Sustainable Business Management: Strategic Planning and CSR Challenges

1.Demonstrate understanding of the different management theories and the basics of Macro and micro-economics, including the decision making process and strategic management approaches that drive organisations’ performance.

2.Work with others, develop your personal and professional skills and demonstrate your ability of self-management and learning and be able to use these skills for analysing particular environments, and/or unique situations in which businesses are active.

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Write a formal report demonstrate your understanding and application of a sustainable approach to Business Management, including strategic planning and CSR challenges. Additionally, write a reflective report with an update on your key skills learning in the Unit – evidenced by entries in your online journal.  

Write a formal report, with headings, using your reading, research, learning and journal content as a starting point.

We suggest writing the report in two parts:

·Introduction / summary of the assignment brief and task

·Explanation of a sustainable approach to business strategy and management – evidence by examples of strategies that businesses use to operate in an ethical and sustainable way

·To evidence and analyse the different approaches to CSR of Micro, SME and Corporate Business, are their approaches similar? Are there differences and how can you measure success in their CSR strategies?

·Evidence of research and reading beyond topic areas discussed in class

Using Business Report Style written based on your research findings in 3rd person

Part 2: Reflective Report on Key Skills Development

Your personal reflection is based on your learning experience from Week 6, documented by your journal entries in BREO which will form part of this assessment. Therefore, journal entries added on a regular basis are required to evidence how you have developed and used key skills in the initial learning in the unit and in the analysis of the business case for this assignment. This can be achieved by completing journal entries on your self-assessment analysis, VARK, Belbin and all personal development activities that link to key employability skills.

In the reflective report you may explore key skill development in all or any of the following areas:

·Communication (both verbal and written – evidenced by classroom discussion, presentations and report writing)

·Numeracy – (evidenced by examples of use of data and statistics in your seminar activities and this submission)

·ICT (evidenced using Microsoft Office programs during the unit)

·Problem Solving (evidenced by examples of analysis and information gathering, during the unit and in the submission of the assignment)

Explanation of a sustainable approach to business strategy and management – evidenced by examples of strategies that businesses use to operate in an ethical and sustainable way

·Working with Others (evidenced by reflecting on your experience working in teams during the unit)

There is an opportunity to reflect on feedback given in class, on your journals and specifically on your first assignment. Understanding feedback and acting on it is a key element of your learning and development at this early part of your university experience where the expectations of independent learning are probably new to you and very challenging.

Feedback is offered in a variety of ways and not just on assignments – so try and utilise as many opportunities as you can.

·Reflective report should be written about yourself so in 1st person

·All links to key skills development must be referenced in text to entries in your journal. For Example:

“Since Semester one unit learning I have continued to develop and work on these XXXX academic skills, how to read an article and paraphrase key elements of it, reference it correctly so that it could be included in a formal submission” (JNL Week 4 (date)

·Your report should be correctly referenced in Harvard style with references in text and in a reference list at the end of your report.

Do not include any elements that have been submitted or marked in previous submissions without correct referencing. To use chunks of work previously submitted is considered to be self-plagiarism.

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

·Using reading and research on CSR, ethics and sustainability, explore at least one area of sustainability in businesses of different sizes like, micro, SME and corporate

·Present your work in a formal report with headings using Harvard style referencing

·Show evidence of self-reflection on the assignment task by making links to your online journal

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

We will be filling this section in together in class on Click or tap to enter a date. make sure you have downloaded/printed out the Assignment Brief and bring it to the session with you.

How does assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

Your assignment tests your application of learning in the Unit. In delivering the assessment you will undertake activities which are designed to develop your skills, which will provide relevant evidence for your assignment submission. You apply your knowledge and learning in writing a formal business report. The learning in your lectures and seminar activity all inform your preparation for writing the assignment.

How will my assignment be marked?

Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.

You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.