Hello, you are doing this based off the past assignments you’ve done regarding the Company “Pattern”. Please read carefully and do what exactly is asked. Also make sure at the end you will need to make sure your Works Cited or References page is formatted correctly, according to either MLA or APA format. If you use MLA format, you will call this a Works Cited page. If you use APA, it’s referred to as a References page. In both cases, it is included on its own page, at the end of the report.
Context & Requirements
In 3-4 pages of body copy you will analyze a company for its strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations for improvement. Specifically, focus on an aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility / Environmental, Social and Governance that the company is engaging in. The recommendations presented in the paper should be based on the SWOT analysis and should be supported by evidence. The report is part of the Business Analysis & Recommendations project.
The CSR/ESG issues are outlined well hereLinks to an external site.. Please note that Environment, Social, and Governance issues (ESG) is a newer category and is also often used to denote corporate social responsibility.
The report should draw on outside sources to address opposing views and support your conclusions. In your research, you will want to look at peer-review articles, industry reports, analyst reports, news reports, and company documents (such as their website, annual reports, press releases, or marketing literature). If you have chosen a public company to focus on, keep in mind that these types of companies (one which sells stock) is required to report its financial and other information, whereas a privately-held company’s information may be less accessible. This project will not include primary research (interviews, etc.) but only secondary research.
The document will be written as a research trend report and should include the following:
Title Page (include the company logo if you like, as well as your name, course name, professor name, and date)
Executive Summary (this is a summary of the entire report, in one page)
Table of Contents
Brief Introduction (this introduces the company and one CSR / ESG issue)
Body of the Report, organized into SWOT sections:
Strengths (what are they doing well, within this one CSR / ESG issue?)
Weaknesses (where can they improve, when compared to the competition, within this one CSR / ESG issue?)
Opportunities (how could these improvements benefit their work within the CSR / ESG issue?)
Threats (what are the obstacles to these improvements, within this one CSR / ESG issue?)
Recommendations (what are the specific recommendations for improvements, within this one CSR / ESG issue?)
Conclusion (brief summary of the entire report)
Single-spaced, 3-4 pages, with double-spacing between paragraphs (this does not include the Title Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Works Cited, or References)
At least two visuals integrated into the body of the text (can include tables, charts, graphs, photographs, diagrams): see the textbook for strategies for effective visuals. Additionally, you may want to include additional visuals or any extended data sets in appendices
Reference list or Works Cited page of all sources referred to in the report, listed in either MLA or APA format (see Purdue OWLLinks to an external site. for direction)
Appendices, if appropriate
Report Grading
The report will be evaluated on its logical presentation of the argument, in-depth analysis of the business practice, organization of ideas, as well as its use of a clear and concise style. It will also be graded on the depth and quality of secondary research.
Argument (this is not an argument paper based on your opinion, but on the research)
Does the document demonstrate a thorough analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the business within the context of its CSR / ESG issue? Does it critically examine the choices facing the organization, including opportunities and threats? Does it make clear and logical recommendations from the perspective of an outside consultant? Does it address opposing views? Are analysis and recommendations supported by appropriate evidence from research, with the significance of evidence clearly explained?
Are a variety of sources used to support claims? Are sources authoritative? Are there at least 7 quality sources used? Are at least 3 of these peer-reviewed sources? Is there evidence of thorough research into the particular company and industry (including, for instance, industry reports, analyst reports, scholarly analyses, news reports, and company websites, annual reports, press releases, or marketing literature)? Is it consistently clear which ideas, words and graphics are the author’s and which come from research sources? Is in-text citation correct, using either APA or MLA style?
Organization
Is the report organized clearly and logically? Does the document begin with an introduction to the problem(s) facing the company, the purpose of the document, and (in a brief summary) the recommendations presented in the report? Are paragraphs unified (focused on only one main idea)? Is it possible to follow this one “thread” all the way through the document, without getting distracted by extraneous ideas? Does the report focus on one CSR / ESG issue ONLY, all the way through?
Document design & formatting
Is the document structured as a formal manuscript report, including title page, executive summary, table of contents, introduction, SWOT, recommendations, conclusion, works cited/references, and at least 2 visuals integrated into the report?
Is it divided into sections, with headings to guide readers? Is it single-spaced, with double spacing between paragraphs? Does it effectively use visual cues (indentation, headings) to indicate hierarchy? Is format consistent throughout? Are font size(s) and style(s) effective? Does highlighting (italic, bold, underline, bullets, white space) enhance readability? Is there a header or footer with page numbers? Does the document consistently follow a specific citation style (MLA or APA)? Is citation spacing accurate? Note: If you use citation software, please double-check each citation against Purdue OWL. These software tools are rarely 100% accurate.
Language & clarity
Is the report professional in tone, using third person rather than first? Is wording clear and concise? Are sentences varied in structure and length? Is parallel structure employed for lists? Does the report avoid errors in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, or spelling? Is the wording formal rather than casual? Do you avoid jargon and idiom (e.g., “Let’s get started” or “Knock it out of the park”).
If you have questions about the above grading criteria, please let me know!