MAN4941 Management Internship
Business Sustainability Assignment Research Paper and Proposal Presentation
This paper will require you to look at a business topic in a slightly different way. Up to this point, we have been learning about specific business topics that are designed with purely economic purposes in mind. I would now like for you to think of economics along with intangible benefits from the 3P’s approach (Profit, Planet and People) perspectives for this assignment. This approach is known as sustainability in business. The future business functions you will manage and build will treat each of these three P’s as equally important.

The objective of this assignment is to create one seamless paper and a proposal presentation on the topic of sustainability in business in relation to sustainable transportation. You will complete 6 Phases of this assignment for the term, each building on the other to get you to the final paper and presentation. The final paper will cover all areas outlined below, consist of 14 pages, plus proposal presentation and be APA formatted. In addition, it will include a cover page and reference section. Descriptive diagrams and tables are encouraged. APA formatting will be graded heavily, I am including resources for you to use at the end of this document.

Phase 1a:
Get to know a little about sustainability.
The following three videos build on the topic of sustainability and how it is applied in business. Please watch them to gain a basic understanding.

Sustainability easily explained (explainity® explainer video)

Triple bottom line & sustainability: the science of good business

Business Case for Sustainability

Phase 1b:
In part b of phase 1 we will now look at the application of sustainability principles in business. Specifically, the MDC transportation. Please view the following videos and read the articles to understand how these concepts can be applied. Your objective in this phase is to gain an understating and start writing down your basic research that will lead to your findings.

Writing should be 1or more pages in a draft form:
1. Electric vehicles
a. Look at the different emerging technologies
b. Cost of energy technologies (Oil vs solar/wind)
2. Quantify externalities of how we manufacture, use things like cars, and different fuels.
a. Include economics, environmental and societal
b. Pollution, natural environment
c. How we use resources and the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
3. Explore how we manufacture, use things like cars, and different fuels.

Videos:
Southwest Airlines Launches Luv Seat: Repurpose With Purpose

• Repurpose
• Recycle
• Fill a need
Hacking the supply chain: Pete Russell at TEDxAuckland

• The foods commons model
• Buy and distribute locally
• Reduce carbon footprint
How can we strive towards zero waste in global supply chains?

• Zero waste
• Corporate engagement
• Profit generating
Janine Benyus: Entrepreneurship and biomimicry

• Designing business process based on Biomimicry
• Natural systems are solutions for business problems

The following articles are from Nikolas Camejo (the beneficiary of the research project):
How to Compare the Cost of Electric and Gas Cars
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-to-compare-the-cost-of-electric-and-gas-cars

The Real Costs of U.S. Energy
https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/the-real-costs-of-u-s-energy/

Climate economics – costs and benefits
https://eciu.net/analysis/briefings/climate-impacts/climate-economics-costs-and-benefits

Your beneficiary of the research project:
Nikolas Camejo, C.E.M.
Energy & Utility Operations Manager
Facilities Management
Miami Dade College , Kendall Campus
office (305) 237-2740 Cel. (954) 914-2361

Phase 2:
It is now time for you to dive into the research and create a focus. Even though we are learning about sustainability, a business cannot continue to perpetuate itself without generating a profit or creating value for its customers. Your objective as a business is to do the right things and generate a profit or create value. I have included articles from GreenBiz that you can read to help stimulate some ideas. Please do more research on your own. Your tasks are:
1. Choose an organization you would like to work in. (I have selected Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Transportation Department. From here, this will be your focus.)
2. Select an area to focus your research that you will create and balance the concepts of the 3P’s. (The topic area will be; “What is the practicality of electrifying all or part of Miami Dade College’s petroleum based transportation. Also, a review of the transportation habits of students will be examined to include vehicle, public transportation and online usage.”)
3. Describe who Miami Dade College customers are, how MDC is currently good stewards of the environment and benefit the community. (Locally/Globally)
4. Research and discuss the real cost of a gallon of gasoline. (All externalities.)
5. What does our economic system face regarding expanding transportation needs?
6. Describe the organization’s strategy.
7. Describe the nature of college’s infrastructure to teach students and offer support as well as activities for its students. (Compare to other institutions.)
8. Generally, how does the transportation system work for internal use and students that attend?
9. Describe the basic issues they face regarding transportation. (Consider financial, operational, infrastructure, regulations, social pressure.)

Deliverable:
A Three-page paper, APA formatted that explains each of these areas.

Phase 3:
In this phase we are now specifically looking at who is involved and where are they are in the process. Based on your research please provide the following:
1. Create diagram(s) that defines your organizational structure both internally and externally.
• Stakeholders
• Partners (Business, NGOs etc.)
• Governments
• Etc.
2. A single person in the organization cannot do it alone. How will you address corporate engagement and ethics in your organization?
• Executives
• Managerial
• Employee
• Partners
• Students
3. Now write up how your organization will be socially and environmentally responsible (this has been addressed in Phase 2, now expand and merge with the paper.)
4. Discuss the beneficiaries of your business and short and long term impact.
5. What relationship do they have with government?
6. Describe the manufacturing, logistics and transportation model.
• Benefits and challenges (its impact)
• Strategic approach
7. Electric vehicles for campuses
a. Type
b. Value
c. Benefit
d. Charging infrastructure
e. Cost benefit calculations for transportation department and students vehicle use (Student example: 100,000 students 4 days/week coming to school what if we reduced to 1 day per week?)
f. Describe and justify the benefit?
8. Quantify externalities.
a. Include economics, environmental and societal
b. Pollution, natural environment
c. How we use resources and the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
d. Use Green House Gases (GHG), Carbon footprint, economic effects of vehicle us vs online classes.
9. Set five specific goals.
10. Develop an operational plan.
a. Time frames
b. Who is involved
c. Barriers
d. Marketing

Deliverable:
This section should be a minimum of 6 pages, APA formatted that explains each of these areas.

Phase 4:
A business that engages in sustainable practices who wishes to continue over a long period of time must understand its strengths and weaknesses. We will examine this through SWOT analysis. Just as important is that we are prepared for any setbacks. In this phase we will also develop contingencies to ensure that continuity in the business maintained.

1. Do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the transportation processes at MDC.
2. Based on the outcome of the SWOT identify and describe various alternative approaches or contingencies.
3. Write up your findings.
4. Develop a conclusion.

Deliverable:
This section should be a minimum of 4 pages, APA formatted that explains each of these areas.

Phase 5: (Final Written Phase)
Now it is time to incorporate all of the sections into one seamless paper. In the final paper, please add the requested topics to the previous paper sections to create a 14 page paper. In addition, include a cover page and reference section. You can include descriptive diagrams and tables. APA formatting will be graded heavily.

Phase 6: (Final Presentation Phase)
You have created an amazing research paper and it is time to show off your work. This phase will present your findings to the beneficiary. This presentation must be professional that includes slides and recorded audio. Incorporate all of the sections describes in the outline below.

Section 1
1. Introduction
2. Describe the purpose of this research and whom it was designed for.

Section 2 – Organization Selection
1. Creating Understanding –
2. What are the fundamentals about the organization?
a. Size of organization
b. Management
c. Services offered
d. Customers
e. Suppliers
f. Competitors
g. Challenges etc.
3. Define a the research
4. What was the issue?
5. The scale of the problem
6. Define the problem.
7. Break down the cause to the root cause.

Section 3 – The Problem
1. Identify Solutions
a. Develop and list of solutions that could practically work.
b. The more solution to choose from the higher the likely hood a quality solution will be found.
c. Predict unintended consequences.
2. Availability of Resources
a. What are the resources and are they available to you for this project.
b. Is there a cost of money, time or effort?
3. Prioritize solutions
a. Is it a reasonable solution that can be done now.
b. Does it have to be done over a longer time period
c. Evaluate cost.
d. What is the complexity?
4. Timeline
a. Develop a set of time lines for each solution.
5. Make the decision
a. Select a solution
b. Decide on a course of action.
c. Set a specific deadline for solving the problem.
6. Assign responsibility
a. Who is going to carry out what functions of the solution to solve the problem?
7. Measure for Success
a. What measure will be used to let you know that the goal has been reached?
b. A complex problem solution will have multiple milestones indicate them.
Deliverables:
• Presentation Proposal.
• Could be as many as 7 slides or more.

Resources

By Shana Rappaport
Director of Engagement, VERGE
This week, the GreenBiz Team took a few hours off to celebrate Halloween and get spirited as a team.
Part of the magic of this holiday is, of course, the opportunity to express different parts of ourselves — costumes and all, which is what we did. I used it as an opportunity to celebrate, and elevate, what I see as most needed in the world: Systems thinking and dot connecting. That’s why I came in dressed as a Special Agent of the DDC: Department of Dot Connecting.
So, let me live up to that alter ego by connecting some dots:
Take, for example, the dots between food and water systems. A handful of iconic brands, representing over $123 billion in annual revenue, just took WWF’s AgWater Challenge to address embedded risks in their supply chains.
Or the dots between sustainability and corporate boards. Companies like Mars are integrating science-based targets into the core of their strategy — recognizing that committing to working within ecological limits better prepares them to lead, and succeed, in a low-carbon economy.
Or even the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change — there’s more than meets the eye.

How the oil and gas industry can help save the world

By:
Patrick Doherty
Royal Dutch Shell, SABIC and Dow/DuPont are already making strategic moves.
Read more

Closing the Gap Between Risk and Sustainability
A GreenBiz-Marsh & McLennan Companies’ Webcast: Nov 8. at 1 pm ET
Join speakers from Akmai, Starbucks and Marsh & McLennan Companies in an interactive webcast, where you will learn how to effectively identify, assess, respond to and manage the strategic and operational risks and opportunities presented by sustainability-related issues in a changing business environment. Register Today!
www.thenewgrandstrategy.com
Risky Business
Small business backs new climate disaster legislation

By:
Zach Bernstein
To mitigate major hurricanes, floods and fires, hope for the best and plan for the worst.
Read more

22 insurers seriously assess climate risk — does yours?

By:
Barbara Grady
Munich Re, Swiss Re, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Prudential, Travelers and the Hartford are found to give high-quality assessment of climate risks. But most insurers do not.
Read more

Diageo, PepsiCo make the connection on food-water risk

By:
Tom Dillon
Ceres and WWF hope that more companies will join this wake-up call to the water risks in supply chains.
Read more

Don’t downplay the SDGs: The risky business of license to operate

By:
Alejandro Litovsky
Incremental self-policing won’t cut it when it comes to the implications of sustainable development.
Read more

Advertisement:

Energy Matters
4 ways to motivate people to warm to community solar

By:
Sara Morse
A marketing expert shares secrets for selling a framework that can be tricky to grasp.
Read more

Energy leaders advance at REM16, EPA Green Power Partner Awards

By:
Pete May
Big corporations are driving more and more clean energy purchases, as shown at the Renewable Energy Markets event.
Read more

The plurality of ‘the next big thing’

By:
Rob Gaudette
Sponsored story: NRG Energy takes a nuanced perspective on innovation in electricity markets.
Read more

How did Germany get its energy transition right?

By:
Kate Meis
Germany’s 40-year transition to high renewable energy use, from feed-in tariffs to community renewables — and what America can learn.
Read more

The last mile on clean energy in the Northeast

By:
Peter Kelly-Detwiler
The region is leading the nation’s energy transformation. How will technology and policy drive a carbon-free economy?
Read more

Scaling Success in Energy Management
A GreenBiz-Environmental Defense Fund Webcast: Nov 15 at 1 pm ET
Investment in building energy efficiency has more than doubled between 2006 and 2014, from $7 billion to $16 billion. A new comprehensive report from the Environmental Defense Fund highlights trends and opportunities for companies to scale up energy projects and achieve better return on investment. Featuring a customer perspective from Comcast, register for this webcast to learn more!
Research
Building Energy Benchmarking & Transparency Laws
Success Story- Eneco
Connected and Efficient Building
Ultimate List to Building Optimization
Advanced Guide To Maximizing The Performance Of Older Buildings (eBook)
Success Story- Bank of China
Building Information Modeling and Intelligent Green Buildings