Mental Wealth and Applied Research

Procedure in the event of illness or other valid cause (extenuating circumstances)

Topic: The impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on brand value and company financial performance - A case study of Coca-Cola.

Learning objective 1: Identify and justify a business issue that is of strategic relevance to the organisation and to pose and solve organisational problems (IC)

Learning objective 2: Effectively understand connected digital social and economic space relevant to your professional discipline

Learning objective 3: Compare and contrast the relative merits of different research methods and their relevance to different situations

Learning objective 4: Complete Expertise route to Digital Skills Planner

Develop ability to identify, assess, and regulate one's own emotions and moods; to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions and where one has to make consequential decisions for oneself (EID) (SID)

Critically analyse and discuss existing literature, contemporary professional policy and practice relevant to your subject discipline (IC)

Use ICT effectively; to understand the importance of the proliferation of technology and access to information; and to develop competencies to realise opportunities in the connected digital, social and economic space within your subject discipline (DP)

Develop the interpersonal ability to identify & understand the underlying emotions of individuals and groups, enhancing communication efficacy, empathy, resilience and influence (EID) (SID)

Develop the ability to perceive and optimise physiological activity and responses to influence emotion and solve problems that could otherwise affect behaviour (EID) (SID)

Develop capacity for self-discipline, managing stress and physical resilience (EID) (SID) (UGB)

Assessment guidelines:

Task: You will prepare a report outlining further details of your chosen research that will form the basis of your Dissertation/Applied Business Project.

Format: You should use the following structure for your Individual Applied Report - Research Proposal. You should present your applied report/proposal in a single document with an appropriate front page, contents page, headings and a correctly formatted reference list (University of East London Harvard style).

The applied report/proposal should include the following:

Section 1: Research topic, aim and objectives

Identify your proposed research topic and offer a clear rationale, along with aim and objectives

In this section you should present your research topic and explain the topic area. The section should include appropriate background information and it should explain the rationale for selecting this research topic and what is the potential contribution of the proposed research. Also, the section should clearly present the aim and objectives of the proposed research.

Section 2: Literature review

The literature review should analyse and synthesise relevant academic literature, critically engaging with the field of scholarship. In the literature review, you should discuss how your research topic will fit within existing published work. You should find at least 12-15 sources of literature (mainly academic) connected to your proposed research and analyse them to show how your research will attempt to contribute to existing knowledge. You should aim to compare and contrast the sources and make appropriate links with your proposed research. Keep in mind that you should paraphrase the sources in your own words (and cite and reference the sources appropriately) and you should synthesise the potential contribution of these sources to your research. Your literature review should not be presented as a ‘list' of articles.

Section 3: Methodology, methods and ethical considerations

Identify and justify a research methodology appropriate to your proposed research

Identify and justify research methods and data appropriate to your proposed research

Identify key ethical considerations relevant to your proposed research

In this section you should discuss your research methodology. You should consider your epistemological approach and how this impacts your research design. Also, you should discuss your data collection methods as well as the types of data that you will collect for your research and the sources of this data. You should be able to justify your choice of methodology and methods by referring to your research aim and objectives. Also, you should comment on the feasibility of your research and your ability to access the required data. Finally, this section should outline the ethical considerations related to your research.

You are advised to include a secondary data collection for your proposal, and not primary. This is because for the final module of this programme (Dissertation) you are not allowed to proceed with primary data collection, but only with secondary.

Section 4: Research schedule/plan

Induce a provisional project schedule/plan for your proposed research

In this section you should outline the key milestones for the completion of your research project and propose the length of time that each milestone will require to complete. You should try to be as realistic as you can and you should consider things like work schedule and busy periods at work as well as holidays and other breaks. It will be useful to present your schedule/plan on a table listing the milestones, the duration of each milestone as well as a brief note for each milestone that will offer a description of the role of the milestone in the process and a justification for the assigned duration, including any concerns, contingency plans, or limitations to completing the milestone.

Introduction

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gaining prominence and importance among companies. This method is well-known all around the globe. Across all areas of their operations, corporations have a responsibility to consider how their decisions may affect various stakeholders, including consumers, employees, the general public, and the environment. This principle is known as corporate social responsibility. Li et al. (2020) states that CSR is the duty of a company to make money in a way that benefits society. In 1886, a regional beverage firm called The Coca-Cola Company was established in the US. Its operations span more than two hundred nations and territories, spanning the hemispheres of the Americas, Eurasia, and Asia. More than 500 different beverage brands are available from this company. In the year 2024, The Coca-Cola Company Much like the histories of many other powerful companies, Coca-Cola has been shrouded in controversy throughout its long existence. The brand''s problems stem from dubious business tactics and misleading advertising (Kassel, 2020). The Coca-Cola Company has a long and illustrious history of effective CSR initiatives. In subsequent years, it established a CSR policy to direct its daily activities.

The transition from contentious period of Coca-Cola to its adoption of a Corporate Social Responsibility policy undoubtedly must have impacted its brand worth and financial success. Undoubtedly, implementing CSR enhances brand image, attracts investment opportunities and top talent, enhances employee engagement, increases customer loyalty, and influences financial performance (Carroll, and Brown, 2018). Coca-Cola reduces its environmental effect through water conservation, waste management, and sustainable packaging. "World Without Waste" promotes plastic recycling and reduces consumption. The organisation funds health, education, and disaster assistance activities for local people. The Coca-Cola Foundation supports several community projects. Coca-Cola operates ethically in all its businesses. This includes ethical labour, transparent supply chains, and local and international compliance. With this under consideration, the proposed study would attempt to evaluate the CSR activities and initiatives that have been implemented by The Coca-Cola Company, on its brand value as well as organisational financial performances. The proposed research will focus solely on Coca-Cola company and will include an evaluation over a five-year period.

Aim
The main aim of this research is to is to evaluate the effect that CSR has on Coca-Cola''s brand value and financial performance.

Objectives

The following are the objectives of the proposed research study:

RO 1. To assess whether CSR activities influence the financial performance and brand value of Coca-Cola.

RO 2. To identify which CSR initiatives are most important in enhancing the Coca-Cola''s brand value across various domains (such as the environmental, social, and governance domains) by using metrices such as brand equity metrics, consumer perception surveys.

RO 3. To ascertain whether Coca-Cola''s brand value and financial performance are positively or negatively impacted by CSR activities and initiatives.