Assessment Submission [for student information]
eSubmission is the approved method for your programme of study. You must hand in your assessed Assignment[s], for all modules that you are taking during the 2021/22 Academic Year using the Canvas system. Submission of a printed copy is NOT allowed. You should submit via the Assignments menu item on the relevant module Canvas site.
Assignments must be submitted by the date and time stipulated. Deadlines will be strictly adhered to. Students submitting late, and who do not have mitigating circumstances approved by the Mitigating Circumstances Panel, will be subject to penalties for late submission specified by the University. Please note that Saturday and Sunday are treated as “working days” for the purposes of the late submission policy.
Report: Social Impact Project
Individual Report –. This assignment contributes to 100% of overall marks for the module. The assignment consists of a structured report, with an overall wordcount of 4000 words maximum.
Working Scenario and Instructions
You are a social entrepreneur who has identified a specific social problem, and you want to create a project that addresses the problem, generate maximum impact, and attract financial support to get your project idea off the ground. Therefore, you need to create a social impact plan and report, that you can show to grant funders, public institutions, social investors, potential partners, or others.
[Notes: the term ‘social’ here implies social and/or environmental changes that would benefit society. Also, please note that you are not being asked to produce a “business plan”. This report would support or complement such plan, but it has different aims].
Your report should have the following structure:
- Cover and Title Page [not subject to word count]. A single separate page with the title of your report. You can be as creative with the title as you want. Add your student number on the title page and wordcount, but DO NOT add your name.
- Executive summary [one page maximum – not subject to word count]. This section should provide a very concise overview of what is contained in your report. [Note: an Executive Summary is to a professional report what an Abstract is to an academic work].
- Table of Contents [not subject to word count]. A page listing the main sections of the report, enumerated [e.g. 1, 1.1] and aligned appropriately [e.g. subsections, indentation] providing their respective page numbers. If a list of figures and/or abbreviations is needed provide it immediately after the contents’ section. Such lists are also not subject to word count.
- Main body – information here should be clearly structured and organised with the use of headings/sub-headings. You are free to decide the specific titles of those but, as a minimum, your report should contain a description of: a] the social problem you wish to address; b] your target groups; c] the type of organisation you are proposing to address the problem; d] your planned activities and outputs; e] your intended results [outcomes and impacts]; f] your impact logic, using an appropriate model to present it; and g] your impact monitoring strategy. Your reasoning and argumentation throughout should be strongly informed and supported by evidence of critical review of practitioner and academic literature. You should make ample use of concepts covered during the module and evidence background research to strengthen your discussion that goes beyond the sources provided by tutor[s].
- References [not subject to word count]. They should be listed in alphabetical and chronological order, formatted according to the University of Hull’s Harvard Referencing Guidelines [available here], and should ideally contain a mixture of: a] textbooks and monographs, b] papers published in peer reviewed journals, c] practitioner sources, d] current literature [e.g. newspapers, journals, trade literature] and/or information available from relevant websites.
- Appendices, if needed [not subject to wordcount, but only suitable for non-essential materials, diagrams, etc].
Learning Outcomes
This assignment assesses the module’s learning outcomes listed below. For a successful completion the assignment should evidence ability to:
| LO1 | Demonstrate critical knowledge of ethical concepts in management and their application to societal challenges. |
| LO2 | Critically evaluate alternative organisational models, formats and responses to sustainability related challenges. |
| LO3 | Evaluate the impact of social, economic, financial, legal and/or environmental issues on organisations through critical adoption of established analytical procedures or frameworks. |
| LO4 | Design and propose organisational strategies and practice-based solutions for positive impact at multiple levels and scales. |
Supporting Resources
You can find a wide range of supporting resources to help you with your writing, referencing, critical thinking, research searches, etc, in the University’s online guides developed by our Skills Team. To access the full set of resources, please check the University’s website: https://www.hull.ac.uk/choose-hull/study-at-hull/library/skills
Some useful guides of particular relevance to this assignment include:
– Referencing your work: Harvard Hull [this is the referencing style you should use for all assignments at Hull University Business School]
– Referencing your work. Please remember that in the Business School students are required to use the Harvard Hull referencing system.
Check also the remaining SkillsGuides for other tailored resources that can be useful for your own needs, as well as the University’s Digital Student resources.
The module Canvas site and reading materials provided throughout the term will also contain additional useful sources and resources to help you with this assignment.
Remember that a good assignment will:
- have a clear structure and presentation, with a good separation of themes through the appropriate use of headings and sub-headings. Your work should be logically constructed, explained and concluded.
- show evidence of clear and original thinking and diligent research. Students should show evidence of wide reading on the subject matter selected and also in-depth understanding through a critical use of secondary research;
- be no more than 4000 words long – the University will normally not mark beyond the stipulated assignment length. You are free to decide how you want to split the wordcount across documents A and B, but you should indicate in each document its wordcount size. Overall wordcount excludes cover pages[s], table of contents, and list of references, as well as charts, graphs or tables.
- demonstrate good word processing and presentational skills;
- Appendices can be used but only for illustrative or non-essential materials – not for main text, as this will not be considered in marking;
not contain any evidence of plagiarism or poor academic practice. See our skills team guide on what is plagiarism and how to avoid it.
