Write a report based on the assignment details noted below. Your report should be
approximately 2500 words not including references, abstract and appendices.
The Assignment is designed to test the following skills:
1.
Yourknowledgeand your ability toresearchthe issues and thenapplythe information
appropriately using
judgement
2.
Yourcommunication skills– report writing
Please make sure you follow the guidelines noted in your subject outline especially those
relating to
presentation of written work, late policy and academic integrity.You should
also familiarise yourself with the assessment marking rubric (attached) to guide you in how
Individual Research Assignment
Kaplan Business School is part of Kaplan Inc., a leading global provider of educational services. Kaplan Business School Pty Ltd ABN
86 098 181 947 is a registered higher education provider CRICOS Provider Codes SA/QLD 02426B, NSW 02913J and VIC 02887F
ACCM 4600/1Trimester2014/Assignment /MIR
– 2 –
Details of Assignment
:
The partners of a large Australian accounting practice have engaged your firm of
consultants to provide them with the information necessary to determine whether they
should implement a sustainable practices accounting division in their firm. They would
like to consider not only implementing sustainable practices within the firm but also set
up a division to give services in this area to their clients.
You (a graduate accountant) and Mike Rodgers the director of your firm had preliminary
discussions with them and realised that there are two differing schools of thought. One group
of partners think it is a gimmick and would be an expensive exercise that would add little to
the success of the practice and believe that the practice should focus on its core business.
The other group of partners believe that it would give them a competitive advantage and that
it is an important way for them to make a real, positive contribution to the global community.
They think that there is a lot of scope for work of this nature now that corporate social
reporting has become a “buzz” word in the corporate world which should also improve the
overall profitability of the firm. This group keep referring to a forum that they had been to
some years back at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and an article titled
“Sustainability and business – no longer an unlikely match”.
To make a decision, the partners have requested you to make sure that your report
contains (but is not restricted to) advice or responses to the following aspects:
1. A vision for sustainability, making sure that you give them a good understanding of the
meaning of sustainability in a business environment;
2. Present elements of a sustainability program –
3. Ways to engage employees in the program and to provide them with examples of best
practice.
4. Arguments for and against introducing a sustainability program within the firm
5. Whether creating a division that provides services relating to “sustainability” would be
of benefit to their firms clients; include thoughts on an appropriate name for the division,
the type of services that might be offered, the type of skills the staff employed in it would
require, do you think there is a market for such services and how would you market it,
etc
One of the partners mentioned that they read the Institute of Chartered Accountants in
Australia case studies on sustainability and would like you to identify some of the
sustainability activities which are recommended by the companies in the case studies – the
link is given below
http://www.charteredaccountants.com.au/Industry-
Topics/Sustainability/Integrated-re
Integrated-reporting/Integrating-sustainability-intobusiness
