Job Creation and the Circular Economy (2000 words)
The purpose of this assignment is to develop your ability to present the fundamental principles of the circular economy and critically discuss how the adoption of circular economy principles can help organisations and related supply chains to increase their economic, social and environmental performance.
Assessment Task
You are required to discuss how companies that adopt circular economy principles increase their economic and social efficiency and minimise their environmental impact.
More specifically, you are required to write a report that provides two perspectives of the topic above: A theoretical and a practical perspective.
Assessment Breakdown
A.Theoretical perspective:
The first part of the report should address theoretical perspectives of the subject. For this, you are expected to draw from academic publications and articles fundamental circular economy aspects. The topics you should address are:
- Concepts and characteristics of the circular economy
- The main drivers of the circular economy, i.e. why it is important and benefits for businesses, society and environment
- The role of circular supply chains in supporting circular economy processes in organisations, and
- The role of the circular economy in promoting job creation
B.Practical perspective:
In the second part, you are expected to apply the theoretical perspectives above to describe a business model case of a specific company implementing circular economy principles.
For this, you should choose a particular company and describe its operations in terms of circular economy aspects. Reports explaining how the company’s supply chain supports the business operations will achieve higher marks.
Your chosen company should represent a real-life illustrative example of how a business attempts to implement circular economy practices and the economic, social and environmental benefits the company can achieve.
You are expected to support the description of your chosen company with business articles from high quality reliable sources such as the Financial Times (FT.com), The Economist (economist.com) or other similar sources. A business case presented with basis on the company’s website only will be considered unsatisfactory, i.e. exam fail.
You can access electronic versions of business articles through the university library online services and reputable newspapers websites (e.g. The Guardian Sustainable Business reports).
Please follow the following structure
- DESCRIPTION OF ORGANISATION (5%)
– Identify chosen company, products/services and main customers
- THEORETICAL ASPECTS (55%)
- Concepts and characteristics of the circular economy
- The main drivers of the circular economy; why it is important; economic, social and environmental benefits
- Circular supply chains supporting circular economy processes
- The role of the circular economy in job creation
- APPLICATION OF CONCEPTS (40%)
– Describe chosen company’s business model (operations and
supply chain) in terms of circular economy aspects
- Point out economic, social and environmental benefits
- Reference – Not less than 18 nos.
Please strictly follow the attached Harvard referencing guide.