Course Title: Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2020
Course Code: MKTG7881
Course Title: Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations
School: 650T Vocational Business Education
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6155 - Advanced Diploma of Marketing and Communication
Course Contact: Felicity Burns
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99255486
Course Contact Email: felicity.burns@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Marion Camilleri
marion.camilleri@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 60
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This unit describesthe performanceoutcomes,skillsandknowledgerequiredtoapplycorporate, social responsibility(CSR) topublic relations(PR)policy,i.e.planningfor andcommunicatingthe establishmentand maintenanceof resourceefficientandenvironmentallysustainablework practices.Itincludesdevelopingandimplementingpoliciesand procedurestocontinuouslysupport positiveorganisationalinitiativesthroughitsactivities on theenvironment,consumers,employees, communities,stakeholdersand allimpactedmembersof thepublic sphere
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VU21661 Apply corporate social responsibility to public relations |
Element: |
Apply the policy |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Implement strategies for continuous improvement in resource efficiency and business ethics to PR activity. 3.2 Establish and assign record systems for tracking continuous improvements in CSR approaches. |
Element: |
Evaluate CSR policy |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Document outcomes and provide feedback to key PR personnel and stakeholders.4.2 Analyse CSR policy and document successful aspects and possible improvements.4.3 Monitor records to identify trends that may require remedial action and use records to promote continuous improvement of performance.4.4 Modify policies and procedures to ensure improvements are made. |
Element: |
Explore how CSR applies to workplace PR strategies |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Identify opportunities to apply CSR policy to appropriate PR strategies. 1.2 Identify and consult stakeholders as a key component of policy development process. 1.3 Incorporate strategies for minimising resource use, reductions in toxic material and hazardous chemical use, and employment of lifecycle management approaches at all stages of work.1.4 Develop a policy that reflects the organisation's commitment to CSR as an integral part of PR business planning and as a business opportunity.1.5 Agree on appropriate methods of implementation |
Element: |
Make recommendations on CSR application to PR policy |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Make recommendations for policy options based on likely effectiveness, triple bottom line, timeframes and cost.2.2 Promote the CSR policy and its expected outcome to key PR stakeholders. |
Learning Outcomes
You will learn how to support processes and techniques necessary to develop approaches to CSR within organisations or a large enterprise.
Details of Learning Activities
It includes developing and implementing policies and procedures to continuously support positive organisational initiatives through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all impacted members of the public sphere.
The course is delivered 'face to face' during weekly lecture/tutorial sessions, however you are expected to do some research and writing outside of class time.
Teaching Schedule
This course is co delivered and co assessed with BUSM7938C Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability. The nominal hours associated with this are a guide only and represent the total teaching time and student effort required to successfully complete this course. This may include not only scheduled classes but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Apply Corporate Social Responsibility to Public Relations and Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability | ||
Week Commencing |
Topic |
Assessment |
Week 1 10 Feb. 2020
|
Introduction to course/ Course Induction |
|
Week 2 17 Feb. 2020 |
Apply CSR policy to PR strategies |
|
Week 3 24 Feb. 2020 |
CSR & Ethics |
|
Week 4 2 March 2020 |
CSR & Sustainability- Adopting a positive view of a sustainable future |
Assessment Task 1 Due - ASCR investigations (CANVAS Upload) Sunday, 11:59 PM |
Week 5 9 March 2020 |
Assessment 1 - in class Presentations |
Assessment Task 1: Presentation - Compulsory attendance |
Week 6 16 March 2020 |
Assessment 1 - in class Presentations |
Assessment 1: Presentation - Compulsory attendance |
Week 7 23 March 2020 |
Environmental Sustainability |
|
Week 8 30 March 2020 |
Methods of implementation |
|
Week 9 6 April 2020 |
Mid Semester Break 9-15 April |
|
Week 9 (Thursday 16/4/20) |
Recommendations & Promotion of Sustainability & CSR to stakeholders |
|
Week 10 20 April 2020 |
Delegating responsibilities |
|
Week 11 27 April 2020 |
Implementation of Policy |
|
Week 12 4 May 2020 |
Modification of policy |
Assessment Task 2 Due: ACSR Report |
Week 13 11 May 2020 |
Continuous improvement and Modification of policy |
|
Week 14 18 May 2020 |
Assessment Task 3 writing workshop |
|
Week 15 25 May 2020 |
Assessment Three feedback |
Assessment 3 Due: Modify CSR Policy / Procedure Online submission Sunday, @ 11:59 PM |
Week 16 1 June 2020 |
Student reviews |
|
Week 17 8 June 2020 |
Re-submissions (if required) |
|
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
All resources will be available in CANVAS.
Overview of Assessment
In order to achieve competency in this unit, you must provide:
Performance Evidence
Evidence of the ability to:
Skills Evidence
effective management of different points of view and dissenting stakeholders
• flexible communication skills to:
o enable clear and direct communication, using questioning to identify and confirm requirements, share information, listen and understand
o read and interpret complex and formal documents, such as policy and legislation
o suit different audiences and support information flow between various internal and external stakeholders, using language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences
o use and interpret non-verbal communication
• written skills to prepare written reports requiring:
o precision of expression
o language and structures suited to the intended audience
• innovation and problem solving skills to:
o analyse problems
o apply knowledge about policy to devise policies and procedures around impact upon the environment, consumer practices, employee behaviour, energy usage and resource efficiency and new technologies
o identify improvements and customer service
• research, analyse and present information and techniques
• team work for consultation and validation of policies and procedures
• technology skills for use of software systems, communication, and creating documents and reports.
Knowledge Evidence
the business case for CSR and how it applies to PR practices
• benchmarking against best practice approaches and support for new approaches
• best practice approaches relevant to industry and work area
• environmental or sustainability legislation, regulations, compliance and codes of practice applicable to industry and organisation
• policy development processes and practices and other relevant organisational policies, procedures and protocols
• principles, practices and available products, tools, technology and techniques of sustainability management relevant to the particular industry context
• quality assurance systems relevant to own organisation
• relevant products, technology, systems and procedures to aid in the achievement of an effective
CSR policy in the workplace
• sustainability and triple bottom line principles and concepts
• terms and conditions of employment, including:
• equity and diversity principles
• WHS implications of policy being developed
• policies and procedures
Assessment Tasks
This course is co delivered and co assessed with BUSM7938C Develop workplace policy and procedures for sustainability
Assessment Instructions Overview You must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of competency to be deemed competent. A range of assessment methods are used to assess practical skills and knowledge. There are 3 assessment tasks in this unit. You must successfully complete the two assessments to be deemed competent in this unit. Evidence of the following is essential: - Candidate’s involvement as a key person in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating CSR and Sustainability policies - That the policies apply to workplace PR strategies - Implementation strategy, as part of the policy, has been devised, implemented and reviewed showing a measurable improvement - Communicate with stakeholders to discuss possible approaches to policy development and implementation - Review and improve policies by identifying improvements and bench marking against industry best practice by attempting new approaches continuously over time. Assessment 1 – Case Study Presentation Date handed out: Week 1 Date and time due: Online submission (Week 4) In class presentation due - Week 5 & Week 6 Group or Individual: Group – Maximum of Three people Purpose: This assessment has been designed to allow you to research and investigate Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Concepts. You will also investigate CSR relationship to Public Relations based on an assigned article. This assessment has been designed to:· Allow students to investigate CSR relationship to Public Relations, based on research and an assigned article.
· Explain policy development processes and practices of CSR and Sustainability
· Outline organisational systems and procedures that relate to CSR and Sustainability
There are 3 assessment tasks in this unit. You must successfully complete both assessments to be deemed competent in this unit.
Requirements:You are to research Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Concepts and read assigned article referring to Marking Guide for details on specific elements required and present your findings to the audience.
Note: The article does not cover all requirements. Your work will need to be supplemented by research (using library resources and the internet) to respond to all Marking Guide requirements, as the assigned article does not cover all required elements.
Produce a 7 to 10-minute presentation (e.g. PowerPoint).
Your presentation should cover all components of Observation Checklist, including the key aspects of your article.
Rehearse your presentation with your peer before the presentation day. Submission Requirements:Group to submit to Canvas a combined file of the following (note: email submissions not accepted):
- Assessment Cover sheet
- Presentation file
- Speaker’s notes
Suggested structure and guides will be prepared and discussed extensively during classes. Refer to Marking Guide for details on specific elements required and on how this assessment will be graded.
Assessment 2 – Group Research Project (Written Report) Date and time due: Week 14 Group or Individual: Group – maximum THREE in group Purpose: You must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of competency to be deemed competent.Evidence of the following is essential:
- Candidate’s involvement as a key person in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating CSR policies and that the developed policies apply to workplace PR strategies
- Implementation strategy, as part of the policy, that has been devised, implemented and reviewed showing a measurable improvement.
- Communicating with stakeholders to discuss possible approaches to policy development and implementation
- Reviewing and improving policies by identifying improvements and benchmarking against industry best practice and attempting new approaches continuously over time.
- Ensure all points in Observation Checklist are covered in your project
- Research an Australian organisation that incorporates “Corporate Social Responsibility” & Sustainability in its strategies.
- Describe their CSR & Sustainability policies and discuss. Analyse its activities and how those activities are reflecting on their performance.
- How do the activities align with the overall organisational strategies?
This is a ‘paired’ or ‘individual’ assessment task
Summary and Purpose of Assessment
This assessment has been designed to:
- Allow you to investigate CSR relationship to Public Relations, based on research
- Explain policy development processes and practices of CSR and Sustainability
- Outline organisational systems and procedures that relate to CSR and Sustainability
You are to investigate a business enterprise and provide a detailed report on the business’ application of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy (i.e. planning and communicating the establishment and maintenance of resource efficient and environmentally sustainable work practices. These include developing and implementing policies and procedures to continuously support positive organisational initiatives through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all impacted members of the public sphere.).
The ‘CSR Report’ is to be written in a ‘business’ format (executive summary, table of contents, summary/conclusion, referenced, bibliography). Word count apx. 3,000 words, excluding charts, graphs and bibliography).
The ‘CSR Report’ is in the context of public relations, and the content should cover the following as a minimum:
- Explore, identify and describe the application of CSR policy across a business enterprise, and include the PR strategies applied to them
- Identify and describe the key stakeholders as a key component of policy development process, including different points of view from dissenting stakeholders
- Describe the business strategies for minimising resource use at all stages of work
- Analyse CSR policy and discuss the intended outcomes, strategies for continuous improvement, and feedback to key PR personnel and stakeholders
- Describe the methods of implementation of the CSR strategy, and document the actual outcomes
- Include relevant information relating to environmental or sustainability legislation, regulations, compliance, codes of practice and quality assurance systems applicable to industry of organisation
- Analyse, list and describe records that identity trends in the CSR that may require remedial action and use records to promote continuous improvement in the workplace
- Make a recommendation for continuous improvement in resource efficiency and business ethics to PR activity, including a policy and procedure
- Suggest future policy options based on likely effectiveness, triple bottom line, and if possible, include timeframes and cost. Include WHS implications of the policy being considered.
- List your resources and sources of information (multiple sources are required)
Where
You will be allocated class time to undertake this exploration task and prepare the report. You are expected to utilise time outside of class time to support this task requirement.
How
You will be assessed against the criteria as listed in the checklist in Section B of this task and how well you answer the questions asked by your assessor.
You will be assessed as satisfactory, not satisfactory, or DNS (did not submit) / Not Observed
To achieve a satisfactory result, students will need to address all criteria satisfactorily.
Each student is required to upload a copy of this task onto CANVAS by the due date.
Students must ensure they have an appropriate cover sheet that includes the following information:
- Student name, number
- Date of submission
- Assessment task number and title
- Course name
- Equity of contribution statement, detailing all major tasks completed by each contributor
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix that maps all the assessment is available on CANVAS. Submission Requirements You should:
- Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date.
- Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks.
- When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to use the Assessment task document that includes a declaration and statement of authorship.
- Each page of your assessment should include footer with your name, student number, the title of the assessment, unit code and title and page numbers.
Other Information
Late Submission Procedures You are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates. If you are prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside your control, you may apply in advance to your teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days. More Information: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/extensions-of-time-for-submission-of-assessable-work Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, you must apply for Special Consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination. More Information: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/special-consideration Resubmissions: If you are found to be unsuccessful in a particular Course Assessment Task (or you do not submit/attend) you will be allowed one resubmission. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. If you are still not meeting the assessment requirements you must apply to your Program Manager in writing outlining the steps you will take to demonstrate competence in your course. Your submission will be considered by the Program Team and you will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible. Grading & re-submissions Successful re-submissions will contribute a CAG only (Competency Achieved Grading) result to your overall grade for the course. Adjustments to Assessment In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. For more information about the circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted please access the following website: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment/adjustments-to-assessment Marking Guide (Competency): You must demonstrate that you have all the required skills/knowledge/elements in the unit of competency you are studying. You will receive feedback on each assessment task that will inform you about your progress and how well you are performing. Marking Guide (Grading) After achieving competency we then grade your performance in the unit and you will achieve one of the following grades: Final Grades table: CAG Competency Achieved NYC Not Yet Competent DNS Did Not Submit for assessment Further information regarding the application of the grading criteria will be provided by your teacher.
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