Service Innovation & competitive advantage

● Some Tips on Academic Writing
● For work at this level, your examiners will assume that you are familiar with good academic writing practice as applied to the writing of assignments.
● Another useful resource (indexed on specific aspects of writing) but by no means the only useful resource, is the Writing Centre (University of North Carolina) located at: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/)
● Requirements for this assignment
● This assignment requires you to formulate, develop and present an argument that addresses the topic selected, i.e. that makes a claim, that uses evidence, analysis, discussion and interpretation, and that presents a rationale for the reader believing your claim. This requires, inter alia, evidence of using a combination of both academic material (e.g. concepts, frameworks, ideas, information, data, etc. from peer-reviewed sources) and practical material (e.g. data, information, statistics, etc.) as sources of evidence to support your central claim, any intermediate arguments and the overall argument.
● The following are how this requirement maps onto the standard marking criteria (q.v.).
● Comprehension: This relates to the scope and depth of your understanding of topic relevant material. There must be evidence within your writing of carefully selecting and using the ideas, frameworks and/or conceptual models that are most relevant to your chosen topic and specific claim (or thesis statement). Your presentation should convey a balance between your knowledge and understanding of the relevant academic materials and the depth of your understanding of the application of those ideas in practice. Note: You are not restricted to using ideas, frameworks and/or conceptual models from the module material and some reading and use of materials beyond those required in the module is both encouraged and expected. One common error on this criterion is a lack of careful thought about what to include and what to exclude (e.g. an attempt to cover too many models and then each element of each model, which can only lead to superficiality and fragmentation of the argument)
● Analysis: This requires you to demonstrate an ability to identify, collect, synthesise and interpret relevant evidence (data and/or information) as well as an ability to extract or derive meaningful insights and any intermediate conclusions needed to convince your examiner of your claim. It is your use of available data and information that is being evaluated, not a need to find perfect data. Note: perfect information is impossible to obtain (especially in the time scale permitted); businesses need to make decisions even in the absence of perfect data. How you use and interpret available and imperfect data, even with its limitations, helps convey your analytical ability and ability for original and critical thought. Note: the commonest errors relating to this criterion are either a tendency to describe (not analyse) the gathered information or simply to present a list of facts (i.e. a summary not a synthesis of the collected data).
● Critical evaluation: This requires you to demonstrate an ability to identify, select, assimilate and use the best available as well as necessary and sufficient material to support your claim. As such, it requires evidence of effort in searching for and appraising the value of the sources you use in support of your argument. The assignment brief provides some guidelines as to ‘sufficient’; the judgement about determining the ‘best available’ and ‘necessary’ is part of what is being assessed. Some research into, reading of, and evidence of using sources beyond the module material is expected. Common errors on this criterion are the use of the most easily found material, of unreliable sources, or of shallowness in use of the cited works.
● Academic writing: This refers to the writing style, structure, parsimony and overall presentation; to the clarity and coherence of the argument; and to the use and citation of sources and reference material within your work. Note that the Business School expects the use of the Harvard style for citing and referencing sources.

What role does service innovation play in developing or maintaining
a sustainable competitive advantage in a service organization?