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Yes, very very time pressure
The case study was very complex. I started on my last question half an hour before end of exam.
bit lengthy but was manageable , i completed it like 1 min before the completion time , but overall fair paper
very time pressured but managed to complete 100% paper. Lets hope for the best.
It was a fair paper. A lot of reading but requirements were understandable, which is not always the case with some past papers. Hopefully done enough to scrape a pass!
Yes
Balogun and hope Bailey contextual features model
Often being asked some of the elements
This time five of them
I almost confused the capability with capacity !!There was just too much info in q1 to breakdown in sections for all 3 parts of the Briefing paper..
too many points, and ideas coming up,
almost 1.5 hrs on q1 itself…
left with 90 minutes for the next 2 case studies… didnt have time to read it in full, just went thru real quick, noted key points, and just scribbled down the answers… still did not finish the whole paper !!!!!
hopefully done enough for a 50% !!
did not really use any particular model for q1, just brief references to few, apart from those mentioned for contextual features for change management and stuff in part (b)…
any 1 else with the same approach ? or did u guys use specific models for part (a) ?
actually almost the whole paper was less on models, q 1, 3, 4 – not many models like all we covered with pastpapers and p3 syllabus…
My first attempt answering a professional paper as my F levels got transfer creditted, not exposed to answering this kinda paper n i feel like i cant manage my time properly.. case was a bit lengthy and other than that was OK.. q1=disaster !!!
too much of text in q1 – 4 pages for not english-native speakers is too much tight.
yes q1 kind of gave me a shock at first !! because no PESTEL, no PORTERS, no CSF, KPI’s, TOWS, BCG…. just straight change management, Organisational culture & configurations – kind of least expected topic atleast for q.1…
but having a read through the case study and noting key points while having read the questions in 15 minutes reading time, was able to start getting the right points here and there…. got going basically… and then just went on and on for the next 1.5hrs…
so unfair at work, u look at 12:15pm and after 2 hours u look again, its 12:20m but in ACCA exams u look at 12:15pm and after 10 minutes, its already 1:15pm !!!!!!!!
@boringaccountant said:
did not really use any particular model for q1, just brief references to few, apart from those mentioned for contextual features for change management and stuff in part (b)…any 1 else with the same approach ? or did u guys use specific models for part (a) ?
actually almost the whole paper was less on models, q 1, 3, 4 – not many models like all we covered with pastpapers and p3 syllabus…
yeah same here , i think models should only be applied when examiner asks specifically or when he/she used to give us hints but now examiner is very clear to what to write., but still i used ashbridge portfolio ( i.e CSFs can be improved/provided) to justify that IT team can help develop e learning thingies for qbt group and qbt can help them control costs which can increase net profits thus dividends for the shareholders
A lot of information to read it could of taken 3 hours alone to get a reasonable understanding of the scenarios. Just pleased I got the paper finished and attempted every question just the dreaded wait now for the results
I think this paper was pretty fair, and time reasonable.
I used suitability/acceptability/feasibility model in Q1a.Answering for Q3b (about university) got into a mess with job redesign for lecturers..
Something to do with Corporate Social Responsibility with reference the bank and the institutional shareholders.
This paper was difficult. Like others already said, there was no set model for any of the questions, which made it a sort of free for all. Its hard to know if anything I wrote was along the right track, or if it was all gibberish.
I didnt manage to answer all the questions, and I answered less than half of 1c and 2b (I think).Not best pleased with my performance, but I’m glad I didn’t spend an hour twiddling my thumbs.
Onto P6!Too time pressured.
All requirements q1 acquiring, contextual features n cultural web configuration is understandable and okay but in q2 n q3 is difficult. Dont know what actually in 3(b)@rishabh1993 said:
For Q1 (A) part i used SFA model i dont know to what extent its correct.I also used SFA but limited my analysis to the advantages and benefits.
I was in about 4 minds for question one.
I had originally read the case study and started marking down benefits and advantages for the QTS group (or whatever they were called). It was then I realised you had to offer the benefits and advantages of QTS buying A2K 🙁
So I thought of a SAF approach, but didn’t as yet ONLY wanted the benefits and advantages, only the good things, and with a full SAF you can bring out negatives. They didn’t have the staff to run their own company, let alone enough staff to take on the new one and set it all up etc, although they would pick up staff.
I was going to use a BCG with the market share and growth, but BCG shows A2K as a dog – low market growth and low relative market share.
So I just picked out 4 or 5 relevant advantages – appeasing the shareholders by growing, maximising wealth, bringing in a team to run their e-learning packages etc.
Overall, was a very long question. I didn’t even start writing an answer till after 10.30am.
And one of the requirements for question one was asking for an explanation of culture, the culture web and mintzberg, for both the companies before and after acquisition all for about 12 marks. Was a LOT to do 🙁
I did question 4 next as 2 and 3 freaked me out.
I then realised question 2 was just a cost and benefit analysis.
2 part b was trickier though.
My first attempt at P3, felt comfortable enough, but very time pressured.
Tough paper. I did F5 and have F9 tomorrow as well so wasn’t as prepared for this as I’d like. Hadn’t really done much question practice, mostly just been reading the notes so overran by 10-15 minutes on Q1 and later answers were weaker.
Couple of comments
Q1a) The question said identify the benefits to both the corporate parents and the SBU to be merged, so I just split my answer down on this basis. I’m not sure about SAF but as this is more suitable for evaluations but of course the content of the answer should be more important than the model which just gives a structure.
c) Seemed a lot of content for a 12 mark question. Organisational culture, cultural web and organisational forms. I just picked a few elements of the cultural web and talked about these pre and post acquisition and commented on the change from entrepreneurial/ basic bureaucracy to professional bureaucracy.
Q2 a) Talking about payback period a godsend when you are doing F9 as well so hopefully scored well here.
b) Didn’t really have a clue here and was running out of time so left this only to come back and scrawl down a couple of sentences in the last 5 minutes.Q4 a) Seemed quite a lot of easy weaknesses and threats to identify. However was time pressured so didn’t structure my answer to well.
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