Division of Business Course: HND Level 5 Business (Management) Year: 2016/17 Student Name: UNIT 6: Managing a SuccessfulBusiness Project Lecturer’s Name:A. Butt Date Issued: 6th February 2017 Completion Date: 19th of May 2017 Fail Pass Merit Distinction P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 M1 M2 M3 M4 D1 D2 Learning Outcomes: LO1: Establish project aims, objectives and timeframes based on the chosen theme. LO2: Conduct small-scale research, information gathering and data collection to generate knowledge to support the project. LO3: Present the project and communicate appropriate recommendations based on meaningful conclusions drawn from the evidence findings and/or analysis. LO4: Reflect on the value gained from conducting the project and its usefulness to support sustainable organisational performance Comments Assessor’s Signature:______________ Referred Date:______________ Late: Yes No Internal Verification: Yes No I declare that the work I am submitting for assessment contains no sections in copied in whole or part from any other source, unless it is explicitly identified by means of quotation mark or by means of wholly indented paragraphs. I declare that I have also acknowledged such quotations by providing detailed references in an approved format. I understand that unidentified and un-referenced copying both constitutes plagiarism which is an offence. I give my consent for my work being scanned by Turnitin formatively and summatively for the purposes of assessment. Student Signature: Date: Received: Date: PEARSON BTEC HND Business (Management) Unit 6: MSBP Scenario or vocational context: Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance for sustainability and competitive advantage ‘Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.’ (World Business Council for Sustainable Development). Businesses worldwide have increasingly embraced the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a means to develop and adopt sustainable practices and approaches in their business operations. It is a multifaceted concept that encompasses many different aspects ranging from philanthropy, ethical responsibilities and environmental considerations. Most recently, in response to maximising stakeholder value and expectations, the strategic benefits of CSR has seen many companies having a competitive advantage. Together with the rise of globalisation, companies now employ CSR managers, experts and consultants to produce comprehensive CSR policies and programmes, to give them a competitive edge and build stakeholder trust and loyalty. This unit will enable students to examine the multi dimensions of CSR within the context of business operations applied to a small-scale project. This will provide the opportunity for students to contextualise the principles of CSR and explore the merits of CSR in relation to meeting competitive and sustainable organisational objectives. Case Study: Primark Primark is a subsidiary company of the ABF (Associated British Foods) Group. The company was launched in 1969 in Ireland trading as Penny's. By 2000, there were over 100 stores across Britain and Ireland. By 2012 Primark had 238 branches across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Primark has become distinctive for offering unbeatable value whilst never losing its innovative, fashion-driven fashion businesses. It does not manufacture goods itself, but expertise lies in understanding its customers and working with its suppliers to produce goods to Primark’s specification. It then gets the right goods to the right places at the right prices. Its profitability depends on sheer volume of sales driven by its value-for-money prices that relies on low costs achieved through economies of scale and efficient distribution. Primark’s products are mainly sourced from suppliers in Europe and Asia. Its key sourcing countries are China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey. Putting the manufacturing of garments into these countries creates jobs. These are often at better rates of pay than other types of work on offer, improving overall standards of living. In recent years particularly in the last five years, there has been series of public debates and discussions accusing the business of not paying adequate attention to the Corporate Social Responsibilities aspect of its business activities. Most recent accusation was that of the plight and the working conditions of those working with the company’s main suppliers from China, Indian and Bangladesh to mention a few. For an organisation with such a global brand and image, this is not the kind of publicity you would like. In a bid to resolving this issue once and for all and to complement the existing CSR practices already in place, the company has asked you to carrry out a research and explore the significance of implementing CSR activities within Primark in achieving sustainable objectives. The final outcome of the study should be designed and structured in a project format and address the following criteria: Project Title: To what extent implementing CSR activities within Primark can help to meet sustainable objectives. Project Brief Chapter 1: Introduction section • Briefly introduce the background of the topic theme and establish your aims and objectives for the project. This section should also include reasonable level of literature review on CSR to support your aims and the objectives of the project. (P1) • Produce an appropiate project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources. (P2) • Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt Chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion of the project. (P3) • Produce a comprehensive project management plan, milestone schedule and project schedule for monitoring and completing the aims and objectives of the project. (M1) Chapter 2: Research Methodology • Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives. P4 • Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of different research methods applied M2 Chapter 3: Research Analysis and Recommendations • Analyse your findingsusing appropriate tools and techniques and draw valid conclusion to form the basis for recommendations. (P5) • Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions. (P6) Chapter 4: Evaluation • Evaluate the selection of appropriate tools and techniques for accuracy and authenticity to support and justify recommendations. M3 • Evaluate the value of the project management process and use of quality research to meet stated objectives and support own learning and performance. • Critically evaluate the project management process and appropriate research methodologies applied. D1 • Critically evaluate and reflect on the project outcomes, the decision-making process and changes or developments of the initial project management plan to support justification of recommendations and learning during the project. D2 Complete a performance review that addresses the following: (P7) o The success of the project and its usefulness in supporting organisational performance. o Your own performance. o A suggested template is attached with this assignment brief IMPORTANT NOTICE In addition to answering the questions above as part of the project, you are expected to keep a log book record of your activities all through the research period. This is a mandatory requirement to pass this unit. A suggested template is attached with this assignment brief. Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria Pass Merit Distinction LO1 Establish project aims, objectives and timeframes based on the chosen theme P1 Devise project aims and objectives for a chosen scenario. P2 Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources. P3 Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt Chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion. M1 Produce a comprehensive project management plan, milestone schedule and project schedule for monitoring and completing the aims and objectives of the project. (LO1 & 2) D1 Critically evaluate the project management process and appropriate research methodologies applied. LO2 Conduct small-scale research, information gathering and data collection to generate knowledge to support the project P4 Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives. M2 Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of different research methods applied. LO3 Present the project and communicate appropriate recommendations based on meaningful conclusions drawn from the evidence findings and/or analysis P5 Analyse research and data using appropriate tools and techniques. P6 Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions. M3 Evaluate the selection of appropriate tools and techniques for accuracy and authenticity to support and justify recommendations. (LO3 & 4) D2 Critically evaluate and reflect on the project outcomes, the decision-making process and changes or developments of the initial project management plan to support justification of recommendations and learning during the project. LO4 Reflect on the value gained from conducting the project and its usefulness to support sustainable organisational performance P7 Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and own learning and performance. M4 Evaluate the value of the project management process and use of quality research to meet stated objectives and support own learning and performance. Suggested Resources: www.OECD.org Corporate Responsibility: Frequently asked questions www.WBCSD.org Corporate Social Responsibility: Making good busines sense www.ethicalcorp.com 7 Key Learnings from the 2016 Responsible summit www.csr-asia.com How they do it: Community Investment professionals and their operating environment – A look behind the scenes CSR development and trends in China www.csreurope.org CSR Handbook for small business advisors Questionnaires to raise SME awareness of CSR www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk Corporate social responsibility and your business, The business benefits of corporate social Responsibility, CSR: Understand the environmental impact of your business, CSR: Work ethically with customers and suppliers, CSR: Involve your business with the local community, Measure the effectiveness of your corporate social responsibility, Positive PR from corporate social responsibility www.nikon.com Nikon CSR, Nikon CSR Report 2014 www.starbucks.co.uk/responsibility Our Responsibility. Global Responsibility Report 2014 www.bitc.org.uk John Lewis Partnership – It’s your business www.theguardian.com/environment/corporatesocialresponsibility ‘McDonald’s staff lovin’ the fight for rights.’ ‘Indian law requires companies to give 2% of profits to charity. Is it working?’ Submission Guideline  Work should be referenced  Sources should be acknowledged fully by referenced books, journals used and URL visited  All work should be word processed, font size 12 and font style Times New Roman/Arial  Subtitles of the assignment should be in the font size 14  Pages should be numbered in the bottom right hand corner  Spell check the document and read thoroughly for grammatical errors  1.5 Line spacing  Reference at the end of the assignment  All paragraphs should be aligned in justified mode  This assignment should be in the report/dissertation format Note: The recommended word limit is between 4500-5000 words Logbook Template: Student name: Project Title: Date: Update on weekly research/tasks achieved Points to consider: What have you completed? Did you fulfil task requirements? Are you on track and within deadlines set? Did you need to make any changes to your project management plan? Any risks and/or issues identified? Points to consider: Did you identify risks/issues with a lack of skills required for undertaking research/tasks? Did you identify any additional risks/issues that have an impact on the project management plan? Problems encountered Points to consider: What barriers did you face? How did you overcome them? New ideas and change of project direction What have I learnt about myself this week? Points to consider: How did I feel when I had to deal with tasks/problems? Did I find it useful to complete the tasks? How well have I performed? What did I contribute? What can I improve on next week? How might this learning apply in the future? Tasks planned for next week Points to consider: Which tasks are priority? Have you set aside sufficient time for completion? Project plan status to date (on, ahead, behind) Supervisor comments to address Performance Review • What was the project supposed to accomplish? • Did the project succeed in its aims? How do you know? Specifically, please outline any evaluation and assessment undertaken • What things do you think worked well and why? Evaluate all aspects of the project (e.g. initial inception, project activities and project outcomes) from a range of perspectives. • What problems emerged during the project and how were they tackled? Was there timely identification of issues and resolution during the project process? • What did you learn from undertaking the project? • How would you rate your performance as project manager? • What strengths and weaknesses of your performance did you identify? • How will this inform and support your continuous professional development? Performance Review Template