Module Title:
Strategies for Sustainable Business Logistics
Module Number:
Length:
3,000 words
Assignment Brief
In this item of assessment you are required to submit an individual report in which you evaluate specific aspects of an industry in depth, reporting on the level of sustainability seen in the present day and making recommendations for future improvements.
For the 2024 instance of the module, the industry under study is fish for human consumption. You can select any part of the industry that procures or processes fish that become food, examining the chosen activity or activities in terms of their sustainability. Your work will be a 3,000 word report, submitted via Canvas and this assignment is worth 40% of the total grade for the module.
Background:
Over three billion people depend upon seafood as a significant source of animal protein and fish thus plays a crucial part in the food security and livelihood of many communities, particularly in coastal regions. Even our vast oceans and other natural systems aren’t unlimited in their ability to support humanity, however, so it is crucial to understand the impacts of our actions.
In your report, you are free to choose any part of the fishing industry, including capture fisheries, harvesting shellfish or crustaceans, aquaculture, seafood processing, distribution or retail. There is a need for a better understanding of the impacts resulting from the industry, allowing it to be evaluated on the basis of evidence and good science so that policymakers can decide what parts of the industry to promote, develop and subsidise and which to tax and discourage.
Your task, in this assignment, is to choose any one part of this supply chain and conduct an original quantitative analysis, putting this into a report to share your findings. For your analysis, select an appropriate methodology and present original work in which you offer calculations on the basis of evidence you have cited, with the aim of identifying areas where improvements should be sought.
Additional Guidance:
The fishing industry as a whole is far too complex for a 3,000-word analysis. Instead, you should focus your attention upon a single part, where you can offer insights. (Discuss your choice with your online tutor if in doubt.) Please note that you should be reporting on the industry itself and not an associated issue, e.g. food waste at the point of consumption.
You should provide an overview of the organisations (or types of organisation) that work within the supply network for your selected activity, define appropriate boundaries for your study and discuss the practices that take place, presenting evidence and reasoning such that you quantify the impacts of supply chain activities.
The aim is to discuss a worked example, based upon literature search and reasonable assumptions, to assess the harm arising from the production (or harvesting, or processing, etc.) activity you have chosen. It is recommended that you discuss these in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – see https://sdgs.un.org/goalsLinks to an external site.
Your quantified analysis might be a calculation of the contribution to climate change, or some other measurable mode of harm such as worker safety, loss of biodiversity, toxic emissions, eutrophication, acidification, etc. Conduct your original analysis using appropriate tools and methodologies. (For example, in certain industries we use PAS2050 and published conversion factors to measure the contribution to climate change.) Your task is to find and apply a methodology that suits your report. Use the academic literature to find additional evidence of quantified economic, environmental and/or social harm.
Having reported this information, propose and justify a new strategy for the supply network: ideally a creative solution that changes such factors as the business model, the configuration of the supply network or the specification of key products of services. Cite the sources that gave you information about the sector as a whole, and about your chosen commodity. Use evidence to construct reasoned arguments that lead to workable solutions.
A good piece of work will be well formatted and logically structured, with a good standard of written English. If you are in any doubt about your writing skills, please take advice from the Skills Team.
Do not cut and paste phrases or paragraphs from published sources without citing your sources. You should seek to use your own words to discuss concepts and theories, while acknowledging the work of other scholars.
Suggested Structure:
A recommended structure for your report follows. You can depart from these recommendations if you wish, but be sure to structure your report logically, and to cover all requested elements. Use numbered sections, with decimals for subsections.
Ideally, your report will include the following:
1. A brief Introduction to the report, stating its purpose. (Do not expend too many words on descriptive writing and context-setting – but be sure to justify the material or component that you have chosen to study.)
2. Application of a tool or methodology to evaluate the sources of harm arising within the supply network for your selected material or component type.
3. Interpretation and discussion of the results of your analysis.
4. Recommendations for how the supply network can be improved, reducing or eliminating the sources of harm that you have identified. Identify any policies that should be enacted to ensure compliance, perhaps by the companies purchasing the item(s) or by government.
5. Include a brief conclusion to the report.
6. Add a list of Harvard references. (This does not count towards your word limit.) Ideally, you will have cited 15+ sources within the text. This section does not count towards your word limit for the assignment.
Addressing Module Learning Outcomes 3 & 4
This assignment tests whether you have achieved the learning outcomes of the module:
LO3
Systematically make informed judgements about how legislation and management practices can limit the economic and social impact of logistics operations.
LO4
Critically evaluate the sustainability of selected logistics operations from contemporary case studies and also through personal reflection.
