The partners of a large Australian accounting practice have engaged your firm of consultants to provide them with the information necessary to determine how they should implement a sustainability accounting division in their firm. The partners are aware that many Australian companies are engaging with the concept of sustainability but the partners are unsure of what it really means or how to implement sustainable ways of working in their own organisation and/or in their clients' organisations. The partners have differing views on the detail but have provisionally agreed that they should set up a division to give services in this area to their clients. One of the partners, Martha McGregor, is particularly keen on the idea and believes that it would give them a competitive advantage, enable them to be seen as a rounded "full-service" practice and that it is an important way for them to make a real, positive contribution to the global community. Another partner John Jackson thinks it could be an expensive exercise that would add little to the success of the practice. He believes that the practice should focus on its core businesses of tax, auditing and advisory services and not worry about "gimmicks". He has conceded the need for a sustainability division "to be seen to be doing the right thing", but argues that it should just be "a cosmetic exercise with minimal investment". However, Martha McGregor wants to see a "serious" sustainability division that represents more than "just lip service" to the idea. The partners want recommendations that they can discuss at their next Board meeting, and have requested you to make sure that your report contains (but is not necessarily restricted to) advice or responses to the following aspects: 1. The meaning of sustainability in general and the meaning of sustainability accounting / reporting; 2. Provide the firm with a vision for sustainability accounting and whether (and if so, how) it links in with the work undertaken by the firm at present; 3. Arguments for and against introducing a "serious" (substantial) sustainability accounting division within the firm; What are the costs and benefits of setting up a "serious" division? 4. How the new division would be marketed; an appropriate name for the division, the type of services that might be offered, the type of skills the staff employed in it would require and ways to engage employees in the division / program (including examples of best practice) 5. Should the accounting practice consider embedding sustainability policies more firmly in its own business? (as well a setting up a division advising clients) Explain your reasoning. 6. You are aware of some excellent literature on sustainability that you will also incorporate in this report. You can include any information in the report which you think will assist them to make this important decision. You must use at least ten resources to inform your discussion. The library databases (http://elearning.kbs.edu.au/course/view.php?id=159) will provide many useful journal articles on this topic. Remember that although many Australian companies are keen to engage with sustainability accounting or reporting they are unsure of what it really means or how to implement it in their organisations. Assessment Information Individual Research Assignment – Case Study COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of Kaplan Business School pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 ('Act'). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Kaplan Business School is a part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School Pty Ltd ABN 86 098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Code 02426B. Jonathan Davidson, the director of your firm (which offers consultancy services to medium and large accountancy practices around the world), with a reputation as someone who has expertise in innovation and latest trends requested you to draft a response to the above scenario providing this information in a report format. REQUIRED: You need to provide this information requested above in a report format in two stages as outlined below. Part 1: 10% due at the end of week 5 – Evaluating information resources and research plan – detailed instructions: 1) Read the case study and answer the following questions: a) What is the purpose of your report? b) What is the audience for your report? c) What are the (key) decisions to be made? d) What information would help you to make these decisions? e) Which information sources are most likely to hold this information? f) When you search for relevant information (in a database for example) what keywords will/are you using? 2) Identify 10 sources relevant to the project (e.g. journal articles, textbooks, websites etc.) 3) Complete a source analysis on 3 of the 10 sources with full bibliographic references. 4) Provide a full plan of main and sub headings of the report (include appropriate numbering). Resources to help you understand these requirements and in particular the source analysis template are provided on Moodle, including explanatory documents, marking rubrics and slides (which accompany a presentation by your lecturer in week 2).