Evaluate contemporary developments in CSR and corporate governance and their implications for a range of stakeholders.

Portfolio – Sustainable Management and Ethics

Overview
The aims of this module are to develop theoretical, conceptual and empirical skills, which enable you to understand and critically evaluate ethical, sustainable business practices in a dynamic global marketplace.

This assignment assesses your ability to meet the module learning outcomes below. Aim to demonstrate ability and skill across them in your submissions:

Learning Outcomes
LO1: Critically evaluate theories and concepts relating to the internal and external business environment.

LO2: Evaluate contemporary developments in CSR and corporate governance and their implications for a range of stakeholders.

LO3: Appraise the principal sources of data on organisation and the economy.

LO4: Use data to evaluate the developments in business and management practices.

Word Count
3,000 words in total

Portfolio Assignment: A sustainable management strategy
Assignment Brief
First, select ONE of the following industry sectors:

The construction industry
The fashion industry
The tourism industry
Now, imagine you have been asked by an organisation within your selected industry sector to write a briefing document about the sustainability performance of the sector, and identify a strategy for its improvement.

The briefing document should be approximately 1,000 words long, and be written in two parts.

Part 1: Sector Analysis
Using credible sources, present sector specific facts and data in a way that describes the key challenges for the sector in relation to the three pillars of sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You should identify specific activities or operations within the sector that require improvement.

You can use the course materials to guide you but you also need to carry out your own research to acquire and analyse the necessary facts and data. This could involve information contained within industry sustainability reports; academic journal papers; industry publications (eg professional institution reports); or academic text books (see the module reading list as a starting point).

Rather than just repeating the facts and data derived from your sources, you should show you have thought critically about these to draw your own conclusions and present your findings. The tools introduced in the week’s content relating to the business environment may help you to do this (eg SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis).

Part 2: Sector Strategy
Identify and describe ONE management strategy likely to improve the sector’s sustainability performance. Discuss this strategy in relation to the challenges you identified in Part 1. You should also indicate how the strategy will enable the sector to better meet one or more of the targets set within the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

You can discuss the strategic concepts we explored in this week’s content, such as cradle to cradle thinking, life cycle management, circular economy or leadership. However, you should discuss these specifically in relation to your chosen sector and the challenges you identified in Part 1.

Explain how your management strategy helps to provide a solution to the challenge(s) you identified in Part 1. You may also need to carry out your own research to explain the strategy in more depth, or to tailor it towards the challenge(s) you identified. Use academic sources where you can. Industry case studies and reports may also furnish you with some useful information.

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