Preparing for a Professional Career: Sustainability, CPD Plan Report

This report delves into the intricacies of a professional career, focusing on sustainability within corporate organizations. It examines the challenges companies face in maintaining sustainability, especially in competitive markets like retail, and explores the impact of sustainability issues on product development and risk-taking. The report analyzes various codes of conduct, including ethical practices, product quality, and customer relationship management, and highlights the support and guidance provided by professional bodies like CMI. Furthermore, it outlines a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) plan, identifying skills such as research, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication, and detailing how these skills can be developed to enhance professional capabilities. The report concludes by summarizing the key aspects of sustainability and its implications, emphasizing the importance of adhering to codes of conduct and adapting to customer and market requirements.

Preparing for a Professional
Career

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 3
Part A 3
Sustainability 3
Code of conduct in dealing with sustainability issue 4
Support and guidance from professional body 5
Conclusion 5
Part B 6
CPD Plan 6
CONCLUSION 8
REFERENCES 9

INTRODUCTION
Professional career is defined as acquiring specific skill or ability to meet some
specific requirements in the corporate organisation. This report emphasis on issues and
challenge face by corporate houses in operating functions for sustainability. Different codes
of conducts will also analyse in dealing with such an issue. Associated professional body will
also be address related to the sustainability of the corporate organisation. Furthermore, report
will also address CPD Plan.
Part A
Sustainability
Sustainability is defined as the continuous process of catering company’s product and
services to its target customers in the (Beiragh and et.al., 2020). Company make different
product development strategies in order to sustain in market. Retail market is among the
competitive market sector as the sector consists up with effective growth. Even after being
the established brand in retail sector organisations face plenty of competition from other
multinational brands like ASDA Company and other corporate and also from small outlets
and shops at the street. Due to such a huge competition sustainability has always been a huge
challenge for the management of the organisation. In order to frame policies companies also
consider the growth potential of company. Policies that delivers competitive advantages in
market also developed by company. For example Asda Company channelizes different
employment development activities such as training of employees that do not associated with
sustainability of business.
Sustainability issue affect companies
Sustainability issues have affected companies operating in different sectors associated
with business environment. Due to sustainability pressure companies most of the times feels
uncomfortable to take risk related to product development. Risk taking is among the major
aspects that expands the growth potentials of company. Due to sustainability issues
companies feel resist taking risk which also opposes in innovating new products. Many times
due to sustainability pressure companies bears losses by not raising the prices in fear of
loosing customers. This also causes to further losses for companies. Business environment is
uncertain in nature. Due to uncertainty many times companies needs to make unnecessary
changes which also not cope up with the organisation structure just to keep up with the

trends. This is also another issues companies face due to sustainability issue (Bejinariu,
Buchmüller and Just, 2016). I order to sustain in market many times small companies follow
the low cost strategies to deal with the competition that also resulted for such companies in
term of low profitability. For example Asda Company operates its business at more than 5000
locations across the globe. Due sustainability issue company could not expand its business at
more number of locations as compare to other competitors like Marks and Spencer Company
who owns business at more than 14000 locations.
Code of conduct in dealing with sustainability issue
Codes and conduct suggest about the following aspects that enable company to deal
with sustainability issue. Different code of conducts are also issued by government such as
CIPD, ABTA and other code of conducts in regards to the sustainability of the companies in
market.
Ethical practices: Code of conduct suggests that corporate houses must follow the ethical
practices to operate functional activities of business (Kalender and Vayvay, 2016). Ethical
practice swill support company in improving its brand image even in the competitive
environment. This will directly improve the trust of customers towards the corporate
organisation. For example Asda Company follow the practice where consumer can any time
visit the work place to see and analyse how operations of company are conducted and
manage.
Improve product quality: Product quality play a huge role in improving company’s sales
potential. By improving the quality of products company management can cope up with the
expectations of the potential buyers that will also support organisation in dealing with
sustainability issue. Government has issues code of conducts like MRC Code of conducts
over product quality assurance. For example all products of Asda Company measures at the
standard issued by government to check the quality. This has also improved the loyalty for
customers towards buying company’s products.
Customer relationship management: Customer relationship management play huge role in
improving brand presence in front the target customers of organisations. This is an
application tool that supports company in connecting with all its potential buyers

(Kouloukoui and et.al., 2019). Relationship management is an important tool suggest under
professional code of conduct to improve the sustainability and growth potential of the
corporate organisation. In operations of companies like Asda, Marks and Spencer and other
big companies marketing team also maintain the system call customer relationship
management which records all problems of customers. This allows company to give focus to
all issues of consumer and also to solve such issues.
All the above factors has suggested by professional code of conducts in respect to
improving company’s sustainability potential in the market.
Support and guidance from professional body
As per the professional body on sustainability issue following aspects can be covered
in order to sustain the corporate organisation even in such a competitive business
environment. CMI is associated with the sustainability of businesses in United Kingdom. It
has summarised that organisation must ensure the proper quality in order to sustain in the
market. Product quality plays an effective role for the company to improve its sustainability
and growth potential in market. CMI has also specified that company also must conduct
regular research related to product development in order to cope up with the current trend and
requirements of customers in market. Sustainability of company is also linked up with its
growth strategies. As the effective growth strategies leads company towards effective
sustainable environment. The codes and conducts issued under CMI allow company to taste
the quality of products with the support of recommend standard mark to ensure proper quality
of products.
Conclusion
This report has summarised the precise information in respect to sustainability of the
business organization in market. In order to sustain in market company needs to follow the
code of conducts issues by CIPD and other professional bodies. CMI has also reflected that in
order to contain sustainability in the associate market company must cope up with the current
requirements of customers and market. Company must cope up with the quality standards to
sustain in market. Product development also plays an effective role for the company to
sustain in market.

Part B
CPD Plan
With the support of the above research i have identified many aspects related to the
sustainability of corporate organisations. I could analyse about different factors that directly influence
the sustainability of the company in target market. Due to huge competition sustainability and growth
has been the huge challenge corporate organisation face. I also identify the ways that supports
corporate houses in dealing with sustainability issue in the target market even in such a huge
competitive environment. I also identified about following skills that needs to be developed in order
to implement more productive research in future. Such skills are research skill, decision making skill,
problem solving skill and communication skill.
CPD Plan
Area of learning Reflection of
learning
Future implication Action
Research skill Research skill was
among the major
skill utilised in
addressing different
aspects related to
sustainability issue.
Research skill
enabled me in
collecting productive
information such as
tools and factors that
impact on the
sustainability of
corporate
organisation.
With the support of
research skill I could
make the research
Research skill is the
primary skill required
to collect information
and doing any kind
of project.
Research skill will
support me in future
related to completing
any task or project.
Research skill will
improve the
efficiency of all my
projects in future and
will make them more
informative for
readers.
Research skill will
also improve my
I will take
professional
guidance from
experts and
professionals who are
engaged in research
to improve research
skills in future.
I will set objectives
with SMART
Objectives tool to
conduct the
activities.

more useful for all
the readers as it
consisted with all the
relevant information
in respect to the
specific issue
corporate houses
face.
knowledge and
capabilities for
operating functions
in future.
Decision making
skill
I also learnt the
decision making skill
from the above
research.
I have learnt the
implications of
decision making skill
in any professional
task.
Decision making
skill will improve the
efficiency as a
professional.
Decision making
skill will support in
making all my future
decision more
efficiently.
I will attend seminars
to improve decision
making skills in
future.
Problem solving skill I have learnt problem
solving skill from the
above project.
I have learnt all the
factors associated
with the problem
solving skill.
Problem solving skill
will support me in all
my operations and
task in future.
Problem solving skill
will also improve my
analytical skill that
will support me in
making profitable
decision in future
(Zimek and
Baumgartner, 2017).
I will take support
from digital mediums
in order to improve
problem solving
skill.
Communication skill I also learnt the Communication skill I will take a support

communication skill
in this project.
will support me in
interacting with any
individual in future.
Communication skill
will also drive in
developing good
professional
relationship in future.
of experts
professional in order
to develop effective
communication skill.
SMART Objectives
Specific: All the above skills are specific in nature. All such skills will improve my
personality.
Measurable: The development in the skills can be measured with the support of others.
Achievable: All skills can be achieved with potential efforts.
Realistic: Objectives are realistic as the skills can improved with the supports of experts and
intellectual peoples.
Targetable: Such skills will target the negative aspects of my personality.
CONCLUSION
This report has presented different aspects of sustainability and its implication for the
corporate houses. Different factors ad code of conduct to deal with sustainability has been
discussed in this report. CPD has also drafted to improve skills like decision making skill,
problem solving skill, communication skill and other skills to improve the personality.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Beiragh, R. G and et.al., 2020. An integrated multi-criteria decision making model for
sustainability performance assessment for insurance
companies. Sustainability. 12(3). p.789.
Bejinariu, R. M., Buchmüller, M. and Just, V., 2016. Research on key factors impacting
process sustainability global companies. In BASIQ International Conference: New
Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption-2016.
Kalender, Z. T. and Vayvay, Ö., 2016. The fifth pillar of the balanced scorecard:
sustainability. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 235. pp.76-83.
Kouloukoui, D and et.al., 2019. Factors influencing the level of environmental disclosures in
sustainability reports: Case of climate risk disclosure by Brazilian
companies. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 26(4).
pp.791-804.
Myllyviita, T., Antikainen, R. and Leskinen, P., 2017. Sustainability assessment tools–their
comprehensiveness and utilisation in company-level sustainability assessments in
Finland. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology. 24(3).
pp.236-247.
Ramos, A. R and et.al., 2018. A lean and cleaner production benchmarking method for
sustainability assessment: A study of manufacturing companies in Brazil. Journal of
Cleaner Production. 177. pp.218-231.
Zimek, M. and Baumgartner, R., 2017, October. Corporate sustainability activities and
sustainability performance of first and second order. In 18th European Roundtable
on Sustainable Consumption and Production Conference (ERSCP 2017), Skiathos
Island, Greece (pp. 1-5).