Introduction
After enrolling in higher education, I had to go through the mandatory courses to study the intricacies of the business area and simultaneously enhance individual skills. The practice challenge consisted of an apprentice challenge, a presentation challenge, a t-shirt challenge, and an analysis of Tesco’s trends in supermarkets. The core of this metamorphic journey is captured in this reflective report, including my ideas, the use of education principles, and the development of essential competencies. These varied challenges touched on roles such as applying models and financial analysis, going further to present strategy development and market evaluation. The challenges posed by these projects required practical implementation of the business theories learned in different learning modules. They helped to build important skills like good communication, teamwork, and finance basics (Johnson et al., 2020). This reflective undertaking aims to interrogate a nexus between academic understanding gained from university modules and its actual implementation within reality. In my trek through the analyses of every issue, I unlock the business facets involving practices of management, financial accounting, and strategic analyses. At the same time, I will be analysing the skills tested and developed over this journey, such as communication, teamwork, and time management. The objective of this document is twofold; first, it serves as a reflection of my journey and then provides groundwork for development during my days at this institution.
Challenges Analysis
Apprentice Challenge
I purposely applied for a supervisor position since the latter was viewed as a key stage for my career growth in solving the Apprentice Challenge. Additionally, my reply emphasized my willingness to develop and my current experience per the needed competencies. The way aligns with basic precepts of strategic career planning, showing a keen insight into using past experiences to achieve the ultimate goal.
I also adequately recognise the supervisor’s roles, such as reporting team performance and conducting individual evaluations on key managerial and leadership duties (Metz et al., 2019, pp. 666-674). The principles of modules like Introduction to Management and Organizational Behaviour cultivated awareness about its origin. These modules provided me with a strong background on which I could explain the complexities of being a supervisor and prove the usefulness of applied academic knowledge.
In the application process, there was something common for me. It refers to fitting personal strengths to the position’s characteristics, similar to strategic human resource management (Snyder et al., 2013). Not only did I demonstrate that I was the right person for the job, but I also proved that I understood the strategic subtleties of applying for a role in an organizational setting. This means that the apprenticeship challenge is considered a practical canvas upon which theory and fieldwork are applied together for better comprehension of how theoretical understanding combines with job creation for students who are learning. This is why this reflective analysis will help me towards the next challenges as well as my life-long learning and development.
Presentation Challenge
My presentation skills were developed in such an intense way during the Presentation challenge. The experience was an avenue of disseminating the information in a clear form that also captivated their audience. This competence is related to the academic concept of communicability in the context of doing business, as indicated by the book of Guffey and Loewy (2021). However, it is about how the audience receives and understands the message, which makes up the core of effective communication. However, this taught me how to customize my message so that it could be understood by the audience and passed across to them. Such a move is aligned with audience-centricity, a hallmark of strategic business communication. It also included the inclusion of visuals into the presentation, which has been deliberately done to increase interest and understanding of the issue. The use of various visual aids at this point illustrates the knowledge of principles of visual communication, which is proposed in the work of Gartner-Schmidt (2023).
Consequently, the appendix acted as an additional visual element and as evidence of the practicality resulting from the theory. Collaboration characterised the Presentation Challenge, showcasing a crucial factor in any undertaking: teamwork and time management. Synchronized efforts towards achieving meeting presentation objectives, as well as efficient use of time in order to meet deadlines. Some of these issues are brought out in the discussion on people management regarding introducing this people management module and the essential role teams play towards a common target.
T-shirt Challenge
The T-Shirt Challenge was an example of how, in practice, one would need to calculate a theoretical statement of profit or loss for some imaginary company. This presented me with a challenge that urged me into the world of financial literacy, applying knowledge learnt during the Financial Accounting coursework session. Therefore, cost accounting strengthened my financial literacy, among the required business skills proposed by Tjandra et al. (2022). As a simulation of business situations and financial issues connected with starting a new firm or company, the importance of the T-shirt challenge was essential. By breaking down costs, reviewing expenses, and estimating profitability, I performed an overall financial evaluation similar to how companies do when they study their operating environments. This increased my knowledge about them and helped me gain critical thinking skills toward making better strategic financial decisions, which are crucial for modern-day business. During this challenge, an Excel spreadsheet for pricing worksheets was intentionally chosen to simplify complex mathematical computations. It confirmed mastery in applying the concepts covered by the theoretical part of business tools and technology. Technology can make the running of a business precise and efficient. MS Excel demonstrated that I know how to take advantage of modern business tools and what they are for.
Tesco Analysis
Analysis of Tesco’s trends in depth provided insight into the supermarkets using both external PESTEL factors and internal SWOT variables. The analytical efforts led to a complex and detailed view of the nature of supermarket retailing. Building on insights gained from the Module in Global Business Environment, my study relied on macro-environmental and internal analyses in examining Tesco against the external environment. PESTEL helped me discover macro factors’ influences on Tesco’s activities. It involves an in-depth appraisal of political impacts, economic environment, sociocultural factors, technology, ecology, and legal context (Johnson et al., 2020). This analysis took a deep dive beyond looking at every aspect on the surface to examine how it affected Tesco’s strategic options.
Besides, the SWOT analysis helped develop a broad understanding of the internal workings of Tesco. Discussing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats helped me see the competitive position of Tesco. Not only did this analytical framework highlight various internal aspects in need of strategic focus, but it also highlighted different avenues for expansion as well as weak points prone to pressure from outside. Such analysis showed that I could understand the theory behind any business and turn it into practice and meaningful analysis. Synthesizing what is understood as a theory with real-life application shows that I am analytical and critical. In essence, Tesco Analysis showcased my knowledge of doing complete environment analysis on businesses. This emphasized my capacity for applying strategic frameworks to analyze the outside environment and inside elements of any company, an imperative skill set for dealing with the complexity of modern businesses.
Skills Reflection
While going through a difficult experience, I demonstrated many aspects of my character that represented my development as a person and a professional. Emotional intelligence and good communication were the basis of my effectiveness. In adapting my approach to address different issues when communicating thoughts or ideas, it was vital to consider the emotional components involved in making decisions. In addition, the spirit of teamwork was evidenced in my engagement, which involved collaborating, sharing ideas, and finally working as a team towards joint outcomes. However, these challenges highlighted my skills in time-keeping as I always met the set deadlines and actively participated in meetings. The last point is that my presentation of Business skills and competencies was also notable. This included skills in using business instruments, financial analysis, and converting theory to practice. In addition, this skill set became a basis for overcoming obstacles in academic and later professional activities.
Action Plan
My three-year action plan for skill development includes attending seminars focused on leadership, active participation in extracurricular activities, and acquiring internships that target specific skills such as communication and financial management. Such experiences will provide pragmatic settings for improving and expanding my skill set. Moreover, I accept the imperativeness of constant self-assessment and receiving advice, among other factors that must be included in this process of my skills growth for it to be effective. Therefore, I intend to strengthen my academic base and build a wide range of relevant skills in academics and business settings.
Conclusion
The Apprentice Challenge, Presentation and T-shirt Challenge, and Tesco Analysis journey revealed a symbiosis between theory and practice. For instance, I worked hard during class and developed important critical thinking techniques through several strategic role applications, effective presentations, financial analyses, and comprehensive assessments. There was an emphasis on communication, teamwork, time management, and business mastery, ensuring constant growth. However, looking forward, my action plan involves participating in extra classes, internships, and tailored conferences aimed at improving skills to match changing academics and career world requirements.
Reference List
Buchanan, D.A. & Huczynski, A.A. (2019). Organizational Behaviour. [online] Google Books. Pearson UK. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Y6ilDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT30&dq=Buchanan.
Gartner-Schmidt, J.L. (2023). The New Normal – Virtual and Hybrid Presentations: Developing Content, Designing Slides, and Delivery Guidelines. Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, p.014556132311587. doi https://doi.org/10.1177/01455613231158799.
Guffey, M.E., Loewy, D. & Griffin, E. (2021). Business Communication Process and Product, Brief Edition, 7th Edition. [online] Google Books. Cengage Canada. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pEy-EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR12&dq=Guffey [Accessed 15 Oct. 2023].
Johnson, J., Whittington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G. & Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring Strategy. [online] Google Books. Pearson UK. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ieksEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT25&dq=+The+Business+Environment.+Pearson.&ots=XEA3ZiPb89&sig=V9nsceMiRIG9GfTeW7–8HQ2F88 [Accessed 20 Nov. 2023].
Metz, D., Ilies, L. and Metz, M., 2019. The Role Of Management Practices In Ensuring Organizational Performance. In Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE (Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 666-674). Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania. [online] Available at: http://conferinta.management.ase.ro/archives/2019/pdf/3_14.pdf [Accessed 13 Mar. 2023].
Tjandra, G., Marpaung, M. and Muda, I. (2022). How Accounts, Debits, and Credits are Used to Record Business Transactions. Journal of Positive School Psychology, [online] 6(3), pp.2311–2323. Available at: http://mail.journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/1959 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2023].
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