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Individual Written Report on Your Interview With an Entrepreneur

Assessment 3: The individual written report on an entrepreneur (25%).
Due: Week 8
Content
You are required to interview an entrepreneur or small business owner and report your findings in a written
report or conduct secondary research to build an interview response. The report is 2000 words (excluding
appendices).
It is your responsibility to find the entrepreneur or small business owner to interview from someone that you
know. The challenge of this assessment is for you to show initiative and find an appropriate person to
interview.
It can be a current business owner or somebody who has previously run a business and can represent any
of the fields of entrepreneurship presented in lectures. Your tutor cannot help you find someone to interview,
but can provide advice if you are not sure about your choice.
This interview is not for academic research purposes and will only be used as a point of reflection for you
and assessment in this class.
If you are unable to identify an entrepreneur or small business owner, you may use secondary data to build
and develop a response to your interview questions.
The person you choose to interview could be:
– An entrepreneur that has been reported on from a variety of secondary data sources (articles,
books, interviews, documentaries)
– An entrepreneur or small business owner you know in Australia or from your home country.
– A friend or family member who runs their own business.
– Someone you know who runs a for-profit or not-for profit corporation/organisation.
You are expected to:
Activity Timeframe
• Make contact with the person you hope to interview, explain the assessment task and
what you hope to achieve. Offer to provide the interviewee with a copy of your report.
By Week 5
• Prepare a well thought out list of questions, based on the theory and concepts in the
unit learning materials. Send to the interviewee in advance.
By Week 6
• Conduct the interview. Act professionally and respect the interviewee’s time. By Week 7
• Analyse the interview and how it matches theory and write your report.
[Use the information compiled in the interview only for the purposes of this
assessment] By Week 8
Your report should have five sections:
1. A brief explanation of the entrepreneur you interview, the business they run and its history.
2. How the characteristics of the entrepreneur so far as you were able to observe them relate to the
theories and concepts covered in the learning materials
• You MUST include the 10 Ds (see Bygrave and Zacharakis, Entrepreneurship – copies in library
or look online for the 10Ds – find a reliable source though). Higher marks will be given for each
additional relevant theory referred to and properly explored.
3. How the characteristics of the entrepreneur’s business relate to the theories and concepts covered
in the learning materials, including whether the business remains entrepreneurial now. How do they
fit theory? How do they differ?
• You MUST include a reflection of the entrepreneurial activity in the context of the business
model canvas (see Week 6 – a completed BMC by you – NOT the Interviewer is required).
Higher marks will be given for each additional relevant theory referred to and properly explored.
4. Reflection on what you have learned from the interview: entrepreneur’s tips about entrepreneurship
or running a business? What they did right and what they would do differently? Does this sort of
business appeal to you? Why (not)? How have your ideas about entrepreneurship changed after
talking to this entrepreneur? How this shapes your behaviour going forward with respect to
entrepreneurship?
5. Thoughts and evidence on opportunities on where they could take their entrepreneurial endeavour in
the future (Again, your view, not the interviewers opinions).
Guidelines on content for each section
1. Brief explanation of the entrepreneur, their business and its history
This is where you set the scene for your report. Provide enough information on the entrepreneur and
their business for the rest of the report to make sense. Information you might include is the
entrepreneur’s background before they started the business, what led them to start the business,
what previous work experience or entrepreneurial experience they had, when they started the
business and a brief history of its launch and growth.
2. Analysis of characteristics of the entrepreneur
Review your observations of the entrepreneur and the answers they gave to your questions.
Compare them with the theories and models presented in the Learning materials for this topic (Week
5). Look at both the lecture powerpoints and the learning materials. Examples of frameworks would
be:
• 10 Ds of entrepreneurs (Bygrave & Zacharakis) [mandatory] • Learned optimism – do they seem to have an optimistic outlook?
• MBTI profile – do any characteristics stand out?
• Dark side of entrepreneurship – were any of these characteristics present?
Explain how the entrepreneur you interviewed demonstrates (or does not demonstrate) these
characteristics.
3. Analysis of characteristics of the entrepreneur’s business
Review what the entrepreneur told you about their business and their approach to identifying the
opportunity and launching the business (or developing it if they bought the business as a going
concern). Has the business remained entrepreneurial? Compare this with theories and models from
Weeks 2, 3 and 4 in particular. Examples of relevant frameworks would be:
• Application of the business model canvas – understand how the business functions
[mandatory] • The business idea pitch questions, particularly what problem they were solving
• Opportunity checklist – what strengths and weaknesses did their business idea have?
• Specific theories and models for the field(s) of entrepreneurship your entrepreneur’s
business represents – corporate, social, technology, environmental.
• How trends have or are impacting the business and opportunity.
Explain how the business model and strategy demonstrates (or does not demonstrate) your chosen
theories.
Note: If the business failed or was sold, comment on what was done well and what could have been
done better.
4. Reflection on what you have learned from the interview
This section must be in first person because it is about what you have learned from this assignment.
Include what the entrepreneur has learned and any tips they offered, but also explain what you
learned from listening to their experience and their advice.
Good reflection is specific. Follow the same approach as taken in the reflective journal entries you
have written for participation points (see the relevant PPs instructions)
5. Opportunity assessment
Where could the entrepreneur take or build on their business in the future
Format
It is suggested that you write this assessment as a report rather than an essay. That is, use the five headings
(above) and provide analysis under each. Include an Introduction.
Use appendices to provide evidence of your preparation and results, such as your list of questions, your
notes on the answers or even an interview transcript. Appendices, references and (optional) Executive
Summary are not included in the word limit.
It is recommended that you write the assignment in first person. Show your tutor what you have learned
from the interview.
References
Do not forget to cite your references in-text and include a list of references at the end of the report, but
before any appendices. Cite the original source rather than the lecture notes always. References are not
included in the word limit.
Marks will be deducted for incorrect citation and referencing format, but more marks will be deducted for not
including references at all!
Appendices
Use appendices for any additional detail – for example your list of questions. Refer to each appendix within
your report. Appendices are not included in the word limit.
A marking rubric is provided on the next page
Marking Guide – ENT10001 Interviewing with an entrepreneur – 25 %
Grade High Distinction Distinction Credit Pass Not Pass
Writing style and presentation (10%)
• Visual appeal: cover page, font, headings, white
space, professionalism
• Structure: Executive summary; table of contents,
headings, page numbers, tense, pronoun use,
matches assessment criteria,
• Accurate spelling and grammar.
• Well-structured sentences and paragraphs (not
too long, good use of punctuation, no overuse of
bullets)
Meets all criteria at an
outstanding standard
Meets all criteria at a high
standard
Meets all criteria at an
acceptable standard or
most criteria at a high
standard with only a few
lapses
Meets most criteria at an
acceptable standard, but
below expectations in
some.
Does not meet the majority
of the criteria and those
that are met, are at
minimum acceptable
standard.
Characteristics of the entrepreneur (30%)
• Relevance of 10 Ds
• Relevance of other theories
• Specific examples provided
Outstanding use of multiple
theories.
Extensive specific
examples illustrate theories
effectively.
Includes 10Ds plus more
than one other theory.
Specific examples illustrate
theories effectively.
Includes 10Ds plus one
other theory.
Specific examples mostly
provided.
Includes 10Ds theory, but
no others and/or
Lacks specific examples
Does not relate
observations to theory
Business model and strategy (30%)
• Application of the business model canvas
• Relevance of other theories of entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial venture or small business now?
• Specific examples provided
Outstanding use of multiple
theories.
Extensive specific
examples illustrate theories
effectively.
Includes BMC of the
business plus more than
one other theory.
Stage of the business
explained and supported
with theory
Specific examples illustrate
theories effectively.
Includes BMC plus one
other theory.
Stage of the business
explained
Specific examples mostly
provided.
Includes BMC, but no
others and/or
Lacks specific examples
Does not relate
observations to theory
Personal reflection (15%)
What did you learn from the interview and your
analysis
• specific tips, tactics or general strategies you
can follow or adapt
• impact on your own entrepreneurial goals
• Relevant role model or mentor for you?
Insights and their impacts
on you are clearly
explained and related to the
interview content.
Insights and their impacts
on you are clearly
explained and mostly
illustrated by reference to
interview content.
Insights and impacts on
you are outlined, but may
be general and not
consistently illustrated by
specific references to the
interview.
General reflections but no
specific insights identified.
Omitted or not a personal
reflection
Opportunity Analysis (5%)
Where the business can go? Insights into the
opportunities are well
thought out and supported
Insights into the
opportunities are clearly
explained and supported
Insights into the
opportunities are made,
though remain general and
not supported
General insights into new
opportunities are present
Omitted or not complete
Research effort and correct use of references
(10%)
• References used are relevant to content
• Citations follows Swinburne standard
• Citation matches references
• Research effort demonstrated
Extensive use of relevant
theory, all referenced in
correct format.
Outstanding effort to
explore literature beyond
provided material.
Good use of relevant
theory, all referenced in
correct format.
Notable effort to explore
literature and supporting
material.
Good use of relevant
theory, with the occasional
errors in formatting.
Limited exploration of
additional material or
source beyond those
provided.
Correct referencing, but
limited use of relevant
content AND/OR
References relevant but
significant proportion
incorrectly formatted with
no additional exploration
No references or majority
incorrectly formatted OR
references are irrelevant to
content.

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