Module Learning Outcomes Being Assessed
Recognise an organisation’s stakeholders, discuss stakeholder theory, and critically evaluate relationships between organisations and their stakeholders.
Critically analyse strategic approaches to CSR both in terms of the business case but also their implications for society.
Outline and critically evaluate the case for and against CSR.
Discuss and critically analyse current research and literature on CSR and wider business and society debates, and explain the main theoretical contributions informing them.
- What is the Task for this Assessment?
The assignment is formed by three blocks: (1) critical analysis of the company’s stakeholder engagement (1600 words); (2) critical analysis of the company’s CSR strategy (1300 words); and (3) conclusions/recommendations (350 words). These three blocks are sub-divided into different parts to help you organise your argument:
- Conduct a critical analysis of the company’s stakeholder engagements in relation to your selected Your analysis should be in two parts (and in total around 1600 words – guideline):
- Mapping the situation (Max 500 words): Introduce the company (briefly) and the CSR issue being studied referencing relevant academic and/or practitioner literatures (you can also include references from news articles).
- Engaging with stakeholders (Guideline – around 1100 words)
o Identify relevant stakeholders for your chosen company in relation to the issue being studied. Reflect on those stakeholders you include and those you do not, explaining your decisions.
o Considering key stakeholders (choosing between 5 and 7 from those identified in the previous point) and drawing upon the Mitchell et al (1997) framework, classify these stakeholders according to the attributes of power, legitimacy and urgency, justifying these placements; and discuss on how these different stakeholders should be prioritised (in terms of power, legitimacy and urgency).
- Conduct a critical analysis of the company’s CSR strategy, comparing the approach followed at the time when the issue took place/the area of activity was launched (if considering a positive issue) with the approach followed This part of the assignment, therefore, should consider two aspects: CSR strategy then and CSR strategy now and should be around 1300 words in total. You are encouraged to draw upon CSR concepts, theories and literature to build and support your answer.
- First, you need to critically analyse what CSR approach/strategy the company was following at the time the issue took place (or the area of activity was launched). You can build your argument around what the company said they were doing (e.g. from
CSR reports), on the approach the company adopted towards their stakeholders (e.g. how they treated them, communicated with them) and on information about the company published at the time (e.g. in the media, academic papers).
- Then you need to critically analyse what CSR approach/strategy they follow nowadays, explaining how (if) the approach has changed/evolved. You need to be critical and, therefore, you need to compare their approach to other approaches available (for instance, if the company follows a traditional CSR approach, compare it with a contemporary CSR approach). Please remember to refer to theory when providing your You can also use examples from other companies.
- The assignment should conclude with a brief conclusion which includes recommendations (your view on what the company should do in terms of CSR – g. what type of CSR approaches/strategies they should start/continue following). Guideline – 350 words. Please refer to theory to support your argument.
- What is Required of me in this Assessment?
Guidelines/Details of How to Prepare Your Submission
The first step in this assignment would involve researching about companies and potential CSR issues/areas of activity. Once I have confirmed which company you can focus the assignment on, you will need to continue researching in order to gather as much information as possible about the company’s CSR and the issue itself. Please make sure you plan the structure of the assignment before you start writing. As part of your argument development, you are expected to conduct a critical analysis, considering relevant CSR concepts, theories and literature to support your answer.
The assessment criteria to
be used for marking this piece of work
Refer to the marking criteria rubric at the end of this document.
Self-Regulation: Make sure That You.
Organise your time efficiently in order to be able to conduct the required research and reading. This is a long assignment which requires an in-depth level of critical analysis.
Three Key Pieces of Advice Based on the Feedback Given to the Previous Cohort who Completed This Assignment
- Research as much as possible about the company/CSR issue before sending me your Please make sure there is enough information available online.
- Give enough justification of your stakeholder placements in relation to Mitchell et ’s model (just saying ‘employees are dependent stakeholders’ is not enough).
- Refer to CSR theories, concepts and literature when developing your
For Group Work Only:
Elements of Group Working:
☐ Classroom briefing by Module Convenor ☐ Regular meetings of all team members
☐ Record and keep evidence of meetings (agenda/minutes) ☐ Record attendance and member contributions
☐ Team reflection document
☐ Submit Peer Assessment required
Formatting Guidelines
Prepare your assignment with 1 inch margins all around, double- spaced, font size 12, Arial (inclusive of title page, tables, graphs) for the main body of the text. Deviations from the set formatting guidelines will be penalized with a 5 mark deduction. This level of strictness is to ensure optimal length consistency (and therefore fairness) for all submitted student assignments in this module.
The title page should include the title of your work, the module number, the module name and your word count. Please do not include your name or student number. You are encouraged to structure the assignment with the appropriate headings and use tables/diagrams as necessary.
Word Limit/Guidance and Penalty Applied
The word length for the assignment is 3500 words (+/- 10%). Please indicate the word count on the title page. Appendices and the reference list do not count as part of the word count, everything else does.
Referencing Style
Harvard. All academic and practitioner content, theories and models that are included in your assignment must be appropriately referenced in terms of their source.
Guidance on Academic Misconduct (including using Turnitin practice area)
The work you produce must be your own.
You should ensure that the work you produce adheres to the University’s statement on academic integrity and to the regulations regarding academic misconduct (such as plagiarism and cheating). You can find information about this at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/Policies/exa- misconduct.aspx
You are encouraged to put a draft of your work through the Turnitin practice area to satisfy yourself that the work is your own original work. You can find this in your module area on Blackboard. You can seek advice from the Module Convenor or your Programme Administrator.
- What Resources Might I Use to Prepare My Work?
- Resources available in the reading list (core text and recommended readings).
- Online information about the company/CSR Among these could be:
- Reports to stakeholders
- Online news articles
- Academic journals
- Company’s reports (annual report, CSR report)
- Information in social media (credible and reliable information)
APA
CLICK HERE TO ORDER A SIMILAR OR ANY OTHER ASSIGNMENT YOU HAVE ASSIGNMENT
The post Discuss and critically analyse current research and literature on CSR and wider business and society debates, and explain the main theoretical contributions informing them. appeared first on Apax Researchers.
