Sustainability in Global Business

STM5A1 – Sustainability in Global Business
Assessment brief and guidelines
Written Report (2000 words) Upload to Turn-it-in on Blackboard
This final individual project report ‘Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Business’ builds on the formative assessment and should reflect your ability to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and tools learned throughout the module.
The project consists of developing a scenario for a sustainable business set 40 years ahead in 2055. You should provide a rationale for a future business that is plausible and ‘innovative’ and that offers a solution to a set of identified difficult environmental and social challenges. The aim of scenario planning is to help you gain insights into how business can plan for the future in an uncertain world. The business scenario should be supported by emerging and future trends related to the chosen business sector, and take into account environmental limitations and the socio-political issues; alongside a strategy for sustainable innovation that will provide value creation and competitive advantage.
The aim is to demonstrate understanding of the complex issues, risks and opportunities business face and apply the appropriate knowledge, as well as creative and entrepreneurial thinking to reach convincing solutions for a sustainable global business. You are expected to document your rationale using credible sources and bibliography based both on key readings on the module as well as in your individual research.
Formative assessment: please do it because we have to insert the formative poster on the summative report.
Instruction for the formative ;
For this individual project you are requested first to research current levels of sustainability of a business and its industry in your home country. Secondly, based on your findings you should project that same business into the future to year 2055 and imagine a scenario where your chosen company has become a sustainable business in response to a resource-constrained economy and the harsh environmental and social conditions.
The aim is firstly to help you establish a context for understanding the sustainability drivers and barriers that affect a chosen business in your country of origin and to demonstrate the relational aspects between global and local factors. Secondly the aim of scenario planning is to help you gain insights into how business can plan for the future in an uncertain world.
This assessment builds on 3 successive tasks:
Task 1: ‘Situating Sustainability in current Business’
You will need to examine the national need for sustainable development and the current mind-set about its benefits and challenges. Based on research into current geo-political, socio-economic, legal and environmental factors affecting the nation; the industry; and the business; you should select the major challenges in terms of environmental risks and socio-political issues that pose a direct risk to the company and its community. In addition, you should research existing industry standards and country /government laws and regulations to understand how these affect business decisions in terms of sustainability.
Task 2: ‘Trend analysis for future business ’
Starting from what you have established from your research into the current company situation you will research emerging and future trends related to the business sector you have chosen, (see PESTEL factors) as well as the predictions and future visions for 2050 from the EU, UN and several organisations. In addition you need to highlight which environmental factors will impact your business/ industry sector the most such as: fresh water shortage, waste, land-use, climate change, pollution and bio-diversity loss. This will serve as a backdrop for you futures scenario.
Task 3: create a future business scenario set in 2055’
Building on the initial research (current business context and futures trends) you must project yourself into the future – year 2055 and ask what if? Using ‘blue-sky’ thinking means daring to imagine what the world would be like in the future. There will be several possible futures, but you must select and develop one scenario for a sustainable business that offers a solution that is plausible and ‘innovative’ to the difficult environmental and social challenges. You may find creating a timeline useful as a way to consolidate your scenario.
STM5A1 – RBS – SPRING 2015
STM5A1 ASSESSMENT: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT BRIEF
Format:
The Wall Poster (Paper size A1)
The findings should be analysed and summarised in a ‘poster’ that captures the headlines of the scenario set in 2055. Aim to use visuals to communicate the story.
The project plan
You are expected to provide 1 or maximum 2 pages draft outlining the business idea and the set of issues that you have researched so far for your project. The document can contain a contents list; a brief executive summary; and the rationale for why you chose the idea. In addition you must include a list of references that carefully documents the bibliography and other sources used in the research.
Assessment:
This assessment component is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended, as it will serve as the basis for the development of your individual project (Summative Assessment) on which you will get feedback both from the seminar tutor and your peers.
Guidelines:
Here are some scenario prompts to help you on your way:
• When: 2055
• Where: the geographical location, as well as the socio-economic-environmental setting.
• Who: the users and what does the innovation/ business caters for? (e.g. demographics, needs,  interests, aspirations, values, range…)
• What: the innovation/ business offer? What strategy is the best to meet the challenges of the  environmental limitation/s (e.g. water shortage or climate change) in relation to the industry’s  and country’s specific conditions?
• Why: the drivers/ barriers/ challenges and opportunities that will affect your innovation/  business? (think potential environmental and social impacts?)
• How: describe how the business is innovative, feasible and responsive to the future needs.  For the Wall poster:  (example of a lay-out for a poster in landscape format)

STM5A1 – RBS – SPRING 2015
STM5A1 ASSESSMENT: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT BRIEF
• The format must be an A1 wall poster (card or paper – for paper sizes see: http://www.papersizes.org/a-paper-sizes.htm)
• The content of the poster should be legible. This task requires you to be VERY selective in the information you present. The idea is not to present the whole of your findings but to draw out the headlines and make a coherent scenario. In effect the 3 minute presentation is like an ‘elevator pitch’ so you will need to structure the relevant information to demonstrate and persuade the audience of your scenario.
• You can use Power-point to create A4 slides and then stick them together to make an A1 size poster. However the overall effect should be neat and ‘professional looking’.
• Use visuals such as illustrations, photos, drawings, tables, graphs but you must make sure to acknowledge the sources correctly (author, title, publisher, copyright date). Make sure you check spelling and grammar on your poster.
• On the day of the presentations, in seminar, each student will pin their poster to the walls of the room (using BluTack), like an exhibition.  Research and documentation:  To support your findings you are encouraged to use an array of reliable and relevant sources of information. You should consult official (government) as well as industry and company sources. Additional, third party sources are also useful see the college on-line resources such as such as EBSCOhost databases, Greenfiles etc.  Remember to apply the information from your textbook and lecture/seminar presentations as well. If you select quotes from any source you must indicate that source properly. All quotes, and resources used in the presentation must be referenced using the standard Harvard system (see the Student College Handbook for guidance).

Instruction for the Sumative :

This final individual project report ‘Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Business’ builds on the formative assessment and should reflect your ability to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and tools learned throughout the module.
The project consists of developing a scenario for a sustainable business set 40 years ahead in 2055. You should provide a rationale for a future business that is plausible and ‘innovative’ and that offers a solution to a set of identified difficult environmental and social challenges. The aim of scenario planning is to help you gain insights into how business can plan for the future in an uncertain world. The business scenario should be supported by emerging and future trends related to the chosen business sector, and take into account environmental limitations and the socio-political issues; alongside a strategy for sustainable innovation that will provide value creation and competitive advantage.
The aim is to demonstrate understanding of the complex issues, risks and opportunities business face and apply the appropriate knowledge, as well as creative and entrepreneurial thinking to reach convincing solutions for a sustainable global business. You are expected to document your rationale using credible sources and bibliography based both on key readings on the module as well as in your individual research.
Task;
You will refine your initial research findings building on your research for the formative assessment (see the brief for the formative assessment) to present a sustainable business scenario set in year 2055. The sustainable business scenario will be based on research into the geo-political, socio- economic, legal and environmental factors affecting a nation; an industry; and your chosen business and provide a response and adapt to the major challenges you will have identified in terms of environmental risks and socio-political issues that pose a direct risk to the company and its community. You should aim to research and demonstrate:
• How industry standards and country/government laws and regulations affect business decisions in terms of sustainability at a global and local level.
• How environmental factors such as: fresh water shortage, waste, land-use, climate change, pollution and bio-diversity loss will impact a selected business/ industry the most alongside economic and/or demographic factors.
• How business leaders and global corporations can use emerging and future trends to inform future visions and plans (see reports from the EU, UN and various organisations such as Unilever, Volkswagen or Shell’s plans for 2050).
• How scenario planning can help formulate a strategy for sustainable innovation that will provide value creation and competitive advantage.  You will demonstrate that you can apply the appropriate knowledge (concepts, methods and tools introduced and explored in the lectures and seminars) through research and analytical evaluation. You are expected to use relevant and credible sources based both on key readings on the module as well as from your individual research.
STM5A1 – RBS – AL – Spring 2015

STM5A1 – Sustainability in Global Business
Assessment brief and guidelines
Format
Written report (2000 words), Word processed, using 11pt with 1.5 line spacing.
An appendix: including an image of the poster presentation and any relevant background research that is connected with your report.
Assessment
This project report is a summative assessment and weights 100% of the final grade for this module.
The assessment will be moderated. No negotiation of marks will be possible once the final mark is given to you with feedback.
The final mark will be assessed using the criteria below.
CRITERIA
Demonstrates analytical evaluation and systemic understanding
Relevancy and quality of the scenario plan
Correct use and application of sustainability concepts and tools to sustain the analysis and recommendations
Structure, coherence and clarity of the text

Research skills and correct use of referencing and bibliography

Presentation and argumentation skills
Guidelines for content and structure (Indicative)
This project will be assessed on the way the document is structured and written. Make sure you check spelling and grammar. It is highly recommended to include illustrations such as images, drawings, tables, graphs if appropriate but make sure you acknowledge the sources correctly, authors/ copyright in captions under the image. To construct a coherent structure for your report you should consider the following:
Title page: the title, sub-title if any, date, student name and module. A summary: a brief (one paragraph) overview of what the report contains including conclusion and
recommendations. (write this at the end) Contents page: including the headings for the sections
Introduction: introduce the aims and objectives of the report and then provide the context with the necessary background information in a concise manner.
Main section: Introduce the scenario set in 2055 that describes a sustainable business that operates within a resource-constrained economy yet that offers a solution that is plausible and ‘innovative’ to the difficult environmental and social challenges. What has happened? What has changed? How have environmental limitations impacted your industry, society and global markets? How will governments respond? How can the industry respond? How do the specifics of your home country interact with the limitations and impacts? Why did you prioritise the impacts as you have? Why did you approach the business development strategy as you did? What are the opportunities? Why might the business model need to change? Why do you consider your chosen approach to be the best one for your business?
• Stick to what is relevant and be concise, write in a clear, brief and direct style
• Make sure you make logical sections with clear headings
• Any extra background information should go in the appendices.
• Include figures/diagrams/charts if need be (don’t put these in the appendix)
STM5A1 – RBS – AL – Spring 2015

STM5A1 – Sustainability in Global Business
Assessment brief and guidelines
Conclusion: in summary, you should include your own critical reflections on the task, highlighting your own point of view and how the elaboration of this report has helped you gain a better insight into Sustainability in Global Business.
Bibliography: All sources need to be cited including Internet. References should be traceable – anyone reading your report should be able to follow up your references so they must be able to find them from what you’ve written. Use the Harvard system: AUTHOR LAST NAME, first name (DATE), Full Title, where published, name of publisher.
Appendices: The fact sheet and an image of the poster presentation Research and documentation:
To support your findings you should apply core information and concepts presented in the textbook and the lecture/seminar presentations alongside an array of reliable and relevant sources of information that you will research independently. You should consult official (government) as well as industry and company sources. Additional, third party sources should be used, see the college on-line resources such as such as EBSCOhost databases, Greenfiles etc. If you use selected quotes from any source you must indicate the source properly. All quotes, and resources used in the report must be referenced using the standard Harvard system (see the Student College Handbook for guidance). Make sure the sources are relevant to your topic and what you write. For good practice you should aim to have a minimum of 7-8 sources of which 2 should be from the college databases mentioned above.