-984250Management Accounting 3 Coursework

-984250Management Accounting 3 Coursework

0Management Accounting 3 Coursework

Module Code: ACCT09005

Module Title: Management Accounting 3

Coursework: worth 50% of the total mark

Deadline: Sunday 27th October 2024 at 23:59pm

Environmental Management Accounting

Biodiversity reporting practices in UK Higher Education Sector INCLUDEPICTURE "C:UsersabeerhassanLibraryGroup ContainersUBF8T346G9.msWebArchiveCopyPasteTempFilescom.microsoft.WordPhoto Collage.jpg?itok=m755MgRN" * MERGEFORMAT INCLUDEPICTURE "C:UsersabeerhassanLibraryGroup ContainersUBF8T346G9.msWebArchiveCopyPasteTempFilescom.microsoft.Wordteaching-sustainability.jpg" * MERGEFORMAT

Module Co-ordinator:

Professor Abeer Hassan

By Participating in this coursework, you will help University of the West of Scotland to develop its Biodiversity Plan.

Background

Biodiversity can be described as the infrastructure that supports all life. The immense pressure plastics are having on the oceans, along with the disappearance of rainforests, and land clearing for agricultural purposes, have all contributed to biodiversity loss and species extinction. All these issues have resulted in many years of human overexploitation of our planet and are recognised to be causing the sixth extinction period the planet is currently experiencing. The World Economic Forum (2022) considers biodiversity loss as one of the top three global risks. Biodiversity loss and species extinction are part of wider environmental challenges facing humanity in the coming years. Therefore, promoting biodiversity is critical to business survival as companies have a two-way relationship with biodiversity, including both the impact of companies on biodiversity, and the impact of biodiversity on companies. Consequently, companies must recognise that nature and ecosystems are of fundamental value either directly or indirectly linked to corporate activity. By paying attention to biodiversity and ecosystem health, companies can recognize the risks and opportunities, anticipate new markets, mitigate their impacts, improve stakeholder engagement, and demonstrate leadership.

It is very important to note that biodiversity loss by businesses caused COVID-19 (Hassan et al., 2020b; Roberts et al., 2020). Experts suggest pandemics such as COVID-19 are a result of habitat loss, wildlife trafficking and humanitys destruction of biodiversity (Ceballos et al., 2020; Johnson et al., 2020) with potential for further future pandemics.

Several prior empirical studies focus on profit-oriented organisations and the relationship between biodiversity and motivating factors. However, very few scholars have been keen to explore biodiversity within the public sector (Schneider et al., 2014; Gaia and John Jones, 2017; Weir, 2019; Gaia and John Jones, 2020). More specifically, the extant literature has failed to empirically examine biodiversity reporting practices in the context of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This is because universities have unique place in society and are centres of creative thinking and innovation but also fulfil many additional roles and prepare future leaders (Adams, 2018; Hassan et al., 2019). They play a vital role for societal development and their graduates and professionals and are expected to provide positive impact on people, society, environment and the planet (Adams, 2013; Moscardini et al., 2022).

To familiarize yourself with what Biodiversity is and how it links to COVID-19, read the following articles:

Hassan, A.,Roberts, L.&Rodger, K.,(2022), Corporate accountability for biodiversity and species extinction: evidence from organisations reporting on their impacts on nature. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(1),pp. 326-352.

Roberts, L.,Nandy, M.,Hassan, A.,Lodh, S.&Elamer, A.,(2022), Corporate accountability towards species extinction protection: insights from ecologically forward-thinking companies, Journal of Business Ethics, 178,pp. 571-595.

Roberts, L.,Georgiou, N.&Hassan, A. (2022), Investigating biodiversity and circular economy disclosure practices: insights from global firms, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 30(3), pp. 1053-1069.

Almontaser, T.,Atkins, J.,Elfadli, A.,Eskandrany, A.,Hassan, A.,Mowafi, O.,Norton, S.&Saeudy, M.,(2022). Middle Eastern extinctions: building a religious motivation for species protection in Extinction Governance, Finance and Accounting: Implementing a Species Protection Action Plan for the Financial Markets.Atkins, J. & Macpherson, M. (eds.). London:Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Atkins, J.,Doni, F.,Hassan, A.&Maroun, W., (2022).Revealing Platos Shadow Kingdom: rendering pandemic risk explicit in extinction engagement, edited book, in Extinction Governance, Finance and Accounting: Implementing a Species Protection Action Plan for the Financial Markets.Atkins, J. & Macpherson, M. (eds.). London:Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Roberts, L.,Hassan, A.,Elamer, A.&Nandy, M (2021), Biodiversity and extinction accounting for sustainable development: a systematic literature review and future research directions, Business Strategy and the Environment.30(1),pp. 705-720.

Adhikariparajuli, M.,Hassan, A.&Siboni, B., (2021), CSR implication and disclosure in higher education: uncovered points. Results from a systematic literature review and agenda for future research, Sustainability.13(2),p. 23.

Hassan, A.,Elamer, A.,Suman, L.,Roberts, L.&Nandy, M. (2021), The future of non-financial businesses reporting: learning from the Covid-19 pandemic, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.28(4),pp.1231-1240.

Raji, A.&Hassan, A.. (2021), Sustainability and stakeholder awareness: a case study of a Scottish university, Sustainability.13(8),p. 17.

Hassan, A., Nandy, M. & Roberts, L. (2020b). Does loss of biodiversity by businesses cause Covid-19. Available at: https://www.eauc.org.uk/does_loss_of_biodiversity_by_businesses_cause_c.

Roberts, L., Hassan, A., Nandy, M. & Elamer, A. (2020). Nursing both the Covid 19 and Biodiversity Crisis together. Available at: https://www.eauc.org.uk/nursing_both_the_covid_19_and_biodiversity_cris.

Hassan, A. M., Roberts, L., & Atkins, J. (2020a). Exploring factors relating to extinction disclosures: What motivates companies to report on biodiversity and species protection? Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(3), 1419-1436.

What is required from you as a third-year accounting student?

Submit a detailed report on both biodiversity & financial performance of a selected UK University. a marking schedule has been attached to provide further guidance on the content required.

Word Limit is 3000 words (+ or 10%) words, excluding any appendices, tables, graphs and list of references.

An electronic copy of the individual report should be submitted via Turnitin NOT LATER than 27th of October 2024 at 23.59hrs.

Coursework (Research) Processes

You should select a university. Appendix (4) includes a List of top 15 UK Higher Education Institutions that started to report on their biodiversity & financial performance activities. You must select one university from this list.

You should collect data related to biodiversity and financial performance for your selected university. For biodiversity performance, you should use the index provided to you (see Appendix 3 for the index).

For your financial performance, You have to calculate the following ratios. Data is available in the financial annual report

Return on Assets (ROA)

Return on Investment (ROI)

Operating income (OI)

Current Ratio

Debt Ratio

Quick Ratio

You need to investigate 2 years for both biodiversity and financial performance; it does not matter if it is two consecutive years. For example, you might decide to investigate 2016 and 2019.

Universities provide disclosure on biodiversity in three reporting formats:

Stand-alone (PDF) Corporate Social Responsibility reports

Integrate it with the financial annual reports

Posting information on the companies websites (only if you select to investigate the current website).

If your university does not have all the items disclosed, DO NOT change your university as this is not your fault. Carry on with the investigation. Actually, you will find something to comment on when there is a difference on the level of disclosure between the 2 selected years.

Marking Schedule

Executive Summary (word limit 500)

Objectives of the report (2 Mark)

Background on biodiversity (2 Mark)

Paragraph on methodology (2 Mark)

Paragraph on results and recommendations (2 Mark) (8 Marks)

Contents Page (2 Marks)

Introduction (word limit 500)

More details on the background of the topic (3 Marks)

The link between biodiversity and businesses (3 Marks)

More details on the objectives of the report (2 Mark)

Paragraph on selection of the university and years (1 Mark)

Structure of the report (1 Mark) (10 Marks)

Methodology (word limit 200)

Why you selected the investigated university (2 Marks)

Why you selected the investigated years (2 Marks)

How you carried out the investigation (1 Mark)

How you analysed the results (1 Mark) (6 Marks)

Analysis of results (word limit 1500)

Analysis of results are consisting of three sub sections

Section one: Results of biodiversity performance analysis of your selected university for two years (25 Marks)

You can decide if you want to present the results in tables, graphs, etc. (Tables and graphs are excluded from word count)

**Data for biodiversity performance will be gathered using the disclosure index provided

Your disclosure index must be included in this section. You must support your analysis with quotes or sentences from the selected university. These quotes will be evidence of collecting the data and will help markers know the whole story

A table to include both years along with the quotes/sentences are expected to be provided in this section

Section two: Results on Financial performance of your selected university for the selected two years (15 Marks)

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) = Operating profit/total capital

Return on Investment (ROI) = Net Profit/Average operating Income X100

Gross profit (GP) % = Gross profit/Sales

Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current liabilities

Debt Ratio (leverage)= Assets-equity/Assets

Section three: Comparative analysis for the selected university on both biodiversity & financial performance for two years (20 Marks)

(60 Marks)

Conclusion (word limit 50)

General conclusion on biodiversity conclusion (1 Mark)

Specific Conclusion for each year (1 Mark) (2 Marks)

Recommendations (word limit 50)

General Recommendations (1 Mark)

Specific Recommendation (1 Mark) (2 Marks)

Suggestions for UWS Biodiversity plan (word limit 200)

Based on your involvement in this coursework, provide suggestions on what should be included in UWS biodiversity plan

(8 Marks)

References (2 Marks)

Total Mark (3000 words) 100 Marks

Appendix (2): Report Writing

PARTS OF A REPORT

Title Page: Full title of the report. Executive Summary: Follow the marking schedule

Contents Page: listing contents and page numbers.

Introduction: Follow the marking schedule

Methodology: Follow the marking schedule

Analysis of results: Follow the marking schedule

Recommendations: Follow the marking schedule

References: List all the sources to which you refer in the body of the report. Please follow UWS Reference Policy.

Appendix: Add your Biodiversity disclosure index in the appendix

Appendix (3): Biodiversity disclosure index

(Adopted from: Atkins and Atkins, 2018; Atkins and Maroun, 2018; Hassan et al. 2020; Hassan et al., 2021; Roberts et al., 2022)

0* 1 2 3 Total Disclosure

CPA HEI REPORT ON CURRENT/PREVIOUS ACTIONS 1 HEI reports on partnership engagement between wildlife/nature/conservation organisations and the company, which aim to address corporate impacts on endangered species 2 HEI reports on assessment and reflection on outcome/impact of engagement/partnerships and decisions taken about necessary changes to policy/initiatives going forward 3 HEI reports on its involvement in afforestation activities (such as seedling transplantation, forest plantation, sustainable forestry practices, or other reforestation activities 4 HEI reports on its involvement in land management/land rehabilitation activities 5 HEI reports on floral/faunal wealth in or around its operational area (functional/transportation) 6 HEI reports steps taken for creating nature positive awareness among its employees or in the community 7 HEI reports nature action plans on nature positive goals/targets for coming years PAF PREVENT ACTIVITIES HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE 8 Report assessments of whether or not HEIs initiatives/actions are assisting in prevention of future nature loss 9 Update stakeholders with progress and future actions 10 Provide education on nature positive initiatives to schools in future ELOSS REPORT ON ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTING TO NATURE LOSS 11 HEI reports and assess habitat status area protected, restored, affected, and conserved 12 HEI reports on nature, rivers, creeks, waterways, or marine affected/protected/restored FG REPORT ON GUIDELINES OR ADOPT THE FOLLOWING 13 HEI reports on compliance with United Nations Sustainability Development Goal SDG 12 Sustainable Consumption and Production (No12) 14 HEI reports on compliance with United Nations Sustainability Development Goal (No14) Life under water 15 HEI reports on compliance with United Nations Sustainability Development Goal SDG 15 (No15) Life on Land 16 HEI reports using the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework *A score of 0 awarded for no disclosure at all. A score of 1 awarded when the disclosure relating to a particular item was minimal, vague and/or completely general. A score of 2 awarded when disclosures contained objective, verifiable and current data. A score of 3 awarded when disclosure included all the ingredients of code 2, as well as providing specific information identifying the site/operating facility, affected species, and or number of affected flora/fauna; a description of specific measures taken and/or amount of money spent; a discussion of trend information; and/or a linking of the data presented to a company strategy, aim performance measure, target, incident or accident

Appendix (4) List of 15 UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

Name of the University

1 Newcastle University2 University of Sussex3 University of East Anglia UEA4 Oxford Brookes University5 Bristol, University of the West of England6 King's College London, University of London7 University of Manchester8 Swansea University9 University of St Andrews

10 Bournemouth University11 Aberystwyth University12 University of Worcester13 University of Kent14 Imperial College London

15 Ulster University