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BUGEN 5930 – Business, Society and the Planet
Final Assessment Task - Individual Written Assignment
1. Assessment Overview
Your final assessment task for BUGEN 5930 – Business, Society and the Planet will be:
• An individual written assignment;
• Marked out of 100 and is worth 40% of your final result for this course;
• To be submitted online, in the University Exam Period;
• Completed at your home (or another safe place of your choosing).
This task is comprised of 3 parts:
Part A - Resource Summary – (35 marks)
Part B – Short answer questions – (30 marks)
Part C – Application of theory to a case study – (35 marks)
2. Submission details:
Due Date: 2:00pm (AEST) on Wednesday 24th June.
Submission: You are required to upload your completed assignment (Parts A, B & C) as a
Word doc or PDF via the Final Assessment Task Turnitin link in the
Assessment section on the course Moodle page.
Task Assessor: Lecturer
Suggested time to devote to this task: Approximately 15 hours
Note: In your submissions you will need to reference, cite and acknowledge ANY content
you use from other sources, according to Federation University rules on academic
integrity.
CRICOS Provider No. 00103D | RTO Code 4909
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3. Task Description
Part A – Resource Summary – 35 marks
This course has provided many resources to support your learning. This task requires
you to summarise ONE of these resources from the list below:
Week Author Date Resource Title
2 Leonard, Annie 2007 The Story of Stuff
3 Dunphy D., Griffiths
A. & Benn S.
2003 Which way are you heading on the Dunphy Scale?
4 Edmans, Alex 2015 The social responsibility of business
5 The Reporting
Exchange
2018 Sustainability reporting in Australia: jumping into
the mainstream
5 Beschorner, T XXXXXXXXXXWhat is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
6 Muff, Katrin 2017 GAPFRAME.org - Translating the SDGs into a tool
for Business
6 Flynn, Daniel 2013 Daniel Flynn at TEDxBrisbane
6 Lovins, A., Lovins,
L.H. and Hawken, P.
1999 A Road Map for Natural Capitalism
7 Whelan, Tensie and
Fink, Carly
2016 . The Comprehensive Business Case for
Sustainability
7 Anderson, Ray 2009 The business logic of sustainability
Your summary needs to:
• Focus on ONE of the resources from the list above;
• Introduce the autho
speaker, their topics/themes and the context of the
pape
presentation
• Identify the key argument or perspective being presented;
• State the key findings/points of the pape
presentation (may use dot points for emphasis);
• Briefly discuss the relevance or contribution of this pape
presentation to business
management;
• accurately reflect what is in the report/article/website/presentation
Word Limit: 300 words (+/- 10% i.e. 30 words)
CRICOS Provider No. 00103D | RTO Code 4909 Page 3 of 8
Criteria used to grade this task:
Criteria Marks
Clear introduction of autho
speaker, their topic and the context 8 marks
Accurately and concisely identifies and explains the key points from the
article/presentation
10 marks
Insightful discussion outlining the relevance of the autho
speaker’s topic and
global business
10 marks
Paper uses clear and concise English language expression and formatting, and
follow APA referencing conventions to accurately cite and reference relevant
course resources and readings, within the given word limit requirements.
7 marks
Total /35 marks
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Part B – Short Answer Questions – 30 marks
You are required to provide written responses to 3 (three) of the 4 (four) questions below.
Each question is worth 10 marks.
Your response to each question should be ¾ - 1 page in length (375 – 500 words).
In preparing your responses to these questions, you may need to access additional materials
(articles, videos, reports, quizzes) that are available from the course Moodle page and/or the
links in the questions.
Question 1 – 10 marks
According to International Integrated Reporting Council (2013, p. 3):
All organizations depend on various forms of capital for their success. These capitals are stores of
value that, in one form or another, become inputs to the organization’s business model. They are also
increased, decreased or transformed through the activities of the organization in that they are
enhanced, consumed, modified or otherwise affected by those activities.
a. One of these capitals used by our organisations is natural capital. What is natural capital and
how can it be measured?
. Identify the specific ways in which a large supermarket chain could increase and decrease
its impacts on natural capital?
Question 2 – 10 marks
In recent years, many countries including Australia, Malaysia, United Kingdom, India and Hong Kong,
have seen the emergence of the ‘social entrepreneurship’ approach to responsible business.
a. What is ‘social entrepreneurship’ and how does this approach improve social, environmental
and economic sustainability?
. Describe in detail one example of a social enterprise and how it is addressing one or more of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Question 3 – 10 marks
Both Annie Leonard (The Story of Stuff) and the Natural Step (Interface – the Journey of a Lifetime)
identify ‘Closing the loop’ as being a key strategy for sustainable business.
a. Describe what was meant by ‘Closing the Loop’ and how this strategy can assist
manufacturing businesses to increase their efficiency and reduce costs.
. Discuss some of the actions taken by Interface to close the loop in their transition to
ecoming a more sustainable company.
https:
moodle.federation.edu.au/pluginfile.php/5209792/mod_resource/content/1/IIRC%20-%20The%20Six%20Capitals.pdf
https:
www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff
https:
moodle.federation.edu.au/pluginfile.php/5209839/mod_resource/content/1/Case%20Study%20-%20Interface%20-%20Natural%20Step.pdf
CRICOS Provider No. 00103D | RTO Code 4909 Page 5 of 8
Question d) – 10 marks
Complete the Global Footprint Network’s Ecological Footprint Calculator Quiz. When responding to
the quiz questions, make sure you click on the ‘Add details to improve accuracy’ link to ensure your
ecological footprint results are as accurate as possible.
Once you have read the results of this quiz, you need to:
• Copy & Paste your quiz results (or take a screenshot) – 2 screenshots required – your results
must include:
- The page with your Earth Overshoot Day, and number of Earths we would need if
everyone lived like you, AND, click on the See Details a
ow/link;
- The more detailed results, which shows your footprint By Land Type, By
Consumption Category, global hectares and ca
on emissions;
• Reflect on these results:
i. To what extent do you believe your ecological footprint calculator results are (or are
not) an accurate indicator of the environmental impacts of your lifestyle? Give reasons
for your answer.
ii. To what extent do you believe sustainable consumption is (or is not) important for the
health of local and global business activities. Give reasons for your answer.
Criteria used to grade each question in this task:
Criteria Marks
Part a of the question:
• Accurate application of relevant concepts and themes from the course
• Accurately addresses the key points raised in the question
4 marks
Part b of the question:
• Accurate application of relevant concepts and themes from the course
• Accurately addresses the key points raised in the question
4 marks
Response uses clear and concise English language expression and formatting, and follows
APA referencing conventions to accurately cite and reference relevant materials and
eadings, within word limit requirements
2 marks
Total /10 marks
http:
www.footprintcalculator.org
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Part C – Giving Voice to Values – 35 marks
This task requires you to read the (attached) scenario ‘Doing Bad to do Good’, from Babson
College, and apply the Giving Voice to Values (GVV) framework to respond to the ethical
dilemma presented. To demonstrate this application, you need to respond to all of the
following questions relating to the scenario. You should aim to write at least 3 pages (1500
words) in response to Part C.
Question C1 – 6 marks – 250 words
Who are the key stakeholders impacted by the ethically questionable behaviou
practice
outlined in this scenario and what is at stake for these key parties?
Question C2 - 6 marks – 250 words
What are the reasons and rationalisations that may be used by those trying to justify the
ethically questionable behaviour and/or business practice that is causing the main
character’s ethical dilemma?
Question C3 - 6 marks – 250 words
What are the most powerful & persuasive responses (i.e. levers) the main character could
use to respond to these reasons/ rationalizations? To whom should the argument be made?
When? In what context? How can they be applied to enable the main character to act on
his/her values, in a way that maximises the positive impact and minimises negative
outcomes for all stakeholders?
Question C4 (17 marks) – 750 words
Develop a script that applies the GVV framework to this scenario. This script should begin at
the point where the scenario ended. This must include dialogue of conversations with one or
more key stakeholders in which the main character is able to give voice to he
his values, by
using the most appropriate levers to respond to the most likely reasons and rationalisations,
to achieve a more ethical outcome for all stakeholders.
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Babson Scenario - “Doing Bad to Do Good”
Caroline ran a small consultancy firm that specialized in offering business support services to local
community organizations and social enterprises. Caroline grew up in the local community where she
worked and members of her extended family still lived there. Her first job was as a community economic
development worker, facilitating the development of social enterprises within the community. Over the
past 20 years, Caroline had worked with (and for) many community and state organizations and had a
eputation as a conscientious, trustworthy and ethical consultant.
Even though the community organizations or social