MGT613 Leadership for Sustainable Futures Report Sample

Context:

Now that you have completed:

• A literature review and brief research paper (assessment 1),

• Collaborated with a consultancy team to develop a ‘green’ discussion paper and oral presentation for a project proposal focused on one SDG within an organisational context (assessment 2);

• This is your opportunity to bring together all of your learnings and reflection on the process together in a more reflective summary ‘green’ discussion paper (assessment 3).

You should reflect on the individual SDGs and organisations considered by individual team members and the one SDG and organisation selected by the team. Consider the different SDG challenges, organisations and industry sectors to pull together the threads of your learning for this subject, to consider the path forward for organisations in the 21st century. Consider at least three scenarios for the industry sector and organisation you choose. Include yourself in the scenarios. What is your role? What action will you take?

What Project proposals will you recommend based on the evidence that you have researched, interrogated and interpreted? So what? Explain the significance of your learning and recommendations.

Ensure you provide credible evidence to support your argument, including a range of academic articles from within the Laureate Library.

This assignment develops your graduate attributes (employability skills), especially 1, 2 and 4 as articulated in the MBA Program Learning Outcomes.

Solution

Background 

Being chosen as the Chief Sustainability Officer at The Body Shop, the present assignment intends to look into ways by which the brand can fulfil the requisites of becoming a B Corp firm. By abiding by the improved approaches of SDG, the sustainability challenges are tried to be addressed effectively (Mackey & Sisodia, 2014). According to the MBA Assignment Expert Each of the three scenarios enables the action for recommended outcomes to be manifested so that sustainability is accomplished by the company. By stipulating the recommendation benchmark, the business case is possible to ensure convincing the CEO of the company. With the cost and return investment distribution, the competitive advantage in beauty and cosmetic industrial market is tried to be established. 

Ways to improve approaches within company to overcome sustainability challenges 

Sustainable Development Goals or SDG becomes the prime concern for a B Corp organizations performing with the beauty and cosmetic industry to fulfill the ethical necessity that justifies the corporate conduct with highest accountability and answerability (George, 2015). It makes me realize how there are different ways and measures denoted as improvement approaches by which a brand like The Body Shop interest to be counted among the top B Corp brands operating on an international level. B Corporation companies have earned maximum regard for the highest standard maintained to secure social and environmental responsibility through their business. I have gathered that the certificate of verification act as an approval to authenticate not only the breeze business label but also the product and service conduct to be carried out under sustainable grounds. I feel that performance manifested by the brand strongly holds up to the responsible approach of behaving in socially and environmentally accountable manner. Recycle and renew the single use plastic for packaging material at The Body Shop to make the environment free from plastic and heinous impact is the prime campaign area of focus under SDG proposition. 

SDG Challenges and Review of Organization 

The beauty and cosmetic industry is facing major challenges related to sustainable development goal fulfillment. They are heavily engaged in animal product testing and application with animal cruelty involved with unethical examination trials. By ending animal testing on a worldwide level, international cruelty free global beauty brand is established and established by the body shop. It makes me reach the understanding that by receiving an approval on a large scale mass of collective integration from 8.3 million people that the common signature has created consolidation towards the cruelty free mission carried out on an international level. 

Three Options for Action 

Cruelty free international brand image creation by The Body Shop 

It makes me eager to reveal that the visionary approach made by The Body Shop brand helped in indulging into practical market survey to empower individuals through ethical and sustainable shared value system. I have observed how the brand conducted analysis upon more than 6000 customers across the world to address if any issue requires for an ethically inclined company to fight for. Unanimously, a majority of the survey customers indicated towards the issue of animal cruelty required to be addressed and handled with utmost sensitivity by a sustainable a responsible brand. It is as a result of these customer response expectations let The Body Shop gained recognition as a strong brand image holding up the socially and environmentally inclined issue of showing animal sensitivity (Jorge, 2020). It is encouraging for me to witness that for the preparation of beauty and cosmetic products or the procurement of red raw material or even for gaining approval through animal test applying various experimented products before human trials that is strictly prohibited buy a responsible brand like the Body Shop. I have found that as animal testing and gaining certified verification is a popularized technique in the world of Beauty, skincare and cosmetic product and service industry, The Body Shop creates an exception by strictly standing against the point. 

Community fair trade through recycled plastic by the body shop

I found that The Body Shop has become a strong brand establishment in the past few decades to create hi accountability and answerability towards fair trade approaches. In order to overcome the challenges regarding sustainable development goals outcomes, The Body Shop engages into recycled plastic usage proposition as a trading venture. In order to build a consolidated awareness programme, the community fair trade through recycled plastic is brought into significant. It makes me aware how the marginalized waste pickers are engaged as the fundamental source of plastic accumulation generated from India. In order to establish fair trade, fair pricing is manifested to create a steady sense of income with improved working environment to be informally set up into the volatile and discriminatory sector (Alam & Rahman, 2019). 

The Natura & Co Engagement

The Body Shop is in a unique mission to lift up the spirits of achieving the common goal of sustainable environment. By shaping a better future, the brand engages into natural and Co to be one of the most socially conscious iconic global beauty brand (Isabel & Carla, 2017). With the proposition of Gestures of care towards the world, the world’s largest certified and verified B Corp establishment with the fourth largest beauty group association in the world is possible to be solely dedicated in creating future generations of positivity. By manifesting socially responsible, ethically inclined and economically regulated approaches reduced impact upon the environment is possible to be established by the body shop. 

Recommended action plan 

I believe that by attaining B Corp verified certification to engage into sustainable a responsible and ethically inclined business, a brand like the body shop requires engaging with full term commitment to achieve social as well as environmental standards to protect the planet as well as the people. With the proposition of doing a riotous business, the stamp to prove sufficient ethics and accountability towards sustainable growth needs to be developed. In order to comply with the requisites of fulfilling the criteria of becoming a B Corp organization, the body shop beauty brand needs to adhere to various sustainability accomplishing movements (Barua, 2020). I also assure that Triple Bottom Line business needs to be one of the fundamental accomplishment areas that need to be fulfilled by the business approach.  With the thoughtful and sensitive approach to save the planet, reduced impact upon the environment by nearest refill store is planned to be proposed by refilling, repeating and reusing with the help of aluminum bottles. 

Benchmarking and evidence regarding recommendations 

Cruelty free international brand - I strong believe that creating public awareness is one of the most successful precursors of the campaign that places the brand at a unique level to accomplish and overcome the challenges related to sustainable development goals (Biggeri et al., 2019). This not only supports the decision maker strategies but also complies with the domestic legislation to prohibit the unethical and ruthless practice of animal testing before marketing a cosmetic product. I came to the outcomes that score of 12 has been achieved on SDG level due to the strong and bold campaign held and continued for a long time by the brand The Body Shop which compelled the sales of cosmetic testing to be free from animal testing completely.  

Fair Trade Community recycling - With the purchase of 250 tonnes of plastic, recycling operation is carried out so that community fair trade is established by The Body Shop (Silten & Hills, 2019). By utilizing the shampoo and conditioner bottles, an aim to purchase 900 tonnes of recycled plastic through the campaign of fulfilling the movement of preparing community through fair trade proposition is tried to be established by the brand. I acknowledged that a significant contribution towards sustainable development growth opportunity, getting a higher score and SDG is established only when a significant amount of single use plastic is possible to be reduced down and replaced with recycled plastic for a positive social change to be prevailed. 

Natura & Co engagement - In order to overcome the challenges related to sustainability development growth agenda, the launch of collective grand vision between Natural & Co along with the body shop is build up to create commitment and accomplish it within a span of 2020 and 2030 (Willer et al., 2019). By addressing some of the major world based natural and ecological challenges creating climate Issues, like protecting the Amazon forest and restoring the rights of human and by being kind to create equality with sustainability on social equality within workplace environment, the brand proposition of highlighting sustainability is drive to be manifested. 

Business case required to convenience CEO to approve recommendations 

In order to indulge into sustainable development goals programme, The Body Shop holder the worldwide campaign of cruelty free international brand impetus by the strong presence of in-store outlets across 60 different nations. It is pleasantly surprising for me to realize that by acquiring signatures from 8.3 million people the animal testing of cosmetics and beauty products is on a mission to be globally ended (Leverenz et al., 2019). Within a span of 18 months, from inception to implementation, The Body Shop has largely engaged animal cruelty free movement related petition where it has become the second largest brand in the UN. The international agreement has been successfully secured to handle The Body Shop operations at a desirable level to a certain the business conduct in a responsible manner to accomplish sustainability. 

Cost and return on investment 

Competitive advantage through the recommendation 

It makes me encounter with the fact that by fulfilling the agenda of recycled material usage for packaging purpose, the body shop provides environmentally sustainable commitment by elimination of single use virgin plastic. With the dedicated program of utilizing optimum level of PCR for the packaging purpose, single use plastic products and packaging is possible to be completely eliminated. This makes me realize that not only contains hundred percent recycled material but also a significant proportion from the community to create fair trade association by utilization of responsible level of materials by recycling and reusing the plastic for an overall change in the society and community to take place. By the year 2020, more than 29% of the total plastic is recycled end by 20 3050% of the commitment to fulfill the targeted goal is possible to be accomplished (Dhamnetiya et al., 2021). The body shop is expected to achieve the goal much sooner with a long-term venture of aiming towards development of circular model to restructure the packaging with completely plastic free generation so that hundred percent environmental commitments is manifested through reuse, recycle and re-composition by the year 2025. 

I understood that The Body Shop essentially engages into recycle and reuse of plastic material in the packaging purpose so that a competitive advantage across the beauty and cosmetic industry is possible to be proposed. With the recommendation of creating fair trade community through recycled plastic and complete abolition of single use virgin plastic material and referral scheme to clean up the Planet, such environmentally responsible and socially sustainable movements recommended as SDG benefits are possible to create competitive advantage within the sector (Hueske, Aggestam & Iosif-Lazar, 2022). It made me aware that by turning to 50 tonnes of single use plastic with fair trade community recycled venture by using up bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a significant contribution to words waste management as a strong and positive social change is possible to be achieved as a competitive advantage among other rival competitors within the cosmetics and beauty brand industry.  

Conclusion 

Deriving vegan and vegetable product design is yet to be achieved fully by the brand of The Body Shop. Hence, that needs to be worked on. By making 100% promise of assuring product source and final product generation out of the body shop to comply with vegan beauty cosmetic products, SDG score is possible to be eliminated in comparison to other competitive brands in the market. With the help of currently formulated products of hundred percent vegetarian sourcing and 60% vegan operations carried out, a top notch sustainability assurance is maintained (Asi & Williams, 2018). This helps me to comprehend that certifying within the legal society by complying with the requirements of be Corp criteria. By establishing a strong stance against animal testing, the body shop is able to define their brand image with the cruelty free certification that automatically makes the brand one of a kind and uniquely positioned in the society. When most of the cosmetic brand in the world practices their product examination through animal testing, it is the assurance of the body shop brand that stands for cruelty free International proposition by holding up the campaign on a worldwide level. 

References 

Alam, K., & Rahman, M. H. (2019). Post-disaster recovery in the cyclone aila affected coastline of bangladesh: women’s role, challenges and opportunities. Natural 
Hazards : Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 96(3), 1067–1090. Retrieved from https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8016424920 

Asi, Y. M., & Williams, C. (2018). The role of digital health in making progress toward sustainable development goal (sdg) 3 in conflict-affected populations. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 114, 114–120. Retrieved from https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7481219411 

Barua, S. (2020). Financing sustainable development goals: a review of challenges and mitigation strategies. Business Strategy & Development, 3(3), 277–293. Retrieved from  https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8663534977 

Biggeri, M., Clark, D. A., Ferrannini, A., & Mauro, V. (2019). Tracking the sdgs in an 'integrated' manner: a proposal for a new index to capture synergies and trade-offs between and within goals. World Development, 122, 628–628. Retrieved from  https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8253040687 

Dhamnetiya, D., Patel, P., Jha, R. P., Shri, N., Singh, M., & Bhattacharyya, K. (2021). Trends in incidence and mortality of tuberculosis in india over past three decades: a joinpoint and age–period–cohort analysis. Bmc Pulmonary Medicine, 21(1). Retrieved from  https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/9331596461 

George, M. (2015). Reviving or interring global governance on sustainability? sachs, the un and the sdgs. Revista Brasileira De Estudos De População, 32(3), 631–638. Retrieved from https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/7181660100 

Hueske, A.-K., Aggestam Pontoppidan, C., & Iosif-Lazar, L.-C. (2022). Sustainable development in higher education in nordic countries: exploring e-learning mechanisms and sdg coverage in moocs. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(1), 196–211. Retrieved from https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/9378376463 

Isabel Amélia Costa Mendes, & Carla, A. A. V. (2017). Nursing protagonism in the un goals for the people’s health. Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 25. Retrieved from  https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/6937464043 

Jorge, M. (2020). Teacher education for the twenty-first century (and a post-pandemic world). Revista Brasileira De Linguistica Aplicada, 20(2), 247–250. Retrieved from https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8632324877  

Leverenz, D., Moussawel, S., Maurer, C., Hafner, G., Schneider, F., Schmidt, T., & Kranert, M. (2019). Quantifying the prevention potential of avoidable food waste in households using a self-reporting approach. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 150. Retrieved from  https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/8191790221 

Mackey, J., & Sisodia, R. (2014). Conscious capitalism : liberating the heroic spirit of business https://lesa.on.worldcat.org/oclc/854612734    

Willer,H., Sampson, G., Voora, V., Dang, D. & Lernoud, J. (2019), The State of Sustainable Markets 2019 – Statistics and Emerging Trends. ITC, Geneva. http://www.intracen.org/publication/Sustainable-Markets-2019/