Comparison of CSR Initiatives and Environmental Innovations of Two Global Companies

Structure of submission

You will systematically compare and contrast the two chosen companies with regards opportunities for developing corporate social responsibility initiatives and social and environmental innovations that can help to enhance their organisational success.

Your strategic report should focus on two specific large global companies from the same sector/industry that have international operations. The report should address three questions (see below). Formative work in weekly seminars will guide students through analytical techniques and processes required to complete the task. Your strategic report should:

Task 1: Evaluate the external business environment and compare the dynamic capabilities of the two chosen companies. Contextualising (a) their relative competitiveness and (b) responses to globalisation of markets and technology (20%).

Task 2: Critically analyse and compare their current CSR initiatives and social and environmental innovations, in the context of their international operations, pointing out the relative advantages and risks of these (40%).

Make sure you evaluate the different stakeholders involved in sustainability and compare three CSR initiatives of your choice, all initiated or in partnership with the chosen two global companies.

Task 3: Assess and compare potential CSR strategies that enhance organisational success. Discuss the role of the sustainability offerings for a) long-term profitability and b) strategic partnering with society and governments in growth markets (30%).

A further 10% is available for clarity, structure, grammar, correct Harvard referencing and overall professional presentation showing clear report style.

Best answers will draw explicitly on Strategy, International Business and CSR concepts, tools, theories and analysis from the module and apply them to the chosen organisations. Clear referencing (Harvard system), professional presentation with appropriate diagrams/tables are required.

You may also seek oral feedback of your summative draft in progress.

Note that we will not provide any written or marks indicative feedback on drafts for summative assessment at any time. Should you perceive any formative feedback such way, then please note that it is not binding for your marking. Markers can also always change and you have no entitlement to be marked by the module convener or tutors.

Additional instructions for re-sit The same assignment task as for the main assignment period applies to the re-sit, with further instructions see below.

Re-sit deadlines will be published via Moodle. Visit the module’s Moodle site and check your Roehampton email account on a regular basis. The school is not obliged to check whether you have noticed re-sit deadlines.

You are required to improve and resubmit your original work as well as adding a further reflective commentary in form of a 400-700 words Essay. You must resubmit your work using the specific re-si Turnitin link on Moodle. This additional word count can be added on top of the original word count of this assignment, if you used the full word count.

The original marking criteria will still apply (see marking grid in Appendix) except that the 10% weighting for Presentation will be awarded instead to your additional Reflective Essay section. That is, a statement demonstrating how you learnt from the feedback and what you did differently the second time. Also reflect how the module contents could be beneficial as knowledge of best practices for a future management, public administration or advisory career.

If you did not submit work at the first opportunity, you cannot reflect on your feedback. However, in such case, your Reflection Essay section should reflect upon a) how the module’s concepts are informing the professions and open up areas of future empirical research and b) how the module contents could be beneficial as knowledge of best practices for your future management, public administration or advisory career.

If you were deferred at the first assessment opportunity you do not need to include the reflective piece as this is a first submission at a later date, not a re-sit. The Reflective Essay is marked based on the criteria of Criticality and Evidence-based Logic of arguments. It is an independent writing task and no supervision will be provided for conducting the essay