Graduate Qualities Assessed Understanding business theory and practice
Graduate Qualities Assessed Understanding business theory and practice
Intelligent use of information
Creative problem solving
Responsible and ethical behaviour
Learning and professional development
Topic Unilever and Profitability
Length 1500-2,000 words.
This does not include references and appendices; that is, the body of your paper should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
Weighting 20%
Type of Collaboration Individual Assessment
Marking Criteria
The marking criteria are as follows:
1. The ability to consider multiple perspectives and explain how they are relevant to this case
(30% of total mark);
2. The use of theoretical and conceptual arguments to support and critique aspects of the case
(10% of total mark);
3. The ability to make credible decision-relevant conclusions backed by argument and relevant information (25% of total
mark);
4. The logical and argumentative quality of the essay (15% of total mark); and,
5. The linguistic quality of the essay (e.g., grammar and style) (20% of total mark).
Style and Format The style and format are to be consistent with the requirements of both the Sydney Business School and
conventional protocols of graduate-level, academic essay writing. The font size should be 12, lines should be double-
spaced, all pages should be numbered at the bottom right of the page, and printing should be double-sided (that is, print
on the front and back of the page).
Assessment Submission
YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS TO WRITE A REFLECTIVE ESSAY IN WHICH YOU DO THE FOLLOWING:
1. Explain Unilever’s business model and how it seeks to be responsible to society and to the environment. Include
some discussion of how this responsibility may be important to your home country.
2. Explain whether or not you think that Unilever’s model is or is not desirable for stockholders (those who own
equity shares in Unilever. They are considered to be the owners of Unilever).
3. Discuss a particular problem that Unilever faces. That problem follows from the fact that the group we call
“stockholders” is diverse. Some investors are only interested in the short-term profits of a company. Other investors
are interested in the long-term profits of a company. Carrying out social and environmental responsibilities as Unilever
tries to do can affect short-term and long-term investors differently. Explain that difference. Do you think that
Unilever should sacrifice its social and environmental commitments in order to be responsible to “short-term” investors,
those who want to make a profit in the short-term and really don’t care about the long-term profitability of Unilever
Defend your position with arguments.
4. Discuss whether or not you personally would invest in a company if you knew that its short-term (1 to 3 years)
profit would be lower because of its social and environmental responsibilities
5. Do you think that society would be better off if more companies were as committed to social and environmental
issues as is Unilever Do you think that our governments should require companies to be as socially and environmentally
responsible as Unilever Discuss the long-term implications for all of us (including stockholders) if we allow companies
to focus simply on returns to shareholders.
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