Major Individual Assignment information:

(This additional assignment information should be read in conjunction with

information provided in the unit outline of the unit 11396)

Weighting for the Assignment (20%)

Part A (10%) – Written component

Part B (10%)- Video presentation

Due Date: March 25th, 2023 by 11: 55 pm.

Objective:

The purpose of this major assignment is to be able to evaluate non-financial

performance/sustainability performance quality of one (1) listed firms in Australia and
prepare a report (Part A). Additionally, students are required to prepare and deliver a video
presentation (Part B) based on their report on part A.

Relevant chapters/sections in your textbook:

You will be introduced the relevant topic on week 1 and 6. Please go through the relevant
chapters, lecture slides, video links provided for understanding the topic, and tutorials to
grasp the relevant concept for the chapter. It will provide you a solid confidence to kick off
your assignment ready due time. You need to read relevant articles as well to have a clear
understanding of the financial as well as non-financial performance of firms.

It is highly recommended to start working for the assessment early. I will be very happy to
assist you if you want to consult with me for that. Please see me during my consultation time
or inbox me for a new appointment.

(For the details of other assignment submission related issues and requirements please
see the relevant sections of the unit outline).

General Information: Part A

This is an individual assignment and must be undertaken individually. If you have a
legitimate reason for not submitting an assignment and produce acceptable evidence will be
required to complete a separate assessment item covering the same learning outcomes.

Students will not be able to ask for a deferred deadline on the assignment because their
computer blew up or crashed, or was attacked by a virus etc. You must make multiple
backups of your work in progress. I strongly suggest you email copies of your workings
to yourself. If you are only back it up to a thumb drive that is also destroyed, that is
your bad luck.

Marks will be awarded for your ability to identify and communicate relevant information
through your written response. You will submit the assignment via the assignment drop box
in Canvas.

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Assignment Details
You are required to select one listed firm from Australian Stock Exchange of your choice,
download your chosen firm’s sustainability/annual reports, read, identify, and assess the
creditability of firms’ sustainability information (reliability and quality of sustainability
information), and prepare a written report. The Annual Reports for your selected firm will be
for two years namely 2020 and 2021 so that you can compare the performance change over
time. In assessing the credibility and trustworthiness of sustainability information, students
will need to consider the 11 credibility items (quality of sustainability information) discussed
below.

Quality indicators of sustainability performance

1. Sustainability strategies are aligned with firms’ 6 Ongoing stakeholders’ feedbacks and
business strategy dialogues
2. Performance targets used for sustainability 7. External Independent verification

3. Performance indicators used for sustainability 8.Readability of information

issues 9. Accuracy of information
4. Stakeholders engagement 10. Trends of sustainability information over
time
5. Integrations of sustainability issues with 11. Value and timeliness of data
business units/process or departments

Source: Khan et al (2021) https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AAAJ-01-

2018-3330/full/html

To illustrate, if a firm reported all 11 items, the quality of sustainability reporting score will
be 11/11 or 100%. It means that the firm quality of sustainability quality information is very
high. Alternatively, if another firm scored 5 out of 11, it means the later firm score is 5/11 or
45.45%. Please note that selected firm’s quality of sustainability performance information
will be assessed for two years. You will need to consider how your selected companies are
performing over time. This means not only looking at quality of sustainability at a given
year, but also whether performance has changed over the year.

In writing the report, you need to write your opinion that sustainability performance
information meets the “quality ‘criteria of sustainability information? Or do they involve in
sustainability performance just to impress external stakeholders (show-off/cosmetic/window
dressing efforts of firms), but not adopting whole heartedly (called as authentic effort). In
other words, you need to comment on the quality of the non-financial performance
(sustainability performance of firms) in the light of your findings. Will you feel that
your advice for the investors and other stakeholders will be more strengthen if firms
also improve the credibility of non-financial performance information?

When writing the written report, you should refer relevant literature on sustainability quality
and strengthen your comments. In part B, students are required to prepare and deliver a video
presentation (Part B) based on their report on part A (discussed part B).

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Words limit:

The report should not be more than 800 words excluding tables, references, bibliography,
and appendices (including your excel workbook). Remember that “a picture paints a thousand
words” and you should include charts and other visual aids to assist your client in
understanding the report.

Marking Sheet/rubric for the written component (17%)

 
Unit name  Business Decision Making
Unit number  11009
Student name  
Written component 17%
 
Specific feedback

Quality of report content

 Introduction and background of the report -(What, why & how) /5

 Discussion

 A small review of prior literature on the topic (maximum 300 words) /10

o Company Background /5

o Finding the non-financial (sustainability/ CSR performance) of firms /10

o Calculating the quality of non-financial (sustainability/CSR /20

performance) of firms
o Correctness of sustainability quality calculation /5

 Conclusion with decisions /15

 Comments on nature of sustainability reporting (show-off or authentic) /5

Report presentation and referencing

 Table of Contents /5

 Grammar, Spelling & Syntax /5

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  Referencing in paper /5

 Reference list /5

 Graphs & Format /5

TOTAL mark: /100

Late penalty (for any violations of assignments submission requirements)
TOTAL ASSIGNMENT MARK FOR WRITTEN PART (out of 10) /10

Part 2 (Individual video Presentation-Weighting 10%)

In this part, you are required to prepare a video presentation based on your written report
completed in the Part 1. The video is to be 6-7 minutes duration and will be submitted
together with your written report (within the row given in the cover page attached in this
document, see page number). This preparation of this video provides you with the
opportunity to present the main points in your written report. It will also assist you in
developing your communication and presentation skills. You may also show your video to
potential employers in future demonstrating presentation skills and the capacity to
work in a team. You must appear in the video during entire duration. Using voice over
narration or merely read from PowerPoint slides or notes shall receive minimal marks on the
criterion for presentation style. To ensure innovation and creativity in the video presentations,
in all cases, creativity, and innovations in making video and presenting the theme will be
evaluated.

Your video presentation (weighting 10%) will be assessed based on your capacity to present
contents in depth, eye contact, clarity, creativity, and innovations to engage audiences,
fluency, and professionalism (See rubric below for further details).

Following are some links to different types of technologies that you may use for your video:

1. Voice thread - http://voicethread.com/ 

2. YouTube - http://www.ehow.com/how_2092184_use-youtubecom.html.

You are free to use any other source to create your video provided the assessor can view your
presentation.

Place of filming

You have full flexibility in producing the video [subject to the caveats in the comment
attached to the heading]. As such you can prepare and film the video at any time and places
which are convenient to you. If you wish to film your video using the presentation room

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facilities available in the UC library, please make a booking and talk with members of the
Access Services Team at the library service desk. You can use camera drones’ technology
(not compulsory at all) in filming the presentations and adding some background information
(It depends on to what extent, you want to make innovative and attractive).

Submission of video presentation link

You are required to submit (paste) a link to your video presentation on the cover sheet
of your written report. Without the link, your lecturer/ tutor will be unable to grade your
video presentation and the mark for the presentation will be withheld. Please review the video
to confirm that it plays properly before submitting the video link. Please make sure video link
is in the public mode, otherwise, we will not able to watch your video presentation. You are
permitted a 10% variation in the length of the video. Too short or too excess of video
presentation duration are not encouraged at all and may attract some penalty.

Hints for Video presentation:

You should read relevant chapters of your text and journal articles, as well as your written
report so that you understand the key issues in your assignment. In your video presentation,
you should depict the main issues in your written report. It is important to rehearse
adequately by you before recording video. You should remember also that eye contact, body
language is extremely important in enhancing the credibility of presentations and engaging
the audiences. Just merely reading the slides will not result in securing best grade for this
part. A useful link on how to make presentations is at:
https://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/presentationskills.htm

Rubric for Video Presentation:

25- 28
Marking 0-24 marks 19-32 33-35 36-40
marks Marks
criteria marks marks marks
Overall Poor Satisfacto Good Very good Excellent
structure structure of ry structure. structure structure of
and flow of the structure. the
the video presentation presentatio
presentatio . n.
n
Lack of Limited Sound Clear Very clear
(10 Marks) logical flow logical logical logical logical
from one flow from flow from flow from flow
part to one part one part of one part of throughout
another in of the the the the
the presentati presentatio presentatio presentatio
presentation on to n to n to n
another. another. another.

Language, Mistakes of Adequate Language Very Excellent

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 25- 28
Marking 0-24 marks 19-32 33-35 36-40
marks Marks
criteria marks marks marks
Communic language, audience use, is of professiona
professiona
ation poor engageme more than l lism
ability, professional nt acceptable presentatio
(appropriat
clarity and ism Standard n ely
engagemen (inappropria (appropriat
grooming,
t including te ely outstandin
creativity grooming, groomed, g
and use of not relating confident confidence
innovative to the and very and
style camera, fluent). fluency),
poor spoken Very good language
(30 Marks) communicat use of skills and
ion). language communic
and ation that
communic fully
ation and engages
use of the
examples audience
to engage with
the creative
audience. and
innovative
examples.
Inadequate Limited Good use Very good Excellent
audience creativity of eye contact eye contact
engagement or communic and and
and innovatio ation, with presentatio professiona
creativity, n.1 some n is given lly
eye contact; examples in a delivered
lack of to engage professiona with
clarity and the l manner eloquent
fluency in audience. (e.g., well- voices, and
the expressed body
presentation Language Good eye voices as language,
; disruptive use is contact; well as excellent
body satisfactor the video amicable language
language y. Eye has a body clarity and
contact, professiona language) fluency.
body l and very
language, presentatio good
clarity n (e.g., fluency.
and good use
fluency of of voice
the video and body
are language).
acceptabl clear use of
1
Creativity and innovation may include use of examples emphasising your points.

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 25- 28
Marking 0-24 marks 19-32 33-35 36-40
marks Marks
criteria marks marks marks
e. language
and good
fluency.

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 Marking 0-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 55-60
Marks
criteria marks marks marks marks marks
Depth of Key issues Key issues Good Very good Excellent
coverage, in the (e.g., explanatio coverage insights
discussion report aims, n of most and into key
and (e.g., aims, research of the key explanatio issues
analysis research method, issues in n of almost exceeding
method, literature, the report. all of the the
(60 Marks) literature, key key issues standards
key findings in the required.
findings) and report Explanatio
are not implication (e.g., aims, n of key
addressed s) research issues
adequately. identified method, integrated
but not literature, with
explained key literature
very findings and use of
clearly. and useful
implication additional
s). informatio
n to
explain the
points.

Overall Poor Satisfactor Good Very Good Excellent /10

Score y
Out of 100
It is The overall The overall The overall The overall
Converted evident submission submission submission submission
to: 100 that there is is good. is very is
Marks is little or acceptable. There are good. excellent.
no effort There are some There are There are
that has improveme improveme minor no further
been put nts that nts that improveme improveme
into the could be could nts that nts that can
assessment done improve could be be done.
task. overall to the scope done
improve and overall.
the quality quality.
of the
assessment
task.

An An Good Well done. Very well

unacceptab acceptable work. done.
le effort. effort.

Overall
comments

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 and
suggestions
for future
improveme
nt

Points to remember when submitting your assignment.

 You must submit your assignment online (Canvas) uploading with one-word
document only (NO PDF DOCUMENT IS ALLOWED).
 You will upload assignment duly before deadline.
 You must insert marking rubric in the submitted assignment document (Ideally placed
at the end of the document).
 Your ID, name along with your signature must be given in the cover sheet of
assignment.
 Video link must be pasted in the box provided in cover sheet.

Sample cover sheet

Assignment Coversheet

 
Students’ ID numbers  
Students Name
Unit name  
Unit number  
Names of the tutor
Assignment name
Due date  

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 Tutorial Time and Day
Date of submission
 
You must keep a photocopy or electronic copy of your assignment.
 
Students’ declaration

We certify that the attached assignment is our own work. Material drawn from other sources
has been appropriately and fully acknowledged as to author/creator, source and other
bibliographic details.

We give permission for my assignment to be copied, submitted and retained for the electronic
checking of plagiarism.

Paste Video Presentation URL here:

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