Your task is to explore the literature in your chosen expert area and map out the issues and discussions that you come across using a TAG (you were introduced to a basic Thematic Analysis Grid (TAG) in level 5 Financial Reporting).

Module Name

Theory & Practice of Financial Reporting

Module Code

BA6801

Assignment Title

Experts & Novices Project 21-22: Social & Environmental Reporting (SER)

Type of Submission

Multifaceted portfolio of research, learning & teaching activities.

Parts 1-4 submitted on Canvas

Parts 5-6 completed and submitted in class

Please see brief for full details and Experts and Novices guidance pages on Canvas for support and instruction

LINK TO PAGES

Weighting of the assignment in the overall module grade

20%

Word Count/Time allocation (for presentations)

1. DRAFT TAG (Excel file):  N/A
2. FINAL TAG (Excel file):  N/A
3. Prompt (PDF file):  N/A     
4. Write-up (Word doc):  600 words (one page)

1. Expert teaching presentation:  8 mins + 2 mins for questions
2. Contribution sheets: handwritten completion of the handouts in Expert sessions

Issue Date

Submission Date

Work submitted to Canvas:

Part 1:                Friday 29^th October at 10am

Parts 2, 3 & 4:  Wednesday 1^st December at 1pm

Work submitted in class:

Parts 5 & 6 will take place in the classes on:

                            Thursday 2^nd December

                            Thursday 9^th December

                            Thursday 16^th December

You must attend and participate on all dates.

Date of Feedback to Students

Where feedback can be found

Verbal feedback in class

Individual feedback on Canvas submissions

Employability skills

Professional

Creative

Thoughtful

Resilient

Proactive

Literacy

✔

Communication

✔︎

Critical Thinking

✔︎

Soft skills

✔︎

Adaptability

✔︎

Presentation

✔︎

Storytelling

✔︎

Critical Writing

✔︎

Networking

✔︎

Commercial Awareness

✔︎

Creativity

✔︎

Project Management

✔︎

Problem Solving

✔︎

✔︎

Digital Skills

✔︎

How these skills are being developed in this assessment

Completing the TAG will improve your literacy, commercial awareness, critical thinking skills and project management. Designing and creating the PROMPT will demonstrate your creative skills as well as your presentation skills.  The teaching and write-up will strengthen and develop your presentation skills, story telling, critical thinking / writing, networking and adaptability. The contribution sheets will develop your reflection skills which are equally important in the commercial environment.

Assignment Task

You will first read the foundation chapter to get an understanding of social and environmental reporting.  You will then choose one of the three Expert areas to focus on (see choices below).

Initially, your task is to explore the literature in your chosen expert area and map out the issues and discussions that you come across using a TAG (you were introduced to a basic Thematic Analysis Grid (TAG) in level 5 Financial Reporting).

You will then narrow down to one specific theme you have identified that interests you, of which you will become the “Expert” on. Selecting three of the journal papers from your TAG (that link your theme together), to support your argument, you will then informally teach small groups of Novices about the expert issue you have found using a PROMPT that you will design.  You will also submit a short WRITE-UP of what you have taught.

The teaching presentations will take place over three sessions.  You will only be an Expert in one of the sessions, in the other two sessions you will act as a Novice.  On each of these days you will be required to complete CONTRIBUTION SHEETS and hand them in.  These act as evidence of your Expert and/or Novice activity and can only be filled in during the sessions.

PLEASE NOTE:  There is step-by-step help in the Experts & Novices Guidance Pages on Canvas, where examples of previous students’ work can be viewed to give you context. There are also other support sessions that have been scheduled into the semester (please see timeline below).

Background/Context

The topic of this project is social and environmental reporting (SER).  For the purpose of this assignment, the topic has been split into three Expert areas – “Why, What and How”:

Yellow topic - WHY expert area:  According to peer reviewed academic literature, WHY do firms engage in social and environmental disclosure?

If you pick this area, you are to choose and discuss a particular theory which aims to explain why firms engage in this activity.  To do this, you must first understand the specific theory that you are going to focus on(e.g., legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, institutional theory, positive accounting theory, etc...) ONLY PICK ONE THEORY.  You do this by reading the foundation chapter and the chapter before it (chapter 8) as it breaks down the theories a bit further.  Please remember, you are not simply describing / defining the “theory”, you are reviewing what research is being carried out around this particular theory -  in the field of SER. Once you pick and fully understand a specific theory, THEN you could start your first search using the “name of the theory” and “SER”. 

Orange topic - WHAT expert area:  According to peer reviewed academic literature, WHAT information is disclosed in social and environmental reports?

If you pick this area, you are to choose and discuss a particular issue which is included in the social and environmental reports of firms.  To do this, you must first decide on the specific issue you are going to focus on and read the foundation chapter for a broad understanding.  (e.g., Environmental issues, such as air pollution, energy consumption, water pollution, industrial waste, oil spills, etc.  Or, social issues such as labour and working conditions, occupational health and safety, etc... )  ONLY PICK ONE ISSUE. Please remember, you are not simply describing / defining the “social / environmental issue”, you are reviewing what research is being carried out around this particular issue - in the field of SER. Once you pick an issue, you could start your first search using the “name of the issue” and “SER”. 

Pink topic - HOW expert area:  According to peer reviewed academic literature, HOW are social and environmental issues accounted for?

If you pick this area, you are to choose and discuss a particular method which firms use to report their social and environmental issues in their annual accounts.  To do this, you must first decide the specific method (of accounting for social and environmental issues) that you are going to focus on and read the foundation chapter for a broad understanding.  (e.g., Triple bottom line accounting (TBL), or the GRI or the social audit etc.)  ONLY PICK ONE METHOD. Please remember, you are not simply describing / defining the “method”, you are reviewing what research is being carried out around this particular method- in the field of SER. Once you pick one of those methods, you could start your first search using the “name of the method” and “SER”. 

Here you will find some more advice to help you pick your topic:

LINK TO CANVAS PAGE HERE