• Resources

  Business Sustainability

  Sustainability is key to building and maintaining a 21st century business of any size, including large corporations:

  • Duclos, T. G. (2013, October 29). Defining corporate sustainability. Machine Learning.

  SHOW LESS

  Critical Thinking

  You may wish to use the following resources to hone your ability to think critically, a skill you must use in this course:

  • Greengard, S. (2009). Are we losing our ability to think critically? Communications of the ACM, 52(7), 18–19.
  • Zucker, A. (2019). Using critical thinking to counter misinformation. Science Scope, 42(8), 6–9.
  • Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2007). Critical thinking: The art of Socratic questioning. Journal of Developmental Education, 31(1), 36–37.

  Check Your Understanding: Corporate Sustainability

  Before tackling your assessment, you may wish to check your understanding of the role of sustainability in business by completing the following brief self-assessment:

  • Practicing Sustainability in Business.

  Research Resources

  You may use resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. Developing a Business Perspective Library Guide can help direct your research. The Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.

• Assessment Instructions

Preparation

Begin your preparation work for this assessment by selecting a business-related topic. This can be a business topic you would like to research to gain new insight that will be helpful to you in your current work environment, or it might simply be a business topic you are interested in. Some examples of business topics include:

• Workplace diversity.
• Management techniques.
• Globalization.
• Marketing trends.
• Change management.

As you choose your topic, think about how knowing more about that topic will improve your career or advance your organization’s mission. Selecting an appropriate topic will enable you to develop a sound argument that is supported by expert knowledge.

Once you have your topic, think about a problem or challenge associated with that topic. For example, if your topic is workplace diversity, the associated problem might be the challenge faced by organizations in creating a productive, healthy, and supportive work environment.

Next, research your topic and problem. Locate 3–7 reputable resources on the topic. The resources you choose will help you to define the focus of your research and writing. For example, if your topic is workplace diversity and your problem is how organizations can create a productive and supportive work environment, your research may lead you to focus on how company policies can influence the work environment. Your research should also help you develop possible solutions to the problem.

Now, suppose the topic and problem you have selected are also primary concerns for your organization’s leadership. You have been asked to research the topic and problem and prepare a presentation for the executive board that includes your evaluation of the problem and your recommendation for a solution.

Requirements

Develop a PowerPoint presentation on the business topic and problem you selected. Use the Notes feature of each slide to expand your bullet points and reference your resources. PowerPoint presentations generally shouldn’t have sentences such as a white paper or plan would, but instead should have bullet points that are organized and clearly convey the intent of the presentation. You should still follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.

Your presentation should include one or more slides covering each of the following areas, and you can use slide titles more explicitly related to your chosen topic than are shown below. You may use the Assessment 4 Template [PPTX] to create your presentation if desired.

• Title slide.
• Introduction (optional).
• The Problem.
  • Define the business problem.
• How the Problem Affects an Organization.
  • Explain how the business problem affects an organization, and consider the consequences of not solving the problem.?
• Possible Solutions.
  • Describe solutions to the business problem, and explain how each is relevant to the organization.
• Advantages and Limitations of Possible Solutions.
  • Explain the advantages and limitations of solutions to the business problem, including aspects of costs, efficiencies, and effectiveness.
• Recommended Solution.
  • Recommend a solution to the business problem, and explain how the solution is right for an organization in terms of cost, needs, organizational culture, and effectiveness.?
• Organizational Sustainability in Profits and Satisfaction.?
  • Explain how your recommended solution to the business problem will result in increased sustainability with regard to profit and/or customer and employee satisfaction.
• Conclusion: Supporting Evidence.
  • As a summary, justify and support your recommended solution to the business problem with relevant evidence and sound reasoning.
• References slide.

Example assessment: You may use the Assessment 4 Exemplar [PPTX] to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.

Additional Requirements

Based on the intended audience, your presentation should be well organized and written in clear, succinct language. Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions.