Organisational Ethics & CSR Essay: Stakeholder Interests & Green HRM

This essay assignment for the Organisational Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (OE&CSR) module requires students to analyze a case study role play, focusing on stakeholder interests, ethical justifications, and the case for green HRM. The essay prompts students to examine how different stakeholder groups' interests and ethics differ, using relevant theories and models from the module content, as well as external research. Students must provide an ethical justification for their voting decisions in the role play and critically evaluate the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the context of the case study, particularly in relation to green HRM practices. The assignment emphasizes the application of ethical theories, critical analysis, and the integration of academic literature and research to support arguments. The essay aims to develop students' ability to move beyond descriptive analysis, apply theories, and connect the case study to broader societal challenges, with an emphasis on scholarly writing and referencing.

OE&CSR Module - Assessment guidance April 2017
Module Title: Organisational Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
Assessment
Title:
Essay
Individual/
Group:
Individual
- You can discuss your ideas with others but your write-up must be in your own
words and not show up as a match on Turnitin.
- We suggest that you discuss ideas, can even share useful
models/theories/book/journal articles with each other but do not show others your
written work.
- See the universities advice on Academic Conduct (via ShuSpace)
Weighting: 100%
Submission Date: End of Semester 2 - See Assessment Diary for details
Assessment Brief and Extra notes for your guidance:
Referring to the case example brief (will be handed out in the module classes) and your experience
of taking part in the classroom role play exercise, write an essay that addresses the following
questions:
1) How do the interests and ethics of the stakeholder groups differ?
2) What ethical justification can you offer for the way you voted on the proposal?
3) Based on this experience, critically evaluate the case for green HRM.
To construct a great answer you need to demonstrate that you have done the following:
 Selected appropriate theories, models, concepts and topics from the module content and
applied them to a discussion of ethical behaviours arising throughout the case study role
play.
 Undertaken your own desk research on the issues and topics arising from the role play, and
integrated your findings into the assignment (using both material on the reading list and
articles, journal papers and book chapters you have found yourself).
 Have developed your own voice and ideas, supported by arguments that are backed by
references to academic literature, theories and secondary research.
 Demonstrate an ability to move beyond description of an issue by applying theories that
enable you to develop critical insights and establish the 'so what?' issues that arise.
 Demonstrate that you can widen the argument and link it to contemporary challenges
within wider society. Another aspect of this could come from comparing and contrasting
the case study to other examples (either for similarity or dissimilarity).

1) How do the interests and ethics of the stakeholder groups differ?
 Think about the different stakeholder groups that took part in the role play… what were
their interests and ethics (e.g. self-interest, altruism, utilitarianism…. etc.. etc…)? This may
have been stated at the session, in the discussions and after vote discussions that you
should have been noting on the day. Or you could INTERVIEW some of your classmates to
learn more about this and gain insights into what they and those in their stakeholder
groups were thinking and what they said they did and why… etc.
 Look at lecture material to give you ideas and to help you identify the interests and ethics
at play. Lectures 2 and 3 are of particular relevance here as lecture 2 provided a model
that you can use to do this, lecture 3 provided lots of information on the different ethical
bases for decision-making. Also see lecture 5 on stakeholders and managing multiple
interests of course and the lecture 8 and FairShares model/approach information
provided.
 Follow up on relevant readings from lectures and the readings lists to inform your
understanding of these issues and stances and to provide scholarly weight to the points
you make. Ensure you reference these correctly.
 Do some additional research to find relevant books and papers so you can really develop
those M-Level scholarly skills and approaches.
 So, the above requires a level of engagement with the lecture material, literature base,
individual thinking and judgement but also, you answer will be aided by some co-opeartive
/ collaborative endeavours such as discussing with your peers.
 (PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE FEW THAT MISSED THE ROLEPLAY
EXERCISE then you can interview your classmates to find out what occurred on the day,
what they decided on / voted on and ask about their views and stances to enable you to
be able to cover this part of the assessment. You can also look at the BlackBoard site, as
outlined at the start of this box of information, to see the role play exercise and voting
outcomes etc. It is your responsibility to catch up on what you missed to enable you to
answer these assessment questions).

2) What ethical justification can you offer for the way you voted on the proposal?
 Think about what you thought and felt and did before, during and after the role play.
Reflect on this.
 What was the basis of your decision and how did you vote? How can you JUSTIFY this
using ethical theory?
 Did you consider voting another way? If not why not? If so, what swayed you and what
was the basis of this switch in your thinking?
 Look at lecture material to give you ideas and to help you identify your interests and
ethics. Lectures 2 and 3 are of particular relevance here but you may wish to draw on
material and models/theories from elsewhere in the curriculum (use your judgement).
Also see the leadership lecture as in here could come notions of authentic and ethical
leadership and the Pless and Maak paper referenced and covered could also help.
 Follow up on relevant readings from lectures and the readings lists to inform your
understanding of these issues and stances and to provide scholarly weight to the points
you make. Ensure you reference these correctly.
 Do some additional research to find relevant books and papers so you can really develop
those M-Level scholarly skills and approaches.
 So, the above requires a level of engagement with the lecture material, literature base,
individual thinking and judgement.
 (PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU WERE ONE OF THE FEW THAT MISSED THE ROLEPLAY
EXERCISE then you will have to imagine you were allocated one of the stakeholder roles
and decide on how you would have voted i.e. to accept the proposal or to reject it and
think of reasons why and then answer the question. This will be more abstract and you
will have missed the discussions and actual experience but you can answer this as an
individual/desk exercise. If you also interview your classmates, as suggested above, this
will go some way to enable a more robust post-role play participation on your part).

3) Based on this experience, critically evaluate the case for green HRM.
 First step may be to outline IF and if so, justify the role that HRM can/should play in the
development and management of such multi-stakeholder enterprises as this case study
one. (OR If you think there is no or little case for HRM taking a role in this, you must argue
appropriately for this.).
 You may well then move onto providing some more detailed discussions to help you do
this by selecting some key green HRM/D areas to discuss with, of course, appropriate
support from literature, theory and examples. MAKE THESE RELEVANT TO THE CASE
ORGANISAITON at all times and avoid general discussions. For example, what kind of
employee relations would suit this organisation and support its ongoing development and
management? …. How can green HRM support recruitment, training and reward etc? ……
What kind of sustainability/ethical leadership would suit here and how can it be supported
by the HRM/D department?..... How can performance and reward support it? Etc… Etc.
 Note that you will not be able to cover all the green HRM/D and related areas here but will
have to choose to focus on a few key areas.
 Again, you will need to look at lecture material to give you ideas and to help you identify
areas for discussion and how to justify the role of HRM. This could come from anywhere
in the curriculum and we are implicitly assessing your choices and judgements here (as
explicitly evidenced in the written material of the essay). For example, what are the
models and theories from lectures that can help here to make the case for HRM before
moving onto the detail of particular areas of HRM/D practice?
 Lecture on leadership regarding leadership approach and development…. Materials on
governance and employee relations from lecture 8…. extra materials on the BlackBaord
site….. Green HRM form lecture 7 ……etc. etc. Again, you must choose what you think can
help you make your case and provide relevant and appropriate examples that relate to the
case and the question and use your judgement.
 Again, follow up on relevant readings from lectures and the readings lists to inform your
understanding of these issues and stances and to provide scholarly weight to the points
you make. Ensure you reference these correctly.
 For this part of the essay, it is wholly relevant and appropriate to draw on relevant
materials and literature from other modules that may cover the areas you are discussing
or about the role of HRM/D and approaches to HRM/D etc.
 Again, you may very well wish to do some additional research to find relevant books and
papers so you can really develop those M-Level scholarly skills and approaches. For
example, if you wish to talk about reward strategy in more detail, you may want to expand
on the materials in the lecture and reading lists

 So, the above requires a level of judgement and choice, engagement with the lecture
material and literature base, individual thinking and argument.