Environmental Issues in Business Essay

Ashford University Environmental Issues in Business Essay

SUSE602  

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS

Assessment Two: Reflective Essay

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose TWO out of the following three questions. Make sure you answer all parts of your chosen two questions. The marks available for each subpart are provided in brackets.

QUESTION ONE: Week 6 reading (Sustainable Business Council (2016). SBC’s Business Case for Sustainability) and the Week 7 Guest Lecture by Abbie Reynolds.

*Note the relevant lecture recordings are the Week 7 and Week 8 lecture workshops

a. Drawing on the SBC reading, identify and explain three key drivers for companies adopting a sustainability strategy. (10)

b. Using the examples shared during Abbie Reynold’s Guest Lecture, explain some key barriers for effecting sustainability change within an organisation and how to overcome them. (15)

Word Count: 750 words

QUESTION TWO: Week 8 readings (M. Giannakis & T. Papadopoulos (2016). Supply chain sustainability: A risk management approach; SBC Value Chain Guide; and J. Wollmuth & V. Ivanova (2014) 6 steps for a more sustainable supply chain) and the Week 8 Guest Lecture by Dave Colquhoun (Auckland Transport).

*Note the relevant lecture recording is the Week 9 lecture workshop

a. Drawing on the readings, clearly and fully explain two risks that can be addressed through sustainable supply chain management. (10)

b. Based on Dave Colquhoun’s Guest Lecture, discuss some of the ways in which Auckland Transport (AT) have used sustainable procurement to deliver broader (nonfinancial) benefits. (15)

Word Count: 750 words

QUESTION THREE: Week 9 reading (Polman and Bhattacharya, ‘Engaging Employees to Create a Sustainable Business’) and the Week 9 Guest Lecture by Debbie Wilson (Ministry of Health).

*Note the relevant lecture recording is the Week 6 lecture workshop

a. Drawing on the Polman and Bhattacharya reading, clearly and fully explain three key ways in which companies can go about engaging employees in sustainability initiatives. (10)

b. In her Guest Lecture Debbie Wilson spoke about the importance of engaging different groups of employees within her organisation. Clearly explain some of the contrasting techniques she has used to effectively engage with these different groups. (15)

Word Count: 750 words

Course Learning Outcome Assessed

1. Critically evaluate the sustainability challenges facing business.

2. Analyse the business and moral case for managing sustainability issues.

3. Devise and evaluate integrated strategies to enable enterprises to reduce their sustainability impact.