Organisational Strategy and Sustainability CW2 Summative Assessment Brief 2025 | BPP University

1. General Assessment Guidance

• Your summative assessment for this module is made up of this coursework submission which accounts for 100% of the marks
•  Please note late submissions will not be marked.
•  You are required to submit all elements of your assessment via Turnitin online access. Only submissions made via the specified mode will be accepted and hard copies or any other digital form of submissions (like via email or pen drive etc.) will not be accepted.
• For coursework, the submission word limit is 2,500 words. You must comply with the word count guidelines. You may submit LESS than 2,500 words but not more. Word Count guidelines can be found on your programme home page and the coursework submission page.
•  Do not put your name or contact details anywhere on your submission. You should only put your student registration number (SRN) which will ensure your submission is recognised in the marking process.
• A total of 100 marks are available for this module assessment, and you are required to achieve minimum 50% to pass this module.
• You are required to use only Harvard Referencing System in your submission. Any content which is already published by other author(s) and is not referenced will be considered as a case of plagiarism. 
• You can find further information on Harvard Referencing in the online library on the Hub. You can use the following link to access this information: BPP Online Library: Business Guide
  
•  BPP University has a strict policy regarding authenticity of assessments. In proven instances of plagiarism or collusion, severe punishment will be imposed on offenders. You are advised to read the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion in the GARs and UPPs which are available on the HUB in the Help and Support section under Documents and Forms.
•  Use of AI in assessments is only allowed for the purposes of reviewing a draft, correcting language errors or if     specified in the summative assessment brief. If you have used AI for any of these purposes, you should indicate this on the Assignment Cover sheet. For more information regarding acceptable and unacceptable use of AI, please enrol onto the Generative AI Foundations course on the HUB.
• You should include a completed copy of the Assignment Cover sheet. Any submission without this completed Assignment Cover sheet may be considered invalid and not marked.

2. Assessment Brief

To achieve a pass for this module, you need to demonstrate that you have achieved the following module Learning Outcomes:

• LO1 - Critically analyse internal and external factors for business entities using strategic management concepts and frameworks within a global context.
•  LO2 - Critically assess the impact of corporate social responsibility, sustainability and ethical practices on contemporary leadership.
• LO3 - Critically evaluate business strategies considering current and future challenges and complexity.
•  LO4 - Critically reflect on personal leadership and sustainability perspectives.

As a management consultant of BPP Consulting Group, you are required to provide a strategic evaluation and analysis of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL’s) strategic and sustainability initiatives to their Board of Directors.

You are required to evaluate HUL’s strategic management, sustainability, and responsible leadership within a global context. You will explore how internal capabilities, external environments, cultural contexts, and ethical leadership practices shape HUL’s business strategy.

You will apply strategic frameworks and critically assess organisational responses to global pressures such as sustainability, technological change, and cultural differences. The assignment concludes with a personal leadership reflection grounded in comparative learning. An upgrade of HUL’s current strategy is urgently required where necessary for the organisation to embark on new ventures and geographical areas to meet the needs of the contemporary global business environment.

Case Study: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India’s largest Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company, serving Indian consumers for over 90 years. Guided by the belief that “What is good for India is good for HUL,” (Mehta, 2023) ...” we have built a diverse and resilient portfolio, reaching 9 out of 10 Indian households with one or more of our trusted brands through a robust distribution network” (Hindustan Unilever Limited, 2025).

The company stays attuned to the evolving needs and aspirations of their consumers by focusing on innovation and delivering high-quality, value-driven products. At the core of operations is a deep commitment to understanding and serving their consumers, backed by powerful, socially engaged marketing They’re enhancing their presence across emerging channels and leveraging our unique strengths to drive sustainable, long-term growth for all our stakeholders. 

Our journey to “Unlock a Billion Aspirations” (HUL, 2024) is anchored in the twin pillars of Sustainability and Culture, and guided by our core values: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, and Pioneering. HUL’s industry-leading ESG ratings and consistent recognition as the #1 Employer of Choice reflect our dedication to responsible practices and our people, reinforcing our leadership in the FMCG sector. HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever, one of the world’s foremost companies in Foods & Refreshment, Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing, and Personal Care, with a presence in over 190 countries.

Your analysis will explore Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)’s internal capabilities, external pressures, global strategic decisions, sustainability initiatives, and leadership culture in the context of current market challenges. The website for the organisation can be accessed through this link:

Hindustan Unilever Limited | Unilever (Accessed 30th July 2025) For an understanding of the academic literature,

please use the following textbooks:

De Wit (2024), Strategy: An International Perspective and the complimentary text, Cavusgil et al., (2019)

International Business: The New Realities (which are available on Hub)

It is recommended that you should carry out a substantial amount of independent and individual research to strengthen your understanding of the business context and the preferred style of management practice. You can find journals such as Business Source Premier, Science Direct, and HeinOnline on the BPP Online Library. Apart from these sources, Google Scholar is also available. It is important to show that you have used a multitude of appropriate articles from the academic and business literature (refrain from sourcing content presented during lectures, nonacademic websites such as Wikipedia)

Assessment Learning Outcomes (LOs)

LO1: Strategic Environmental Analysis

Critically analyse Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)’s internal resources, capabilities, and external environment using strategic management concepts and frameworks (e.g., PESTEL or Porter’s Five Forces).

LO2: Ethical, Sustainable, and Responsible Practices
Critically assess how HUL can integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and ethical practices into its business strategy, based on your analysis in LO1.

LO3: Evaluating Strategic Options in a Complex Global Environment

Critically evaluate HUL’s strategic responses to challenges identified in LO1 and LO2 (e.g., climate change, AI, digital disruption).

LO4: Reflection on Personal Leadership and Sustainability Perspective
Reflect on the leadership approaches observed in LO1, LO2 and LO3 and how this will influence your own career development. Reflect on your personal development, career goals and aspiration which can be achieved by attaining a good profession as well as furthering future career progression through newly acquired Personal Leadership Skills)

Assessment Guidelines

Introduction:

• Introduce the organisation and provide a brief context of your report.

LO1: Strategic Environmental Analysis:

•  Use one model for the internal and one model for the external environment analysis.
•  From the environmental analyses, briefly indicate/note the internal competencies and external
  opportunities and threats.
• Include a critical analysis on how HUL may respond the dynamic and complex market forces in any key
  regions (e.g. European Union (EU), Asia, North America).
• There should be brief suggestions made indicatively, to show the complexities found in the complex business
  environment. A sentence for each suggestion will suffice.
• These indicative suggestion(s) can be expanded when completing subsequent LOs as they come up.
• Mention some sources of competitive advantage that can be deduced from the study of the internal
  environment.

LO2: Ethical, Sustainable, and Responsible Practices:

•  Use one model such as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) or Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) to assess HUL’s approach to either its CSR, sustainability, or ethical practices (choose only one) in response to the global concerns identified in LO1.
• From this evaluation, highlight how HUL’s leadership has used a framework to shape or respond to these practices. Include stakeholder engagement (e.g., suppliers, customers, NGOs) and the impact of regulatory frameworks, e.g., United Nations Sustainable Development Goals UNSDGs, European Union (EU) legislation.
• In the discussion above, use one of HUL’s sustainability initiatives such as product lifecycle management, eco-design principles, renewable energy integration, or supply chain transparency. The discussion should be brief.

LO3: Evaluating Strategic Options in a Complex Global Environment:

• Apply one strategic model such as the Ansoff Matrix, Blue Ocean Strategy, or VRIO to critically evaluate HUL’s strategic responses to the challenges identified in LO1 and LO2 (e.g., climate change, digital disruption, AI).
•  From this evaluation, suggest appropriate strategic options that would enhance HUL’s long-term sustainable competitive advantage, global competitiveness, and market relevance.

LO4: Reflection on Personal Leadership and Sustainability Perspective:

Guidance for Completing the Reflective Task

Conclusion

Provide a conclusion summarising your recommended changes that HUL should implement to improve its
organisational strategy and sustainability initiatives.

Report Structure
• Cover page (BPP University Administration Cover Sheet)
• Table of Contents
• List of Abbreviations (if appropriate)
• Introduction (Suggested word allocation: 50 words)

3. Marking Guide

This is assignment is marked out of 100 and counts towards 100% of your module mark. The following table shows the tasks, marks and marking rubric: