You are required to write a 3,000-word structured essay (±10%) that answers the question:
“What is Responsible Enterprise? And why do responsible organisations respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?”
Your essay should apply relevant academic theories, frameworks, and real-world examples, with a specific focus on SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy within the energy industry.
1. Introduction & Background (10%)
- Introduce sustainable development using WCED (1987).
- Introduce the UNSDGs, focusing on SDG 7.
- Briefly define the energy industry’s role in sustainable development.
- Use the three pillars of sustainability (Social, Economic, Environmental) to highlight the key challenges of SDG 7.
2. Impact of Business in Society (20%)
- Apply Alter’s Spectrum of Responsible Enterprise and Ethical Capital.
- Compare one traditional for-profit energy company (e.g. Shell, BP) with one more responsible/socially engaged business (e.g. IKEA, Ørsted).
- Discuss their moral positions, ethical approaches, and how they impact society and the planet.
3. Defining Responsible Enterprise (30%)
- Define “responsible enterprise” using Freeman (2017), Laasch & Conaway (2015), etc.
- Compare and critique two of the following concepts:
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Circular Economy (CE)
- Shared Value
- Corporate Citizenship
- Support with academic theory and real-world case studies linked to SDG 7.
4. Role of Government, NGOs, and/or Consumers (20%)
- Choose two actors (e.g., government + NGO or consumer).
- Use theories like Murphy & Bendell (1991), Van Tulder & Van der Zwart (2006).
- Show how these actors can facilitate or inhibit responsible enterprise in the energy sector (with reference to SDG 7).
5. Conclusion (10%)
- Synthesize your findings to define what responsible enterprise truly means.
- Highlight why businesses respond to SDGs and the implications for future action.
Style (5%) - Clear academic writing.
- CIte Them Right Harvard 12th edition referencing style.
- Use of citations from peer-reviewed journals, books, company reports, and case studies.
? Recommended Core Readings & References:
- Blowfield, M. (2013). Business and sustainability. Oxford University Press.
- Freeman, R.E. (2017). “The New Story of Business.” Business and Society Review, 122(3), pp. 449-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12123
- Laasch, O., & Conaway, R.N. (2015). Principles of Responsible Management. Cengage Learning.
- Lacy, P., & Rutqvist, J. (2015). Waste to Wealth: The Circular Economy Advantage. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Bull, M., Ridley-Duff, R., Foster, D. & Seanor, P. (2010). “Conceptualising Ethical Capital.” Social Enterprise Journal, 6(3), pp. 250–264. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508611011088832
- Porter, M.E., & Kramer, M.R. (2011). “Creating Shared Value.” Harvard Business Review.
? Useful Online Links:
- SDG 7 official UN goal:
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal7 - IKEA’s social impact (solar light):
https://www.ikeafoundation.org/what-we-do/emergency-relief/ - Alter’s Spectrum Summary:
https://www.socialenterprisebsr.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/alter_spectrum_of_social_enterprise_types-2.pdf - Circular Economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation):
https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org - IEA Energy Access Statistics:
https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections