Homework answers / question archive / Leading and Managing in Global Environment: Part A — A2 Assignment — Final Individual Assignment Assignment Instructions: Assignment Question: Required: 1

Leading and Managing in Global Environment: Part A — A2 Assignment — Final Individual Assignment Assignment Instructions: Assignment Question: Required: 1

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Leading and Managing in Global Environment: Part A — A2 Assignment — Final

Individual Assignment

Assignment Instructions:

Assignment Question:

Required:

1. There are increasing demands in today’s business environment for firms to change their purpose from serving their owners/shareholders to serving their stakeholders.

Discuss in maximum 1,000 words a) why shareholder value primacy is being criticised as firm purpose and b) whether a meaningful change to stakeholder value purpose is possible in a financialised economy where the success of firms and their managers is still being measured by stock market valuations. You are expected to use all of the following course readings in answering the question.

 

1. Evans, J. and Agnew, H. (January 12, 2022) “Mayonnaise with ‘purpose’

rebuke shows discontent Unilever facing”, Financial Times, available at:

https://www.ft.com/content/8feb8f98-c6d9-4288-9ce8-9e68be621a60

 

2. Mayer, C. (2021) “The Future of the Corporation and the Economics of

Purpose”, Journal of Management Studies, 583), pp.887-901.

 

3. Ertiirk, |. (2020) “Shareholder Primacy and Corporate Financialization” in

Mader P., Mertens, D. and van der Zwan, N. (2020) Intemational Handbook

of Financialization, Routledge, Oxon, London

 

4. Fichtner, J. (2020) “The Rise of Institutional Investors” in Mader P., Mertens,

D. and van der Zwan, N. (2020) International Handbook of Financialization,

Routledge, Oxon, London

 

5. Haldane, A. G. (2015) “Who owns a company?” Speech given at the

University of Edinburgh Corporate Finance Conference 22 May 2015,

available at:

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/speech/20 15/who-owns-a-company

 

6. Polman, P. (2014) “Business, society, and the future of capitalism’, available

at: http:/Avww.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability-and-resource-

productivity/our-insights/business-society-and-the-future-of-capitalism

 

7. Jones, B. and Nisbet, P. (2011) “Shareholder value versus stakeholder

values: CSR and financialization in global food firms”, Socio-Economic

Review, 9(2), pp.287-314.

 

2. Choose a public company -a company listed in stock market and publishes annual reports in English- and read the company’s last two years’ reporting of its ESG (environment, social and governance), its contributions to the United Nations

Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), sustainability, corporate social

 

responsibility activities. You should also research other publicly available sources on

 

the company’s such activities. Then in maximum 2,000 words:

 

a. critically analyse whether the company’s reporting provides verifiable data and

evidence or consists mostly of qualitative statements aiming to create a halo

effect and a narrative of doing good,

 

b. advise this company about how it can improve its environmental and social

impact in measurable and meaningful ways given its size and the nature of its

products and services.

 

You are expected to use the concepts and analytical frameworks from the following

 

course readings in answering Question 2:

 

1. Temple-West, P. (February 21, 2020) “‘Monstrous’ run for responsible stocks

stokes fears of a bubble”, Financial Times, available at:

https://www.ft.com/content/73765d6c-5402-1 1ea-90ad-25e377c0eelf

 

2. Leins, S. (2018) “Chapter 6: Construction of an Investment Narrative”, Stories of

Capitalism: Inside the Role of Financial Analysts, University of Chicago Press

 

3. Arjaliés, D.L. and Bansal, P. (2018), “Beyond numbers: How investment

managers accommodate societal issues in financial decisions”, Organization

Studies, 395-6), pp.691-719.

 

4. Rosenzweig, P. (2014) Chapter 4 “Halos Ail Around Us” The Halo Effect, Simon

& Schuster

 

5. Rosenzweig, P. (2014) Chapter 5 “Research to the Rescue”, The Halo Effect,

Simon & Schuster.

 

6. Rosenzweig, P. (2014) Chapter 8 “Stories, Science and the Schizophrenic Tour

de Force”, The Halo Effect, Simon & Schuster

 

The following will be taken into consideration in marking your assignment:

e Comprehensiveness and accuracy of your use of the required readings in answering

 

Question 1.

 

e Critical analysis of the chosen company using your own ideas and based on original research and the insights from the readings in answering Question 2.

 

e The relevance of the data and information on the chosen company's ESG and social

 

responsibility performance and activities in answering Question 2.

 

e Presentational qualities of your paper- citation, bibliography, paragraphing, spacing, spelling, quotations etc.