CSR Implementation and Its Impact on the Competitive Position of Cadbury

Programme Title	HND in Business
Cohort	Jan 23-Repeat
Unit Number and Title	Unit 6: Managing a Successful Business Project
Academic Year	March 2024
Unit Tutor	Siddhita Walavalkar, Paul Carrara, Arun Chalise, Mansoor Bilal and Abiola Olatunji
Assignment Title	Planning and implementing a CSR Project to meet sustainable objectives.
Issue Date	8th April 2024
Submission Date	Formative Submission Date: 28th April 2024 Summative Submission Date: 12th May 2024

Student Name:

Student ID:

Introduction

The entire business organisation including Cadbury wants to increase their competitive position. After seeing the awareness about the environment and society among the customers it is very significant for the business organisation to focus on the corporate social responsibilities of their business (Abubakar et al., 2022). The business organisation Cadbury was started in the year 1824, by John Cadbury in Bull Street, Birmingham (Cadbury, 2024). The business needs to concentrate on CSR and its impacts on the environment and society very efficiently. CSR can be defined as the business model that can be implemented by various business organisations to reduce their undesirable effects on the atmosphere and society and increase their positive impacts. CSR can be the biggest reason for the competitive advantage of leading organisations.

Fact sheet

Evolution of project management methodologies and importance

There is a huge gap between old-style, agile and fusion approaches in project management methodologies, thus becoming agile and hybrid models that suit the rapidly changing business environment (Costantini et al., 2020). The variety of project management methodologies gives a company the advantage in organisational success by providing the outputs on time and within budget as well as of the stakeholders' expectations. They are masters in the proper utilisation of resources and reduction of risks, and they operate quickly. The good performances of the project are due to the skills like effective leadership, better communication, the entrepreneurs' ability to find solutions and technical skills. The main functions in the project are played by project managers who are parties to the entire procedure (Blair et al., 2023). Team leaders are responsible for specific things and Stakeholders are the ideas born and the backers. As the projects are becoming more complex the necessity for project management professionals is seen more challenging them to find new and different market approaches.

Project lifecycle and its stages

Initiation

The very initial stage is the identification stage which is intended for the project analysis to measure its credibility and likely value. The project's objectives, scope, and high-level requirements are outlined by the stakeholders (Nicholas and Steyn, 2020). The project charter that sets out the project's purposes, defining the goals and key stakeholders is being prepared. This phase basically acts as a foundation for future developments.

Planning

After the project proposal has been accepted the real work becomes at this stage. The project manager is the one who comes up with a detailed plan, sets deadlines, draws up a budget, allocates the necessary resources, and outlines a risk management strategy (Nicholas and Steyn, 2020). The specified deliverables, milestones, and quality standards are commonly the product. This period serves as a pathway for the team to go into the future so that everyone can be aware and know what is expected of them.

Execution

At this stage, the project plan is actually carried out. Team members who are recognised for their particular assignments participate in the creation of the project's output and regularly keep on working to achieve the plan goals (Ershadi et al., 2020). The project manager does the coordination the team, manages resources, and connects the team with the stakeholders using communication strategies.

Closure

The project is closed formally at the last stage. The client or end-users are given the final products and all project documentation is then finished. The people in question will conduct an after-project analysis to bring out the strengths, the difficulties, and the lessons that are taught (Ershadi et al., 2020). These reflections will help to improve the quality of project management in the future.

Research methods and strategies

Data Collection Primary

This research is to adopt the primary data coaction. The primary data collection method involves gathering new, original data directly from the sources to the specific problem at hand (Åkerblad et al., 2021). This method can help the research to increase the accuracy of the research.

Research Approach

This research is based on the deductive research approach. Deductive research adopts the course from general theories or hypotheses to correct observations or conclusions (Pandey and Pandey, 2021). The deductive method is commonly used in quantitative research and suits scientific studies where there are established theories to be either confirmed or discarded by observation.

Research Strategy

This research is based on the survey research strategy. A survey research strategy is a way of gathering information and insights from a community of people who have been pre-identified in various fields (Lavarda and Bellucci, 2022). Researchers do this by asking a set of questions and the respondent will answer the questions in real-time. This method is a fast and easy data collection method. A major strength of this data collection method is that it can provide researchers with both quantitative and qualitative data.

Research Methods

For this research study, the researcher is going to adopt the mono method of research. The Mono method can be defined as the usage of a single kind of data. Similar to this, this research is based on Quantitative research methods (Islam and Aldaihani, 2022). This is based on sets of numeric data and numeric analysis. Quantitative methods are typically designed to answer research questions related to the association, development, and cause or effects of one or more phenomena and they primarily use logic for the development of these relationships.

Sampling Methods

This research is going to adopt the random sampling method. Such a method of data collection becomes bias-free because no member of the population is omitted or favoured. These techniques are selected because of their benefits such as reliability.

Time Horizon

The research project time horizon is the time interval over which the experiment is carried out and information is collected (Pandey and Pandey, 2021). This research is going to adopt the cross-sectional Time horizon. In this data is gathered at a single point in time which allows readers to see the variables and relationships among them. The time horizon selection is based on the research purposes, accessible resources, and the nature of the occurrences.

Sample Size

This research portfolio is going to take the responses of the 15 stakeholders of the business organisation Cadburys such as employees and customers.

Data Analysis

The research uses a statistical method of data analysis where Microsoft Excel will be used to examine the collected data. The statistical method of data analysis uses descriptive statistics to represent the data using Microsoft Excel (Pandey and Pandey, 2021). Excel offers a broad range of functions and tools for applying statistical concepts that include but are not limited to descriptive statistics, regression analysis, hypothesis testing, and graphical representation of data by charts and graphs.

Project Management Plan (PMP)

Factors	Descriptions
Research aim	This research aims to identify the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for sustainability and competitive advantage.
Research objectives	To understand the idea of CSR To identify the importance of corporate social responsibility To identify the impacts of CSR on sustainability and competitive advantage To analyse the efficiency of Cadbury in the implementation of CSR strategies.
Research deliverables	The research is delivered in this portfolio in a very well-structured manner. The portfolio contains the introduction to the report as well as the project life cycle (Lindemann et al., 2022). Next, the portfolio contains the research methods that are adopted by the scholar. Apart from this, the portfolio contains the PMP, work breakdown structure and Gantt chart. Apart from this, it also contains the Primary research and its findings, a personal performance review and a project Logbook.
Quality of the research	Maintaining the quality of the report is an essential factor for the researcher as well as for the readers. For the higher quality, the researcher adopted the primary data collection method so that they can analyse the current situation with the help of the stakeholders of the business (Luchini et al., 2021). For the higher quality of the portfolio, the researcher used accurate and relevant questions to collect the data.
Associated risks	It is very essential for the researcher to assess the risk of the portfolio. The primary research is conducted on the related stakeholders of the business Cadbury. Thus the data presented in the report are based on their views and knowledge (Zamani et al., 2024). So there is always a risk of data falsification. Apart from this, the time provided for the research also generates problems in the data. Apart from this for the primary research, the researcher chooses to gather data from the 15 respondents which can increase the risk because of their interest.
Communication resources	To implement an effective project and achieve the result that fulfils all the goals and objectives of the business origination Cadbury, they need to implement an effective communication channel at their workplace. For this, the business organisation can implement communication tools such as emails, presentations, video conferencing methods, charts, images and graphs (Lee, 2021). This can help them to provide all the related information to each and every employee as well as other stakeholders in an effective manner.
Research methods	This portfolio is going to adopt the research method that is primary research. To conduct the primary research effectively the researcher chooses the deductive approach and the survey strategy (Bianchi, 2021). This survey is going to be conducted on the 15 stakeholders that are related to the business organisation Cadbury. This method can help the research to provide the data from the existing time and status of the business.
Cost	The total travel expenses are £85 per month. Travel cost £3.40 per ride on the cab. Internet Access £30.48 per month Mobile data £35. per month The total rate for print paper and notebook is £35 approximately. Printing and essential material £1.00 for photocopying per page.

Business Case

It is very significant for the business organisation to pay attention to CSR implementation at their workplace. By understanding the concept of CSR and analysing its importance for the business and its competitive position the company and their leaders can various benefits from it (Topi? et al., 2021). The major benefits of the efficient implementation of CSR are improved competitive position, sustainable business operations, increased brand image and brand value in the market, higher investment, and increased sales, which also result in higher generation of revenue and increased profitability. Business organisations can also face various challenges in their CSR implementation such as evaluating CSR performance, employee engagement, adoption of CSR strategy and many others (Topi? et al., 2021). The business requires focusing on resolving all this by implementing effective communication at their workplace.

Work Breakdown Structure

The work breakdown structure is the model that is created by breaking down the complex tasks of the project for better implementation (Cerezo-Narváez et al., 2020). This structure for this E-portfolio contains the initiation which is completed in the fact sheet, the preparation of the project which is the project management plan, the Gantt chart and the work breakdown structure as well as the research methodology. The execution phase of the project contains the implementation of primary research and analysis of the collected data in Findings and Discussion. The closure step of this portfolio contains the development of the performance review and completed project Logbook as well as the conclusion of the research.

Gantt chart

The Gantt chart is a visual illustration of the time frame for completing the project (Work, 2022). This cart can help the project management team to analyse their progress according to the divided time for the task.

Task by Week	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Finalise research aim and objectives
Research Methodology
Developing a Project management plan
Work breakdown structure
GANTT chart
Develop questionnaire
Conduct survey
Data analysis
Discussion of Data and Findings
Conclusion
performance review
completed project Logbook
Writing report
Final submission

P
rimary and Secondary Research & Findings

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Slightly aware	15	7	46.7%
Moderately aware	15	5	33.3%
Significantly aware	15	3	20%
Not really	15	0	0%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Slightly aware	15	5	33.3%
Moderately aware	15	7	46.7%
Significantly aware	15	2	13.3%
Not really	15	1	6.7%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Greater sustainability	15	6	40%
Improved brand image	15	3	20%
Provide competitive advantage	15	5	33.3%
Increased Profitability	15	1	6.7%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Positive impacts	15	10	66.7%
Negative impacts	15	1	6.7%
Neutral	15	1	6.7%
Ineffective	15	3	20%

Choices	Members			Respondents		Percentage
Increase competitive position	15			9		60%
Decrease competitive position	15			1		6.7%
Neutral effect	15			3		20%
Ineffective		15	2		13.3%

Choices		Members		Respondents	Percentage
Effective		15		8	53.3%
Neutral		15		3	20%
Ineffective		15		1	6.7%
Do not know	15		3		20%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Always	15	5	33.3%
Sometimes	15	6	40%
Never	15	3	20%
Unaware	15	1	6.7%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Effective	15	9	60%
Neutral	15	4	26.7%
Ineffective	15	0	0%
Do not know	15	2	13.3%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Always	15	8	53.3%
Sometimes	15	6	40%
Never	15	0	0%
Unaware	15	1	6.7%

Choices	Members	Respondents	Percentage
Enhanced employee engagement and job satisfaction	15	7	46.7%
Enhanced the brand image	15	7	46.7%
Increase customers engagement	15	1	6.7%
Increase investors engagement	15	0	0%

Findings and Discussion

The primary research conducted on Cadbury employees and their customers states that their stakeholders are very much aware of the concept of CSR. This research also states that there are only 6.7% of people who are somehow related to Cadbury are not aware of the importance of CSR for business organisations. According to the study, 40% of respondents stated that CSR provides higher sustainability to business operations, 33.3% say that it provides a competitive advantage, and 20% say that it helps the business to improve its brand image. Apart from this total 66.7% of the people say that CSR makes a positive impact on the sustainability of business operations and 60% say that it provides a competitive advantage to the business organisation and helps them to improve their image. Apart from this, the respondents were also enquired to rate the efficiency of the CSR implementations. Around 53.3% of stakeholder say that the business is very effective in the employment of CSR activities at their workplace while only 6.7% say they are ineffective. Respondents are also asked about the training program provided by the company Cadbury to their employees and a response of 33.3% say that businesses provide frequent training to their staffs about CSR while 40% of the employees said that the company sometimes provides the training to them. On the other hand, 21% of the respondents say that the business never provided training regarding CSR strategies. According to the resort, the stakeholders related to the business Cadbury say that the business organisation is very effective in maintaining governance sustainability while 26.7 per cent say that they are in a neutral position. The respondent is also asked about how frequently the business organisation takes feedback from their employees and customers about CSR. Only 53.3% say that the company always or regularly takes feedback regarding CSR, while 40% of respondents say that they take feedback sometimes and 0% choose the option never. On the other hand, 46.7% of respondents say that the CSR implementation at Cadbury can help them improve worker engagement and job fulfilment, Enhance the brand appearance, and Increase customer engagement. The business organisation Cadbury requires gathering feedback from their employees on a regular basis while also providing training opportunities so that they can enhance the employee's engagement as well as customers' engagement in important topics such as CSR.

Personal Performance Review

Student Name

Project Title Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance for sustainability and competitive advantage.

What was the project's imaginary to achieve? The plan was developed to understand the concept of CSR and its importance for the business organisation Cadbury to gain sustainability and competitive advantage.

Did the assignment succeed in its goals? How do you know? According to the writer's opinion, the portfolio has done well in achieving its aims and objectives by analysing the primary data collected by the primary research.

What things do you think worked well and why? According to the writer's opinion, the project was completed in a well-structured manner. Among all the things the primary data collection went well because of the response provided by the employees and customers of the company Cadbury. Apart from this the Gantt chart and work breakdown structure also help the writer to complete the research project effectively.

What problems emerged during the project and how were they tackled? Was there a timely identification of issues and resolution during the project process? During the completion of this portfolio, the writer and the researcher face various challenges such as managing the time to write the report as well as doing the research effectively. It was quite difficult for the writer to complete the portfolio in the given time.

What did you learn from undertaking the project? During the process of completing this report, the writer learns various skills such as communication, Digital literacy and evidence-based decision-making. Apart from this the writer also learns to do primary research effectively.

How would you rate your performance as a Project Manager? After seeing the challenges that occur in the completion of the project and the way in which the writer resolves it, on a scale of one to ten, it can be said that the writer has achieved the six rate.

What strengths and weaknesses of your performance did you identify? During this portfolio, the biggest strength of the writer is my critical thinking and analytical skills. Apart from this the research and communication sector can be considered as the writer's weakness which has to be resolved.

How could your process improve for the future? To improve communication skills the writer is going to join the webinars and seminars and needs to take part in group projects and presentations.

Project Logbook

Student Name
Project Title Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance for sustainability and competitive advantage
Update on weekly research/tasks achieved	I have finished all the tasks related to the project and e-portfolio according to my planning and time frame without changing any point of the plan.
Any risks and/or issues identified?	Because of my average communication skills and research skills, I have faced issues in conducting primary research on the topic of CSR. Apart from this I also faced issues related to analysing the data from the business websites.
Problems encountered	I have faced the problem of average communication skills and research skills. To resolve the problem of primary research I have developed an effective research method by analysing various articles and papers on Google Scholar.

Conclusion

CSR can be defined as the business model that can be implemented by various business organisations to reduce their undesirable impacts on the atmosphere and society and increase their positive impacts. CSR can be the biggest reason for the competitive advantage of leading organisations. All the business origination including Cadbury wants to increase their competitive position. After seeing the awareness about the environment and society among the customers the business organisation desires to pay attention to the corporate social responsibilities of the business. To implement CSR in the workplace the business needs to execute the project plan developed in this report. For the better employment of CSR strategy at the workplace the business needs to take regular feedback from their employees and customers. The business also needs to deliver efficient training to their employees to increase their engagement. By implementing this recommendation, the company can make its business operation more sustainable and can achieve a higher position in the competitive market.

References

Åkerblad, L., Seppänen-Järvelä, R. and Haapakoski, K. (2021) Integrative strategies in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 15(2), pp.152-170.

Bianchi, L. (2021) Exploring ways of defining the relationship between research philosophy and research practice. Journal of Emergent Science, 20, p.32.

Blair, G., Woodcock, H. and Pagano, R. (2023) To Outsource or Not to Outsource: Resource Decision-Making in the Project Management Environment. Journal of Advanced Research in Alternative Energy, Environment and Ecology, 9(3&4), pp.10-20.

Cadbury, (2024) OUR STORY Cadbury [online]. Available from: https://www.cadbury.co.uk/about/history/our-story/ [Accessed 24/09/2025].

Cerezo-Narváez, A., Pastor-Fernández, A., Otero-Mateo, M. and Ballesteros-Pérez, P. (2020) Integration of cost and work breakdown structures in the management of construction projects. Applied sciences, 10(4), p.1386.

Costantini, S., Hall, J. and Rapanotti, L. (2020)Complex project management: using complexity and volatility to guide hybrid methodological practices.

Ershadi, M., Jefferies, M., Davis, P. and Mojtahedi, M. (2020) Towards successful establishment of a project portfolio management system business process management approach. The Journal of Modern Project Management, 8(1).

Islam, M.A. and Aldaihani, F.M.F. (2022) Justification for adopting qualitative research method, research approaches, sampling strategy, sample size, interview method, saturation, and data analysis. Journal of International Business and Management, 5(1), pp.01-11.

Lee, M.R. (2021) Leading virtual project teams: Adapting leadership theories and communications techniques to 21st century organisations. Auerbach Publications.

Lindemann, T., Häberlein, L., Hövel, P. and Jost, F. (2022) of Deliverable: Report on a strategy to engage stakeholders. contract, 12, p.28.

Luchini, C., Veronese, N., Nottegar, A., Shin, J.I., Gentile, G., Granziol, U., Soysal, P., Alexinschi, O., Smith, L. and Solmi, M. (2021) Assessing the quality of studies in meta?research: Review/guidelines on the most important quality assessment tools. Pharmaceutical statistics, 20(1), pp.185-195.

Nicholas, J.M. and Steyn, H. (2020) Project management for engineering, business and technology. Routledge.

Pandey, P. and Pandey, M.M. (2021) Research methodology tools and techniques. Bridge Center.

Abubakar, A., Belwal, S., Mohammed, N. and Mohammed, U.D. (2022) Sustainable competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green behavior strategies. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2022(1), p.3734707.

Topi?, M., Bridge, G. and Tench, R. (2021) Mirroring the zeitgeist: an analysis of CSR policies in the UK’s food, soft drink and packaging industries. Journal of Global Responsibility, 12(1), pp.62-75.

Work, D. (2022) What is Project Management?. Project Management.

Zamani, E.D., Griva, A., Spanaki, K., O'Raghallaigh, P. and Sammon, D. (2024) Making sense of business analytics in project selection and prioritisation: Insights from the start-up trenches. Information Technology & People, 37(2), pp.895-918.

Appendix

Primary research questionnaire

Are you aware of the concept of CSR and their strategies?

1. Slightly aware

2. Moderately aware

3. Significantly aware

4. Not really

Are you mindful of the importance of CSR for the business?

1. Slightly aware

2. Moderately aware

3. Significantly aware

4. Not really

What are the greatest benefits of CSR implementation at the organisation?

1. Greater sustainability

2. Improved brand image

3. Provide competitive advantage

4. Increased Profitability

Does CSR make an impact on the sustainability of the organisation?

1. Positive impacts

2. Negative impacts

3. Neutral

4. Ineffective

Does CSR affect the competitive position of the organisation?

1. Increase competitive position

2. Decrease competitive position

3. Neutral effect

4. Ineffective

How would you position the company Cadbury in terms of the effectiveness of CSR initiatives?

1. Effective

2. Neutral

3. Ineffective

4. Don’t know

Does the company Cadbury provide CSR training to their employee?

1. Always

2. Sometimes

3. Never

4. Unaware

According to your opinions, how efficiently does Cadbury maintain governance sustainability?

1. Effective

2. Neutral

3. Ineffective

4. Do not know

Does Cadbury actively gather feedback from employees regarding CSR?

1. Always

2. Sometimes

3. Never

4. Unaware

. How have CSR initiatives influenced the environment of Cadbury?

1. Enhanced employee engagement and job satisfaction

2. Enhanced the brand image

3. Increase customers engagement

4. Increase investors engagement