand this problem and conduct a market research to derive a suitable solution to overcome the situation. The data implies that factories and the organizations in the manufacturing and production sector of UK suffered decline in growth of domestic orders in previous years. The issue turned to be a major obstacle when in the second month of the year observed another challenge of exports. The weakening picture observed months of employment decline that comes the after the breakdown in the world economy. The breadth of the slowdown is particularly worrisome. As put forward by Nicolay et al. (2012), the domestic market is likely to show sign of weakening whereas the export business continued to decrease. Standard industrial classification for the manufacturing industry has been included in the report. In order to make the analysis more convenient and relevant, the research used the dataset of 1998 to the recent published date. Nevertheless, all series associated to SICS listed in the following have data only from the specified period.
A lot of the market has been observed by ongoing weakness of the international community price. Nevertheless, there is a sign that weaker increase is driving up the competition between manufacturers to strengthen new business as well as the suppliers. The dataset helps to observe that manufacturing as the share of GDP has decreased from over 32% in 1998 to the present days in UK (Ons.gov.uk 2017). On the contrary, the real industrial output hiked 40% between 1980 to 2005, whereas in 2010 the UK accounted for 8.2% of the workforce as well as 12% of the country’s national output. As opined by Rybakovas (2015), in 2008, the United Kingdom became the 6th largest manufacturer by the output offered by Office for the National Statistics. Notwithstanding, the current situation implies a different scenario of fall in the manufacturing sector of the nations.
Dataset
(Refer to the appendix)
2. Providing an appropriate analysis of the data chosen and included
It is identified that UK manufacturing has been in “decline” since the 1998 such as coal have been in decline since 1990. Thus, it can be mentioned that the growth of the manufacturing industry has always been statics. The existing research indicates that the percentage of the employment as well as industrial production has steadily decreased. As put forward by Brammer, Hoejmose and Marchant (2012), almost 25% of employment remain under manufacturing as well as industrial production in 90s. However, the data set indicates that by 2011 the percentage of the employment in manufacturing as well as production industry had fallen to 8.2 % . Hence, Huang et al. (2015) commented that the productivity of the labor increased but the substantially in the current period irrespective of the poor employment growth in this period. In order to support the above-mentioned statement, Tannock (2015), commented that productivity of the manufacturing has outdone the service sector.
Figure 1: manufacturing production in the period 1970-2012
(Source: Huang et al. 2015)
The above-mentioned data helps to observe that manufacturing output is observed to be highly cyclical from 90s to 2009. There is a strong decrease in the output, which has negatively increased the growth of the industry. As stated by Hill, and Munday (2016), there is a decline in manufacturing as the share of GDP, which is further considered as the phenomenon observed in other developed western economies. It is also identified that partially, this could reflect the increase of real wages, meaning the comparative benefits, which is shifted away from the labor-intensive sectors to the developed tech sector. On the contrary, it is also found that manufacturing conventionally is a significant export sector. It is also found out that the relative wages cost and the productivity proved to be very significant for determining the increasing demand and the competitiveness.
As opined by Hammond and Norman (2012), during the period of 1997-2007, as the manufacturing is export led, the industry has become quite sensitive to changes in the pound. In addition, the period of continues decline in production and manufacturing occurred at the time of 90s and the 80s. It is identified that strong pound theory does not explain the term “decline”; thus, it could be appropriate to note the fall in the pound post 2008, which has done a little to increase the growth of the business. Conversely, it is also observed that the recession could cause hysteresis. Furthermore, there is a significant concern that an intensive recession could lead to a static loss of output. In this context, Crafts (2012), commented that there is trade gap, which has large influence on the manufacturing and production industry. More specifically, the dataset published revealed by Office for National Statics.
Figure 2: Export and Import trading
(Source: Hammond and Norman 2012)
Exports as the % GDP have increased from 14% to 19%; however, the imports have turned out to be more significant challenge for the firms in the industry, as the increase of growth remains from 16% to 24% (Ons.gov.uk 2017). Nevertheless, there are other factors help to explain the current account deficits besides a shift from the manufacturing to service sector including low savings ratio, high consumption and the capital flows and many more. On the other side, Sullivan (2013) mentioned that, it could be difficult to evaluate the degree to which a government could reverse the continuous decline in production and manufacturing as well as the trends towards the service sector. In the period of 1992 to 2011, the government became more interventionists as it went to the extent to prop up falling the sectors with the subsidiaries. However, this was widely agreed as the failure, when the subsidiary providing an opportunity to ignore the rigorous restructuring.
The dataset also included some significant aspects such as the labor productivity as well as the skills. It is identified that the manufacturing sector in UK is in the competition with the higher skilled industries. It has become significant to have a sufficient potent workforce. There have been many arguments formed that indicates that United Kingdom has undervalued vocational training as well as the skills keeping a large amount value on the academic degree instead of reviewing which has the stronger benefits to influence the growth of the sector. While focusing on the micro-economic policy, a strong criticism of United Kingdom macro policy has been found, which has depended increasingly on consumer spending to power economic growth? As the consequence, UK experienced a low saving rate. Therefore, it can be added that this reliance on the total spending as well as how saving rate.
3. Finding of the study
The data provided by ONS and the outcome of the existing studies indicate that UK’s manufacture sector observed a increase of 1.3% in the recent year, which has become first reduction in manufacture sales since 2008 to 2009 at the time economic recession. The data also indicate that a decline in the values of sales was also observed for the divisions such as chemicals, food products as well as the basics meals. It is particularly observed that the manufacturer of motor vehicles, trailers as well as semi-trailers observed the increasing growth in the value of producer’s sales in the last year by the increase of £1.2 billion to £48.9 billion. Furthermore, the major large ranked UK manufacturer’s product sales include the petrol vehicles along with the engine capacity. The data analysis helps to observe that the overall share of EU manufacturer’s products in the last year was supposed to be around 10% but it has decreased than the anticipated figure. The dataset indicates that all estimates of the value of products sales are presented at the current price stating I could have not been adjusted for the inflation. This could be significant to consider while comparing the changes over time.
Conclusion
On the completion of the report, it can be added that, due to the economic recession, the manufacturing sector of UK suffered deeply. However, the data indicates that after the Brexit, the economy of UK has been become stable, which has benefitted each industry in UK. Thus, the manufacturing and production industry observed the decline; it has received the opportunity to overcome the decline. The growing economy has supported the organizations in the sector to stand back and gain the profits. This increased has also contributed to the increase of employment. The percentage of people who are looking for jobs has been decreased.
Reference list:
Brammer, S., Hoejmose, S. and Marchant, K., 2012. Environmental management in SMEs in the UK: practices, pressures and perceived benefits. Business Strategy and the Environment, 21(7), pp.423-434.
Crafts, N., 2012. British relative economic decline revisited: The role of competition. Explorations in Economic History, 49(1), pp.17-29.
Hammond, G.P. and Norman, J.B., 2012. Decomposition analysis of energy-related carbon emissions from UK manufacturing. Energy, 41(1), pp.220-227.
Hill, S. and Munday, M., 2016. The regional distribution of foreign manufacturing investment in the UK. Springer.
Huang, Y., Leu, M.C., Mazumder, J. and Donmez, A., 2015. Additive manufacturing: current state, future potential, gaps and needs, and recommendations. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 137(1), p.014001.
Islam, M.A., 2015. Overview. In Social Compliance Accounting (pp. 1-10). Springer International Publishing..
Kneller, R. and Manderson, E., 2012. Environmental regulations and innovation activity in UK manufacturing industries. Resource and Energy Economics, 34(2), pp.211-235.
Moran, M., 2015. Politics and Governance in the UK. Palgrave Macmillan.
Nicolay, C.R., Purkayastha, S., Greenhalgh, A., Benn, J., Chaturvedi, S., Phillips, N. and Darzi, A., 2012. Systematic review of the application of quality improvement methodologies from the manufacturing industry to surgical healthcare. British Journal of Surgery, 99(3), pp.324-335.
O’Sullivan, E., Andreoni, A., López-Gómez, C. and Gregory, M., 2013. What is new in the new industrial policy? A manufacturing systems perspective. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 29(2), pp.432-462.
Ons.gov.uk. (2017). Home- Office for National Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/ [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017].
Rybakovas, E., 2015. Competitiveness of Lithuanian manufacturing industry. Economics and management, (14), pp.912-918.
Tannock, S., 2015. Bad attitude? Migrant workers, meat processing work and the local unemployed in a peripheral region of the UK. European Urban and Regional Studies, 22(4), pp.416-430.
