Virgin Group

The Overall Task
The overall aim of this assignment is to critically evaluate the corporate social approach and activities of a selected business/corporation. To do this you must focus on following organisation:

Virgin Group http://www.virgin.com/

a. Consider and analyse your chosen company’s own reporting and review of its’ corporate social responsibilities. This may be found in a discrete/focussed CSR report, or this may be summarised in a range of differing formats/reports. Identify and highlight the key issues being considered by your chosen company with regards to the company and its stakeholders, and critically assess no more than two of these to show how this is dealt with in the social report.
b. Focussing on your chosen one or two areas of concern, evaluate the extent to which the company has positively addressed these key issues, paying particular attention throughout to the use of internal/external performance standards and the use and demonstration of voluntary codes of conduct. Within this, consider and evaluate any external criticisms that have been raised from different stakeholders with regard to the one or two areas of concern.
Assignment submission guidance
Evidence of wide reading and the appropriate use of theoretical frameworks, as relevant to academic study at masters level, is a requirement of the assignment and a suggested structure for your submission is provided below (with related marking weightings shown following).

Title page (Module name, student name, organisation being reviewed)

1. Theoretical grounding to the assignment

2. Company background including:
Brief description of the organisation’s size, structure, products, and markets

3. Corporate Social Report review and analysis:
To include the identification and summary overview of key issues being considered by the organisation and a critical review of one/two areas of concern, as required in the assignment brief. This to consider how CSR issues and how CSR performance are being presented and measured; how the organisation reflects on its relation to key stakeholders; how the organisation is approaching and directing its future CSR activity in the chosen key areas.

4. Stakeholder perspectives and criticism; company responses and counter arguments:
To include the identification and critical review of the organisation’s approach to CSR as seen by key stakeholders and commentators. To reflect on any further counter-arguments made by the organisation, or on its behalf in respect of its CSR approach, stance and performance.

5. References

Marking weighting/focus

The approximate weighting of marks for written element are:
Section 1 Theoretical grounding = 20%
Section 2 Company background = 10%,
Section 3 Social report critical review and analysis = 35%,
Section 4 Stakeholder perspectives and criticism = 35%

General written quality and overall presentation (eg clarity and referencing) should also be evidenced throughout as required at Masters level.
Key submission details

Word Limit: 5000 words.
Time: 11.59 pm as an electronic copy submitted into Turnitinuk via the Unilearn site for the module (under the assignments tab). Submissions will not be accepted via e-mail. Also note that submissions received after this deadline, up to 1 week late, will be capped at a maximum of 40% as noted in your course handbook and student regulations. Submissions received later than 1 week will only be marked at the discretion of the module tutor.

Marking date: It is anticipated that, subject to the standard University moderation processes, provisional feedback and assignment grading will be available via the Turnitin (Grademark)

Note(s): Module tutors do not provide extensions or receive requests for extenuating mitigating circumstances. These should be addressed to your year or course tutors as appropriate.

Your coursework must be word processed and your submission must include a fully completed cover page – these are available from the Unilearn site. You are further advised to annotate each page with your name, student number and module code as a ‘header’ or ‘footer’.

Your attention is drawn to the rules on academic misconduct and you should be aware of the requirements in this respect and the penalties for non-compliance.

Performance indicators

Your work will graded accordingly to the following criteria. The criteria are not intended to be either exhaustive or definitive and are to be taken as guidelines rather than imposing absolute standards.

Grade A (70%+) (Excellent Pass). A piece of work should fall within this class if:
(a) It displays an ability to analyse and answer questions with a completeness and authority. A high level of comprehension is present. The marker should have an overall impression that a higher overall standard could not have been achieved; or
(b) The student has produced an original and incisive piece of work that shows a high level of scholarship; or
(c) The work contains elements of both (a) and (b) above in such a way as to indicate that the work is deserving of the highest grade.
Grade B (60—69%) (Good Pass). A piece of work in this category should display a high level of competence, having regard in particular to the points specified above.
Grade C (50-59%) (Competent Pass). A piece of coursework in this grade should display overall competence. However it will be lacking in analytical depth and /or display a limited comprehension of the subject matter so that the work falls short of a B grade. A good deal of the relevant content may have been presented by the student but this will less well articulated and developed than the grade B student. The more difficult concepts or techniques will be omitted or dealt with superficially. The application of principles to the problem/question will be more limited and perhaps dealt with in a more “re-gurgitative” manner. The work may contain minor errors, however there should be no major misunderstandings.
Grade D (40-49%) (Bare Pass). Work will fall into this category if it contains relevant material in relation to the problem/question. Material will be presented in a coherent and largely correct manner, although comprehension will be of a limited nature. The overall coverage of the subject matter will be of a limited nature.
Grade E (30-39%) (Marginal Fail – Normally a Referral). Work in this category has elements that are correct, however the work displays a number of major misconceptions that call into question the student’s comprehension of the material. The analytical contents may be very weak or even non-existent. Overall coverage may be poor. Structure may be weak.
Grade F (0-29%) (Outright Fail). The work is limited and contains fundamental errors that indicate a substantial lack of comprehension by the student. There will be little or no analytical or technical content. The presentation and structure of the work may be poor. The work may also be characterised by falling far short of the overall word limit and possibly repetition of material or arguments. Conclusions may be non-existent or limited.
BMS0020
Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Assignment Feedback Form 2012-13
Student’s Name

Theoretical grounding of the assignment (20%)

 
Company overview/background (10%)

Social report critical review and analysis (35%)

 
Stakeholder perspectives and criticism (35%)

 
Comment re presentation /referencing etc.
Overall Comment and Grade (%)