Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy and Amazon's Profitability

This project explores the impact of sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on organizational performance and profitability, using Amazon as a case study. It examines the concepts of sustainability and CSR, determines their link and influence on organizations, and investigates the impacts and benefits of Amazon's CSR strategy on its profits and productivity. The research aims to explore Amazon's CSR strategy and its effect on organizational performance. The methodology includes ethical considerations such as informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality, which the researcher plans to address by obtaining informed consent, maintaining data privacy through encryption and password protection, and storing data securely for a limited time before destruction. The project also addresses various ethical considerations, including participant consent, data security, and potential risks to participants and the researcher. The project adheres to ethical research guidelines, ensuring participant information sheets, consent forms, and debriefing procedures are followed. The data will be stored in a pen drive and laptop and it will be destroyed after 6 months.

Approval Code:
Dept/School
and unit code:
Please select Postgraduate Project Undergraduate Project
(Double click on the box then click ‘Checked’ for a cross to appear in the box)
To explore and determine the impact of sustainability on the company's performance and profitability.
Project Title:
Mirabela Andreea Mihalache
Researchers Name(s):
Deborah Hamer
Supervisor(s):
Date: 9/11/2021
Applications should be submitted electronically to the Secretary of the School Research Ethics Committee as one single
file. One original hard copy must also be submitted with the signatures of all applicants and Supervisors.
Rationale: Please give a BRIEF description of the project in ‘lay language’. This summary will be reviewed by UREC
and may be published as part of its reporting procedures.
75 words max.-approx 5 lines (for database reasons). Detail should be provided in Q. 27
The topic of the research is over sustainability which is referred to the aspects where resources are used in
best productive manner possible.
Research Aim
“To explore the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy of company and its influence on organisational
performance and productivity. A case study on Amazon.”
Research Objectives:
 To examine the concept of Sustainability and CSR.
 To determine the link between Sustainability and CSR and their impact over the organisations.
 To examine the impacts and benefits associated with CSR strategy of Amazon on its overall
profits and productivity.
 To suggest improvements to Amazon for increasing effectiveness of its CSR policy and
practices.
Ethical Considerations: Please give a BRIEF description of the ethical considerations of this project. Please mention
questions raised specifically in the form and, where appropriate, show that the basic ethical criteria have been met in
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any use of (a) participant information sheets (b) consent forms (c) debriefing procedures.
This summary will be forwarded to and reviewed by UREC and may be published as part of its reporting procedures.
75 words - approx 5 lines (for database reasons). Elucidation, if required, can be given in Q. 27.
There are various principles of research ethics such as a) participant information sheets (b)
consent forms (c) debriefing procedures.
All these will be followed by researcher.
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Section A: PROJECT INFORMATION
1. Estimated start date.
When do you plan to begin your project? 08/01/21
2. Estimated duration.
How long do you think it will take? 20/01/21
3. Does this research proposal involve...
3a. Potential conflicts of interest, eg. roles in research, intellectual property,
responsibilities of funders, research with policy or other social implications etc? Yes No
3b. Only unpublished data obtained with the permission of the owner/archive curator? Yes No
3c. Primary data collection (obtained through interviews, surveys, observation, etc...)? Yes No
If you answer ‘YES’ to any of these questions (3a 3b or 3c), you should
elaborate in Q27.
4. Is this research proposal exclusively concerned with...
Only published secondary data sources (eg, material already in the public domain)*? *Yes No
*If you answer ‘YES’ to Q4, go directly to Q. 26, and Q. 27 
5. Your informants...
5a. Who are the intended participants? (eg. students) Employees of the organisation
5b. How will you recruit them? By using simple random probability sampling method
6. Estimated duration of participants’ involvement...
(Eg, questionnaire 10 mins, Interview 20 mins, etc.) 10 minutes
7. Location of Research/Fieldwork to be conducted:
7a. Where will you conduct your research? (eg, LRC foyer) Amazon in UK
7b. Do you need to secure permission to conduct research at this location? Yes No
*If you answered ‘NO’, say why permission is
not needed.
8. Is this research funded by an external sponsor or agency?
Yes No
If ‘YES’ please provide the name(s) and
elaborate in Q. 27
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Section B: ETHICAL CHECKLIST
For Qs 9-21, tick the box to show if your answer is YES, NO or Not Applicable. Please elaborate in Q. 27 if necessary.
If you tick ‘NO’ to any question 9-21, please give a brief explanation in Q. 27.
If you answer ‘YES’, it must be clearly illustrated in the relevant paperwork which must be attached
(ie, Participant Information Sheet, Consent Form, Debriefing Form, Questionnaires, Advertisement, etc…)
Yes No N/A
9. Have you obtained permission to access99 the site of research?
If YES, provide the name, position and business address of the person. Also, give the name of the organisation.
A letter of confirmation is to be attached to this form.
Yes No N/A
10. Does this research entail collaboration with other researchers?
If YES, provide the names and institutions of your collaborators.
11. Collaborative projects.
11a. If the research is collaborative, have you considered issues to do with roles in
research publication strategies/authorship?
11b. If the research is collaborative, have you devised a framework to ensure that all
participants are given appropriate recognition in any outputs?
12. Volition. Will you tell participants that their participation is voluntary?
13. Informed Consent. Will you describe the procedures to participants in advance so that
they can make an informed decision about whether or not to participate?
14. The right to withdraw. Will you tell participants that they may withdraw from the
research at any time and for any reason, without having to give an explanation?
15. Written consent. Will you obtain written consent from participants?
16. Recording. If the research involves making recordings (manuscript, digital, audio or
video), will you ask participants for their consent to be observed, videoed or taped?
17. Confidentiality. Will you tell participants that their data will be treated with full
confidentiality and that if published, it will not be identifiable as theirs?
18. Data Security. Will participants be clearly informed of how the data will be stored, who
will have access to it, and when the data will be destroyed?
19. Debriefing. Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation, i.e. give them a
brief explanation in writing of the study?
20. Omission. With interviews and questionnaires, will you give participants the option of
omitting questions they do not want to answer?
21. Relationships. Are any of the participants in a dependent relationship with the
investigator (eg lecturer/student)?
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If YES, please give full explanation in Q27.
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Section C: RISK AND SAFETY
For Qs 22-25, tick the box to show if your answer is YES, or NO. You should elaborate in Q. 27 where appropriate.
Yes No
22. Deception. Will your project involve deliberately misleading participants in any way?
If YES, explain in Q. 27 why it is necessary and how debriefing will occur.
23. Risk to Participant(s). Is there any realistic risk to any paid or unpaid participant, field
assistant, helper or student involved in the project? (Nb, ‘risk’ means experiencing any
physical, psychological distress or discomfort)
If YES, please explain in Q.27, saying what you will do if they should
experience any problems, eg who to contact for help.
24. Risk to Researcher(s) Is there any realistic risk to the investigator?
If YES, have the appropriate risk assessment forms been submitted to
the appropriate Safety Committee(s)?
25. Risk of Harm or Damage. Do you think the results of your research have the potential to
cause any damage, harm or other problems for people in your study area?
If YES, explain in Q. 27 why it is necessary and how debriefing will occur
Section D: WORKING WITH CHILDREN/VULNERABLE PEOPLE
For Qs 26a-g, tick the box to show if your answer is YES, or NO. You must elaborate in Q. 27 any ‘YES response in this section.
26. Vulnerable individuals. Do participants in this study fall into any of the following special groups?
If they do, please tick the appropriate answer, refer to the relevant guidelines and complete Q.27.
Yes No
a. Children (under 18 years of age).
b. People with learning or communication difficulties.
c. Patients (including careers of NHS patients).
d. People in custody.
e. Institutionalised persons.
f. People engaged in illegal activities, eg drug-taking.
g. Other vulnerable groups. (please specify)
There is an obligation on the Lead Researcher & Supervisor to bring to the attention of the School Ethics Committee
(S.E.C.) any issues with ethical implications not clearly covered by the above checklist.
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Section E: ETHICAL STATEMENT
27. Write a clear but concise statement of the ethical considerations of this project, clearly stating how you intend
to address each of them.
There are various ethical considerations that need to be considered by the researcher. In relation
to this particular project, one of the ethical consideration is informed consent from participants. It
is very necessary for researcher to make sure that informed consent is taken from the participants
prior to involve them into study. Apart from this, maintaining privacy and confidentiality of data
is also one of the ethical consideration. In order to address this consideration, researcher need to
make sure that the data collected from the participant must be kept confidential and use
passwords and encryption for maintaining privacy of data.
28. Assuring Confidentiality. As we regard informants’ consent to be finite, please say how and where you will
store your data (to guard against accidental data loss) and the date by which your data will be destroyed
(usually, within 6 months after the completion of your course).
Protecting data
The data will be store in pen drive and laptop and it will be destroying after 6 months.
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Section E: DECLARATION
I, the researcher declare that...
No Yes(i) I am familiar with the ………… UBBS …... (insert appropriate guidelines for your discipline,
eg BPS, ESRC, BAAL, MRC and ASA) Guidelines for Ethical Research Guidelines
for Research practices, and I have discussed them with all researchers involved
in this project.
(ii) I have attached all relevant paperwork linked to this project.
(Nb, supervisors may need to seek guidance before giving approval.)
(iii) I understand that any substantive changes to this proposal will require
No Yes
a new application to the School Ethics Committee.
Researcher(s)
Signature
08.01.2021
Date
Supervisors must ensure they have read both the application and the guidelines before signing below.
Supervisor(s)
Signature
dd/
mm/
year
No Yes
Date
O F F I C I A L U S E O N L Y
STATEMENT OF ETHICAL APPROVAL
This project has been considered using agreed University Procedures and has been:
Not Approved Approved
More Clarification Required
New Submission Recommended
Referred to UREC
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Convener’s Name
Signature
dd/mm/year
Date:
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