Unit 11 Research Project, Higher National Diploma in Business

Assignment - Corporate Social Responsibility

Learning Outcome 1: Examine appropriate research methodologies and approaches as part of the research process.
Learning Outcome 2: Conduct and analyse research relevant for a business research project.
Learning Outcome 3: Communicate the outcomes of a research project to identified stakeholders.
Learning Outcome 4: Reflect on the application of research methodologies and concepts.

Assignment Brief

Businesses worldwide have increasingly embraced the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a means to develop and adopt sustainable practices and approaches in their business operations. It is a multifaceted concept that encompasses many different aspects ranging from philanthropy, ethical responsibilities and environmental considerations. Most recently, in response to maximising stakeholder value and expectations, the strategic benefits of CSR have seen many companies having a competitive advantage. You are working as a business consultant for a consultancy company [named organization/an organization of your choice - your own place of work if appropriate]. You have been approached by a business organization to conduct research into a key area of business and have been provided with a theme which will be the focus of the research. The organization has left it to you to decide what would be appropriate to investigate in this area of business and for you to choose the research topic. You should use the Pearson-set theme in your research - Corporate Social Responsibility. The range of topic discussed could cover either one of the following:
The extent to which company corporate social responsibility programmes align with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
Corporate social responsibility and the environment: A case study in the energy sector
How corporate social responsibility is used to gain a competitive edge
Stakeholders' perception of CSR initiatives (stakeholders may belong to any of the following categories - investors, employees, suppliers, consumers etc.)
Impact of CSR programmes on any of the following dimensions - marketplace, workplace, community, environment
Once you have identified your research topic and objective you will undertake the following steps to collate, analyse and present your findings. This will be presented in the form of a research report.
Complete a Literature Review (Secondary Research)
You need to know what the key literature is related to the research objective in order to plan a research study to explore the phenomenon. Conduct a literature review using a range of sources relating to the research topic. Evaluate the validity and reliability of the sources, discussing current understanding on the research topic area.
In your report discuss the sources of literature found and how they relate or otherwise to the research topic. Your report should critically evaluate literature in order to assess the validity of the literature in supporting the research topic.
Develop a project proposal for researching the research objective identified.
Your research proposal identifies the purpose of the research project with clear aim and objectives and justifies the chosen research methods in terms of the research question.
Discuss the ethical issues which will need to be considered and examine the research methods and approaches to be taken.
Prepare an action plan with target dates and methods for monitoring and updating your activities to ensure you meet the deadline for the final written report.
Carry out independent primary research
Design, implement, collect and critically analyse data. For example, using a survey/questionnaire/interview or other primary research technique collect data and then present and analyse findings. Present your findings using visual illustrations e.g. bar charts/pie graphs/tables.
Your report will include the critical analysis of data and the advantages and disadvantages of the research methods and approaches taken to data collection.
Communicate outcomes - Report
Develop a report that provides valid and justified recommendations for the business organisation based on the analysis of both primary and secondary research. You will need to demonstrate that your findings, outcomes and recommendations have achieved the research proposal objectives.
Finally, critically reflect on how you have conducted the project, the lessons learnt and the alternatives you would consider in the future with recommendations for actions to be taken forward. Please see below for guidance on a report format:
Title Page
It is important that you state clearly, at the beginning of the assignment, what its title is, which module it applies to and your name as the author.
You should also include the College name, report title and the date.
Executive Summary
A summary should be provided, so that people can see at a glance what the report is about. You should mention your key findings, conclusions and recommendations.
This summary is usually printed immediately after the title page.

Contents Page
Page numbers as well as section/chapter titles should be included.
If the report incorporates some appendices, their titles should be listed.
Acknowledgements
A list of names, roles and organisations (if relevant) of all of those who helped you when compiling the report should be listed.
Terms of Reference
Refer to your project proposal
Introduction
This section should provide some of the background of the subject that forms the principle theme of your report.
If the report is designed to solve a perceived ‘problem', the history of the ‘problem' can be reviewed here, culminating in the situation that prompted the report to be written.
You should also provide some key information about the organisation in which your research is based.
Literature Review

This should include a wide range of sources on the topic. Previous work on the topic has been integrated into the project. Full critical review of literature relevant to study is required.
Methodology
This section is needed for the reader to judge the authenticity of the ‘evidence' that comprises the main body of the report. All sources should be mentioned and, if appropriate, describe how you put together your questionnaire or survey.
Copies of questionnaires, interview questions etc. should be included in the appendices.
If any published documents were studied, this should be mentioned here.
Included Costs, Access and Ethical Issues such as resources, informed consent and confidentiality.

Main Body
This is likely to comprise many paragraphs or sections. It is often useful to break up your assignment into subheadings.
This section should be structured around the key themes of your research.
Use tables, charts if possible. Your presentation of data is important.
This section should bring together your secondary and primary research and your findings.
Conclusions & Communicating Research Outcomes to Different Stakeholders
In this section you should say what your facts or findings mean i.e. discuss the key implications arising from the wealth of detail you may have collected.
Your findings and outcomes should be related back to your initial research objective and proposal.
There should not be any new facts in the conclusion section.
You should also explain how and what specific research outcomes should be communicated to different audience such as employees, shareholders and managers.
Recommendations
Your recommendations should clearly spell out your ideas to enable them to be acted upon.
In particular, if your proposals involve expenditure, you must supply a cost benefit evaluation to show what it costs and what management will get from it.
Reflective Statement, Project Limitation & Consideration of Alternative Research Methodologies
You will need to reflect on the success of your research project and your performance at the end of the project with the inclusion of a project evaluation and recommendations.
Contemplate on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting the objectives of the business research project.
Consider alternative research methodologies and lessons learnt in view of the outcomes.
Include perspectives such as consideration of qualitative data collection, directions for other research projects in the future.
Bibliography
All references in the report should be listed in the correct Harvard format.
Appendices
All detailed statistical tabulations, graphs, lists, questionnaires etc. should be organized into separate appendices.
Include a list of references (sources that are actually cited in the report itself).
Nothing should be included that isn't referred to in the main body of the report.

Here are 5 stages of working on the research report. After completing the drafts of those stated on each stage, please send them to me for feedback. In other words, there are only 5 reviews for me to give you my feedback.
Before illustrating the steps, please pay careful attention to the assignment brief particularly the research format and the learning outcome table (Pass, Merit and Distinction table). The report style is required to follow the report format. DO NOT USE OTHER FORMAT
Here are two research methods required by the course. Most of the content in the report is the student-conducted primary research (survey by questionnaires, first-hand research data) and the secondary research (required the student to read and provide several paragraphs sought in the academic journals to support the topic, literally it is the part in the research report named literature reviews. Besides, it is specifically to have a part in the literature review section to provide a table or chart to support the topic and the student has to provide comments right after the table or charts.)

Stage 1:
Work on the draft of designing the questionnaires. (Please refer to the guidelines of questionnaires). After having my approval, you can initiate the pilot test (to distribute 10 sets of questionnaires to colleagues, friends, or family to see whether they understand to do the survey a trial, then you collect them back and let me the result is okay or not). If the pilot test is successful, then you can commence the mass survey. It is expected to collect about 90-100 valid and filled-up questionnaires to return (the questionnaires are completely done by the respondents.)

Stage 2:
Work on the project proposal and ethical approval form. (Please refer to the samples as given though the topic is different. After drafting these forms, the student needed to send them to me for feedback. These two forms have to obtain my approval, especially the proposal form which is required to be signed by me for final approval.

Stage 3:
The student is supposed to collect all the respondents' surveys and begin to write the report.
It is suggested to provide the 1st draft for the tutor's feedback. The draft should include the cover page, the executive summary, the table of contents, the acknowledgment, terms of reference, the introduction and methodology. For the methodology section: you explain the two methods you used for the topic which are primary research and secondary research.

Stage 4:
The student sends the 2nd draft to the tutor for feedback. It includes the materials in stage 3 plus the analysis and summary of the data collected with graphs (pie charts or bar charts) for each questionnaire. The student needs to provide each chart and description of each questionnaire, and then summarise the key findings form the primary research.

Stage 5:
The student sends the final draft to the tutor for feedback. The final draft should include the materials in stages 3 and 4 for feedback. Similarly working on the other assignment, the student MUST provide referencing (academic in-text citations) to support the report content wherever for ideas or as evidence.