London School of Business & Finance (LSBF)

Master’s in Business Administration

Module

International Human Resource Management Assignment Briefing Sheet Autumn 2010

Assignment

Title

Year on year companies are spending more money on Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Yet this type of activity is often regarded by some as nothing more than expensive PR and that it adds no real

value to society or return on investment for shareholders. How far do

you agree with this statement? Giving examples to support your arguments, explain the reasons why companies engage in CSR activity

and what the future holds for those who choose not to do it at all.

Assignment Type Essay

Word Limit 5000

Weighting 50%

Student Cohort Intake 5

Issue Date 5th November 2010

Submission Date 16th December 2010

Feedback Date

Issued by (Assessor)

Barry Goode

Internal Verifier

Plagiarism When submitting work for assessment, students should be aware of the LSBF

guidance and regulations in concerning plagiarism. All submissions should be your own, original work.

You must submit an electronic copy of your work. Your submission will be

electronically checked.

Harvard

Referencing

The Harvard Referencing System must be used. The Wikipedia website must not

be referenced in your work.

Learning

Outcomes

On successful completion of this assignment you will be able to:

Understand and explain the concept of CSR

Understand the trends towards CSR amongst certain employment groups

Appreciate why CSR inititiatives are increasing

Understand the public, political, and profit drivers that are shaping CSR

activity

Predict the future for CSR and its impact on business and the wider

community

Grading Criteria Please see separate Assignment Grading Criteria Autumn 2010 sheet for this Assignment.

Introduction CSR is not a new concept but has become increasingly more popular in recent

years. Disasters such as the recent BP oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico all help to raise the issue of CSR and public expectations of big multinational organisations.

You are required to investigate the conecept and history of CSR and apply your

learning to the modern day challenges facing organisations today. There are many

reasons why companies are adopting a CSR strategy; some of which are more transparent than others.

Your task is to provide an intelligent interpretation and conclusion regarding the

motives driving and shaping CSR activity, along with some supported predictions for

the future.

Your recommendations should include consideration as to the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ organisations should address their own CSR strategy for the future given your

findings.

Guidelines All materials must be properly referenced. The actual word count should be +/-10% of the indicated word count, excluding references and appendices. Word counts that are below and above the +/- 10% of the indicated word count will be penalised. Comprehensive yet concise assignments are necessary for good credit points. Originality, quality of argument and good structure are required. What I want to see is that you can take a body of theory, understand it, choose what you want from it, apply it in a reasonable fashion and hence evaluate it. Your submissions will be expected to demonstrate the following qualities:

1. Answering the central focus of the assignment topics. 2. A critical appreciation and application of relevant literature and theories to

support argument substantiate model(s) and other aspects of the assignment. 3. Taking ownership of the content, being prepared to debate and argue a

personal position, evidences evaluative skills. A submission made up of extracts from published sources which is descriptive and just theoretical, is not acceptable. Your submission must have interpretation and consideration of the challenges and issues of taking theory into practice (using cases and/or personal experience).

4. Ability to analyse relevant theoretical concepts in a critical manner, evaluation of material.

5. Logical flow of ideas and treatment; imaginative approaches; appropriate selection of real world factors related to the model(s) or specific assignment topic.

6. Evidence of additional personal research, and the ability to analyse material from a variety of appropriate relevant perspectives. A clear and listing of

references and/or bibliography using the Harvard referencing method. 7. Presentation, structure, appropriateness of methodology, breaking into section

headings/subheadings (depending on the type of assignment), tidiness. 8. A strong conclusion.

Please ensure that you reference material which you take from text books, published documents, internet etc… in the main body of your report, at the place you use it, as well as listing the publications in an appendix. Also, try to evaluate and critique this material and the experience you get from applying and using it. The assignment should be written from a third-person perspective. NB: Marks will be awarded for proper referencing and originality of work. Also note that plagiarism is a serious offence and your submission will be electronically checked.

Note This Assignment Briefing Sheet Autumn 2010 is available on

http://docs.google.com/ for you to view and print off at a type size more

convenient to you.

LSBF Postgraduate Assessment Feedback Sheet

Student Name Course Unit Title / Code

Type of Assessment

□ Staff Assessment

□ Self Assessment

□ Peer Assessment

□ Formative

□ Summative

Name of Student Text

Date of Assessment Student ID Course Unit Level

Date AA 000000 7

Type of Assessment Course and College Assignment / Project Title

Text Course College

Text

The feedback you are given will

be informed by each of the

marking criteria overleaf.

Marks are arrived at through

markers’ holistic judgement,

informed by the criteria

The feedback you receive

should help you to understand

your overall level of

performance for the

assessment. Feedback should

help you plan and execute work

as well as understand how your

mark was arrived at.

General comments and advice on how to improve your work in the future

Text

London School of Business & Finance

Postgraduate Marking Criteria

Criteria Level of Achievement Indicators

Fail

0–29%

30–39%

Pass

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

1 Research

Systematic

identification and

investigation of

appropriate sources

Little or no evidence of

appropriate research

Information presented

does not relate

sufficiently to the task;

there may be evidence

of rudimentary research

Adequate research has

been carried out and

appropriate information

has been gathered and

documented from

readily available

sources applying

standard techniques

Information is accurate

and from a range of

sources, with evidence

of some analysis and

evaluation

Well informed

judgements made of

the relative value of

connected information

from a wide range of

academic sources

Extensive independent

research, accuracy, familiarity

with the material, and sound

judgments

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

2 Analysis

Examination and

interpretation of

resources

Little or no evidence of

analytical engagement

Judgments (with or

without complete data)

are not sound; critiques

are not well argued;

response to complex

issues is not systematic

or creative

Key elements within

relevant information are

identified, but may lack

accurate interpretation

and analysis

Uses examination and

interpretation of

sources to make sound

judgments ; shows

critical awareness of

current problems

Judgements are astute

and well supported;

able to deal with

complex issues both

systematically and

creatively; critiques are

insightful and well

substantiated; offers

new insights

Evidence of analysis which

potentially contributes new

ideas, processes or knowledge

to the field or is ground

breaking in a way that would

be recognized as valid by

experts in the field

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

3 Subject Knowledge

Understanding and

application of subject

knowledge and

underlying principles

Inaccurate and/or

incomplete knowledge

of the subject field and

its development

Fragmentary and/or

partial knowledge of the

subject and its

development

Evidence of

understanding key

aspects of the subject

context, in current

debates and/or

historical background.

Knowledge is accurate

and current within the

field, and applied

appropriately

Systematic and

extensive knowledge, at

the forefront of their

field of study, perhaps

informed by related or

external fields, used

creatively

Brings a valid individual

understanding to concepts and

knowledge in the field Where

appropriate, able to propose

original ideas or hypotheses

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

4 Experimentation

Problem solving, risk

taking, experimentation

and testing of ideas and

materials in the

realisation of concepts

Unable to identify

problems; does not

understand the purpose

of risk taking or

exploration of

alternatives

Exploration of methods

or concepts is not

sufficient to resolve

barriers and/or move

practice forward

Operates within familiar

and well established

ideas, processes,

media and/or materials;

some evidence of

exploration of ideas and

concepts

Decision making is

based on sound

judgement of available

options; risk is

managed appropriately;

applies established

techniques creatively in

the discipline

Effective decision

making in complex and

unpredictable

situations;

demonstrates originality

in tackling and solving

problems; approach

consistently moves

practice forwards

Risk taking shows a profound

and precise understanding of

the nature of the field, and

progresses the field, perhaps

in an individually distinctive

way

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

5 Technical

Competence

Skills to enable the

execution of ideas

appropriate to the

medium

Execution shows very

limited command of

techniques and poor

judgement

Techniques are limited

or rudimentary in

selection or skill

Skills are adequate to

communicate ideas;

accepted conventions

and procedures are

usually applied

Skilled command of

conventions and

procedures. Technical

skills facilitate practice,

conceptual

development and the

communication of ideas

Discernment and

judgement are evident.

Idea and technique are

unified. Breadth of

techniques adopted

may be a feature

Idea and technique are unified.

Discernment and judgement

are evident. Technical Skills

may have contributed to

conceptual advances

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

6 Communication and

Presentation

Clarity of purpose; skills

in the selected media;

awareness and

adoption of appropriate

conventions; sensitivity

to the needs of the

audience

Ineffective use of visual/

oral/ written

communication

conventions in the

production and

presentation of ideas

Partial lack of

awareness and

observance of

conventions and

standards; lack of

clarity in structure

selection and

organisation of

information; lack of

awareness of audience

Conventions and

standards are applied;

structure is clear;

information selection

and organisation shows

awareness of audience

requirements and

preferences

Able to communicate

own conclusions and

explain and summarise

existing work clearly, in

appropriate media to

specialist and non

specialist audiences

Communication is

persuasive and

compelling; diverse

audience needs are

accounted for; message

and medium are unified

with personal style

Communication shows an

exceptional and integrated

understanding of the topic and

audience needs

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60-69%

70+%

7 Personal

and Professional

Development

Management of

learning through

reflection, planning, self

direction, subject

engagement and

commitment

Consistent lack of

evidence of reflection or

planning for learning.

Little or no awareness

of personal strengths

and weaknesses in

relation to task

Evidence of reflection

and planning for

learning not

consistently

progressed. Incomplete

awareness of personal

strengths and

weaknesses

Evidence that reflection

and planning have led

to increased subject

engagement and

commitment.

Developing an

awareness of strengths

and weaknesses

Demonstrable capacity

to continue to advance

their knowledge and

understanding, and to

develop new skills to a

high level

Takes full responsibility

for own learning and

development through

iterative cycles of well

articulated purposeful

analysis and planning,

supported by extensive

evidence

Evidence of strong sense of

motivation and commitment to

personal and professional

development, explicitly and

clearly communicated and

evidenced

0–29% 30–39%

40-49%

50-59%

60%60-69%

70+%

8 Collaborative and / or

Independent

Professional Working

Demonstration of

suitable behaviour for

working in a

professional context

alone, or with others

Shows little accurate

knowledge of related

profession; is

unproductive working

alone; does not

collaborate effectively

with others

Insufficient

understanding of

professional life;

struggles to plan and

complete work alone;

collaborates reluctantly;

behaviour may be

unsupportive of others

Awareness of main

standards required of

relevant profession.

Able work both

collaboratively and

independently

Shows self-direction

and/or originality in

tackling and solving

problems; can plan and

implement tasks at a

professional or

equivalent level; able to

work effectively in

diverse teams

Regularly shows self-

direction and originality

in tackling and solving

problems; shows

initiative and personal

responsibility;

consistently plans and

implements tasks at a

professional or

equivalent level,

autonomously or

collaboratively; able to

work effectively in

diverse teams, in

multiple roles

Makes sound decisions readily

in complex and unpredictable

situations; operates both

autonomously and

collaboratively as a

professional; a consistently

strong contributor to any team,

in any role