Innovation For Business

Instructions
1. Insert your name and surname in the space provided above, as well as in the file name. Save the file as: First name Surname M4 Activity Submission – e.g. Lilly Smith M4 Activity Submission. NB: Please ensure that you use the name that appears in your student profile on the Online Campus.
2. Write all your answers in this document. There is an instruction that says, “Start writing here” under each question. Please type your answer there.
3. Submit your assignment in Microsoft Word only. No other file types will be accepted.
4. Do not delete the assignment instructions and guidelines. They must remain in your assignment when you submit.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please ensure that you have checked the Online Campus for the due date for this assignment.
Guidelines
1. The questions for all three activity submissions (module 4, 5 and 6) are contained in this template. You are required to work in the same document throughout these modules, so be sure to save the document where you can access it again next week. Each module’s assignment is graded as a stand-alone assignment.
2. Make sure that you have carefully read the selected case study and fully understood the questions before answering them. Answer the questions fully but concisely and as directly as possible. Follow all specific instructions for individual questions (e. g. “list”, “in point form”).
3. Answer all questions in your own words. Do not copy any text from the notes, readings or other sources without referencing. The assignment must be your own work only, but you are still expected to reference relevant theory and module material.
4. Make use of number referencing and a reference list, as outlined in the Research and Referencing resource in the Orientation Module.
PLEASE NOTE: Plagiarism cases will be penalised according to the tutor team’s discretion. Please familiarise yourself with the Academic Integrity resource in the Honour Code and the Research and referencing resource in the Orientation Module.
2. Mark allocation
Your assignment will be assessed with a rubric, which you are encouraged to download from the Online Campus and review before starting this activity submission.
Note:
As outlined in the Research and referencing resource in the Orientation Module, your reference list does not count towards your word limit. However, any in-text citations count toward the word limit. Endnotes may be used should the in-text citations take up too much of your word count.
3. Question
For your activity submissions in Modules 4 to 6, you will make use of one of the fictitious case studies mentioned below. Tick the box of the case study you are using for your activity submissions in Modules 4 to 6. Use the same case study for all three modules.
Business Workwear Fashion (BWF)
Pure Coffee
Viziune Clara
Extractis
Elite Global Hotel Group (EGHG)
Xobie Games
Note:
For your chosen case study, you are advised to do industry-specific research for further information and not research the company itself.

Module 4 Activity Submission
Learning outcomes:
LO5: Analyse the tension between global strategies to reduce consumption and responding to the aspirations of a growing middle class in developing and emerging economies.
LO6: Justify the importance of integrating sustainability across an organisation’s value chain to ensure long term value creation.
Produce a briefing for the CEO of the company in your case study. This briefing should highlight how the company could become more competitive and resilient to external risks (those associated with the systems, pressures, and trends in the industry of the case study you have picked) by systematically addressing unsustainable consumption and production practices relevant to the company and its sector. Address the tension between the company’s desire to expand its markets (that is, its growth and profit), and the need to reduce unsustainable global consumption (specifically, the consumption of the company’s clients and customers).
In your briefing, ensure that you highlight two risks for the company at different points along its value chain (as opposed to just the internal risks), and two corresponding commercial opportunities and other stakeholder benefits that could be captured in the short and long term from addressing these risks. You are encouraged to review the marking rubric to understand how your submission will be assessed.
Some suggested subsections for the briefing are:
“Introduction” (state the need to act);
“Risks along the value chain” (and recommendations for adjustments);
“Opportunities and stakeholder benefits” (achieved by addressing the risks along the value chain); and
“Conclusion” (address the tension between profit and expansion, and reducing unsustainable consumption and production).
Word limit: 400 words
Tip: Refer to the rubric to get a sense of what to focus on.
Introduction
The need for Pure Coffee to achieve and maintain substantial competitiveness and resilience to external risks is inevitable given the high level of competition witnessed in the sector and market it operates. There is a great need for the company to embrace various strategic approaches to militate against the various risks it may face in its business and seize any identifiable opportunities. It is also important for the business to balance its market expansion endeavors with the reduction of unsustainable global consumption. It is, therefore, critical for Pure Coffee to adopt a more strategic approach to its business if it intends to succeed and achieve its primary goals and objectives in the market.
Risks along the Value Chain
Pure Coffee is faced with substantial market and performance risks in the conduct of its business. According to the case study, Pure Coffee relies on an external supplier for the supply of its primary raw material (coffee) (The University of Cambridge, 2021. Market risk can adversely affect the effectiveness of a business and its ability to remain competitive (Ghadge et al., 2020). If the supplier supplies inferior quality coffee to the business, it could be adversely affected by the fact that its end product would be inferior to those of its competitors. The provision of inferior quality products to a market characterized by high levels of competition would give the competitors a great advantage to topple Pure Coffee. The company’s reliance on a single supplier poses a significant strategy risk along its value chain. The manifestation of a strategic risk can lead to business failure (Nibusinessinfo.co.uk, 2021). If the supplier is unable or fails to provide the coffee, the company’s business would be doomed. It would be unable to serve its market demand and face the risk of succumbing to competition. The company’s value chain is also threatened by the increased sun-cultivation of coffee which could adversely affect the company’s supplies.
Pure coffee can militate against the risk by establishing strict quality controls and checks for the supplied coffee before using it in its production. The measure would ensure that the company only accepts the best quality coffee supplies from its supplier; thus, averting the risk of using substandard raw materials and the resultant outcome of inferior final products. The measure can be reinforced by entering into strict quality agreements with the supplier, with specifications of the acceptable quality of coffee to be supplied. The strategic risk can be averted by identifying other potential suppliers of coffee.
Opportunities and Stakeholder Benefits
The company has an opportunity to diversify its business in terms of location. The business can open shops in other locations across the country to leverage a wide customer base as well as other market opportunities. The opportunity would be exploited effectively with the existence of a constant supply of quality coffee and enable the business to achieve high levels of competitiveness. The opportunity will generate substantial stakeholder benefits in terms of customer satisfaction (consistent supply of quality products). It will also benefit the business through increased revenue and profit generation. The company also has an opportunity to increase its profitability by adopting the composting of the waste coffee grounds on a commercial basis.
Conclusion
Pure Coffee has a lucrative business that could be successful upon the reduction of the imminent risks as well as leveraging the identifiable opportunities. While engaging in the expansion process to Baltimore and other regions, the company can reduce unsustainable consumption and production by composting the waste coffee grounds commercially. It is, therefore, imperative for Pure Coffee to pursue sustainable practices in its expansion initiative in a bid to guard its profitability while retaining competitiveness.

Referencing is required for the Module 4 assignment
Note:
As outlined in the Research and Referencing resource in the Orientation Module, your reference list does not count towards your word limit. However, any in-text citations count towards the word limit. Numbered referencing may be used should the in-text citations take up too much of your word count.
References:
Ghadge, A., Jena, S., Kamble, S., Misra, D., & Tiwari, M. (2020). Impact of financial risk on supply chains: a manufacturer-supplier relational perspective. International Journal Of Production Research, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1834638
Nibusinessinfo.co.uk. (2021). Strategic risk. Nibusinessinfo.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2021, from https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/strategic-risk.
The Cambridge University. (2021). Business Sustainability Management case Studies [Ebook]. The Cambridge University. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

Module 5 Activity submission
Learning outcomes:
LO7: Illustrate the importance of the context in which technology, design and innovation is applied.
LO8: Assess the potential of innovative design and technology to enable sustainable business.
Identify two aspects of your selected case study company’s operations or supply chains that would benefit from investments and innovation to improve sustainability design (i.e. the application of new technology, better planning or re-imagining the business model). For each aspect, address the following points to the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) and board:
Justify how innovating in this area will promote sustainable business. What are the potential commercial gains and the anticipated wider environmental and societal benefits?
Which design approaches, tools, frameworks or techniques could you use to create a more sustainable business (e.g. biomimicry, LCA, frugal innovation, etc.)?
Identify the barriers to new, more radical innovation or the optimisation of existing approaches, and suggest how these might be overcome (at least one barrier per aspect).
Use practical examples from the case study and other reputable sources, focusing on the company’s particular business sector to support your answer.
Word limit: 400 words
Tip: Refer to the rubric to get a sense of what to focus on.
Start writing here:

Referencing is required for the Module 5 assignment.
Note:
As outlined in the Research and Referencing resource in the Orientation Module, your reference list does not count towards your word limit. However, any in-text citations count towards the word limit. Numbered referencing may be used should the in-text citations take up too much of your word count.
Add numbered reference list here:

Module 6 Activity Submission
Learning outcome:
LO8: Defend the use of sustainability as an aspect of marketing to enhance a company’s brand and reputation.
Your case study company’s marketing department has enlisted your help to write a blog post to respond as an industry and a company against the accusation that it attempts to “cover up the company’s misdemeanours and applies a liberal coat of greenwashing to sustainability credentials in its marketing campaign”. In other words, the company is accused of claiming that it is environmentally-friendly through PR advertising; however, this company’s actual sustainability performance does not match its claim.
In your blog post, use the information provided about the company in the case study, as well as your own research about the industry and other relevant references, to highlight the following:
An acknowledgement of areas where improvement is necessary within the industry’s approach to sustainability communication and marketing (what the industry could be doing better based on the accusation quoted above).
How the company plans to create benefits by increased transparency in its external communication and marketing.
How the company is planning to revise or refine its approach to sustainability communication and marketing in line with its overall business strategy. Use your creative license to recommend one or two ideas.
The practical examples you select from the case study and other reputable sources should focus on the company’s particular sector to support your answer. You will be assessed on your ability to develop a creative response using the appropriate tone of voice for the external audience you have identified. Make sure you think about your external audience when writing about the company’s activities. Although your response should consider practical solutions and examples, the focus of this exercise is on how your company communicates about its sustainability activities and credentials. One of the challenges of communicating about complex sustainability-related topics is how to do this with integrity, yet in a way that is easy to understand. Your response to the case study should therefore focus on how your company is transparent in its communication regarding its sustainability activities, rather than the sustainability solutions you identify.
The text for your blog post – written in this document – should not exceed the word limit. You are encouraged to use sub-headings to divide the text to improve readability.
Note: You may incorporate images or other visual elements, but this is not a requirement. Words contained in images count towards the overall word limit.
Word limit: 400 words
Tip: Refer to the rubric to get a sense of what to focus on.
Start writing here:

Referencing is required for the Module 6 assignment.
Note:
As outlined in the Research and Referencing resource in the Orientation Module, your reference list does not count towards your word limit. However, any in-text citations count towards the word limit. Numbered referencing may be used should the in-text citations take up too much of your word count.
Add numbered reference list here: