BSM 780: Sustainable Development
C2: Individual Cohort 111
TurnitIn Submission Deadline
Thursday 14 February 2019 at 2.00 pm CET
Hard Copy to be submitted to the lecturer in addition to soft copy to
TurnitIn
Required Submission to TurnitIn
1.Written report (.doc or .docx) [pages format is NOT accepted]
2.Use Word as software
ONLY ONE SUBMISSION PER INDIVIDUAL IS ALLOWED TO TURNITIN. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
CHANGE YOUR SUBMISSION.
Assessment Title and Weight
Component 2 (C2): Individual Elements Presentation & Coursework.
This assessment is one (1) of two (2) assessments for this module. Weighting: 50% of final grade.
The mandatory presentation in week 10 is for guidance only & is not graded.
Aim of the Assessment
The aim of this assessment is for students to demonstrate their ability to evaluate the current and
future practices of sustainability, by critically analysing why and how sustainability needs to be
implemented efficiently in the hospitality industry. The implementation of such, should be analysed
in the frame of the requirement to create financial value for the chosen business and respect its
sustainable (including responsible, ethical & CSR practices and) priorities.
Students are expected to evaluate and critically explain the current level of financial returns
generated by the chosen business entity and how the introduction/development of sustainability
affects the status of that business. The report should consider one only of the following:
i)energy efficiency, ii)waste management, iii)sustainability food and beverage management and
iv)consumer typology and behaviour.
Additionally, students evaluate and propose three useful sustainability concepts/principles with an
implementation plan (minimum of 24 months for each) for the management of the selected
business. Critical evaluation of feasibility, appropriateness and practical implementation is required.
The report should include the advantages and disadvantages for the management of the hospitality
business, and must demonstrate that management feedback has been requested even if not
received. If there has been feedback, this should be considered before making the final
recommendation. Further, the report must refer to academic papers on the subject matter in a
critical fashion; a minimum of fifteen recent academic references, other than the course textbook,
should be used.
Failure to include the requisite academic references leads to a fail grade in the assignment.
Please note the Penalties applied for failure to address the above points and other matters (see
below).
Mandatory Format of the Research Report
Introduction – consider the business and the one selected criterion to be evaluated; link the two and
introduce the subject area of the research. State the objective(s) or the hypothesis; state the type of
research used – qualitative or quantitative; map out the other stages of the report.
Literature Review – re. the chosen criterion i.e. energy efficiency, waste management, sustainability
food and beverage management and consumer typology and behaviour. At least 15 different
academic sources should be used, other than the textbook. Consider the various strategies open to
the business to address issues.
Methodology – outline the choice of research method & support the choice through academic
argument. Identify and critically analyse the foreseen challenges inherent in the research. The list of
interview questions (as submitted & reviewed by the responsible faculty member) & summary of the
responses plus feedback garnered on submission of the research to the business should all be
included as Appendices (not included in the word count). Critically analyse the utility of the data
collected and the openness of the business to such sustainability.
Findings and the Resultant 24-month Plan – remember to relate the findings to the Literature
Review articles. The Plan should be included in the appendices and the main principles of such
discussed in the paper.
Conclusion & Recommendations – Based on the business response to the submitted report. Link to
the objectives/hypothesis of the research. Consider the whys & why nots of the business feedback.
Assessed Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate a range of CSR & sustainable development strategies within financial parametres, in a
hospitality context. - Propose and justify appropriate sustainability measures to hospitality businesses in a variety of
global contexts. - The students need to display a firm understanding of the need for sustainable development
and sustainable tourism and hospitality.
Assessment Brief
Evaluate a range of CSR and sustainable development strategies in a hospitality context and
determine how those could be implemented at the selected hospitality business. Explain how and
who will benefit from the researched and implemented strategic proposals re. sustainability.
Propose and justify appropriate measures to the selected hospitality business in a variety of global
sustainability contexts.
Assessment Type – Research Report
Assessment Details
In this assessment, you are required to:
• Choose a hospitality business in Switzerland.
• The business in question, wherever located, needs to be agreed with the Module Lecturer
(see additional document “Choosing & Validating Your Business Choice” on the Moodle
platform).
• Contact a/the decision maker of the selected business to organise field research (at least one
visit to the location is necessary if found in Switzerland).
• Give a brief overview of the present selected operation(s) justifying the need for change(s)
and considered financial benefits.
• Critically evaluate and explain the current CSR & sustainability status of the selected
business; incorporate one only of the following (i) – (iv):
(i)energy efficiency; (ii) waste management; (iii)sustainability food and beverage
management; (iv)consumer typology and behaviour.
• Evaluate a range of business strategies available to the business in question, explaining both
the benefits and disadvantages of the researched actionable sustainable strategic proposals.
• Propose and justify appropriate sustainability measures to the selected hospitality business
using examples drawn from a variety of global sustainability contexts (minimum of three)
accompanied by a 24-month action plan. Critical evaluation of feasibility, appropriateness
and actionable implementation is required including the needed investment.
• Pro-forma financial statements and/or a 24-month budget should be included in the
appendices and referred to in the Findings & Recommendations.
Ensure the findings are communicated to the contact person of the chosen company (see
second bullet point). Solicit and incorporate any feedback received in your final report.
Report Word Count
3700 – 4000 words excluding cover page, contents page, footnotes, glossary, bibliography, references
& appendices. Text over the word limit is not evaluated/marked or considered but penalised. Word
count must be included on cover page.
Assessment Criteria
Refer to the Assessment Marking Criteria for details – see Excel Gradesheet on Moodle.
Summary Presentation – week 10 (ungraded)
Ungraded yet mandatory presentations take place last class day of the module session.
Objective/Purpose: faculty member will constructively criticise the information presented to assist
the academic quality of the research paper.
Powerpoints – maximum of five slides (excluding intro./title).
Hard stapled copy of the presentation slides to be submitted prior to the Presentation.
Time constraints:
Individual: 10 minutes, followed by 5 min. Q&A. (Time allocated depends on the number of enrolled
students.)
Structure and Referencing System
Please follow the guidelines as in your Academic Writing module and RGU’s Study Skills at the
following link:
http://campusmoodle.rgu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=88648
All citations and references must follow the RGU Harvard Referencing System, the details of which
are at the following link:
http://libguides.rgu.ac.uk/RGUHarvard
Policies and Penalties
Plagiarism
“Plagiarism is the practice of presenting the thoughts, writings or other output of another or
others as original, without acknowledgement of their source(s). All material used to support a
piece of work, whether a printed publication or from electronic media, should be appropriately
identified and referenced and should not normally be copied directly unless as an acknowledged
quote. Text translated into the words of the individual student should in all cases acknowledge
the source.” For further information please see:
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/about/academic-affairs/quality-assurance-and-regulations
Before submitting assignments, you should check to ensure that:
= All material identified as originally from a previously published source has been properly
attributed by an appropriate reference in the text;
= Direct quotations are marked as such (using “quotation marks” at the beginning and end of the
selected text), and
= A citation has been included in the list of references at the end of the text.
Late Submissions
The penalty for late submission of a piece of coursework is that the coursework is failed. A fail will
also be given for any plagiarism found in the coursework.
If you, for genuine reasons, are unable to meet the submission date, please contact the Course
Leader before the submission deadline with the Coursework Extension Form to apply for an
extension of the coursework.
Penalties
= No evidence of any actual Field Research conducted.
= Poor spelling and grammar in the report.
= Disjointed arguments, non-sequiturs and poor analytical style.
= Not meeting the file formatting specifications (file type).
= Exceeding the word limit.
= Not meeting the number of referenced article requirements.
= Incomplete or rudimentary financial analysis in the 24-month action plan.
Penalties are cumulative in nature; for each of the above bullet points 5% is deducted from the final
grade awarded. Total possible deduction: 35% of the Assignment grade.
Support
For any questions on the assessment, please contact the Module Co-ordinator. The contact details
can be found in CampusMoodle.
Hard Copy Submission
Hard Copy of the Research Paper should be sent via Swiss mail to the faculty member – postmark
must show Thursday 14 February 2019.
The paper should be printed in B&W & recto-verso.