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Coursework
Assignment Brief

Detailed Briefs
for Coursework Assessments

1.
Written Report (70%)

Write an analytical business report on
what ethical consumerism means for businesses.

Choose
a company and explainand analyse how they operate ethically. This must take
into account the ethicsand valuesof the company you choose to
focus on.

The
report must be written in business
report format and include the followingsections:

·
An executive summarywhich gives a brief overview of the
argument in your report including key findings and conclusions.

·
A contents page which lists the sections and the
page numbers.

·
An introductionwhich gives an overview of the
structure of your report.

·
A brief overviewand analysis of ethical consumerism,identifying the examples of some of the products which fall
into the ethical category. You must include a definition of ethical consumerism
and arguments as to why it is a good strategy for businesses to adopt.

·
A detailed review ofone company claiming to operate
ethically. Discuss the approach(es) they have used to become a more socially
conscious business, linking this with their ethics and values.

·
The results of a short opinion surveyon what influences
consumer buying behaviour, carried out by you from a small sample of 10-15 students
at GSM London. You need to conduct primary research for this section.

·
A conclusionwhich includes critical evaluation of ethical
consumerism based on the evidence that you have gathered both from your primary
and secondary research, focusing onthe company you have chosen for detailed
review.

·
You must include a references list after the main body
of the report. Remember to use Harvard referencing where appropriate.

·
A copy of your opinion survey should be included in an appendix.

Supporting material will be posted on Blackboard, but
you will be expected to undertake research using newspaper/magazine/web
articles, journals and text books. There will also be input in class time to
assist you with the topic.

Word limit: Not
more than 2000 +/- 10%

A suggested
word count for each section is given below.

A brief introduction to ethical
consumerism

On
April 24 2013, a building known as the Rana Plaza collapsed on top of garment
workers inside its factories, killing more than 1,100 people and injuring
2,500. It would be known as the worst ever accident in the garment industry
anywhere in the world.

It
was later discovered that 28 brands that sourced clothes from the plaza
included Primark, Benetton, Mango, Matalan and Bonmarché, prompting public
concern about the working conditions of garment factories around the world
which contribute to western high street fashion stores.

Ethical consumerism
encourages people to think about how the products they buy are sourced and
produced and which arenot harmful to the environment and society. This can be
evidenced through simply purchasing eggs that are free-range or boycotting
goods/companies which promote child labour or unsavoury working conditions.

The
range of product areas which fall into the ethicalcategoryincludes:

·
.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/bankingindustrysectorreport.aspx” title=”Banking Industry Report from Ethical Consumer”>Bankingand
finance

·
.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/energyindustrysectorreport.aspx” title=”Energy industry sector report from Ethical Consumer”>Energy

·
.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/fashionindustry.aspx” title=”Fashion industry report from Ethical Consumer”>Fashion

·
.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/foodindustrysectorreport.aspx” title=”Food Industry report from Ethical Consumer”>Food
and drinks

·
Travel
and tourism

Ethical consumerism
is a growing market; a recent report from the Co-operative Bank showed a third
of UK consumers claiming to be concerned about ethical consumption, with a
large number of the public willing to challenge and boycott companies which do
not comply with ethical standards.

2.
Oral presentation (20%)

The Topic

Present
the company you have chosen to analyse in your Business Report. Your
presentation should include some analysis of whether the company’s decision to
be more ethical is proving to be a success amongst consumers or not, providing
examples of why that is the case. Do not
just provide a descriptive account
of the company’s ethical strategy. Nor is it necessary to include a detailed
description of ethical consumerism in the presentation.

The Assignment Task

Time
is 10 minutes to include time for questions. You should aim to speak for 7 to 9
minutes.

The
presentation must be developed and
delivered using Microsoft PowerPoint. You must ensure that your presentation
has been saved on amemory stick.

You
should print a copy of your slides for the lecturer.

Assessment

The
presentations will be assessed by the lecturer during weeks 9 and 10 of the
semester. A debrief will be offered to groups of students in tutor groups. If
required, one-to-one feedback is also available.

The
assessment criteria will be discussed with the classes in detail but are based
upon:

• Content and Question and Answer,
  including analysis and research
• Language Use, including
  vocabulary and grammar
• Delivery, including use of voice
  and eye contact
• Organisation and Visual Aids,
  including use of PowerPoint

3.
Final Reflection and PDP
(10%)

You are required to complete a PDP template as provided (available
via GSM Learn) to support you in writing a structured reflection and a PDP that
will take you through the next 4 semesters of your undergraduate studies.

Background

Reflection is one of the ways in which it is possible to
extract value from learning experiences.
Reflection does not come naturally to many undergraduate students and is
not commonly taught in earlier training and educational experiences. This exercise is in place to encourage
reflection early in undergraduate studies.

The development of self-awareness and the ability to plan for
improvement in your own performance or Personal Development Planning (PDP) is
an important skill to assist you in improving your employability. At the end of this module, you will be
challenged to put in place a PDP which will take you through to the development
of your final semester project.

Task

Complete the Final Reflection/PDP Template provided in about
1,000 words; and ensure that you include the following:

·
A Final Self-Assessment Questionnaire, completed in
consideration of the Initial Self-Assessment Questionnaire and Plan you
undertook in week 1.

·
A reflection on your development and performance during the
semester, answering the question: what have you learned about your own performance
during the semester? (NBThe
programme or module learning objectives contained in handbooks should be used
as objective measures of performance)

·
An analysis of the current situation that you face
identifying behaviours which require change, answering the questions:

o What do I need to change
in order to raise the standard of my performance?

o Why are these behaviours
happening, and why are they impacting upon my performance?

·
A PDP based upon your current performance level and the
developmental changes that you will make during the next 4 semesters of your
course, answering the question: how will I change the behaviours that are
impacting upon my performance?

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Study Skills Module

Reflection and PDP Proforma

PLEASE NOTE, AREAS HIGHLIGHTED IN
YELLOW SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN YOUR TOTAL WORD COUNT.

Word limit: 1000 words

1. Review of Initial Self
Assessment

STUDY SKILLS FINAL SELF-ASSESSMENT

This final self-assessment
questionnaire should be completed in consideration with the Initial Self
Assessment you did at the start of the semester. For each question, rate
yourself according to the following scale:

Please circle the number which best represents your
answer:

Now, compare your answers from your
Initial Self-Assessment. Ask yourself:

2. SWOT Analysis

– Internal Factors:

Self-Assessment – External Factors

3. Analysis of Current Performance:

4.
Personal Development Plan
(Please note the period of the PDP must
cover 4 semesters)