The Overall Task
The overall aim of this assignment is to critically evaluate the corporate social approach and activities of a selected business/corporation. To do this you must focus on one of the following organisations:
Virgin Group; Carrefour; Tata Group; Manchester United
a. Consider and analyse your chosen company’s own reporting and review of its’ corporate social responsibilities. This may be found in a discrete/focussed CSR report, or this may be summarised in a range of differing formats/reports. Identify and highlight the key issues being considered by your chosen company with regards to the company and its stakeholders, and critically assess no more than two of these to show how this is dealt with in the social report.
b. Focussing on your chosen one or two areas of concern, evaluate the extent to which the company has positively addressed these key issues, paying particular attention throughout to the use of internal/external performance standards and the use and demonstration of voluntary codes of conduct. Within this, consider and evaluate any external criticisms that have been raised from different stakeholders with regard to the one or two areas of concern.
Assignment submission guidance
Evidence of wide reading and the appropriate use of theoretical frameworks, as relevant to academic study at masters level, is a requirement of the assignment and a suggested structure for your submission is provided below (with related marking weightings shown following).
Title page (Module name, student name, organisation being reviewed)
1. Theoretical grounding to the assignment
2. Company background including:
Brief description of the organisation’s size, structure, products, and markets
3. Corporate Social Report review and analysis:
To include the identification and summary overview of key issues being considered by the organisation and a critical review of one/two areas of concern, as required in the assignment brief. This to consider how CSR issues and how CSR performance are being presented and measured; how the organisation reflects on its relation to key stakeholders; how the organisation is approaching and directing its future CSR activity in the chosen key areas.
4. Stakeholder perspectives and criticism; company responses and counter arguments:
To include the identification and critical review of the organisation’s approach to CSR as seen by key stakeholders and commentators. To reflect on any further counter-arguments made by the organisation, or on its behalf in respect of its CSR approach, stance and performance.
5. References
Marking weighting/focus
The approximate weighting of marks for written element are:
Section 1 Theoretical grounding = 20%
Section 2 Company background = 10%,
Section 3 Social report critical review and analysis = 35%,
Section 4 Stakeholder perspectives and criticism = 35%
General written quality and overall presentation (eg clarity and referencing) should also be evidenced throughout as required at Masters level.
Key submission details
Word Limit: 5000 words.
Submission Date: 10th of May, 2013
Time: 11.59 pm as an electronic copy submitted into Turnitinuk via the Unilearn site for the module (under the assignments tab). Submissions will not be accepted via e-mail. Also note that submissions received after this deadline, up to 1 week late, will be capped at a maximum of 40% as noted in your course handbook and student regulations. Submissions received later than 1 week will only be marked at the discretion of the module tutor.
Marking date: It is anticipated that, subject to the standard University moderation processes, provisional feedback and assignment grading will be available via the Turnitin (Grademark) site by the 3rd of June, 2013
Note(s): Module tutors do not provide extensions or receive requests for extenuating mitigating circumstances. These should be