Managing CSR for Sustainable Business Goals: A Case Study of Apis Ltd

This report examines the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in achieving sustainable objectives, focusing on a case study of Apis Ltd, a hospitality company in the UK. It begins by outlining the project's aim and objectives, emphasizing the importance of CSR in enhancing brand image and competitiveness in today's market. The project management plan covers critical aspects such as cost, quality, communication, and time, highlighting the need for efficient resource allocation and stakeholder engagement. The report uses qualitative and quantitative research methods, including a questionnaire survey, to gather data on the effectiveness of CSR activities within Apis Ltd. The analysis of the research data employs various tools and techniques, such as descriptive research design and inductive theory, to provide insights into the relationship between CSR practices and the achievement of sustainable goals. The findings aim to offer recommendations for Apis Ltd to improve its CSR strategies and achieve competitiveness in a more ethical and sustainable manner.

MANAGING SUCCESFUL
BUSINESS

INTRODUCTION
In today's world, organizations are using strategies and some operations so that their
overall performance can be improved. Managing overall business activities can lead a firm
towards success. In order to enhance their brand image, they can implement the corporate social
responsibilities so they will be able to attain their sustainable goals. By formulating such
activities at the workplace, they can fulfil the requirements and expectations of the people who
are associated with the business. Throusgh this, they will be able to sustain their competitiveness
in more ethical manner (Chesbrough, 2010). The current project is based on Apis Ltd which
offer their different services in hospitality industry. They are conducting some CSR activities at
their workplace so that their overall performance can be improved. In this context, it explains the
project aim and objectives. Along with this, it explains the management plan which is based on
cost, quality, communication and time. Furthermore, it explains the qualitative and quantitative
research so that overall performance of an enterprise can be analysed in more effective manner.
TASK 1
P1 Project aim and objectives
When an enterprise implements any kind of activity then they have to follow a procedure
so that they can accomplish their objectives. In today's world, competition is get increased in the
market so it acts as a threat for the companies (Crane and Matten, 2016). For this, Apis Ltd
implement the corporate social responsibilities so that they can enhance their brand image in
society. The manager has to analyse that the implementation of CSR activities can lead them
towards success. Some aim and objectives are formed which are set by an investigator so that all
activities can be formulated in an effective manner.
Background
When an enterprise establishes their business then they set some of the objectives and
goals so that they can achieve growth and profitability. Government identify some sustainable
goals so that overall economic, social and environmental needs can be fulfilled. When Apis Ltd
formulate some of the activities then through these they will be able to enhance the welfare in the
society. Along with this, all the issues can be resolved in more effective manner. The hospitality
industry is offering some of the facilities and services to their service users so that their overall
satisfaction towards services can be increased. In this present report, the analysis has been

carried out so that overall importance of the CSR activities can be identified and goals can be
achieved.
Aim: To identify the effectiveness of Corporate social responsibilities so that sustainable
objectives can be achieved- A study on Apis Ltd in UK.
Research objectives: Some objectives are framed by the researcher in order to attain
specified aim and through this Apis Ltd will be able to improve their performance. These are as
follows:
 To identify the importance of corporate social responsibilities at the workplace so that
goals can be achieved.
 To analyse the ways through which sustainable objectives can be achieved.
 To determine the relationship between the CSR and their sustainable goals.
 To recommend some of the ways through which Apis Ltd can achieve competitiveness in
more effective manner.
Research questions: Some questions have been framed on the basis of above specified:
 Q1. What is Corporate social responsibilities and how it is important for an organisation?
 Q2. How sustainable goals can be achieved at the workplace?
 Q3. What is the relationship between the sustainable goals and corporate social
responsibilities?
 Q4. What are the ways through which an enterprise will be able to achieve
competitiveness at the marketplace?
P2 Project management plan
Project management is a kind of process which is used by the management consultant of
Apis Ltd in order to accomplish the overall objectives. When the plan is made then manager has
to focus on some of the factors such as risk, communication, scope, quality, time, cost and
resources. By focusing on these, the overall performance and growth of the hospitality industry
can be improved (Crawford and Nahmias, 2010). Some of these factors are as follows:
Cost of the project: This is the responsibility of manager to minimise the cost of project
so that high revenues can be generated. For this, project cost management technique can be used
in order to measure the productivity. Through this, their overall growth can be increased and
spending level can be controlled.

Scope of the project: The scope of the project can be explained on the basis of the
statement that what kind of factors are included or excluded. Company implement these
activities so that the different needs of the stakeholders can be fulfilled.
Time of the project: When an organisation makes any project then they set the deadline
they in what time this should be completed (Evans and Lindsay, 2013). On the basis of SMART
criteria, the overall understanding of goals and objectives can be increased.
Quality of the project: The management consultant of hospitality industry has to more
focused on the quality of projects so that their overall brand image can be improved. Through
this, this can lead towards the satisfaction level of their staff members.
Communication of the project: Communication gap between all the people of different
departments should be reduced as on the basis of they will be able to improve their performance.
Along with this, higher authority has to give the opportunity to staff members that they can place
their innovative ideas so that their satisfaction level can be increased.
Resources of the project: Some resources are required by researcher in order to complete
the project in more effective manner. Some resources are like human, financial, capital and so
on. Through these, the overall sustainable objectives can be accomplished.
P3 Work Breakdown structure and Gantt chart
The manager of Apis Ltd can use work breakdown structure in order to manage the
overall operations of the project. It is a tree like structure in which all the activities are divided
into the components so that goals can be achieved in more efficient manner. Through this, tasks
and work can be divided of all the team members by utilizing the resources more efficiently.

This tool is used by the firm so that large project can be managed and activities can be performed
simultaneously by all the other staff members (Forsgrem and Johanson, 2014). The productivity
of the project will get increase and that will lead towards the success.
The hospitality industry can monitor and evaluate the overall performance of the different
components on continuous basis. Through this, different issues and problems can be identified in
more effective manner which are associated with the project. Some of the advantages are
associated with this approach like through this productivity can be increased, work can be
managed timely, cost can be reduced as spending level is controlled, progress can be monitored
on continuous basis, risk can be identified and transparency can be increased. So, in this manner
the overall performance of Apis Ltd can be improved by implementing the corporate social
responsibilities.
Gantt chart is formed on the basis of different activities and the time in which they gets
completed. It is a systematic procedure that has been followed by the management consultant so

that overall objectives can be accomplished. Through this, the project can be planned that how it
can be completed and how much time it will take in order to resolve research questions.
TASK 2
P4 Small scale research by applying the qualitative and quantitative methods
The management consultant of Apis Ltd can use different types of qualitative and
quantitative methods so that overall impact of corporate social responsibilities on the objectives
can be identified. On the basis of these, the views and opinions of different people can be
identified in more effective manner. By adopting these strategies, the brand image of hospitality
industry can be improved (Goksoy, Ozsoy and Vayvay, 2012). Through this, their overall
performance can be improved and that can lead a firm towards success.
Qualitative methods are there through which valuable and reliable data can be gathered.
Some of the methods are their like interviews, observation, focus group, questionnaire. On the
basis of these, the overall impact of CSR activities can be examined while accomplishing the
sustainable objectives. In questionnaire, a set of questions are prepared and asked to the
respondents so that their views can be examined. In interview approach, the investigator asked
few relevant questions to their respondents so that effective result can be analysed. In
observation strategy, the manager observes the performance of the people by being a part of the
group so that effective outcomes can be achieved.

On the other hand, there are some methods that comes under the quantitative research
such as correlation, scatter, trend analysis and so on. In this, some of the mathematical tools are
applied so that overall growth can be evaluated in more effective manner (Harvey and Allard,
2015). In the present research project, questionnaire is used by the researcher so that overall
views can be examined of the people in more effective manner.
The data can be gathered from primary and secondary sources so that overall impact of
CSR activities on the company’s performance can be evaluated. Primary information can be
collected from questionnaire and secondary data can be collected from different opinions of the
authors, books and internet. Through this, the performance can be improved in an appropriate
way so that goals can be achieved. The survey has been conducted on the employees of the
respective organisation so that exact data can be gathered.
Questionnaire
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Q1. Do Apis Ltd conduct CSR activities at their workplace?
 Yes
 No
 Can't say
Q2. Are you agreed that CSR activities can help an enterprise in achieving the competitive
advantage?
 Highly agreed
 Agreed
 Neutral
 Disagreed
 Highly disagreed
Q3. Do you think that CSR practices help the organisation in achieving the sustainable
objectives?
 Yes
 No
 Neutral

Q4. Which area of corporate social responsibility is more appropriate for Apis Ltd?
 Satisfaction level of stakeholders
 Relationship between customers and organisation
 Environment protection
 Social welfare
Q5. What kind of problems are faced by the an enterprise?
 Employee safety
 Irregular work
 Women rights
 Others
Q6. Do you feel satisfied with the services that are provided by the hospitality industry?
 Highly satisfied
 Satisfied
 Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
 Dissatisfied
 Highly dissatisfied
Q7. What are the benefits of corporate social responsibilities that are achieved by firm?
 Corporate brand image
 Increase the efficiency
 Relationship is get improved with suppliers and customers
 Productivity
Q8. Recommend some of the ways so that Apis ltd can conduct corporate social responsibilities
at their workplace?
P5 Analyse the research and data on the basis of different tools and techniques
There are some different methodologies are used by an investigator so that overall
research can be conducted in successful way. For this, the manager of Apis Ltd uses different
tools and techniques so that sustainable objectives can be achieved. Some of these are as follows:
Research design: Some research design approaches are there such as experimental,
descriptive, correlation and so on (Kowalkowski, Kindström and Brehmer, 2011). On the basis
of these, the manager of project management will be able to identify the importance of corporate

social responsibilities in more effective manner. Here, descriptive research design is used so that
in depth understanding of the CSR practices can be increased.
Research approach: On the basis of this kind of approach, the theories can be developed.
There are two types of approaches such as inductive and deductive. In inductive, theories are
developed on the basis of observation and in another approach the theory is formulate on the
basis of hypothesis. Here, Inductive theory is used so that data about the CSR activities can be
gathered in more effective manner.
Research philosophy: On the basis of this, different perception are identified while
conducting the overall research. Interpretivism and positivism are two kind of philosophies that
are used by the research. In interpretivism, the human perceptions are identified about the CSR
activities that are conducted at the workplace (Munde, 2010). In the current research, this
approach has been used so that overall views of the people can be collected.
Data collection: Data has been collected from primary and secondary sources so that
overall research can be conducted in more effective manner. In primary, data has been gathered
from questionnaire. Along with this, data is collected through some books, journals, internet and
research papers. So, in this manner the overall impact of CSR activities on the sustainable
objectives can be identified.
Sampling: It is a kind of technique that is used by the manager of Apis Ltd so that they
can extract the data from large population. There are different types of sampling technique such
as systematic, stratified and random sampling. Here, random sampling is used so that sample can
be extracted. The survey is conducted on the employees of organisation and the size which is
selected is 20.
Data analysis: In the current research project, thematic analysis will be used where some
themes are formed on the basis of questionnaire and graphs are made. On the basis of these, the
data can be interpreted in more effective manner so that goals can be achieved (Peppers and
Rogers, 2016). Through this, the sustainable objectives can be achieved by implementing
corporate social responsibilities activities.
Data analysis
The data can be analysed on the basis of information that is gathered from the different
respondents. Thematic analysis is a technique or tool that is used in order to make the themes on

the basis of questions that are asked to the people of company. On the basis of this, different
graphs can be formed so that data can be interpreted.
Theme 1: Apis Ltd conducted CSR activities at their workplace.
Do Apis Ltd conduct CSR activities at their workplace? Frequency
Yes 12
No 5
Can't say 3
Yes No Can't say
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
12
5
3
Column B
Findings: From the above graphical representation it can be analysed that there are
different employees who have different views on the practices that are conducted by an
organisation. There are approx 60% employees who are agreed that Apis Ltd conduct CSR
activities, 25% staff members are not agreed and 15% people have no reaction over this
statement. So, in this manner it can be interpreted that the hospitality industry follow corporate
social responsibilities at their workplace.
Theme 2: Employees are highly agreed that CSR activities can help an enterprise in
achieving the competitive advantage at the marketplace.

Are you agreed that CSR activities can help an enterprise in
achieving the competitive advantage?
Frequency
Highly agreed 8
Agreed 4
Neutral 2
Disagreed 3
Highly disagreed 3
Highly agreed Agreed Neutral Disagreed Highly disagreed
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
8
4
2
3 3
Column B
Findings: On the basis of above given graph it can be interpreted that some people are
agreed and some are disagree over this statement. There are approx 40% people who are highly
agreed over this statement that through CSR the competitive advantage can be gained. Along
with this, there are 20% staff members who are agreed, 10% employees have no reaction over
this statement, 15% respondents are disagreed and 15% staff members are highly disagreed. So,
in this manners, it can be analysed that through CSR the hospitality industry will be able to
sustain their competitive advantage.
Theme 3: Corporate social responsibilities help the organisation in achieving the
sustainable objectives.