Corporate Responsibility in a Global Context
A number of theorists argue that for organisations to be continuously successful, the most crucial factor for their success is to develop understanding of the strategic implications of CSR. Discuss this view of Corporate Social Responsibility in the industry of your choice using relevant literature to support your arguments and analysis. Build your discussion and analysis around theoretical perspectives, frameworks and propositions and use relevant organisational examples
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to the ethical and responsible actions taken by organizations to address the social and environmental impacts of their operations. CSR can take many forms, including philanthropy, environmental protection, and ethical labor practices.
According to some theorists, the strategic implications of CSR are crucial for organizational success. This view suggests that organizations that effectively integrate CSR into their business strategies and operations will be more successful in the long term. This is because CSR can provide a number of benefits to organizations, including improved reputation, increased customer loyalty, and enhanced employee engagement and retention.
There are several theoretical perspectives that support this view of CSR. One such perspective is stakeholder theory, which suggests that organizations have a responsibility to consider the interests of all stakeholders, including employees, customers, shareholders, and the broader community. Another perspective is the resource-based view of the firm, which suggests that an organization’s resources, including its reputation and social capital, can be a source of competitive advantage.
There are also a number of frameworks and propositions that have been developed to help organizations understand and implement CSR. For example, the triple bottom line framework, developed by John Elkington, suggests that organizations should consider their social, environmental, and economic impacts. The corporate citizenship model, developed by Archie Carroll, proposes that organizations should consider the social and environmental impacts of their operations, as well as their economic performance.
There are numerous examples of organizations in various industries that have successfully integrated CSR into their business strategies and operations. For example, in the retail industry, Patagonia is known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical labor practices. The company has implemented a number of CSR initiatives, including using recycled materials in its products and supporting environmental conservation efforts. Another example is the financial services industry, where Goldman Sachs has implemented a number of CSR initiatives, including supporting small businesses, promoting economic development in underserved communities, and reducing its environmental impact.
The view that the strategic implications of CSR are crucial for organizational success is supported by a number of theoretical perspectives and frameworks, and there are numerous examples of organizations in various industries that have successfully integrated CSR into their business strategies and operations.
Level 5 Corporate Responsibility in a Global Context: Element 2, Individual essay on an industry or sector 50%
Key Details and Requirements
Submission deadline: Submission 31-Dec-22, no later than 16:30
Learning Outcomes to be achieved:
LO1. Evaluate organisations, the business environment in which they operate and their various processes, procedures and practices for the responsible management of organisations.
LO2. Analyse and respond to the dynamic and changing nature of business and the consideration of the future of organisations within the global business environment.
Assessment details: Element 2, Individual essay on an industry or sector 50% – (1,500 words)
Referencing: Students are expected to use Harvard Referencing throughout their assignments
Please note that you can deviate +- 10% from the word limit stated on each assignment.
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
This task consists of an individual essay on an industry or sector 50% – (1,500 words
+/- 10%)
A number of theorists argue that for organisations to be continuously successful, the most crucial factor for their success is to develop understanding of the strategic implications of CSR. Discuss this view of Corporate Social Responsibility in the industry of your choice using relevant literature to support your arguments and analysis. Build your discussion and analysis around theoretical perspectives, frameworks and propositions and use relevant organisational examples.
The Learning Objectives of Element 2 comprise all the Objectives of the module, as listed above, discussing in particular the following issues:
• Definition of CSR, exploring the major academic contributors e.g., Archie Carrol
• Clear identification and some resolution of the factors creating pressure for engagement with CSR, change and continuous improvement
• Explore the reasons why organisations engage in CSR, how organisations engage and explore various methodologies used
• Explore the notion of necessity or choice of CSR
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of CSR, practical examples and implications and how they link to relevant theoretical considerations.
• Consider the issues associated with CSR, the influence of mission and objectives of the organisation, the business environment in which they operate and their various processes, procedures and practices for the responsible management of organisations.
• Emphasize what legal and regulatory principles could have been infringed and those which have been amended over the years in order to incorporate CSR and ESG criteria.
• Illustrated issues with real life examples, as well as a clear focus on a particular operation within an organisation
You must also deliver:
• analysis and understanding of the issues involved, logical development of analysis and arguments
• originality of analysis and conclusions derived
• a structured framework for your essay, which references relevant existing research, themes and propositions
• A clear and concise summary of the work and conclusions reached from your analysis/discussion
• Your work must be completed individually
• Your work must provide a detailed list of cited reference sources and use Harvard style of referencing
• Well-structured and presented in an essay format
• Evidence of a range of secondary research using texts, journals, magazines, newspapers, and computer-based information sources
Guidelines for the structure of the essay are contained in Appendix 1, below. References will be provided in alphabetical order using the Harvard system.
Module Assessment Criteria
Class Scale Attributes Marks
FIRST
(Excellent) Exceptional 1st The work displays exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding. Evidence of detailed analysis / application deploying research in order to advance work and/or direct arguments. Written in a fluent style with a clear focus and structure: excellent use of grammar, spelling and language conventions. Performance deemed to be beyond that which one
would expect at this Level and aligned to learning outcomes. 95-100%
High 1st Excellent knowledge and understanding demonstrating a breadth and depth of substantive knowledge that is comprehensive accurate and relevant to the learning outcomes. Evidence of reflective insight / application and ability to select a wide range of appropriate sources, theories, and principles from reading and research. Consideration of opposing arguments. Excellent demonstration of relevant skills; excellent communication, with very good use of grammar, spelling and language conventions. 90-94%
Mid 1st 80-89%
Low 1st 70-79%
UPPER SECOND
(Very Good) High 2:1 Very good knowledge and understanding informed by accurate interpretation and awareness of related facts / concepts.
Demonstrates an ability to use a structured communication approach to sustain a relevant and coherent argument. Evidence of appropriate reading / research. The work is well structured and organised with good use of grammar, spelling and language conventions. 68%
Mid 2:1 65%
Low 2:1 62%
LOWER SECOND
(Good) High 2:2 Good insight and understanding of related information, such as principles, theories, evidence and techniques. Work demonstrates descriptive application of knowledge. Limited evidence of ability to sustain a relevant and coherent argument. Some evidence of appropriate reading / research to advance work
/ direct arguments. May not directly answer the question or fully align to the learning outcomes. Reasonable use of grammar, spelling and language conventions. 58%
Mid 2:2 55%
Low 2:2 52%
THIRD
(Sufficient) High 3rd Incomplete breadth and depth of substantive knowledge. Sufficient display of theory to practice application using terminology, basic facts and concepts. Work is generally descriptive and lacking in theoretical and reflective insights or application. Arguments may be weak or poorly constructed and are too simplistic. Limited attention paid to quality and appropriateness of resources. Poorly structure work with no clear sense of organisation of the material. The work may display evidence of poor grammar and spelling. 48%
Mid 3rd 45%
Low 3rd 42%
FAIL
(Insufficient) Marginal Fail Insufficient knowledge and understanding of the area of study; the answer may show some awareness of the area but misses many important facts and concepts and makes major errors. Work is descriptive with a limited use of sources to advance work.
Arguments are weak or poorly constructed. Work that is limited in coherence, clarity and effective communication. 38%
Mid Fail 35%
Low Fail 32%
FAIL
(Inadequate) Little relevant knowledge but with some level of awareness of the subject area. Fails to show any analysis / application and does not meet the learning outcomes. Fails to use data, citations or other sources in the correct manner. The work is descriptive and any arguments are partial and unsubstantiated. Poor communication skills which hamper ability to demonstrate achievement of outcomes. 20-29%
FAIL
(Severely Inadequate) Work is severely inadequate and demonstrates little or confused awareness of the subject area. Poorly informed descriptive narrative with little evidence-based argument. Use of sources is inappropriate and arguments are unsubstantiated and unstructured. Very poor communication skills. 10-19%
FAIL
(Profoundly Inadequate) Virtually no attempt – the candidate may have written a few sentences but without addressing the question in any way. Learning outcomes are not met. There is no real attention to any
presentation norms or structure to the narrative. 0-9%
APPENDIX 1. Individual Essay. GUIDELINES. Essay Structure
The Essay must include the following sections:
– Front page: Title, name of the course, name of the university, date, name of the student, word counting.
– Introduction: Brief paragraph with a general rationale/motivation for the selected industry or sector, and main highlights in the structure of the essay.
– Methodology: How the research was performed. This section describes in a concise manner the way the research and analysis has been carried out. This means that there should be a few brief paragraphs providing an overview of the reasons for the selected industry or sector, overview of chosen sources of data for the selected industry or sector (e.g., selected site(s) and reports, specialized analyst pages, research engines, etc.). You should also mention the period under consideration (i.e., 2008-2021), an overview of the procedure followed for collecting and processing the information. Please, remember to mention whether there are any graphs and tables produced directly by the student or whether these have been taken/copied from other sources.
-Literature Review: List CR and legal concepts and regulations used in the analysis. This section will contain the theoretical framework for your analysis. It comprises a few brief paragraphs with quotations/references/explanations (in some detail) regarding the core relevant corporate responsibility concepts/reports and relationships to be applied in the discussion of the industry or sector (e.g., you may emphasize the importance/relevance of particular information, reports, statements, accounts).
– Analysis/Discussion: Critical application of corporate responsibility analysis, concepts and relationships to the selected industry or sector. This section contains:
• Definition of CSR, exploring the major academic contributors e.g., Archie Carrol
• Clear identification and some resolution of the factors creating pressure for engagement with CSR, change and continuous improvement
• Exploration of the reasons why organisations engage in CSR, how organisations engage and the various methodologies they use
• Exploration of the notion of “necessity or choice” of CSR
• Discussion of advantages and disadvantages of CSR, practical examples and implications and how these link to relevant theoretical considerations
• Considerations upon issues associated with CSR, the influence of mission and objectives of the organisation, the business environment in which they operate and their various processes, procedures and practices for the responsible management of organisations
• Emphasize what relevant legal and regulatory principles have been infringed or amended over the years in order to incorporate CSR and ESG criteria.
• Illustration of relevant issues with real life examples, as well as a clear focus on a particular operation within an organisation
– Conclusion: This section is a systematic reflection on the different parts of the essay. It summarizes the information generated on the industry or sector and which could be core for decision making, and for guaranteeing the survival of the selected industry or sector.
-List of References: (the list, organized in alphabetical order, does NOT add up towards the word counting)
The minimum information for all the sources used in your assignment comprises (Please, refer to Harvard reference standards):
1. Books and Journals: (a) first author (b) title of article or book (c) title of journal (if relevant) (d) volume number (e) year of publication (f) publisher (books only)
2. Internet sources: full reference of Web-based sources providing details of author, name of articles/report, date of publication, date of accessing the site.
3. Any other relevant source of information (e.g., videos, news, etc.)
– Appendices: (these do NOT count towards your word total)
a) If considered appropriate, any article/report that was core to support the statements contained in the assignment.
b) Any other additional information that is not essential for the main discussion, but it was significant for the presentation, being complementary to your discussion/analysis (e.g., significant extra tables and graphs).
REMEMBER:
* The assignment marks will be allocated depending on the suitable choice of articles, use of pertinent concepts, depth of coverage in the discussion, and sound application of corporate responsibility theory. Marks will also be awarded subject to a logical structure of the essay, language and referencing.
* Use as many textbooks, articles, reports, videos, data, and serious academic and business material as considered useful. Better research and critical analysis will receive better marks.
* Always write in third person (e.g., this essay, the sector, the industry, the research, the theory, the textbook, the article by…, the report by…)
REGARDING REFERENCES:
Please follow the Harvard Referencing Handbook for all your assignments at the ULBS.
In addition to your ULBS Handbook and Library sources, the following URLs for Harvard Style of Referencing can also be consulted:
• UK Essays (n.d.) Harvard Referencing Guide. Online at: https://www.ukessays.com/referencing/harvard/ [Accessed 03/08/21]
• Anglia Ruskin University (n.d.) Harvard System. Online at: https://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm [Accessed 03/08/21]
