An executive summary which gives a brief overview of the

argument in your report including key findings and conclusions.

A contents page which lists the sections and the page numbers.
An introduction which gives an overview of the structure of your
report.
A brief overview and analysis of ethical consumerism,
identifying the examples of some of the products which fall into the
ethical category. You must include a definition of ethical consumerism
and arguments as to why it is a good strategy for businesses to
adopt.
A detailed review of one company claiming to operate ethically.
Discuss the approach(es) they have used to become a more socially
conscious business, linking this with their ethics and values.
The results of a short opinion survey on what influences
consumer buying behaviour, carried out by you from a small sample
of 10-15 students at GSM London. You need to conduct primary
research for this section.
A conclusion which includes critical evaluation of ethical
consumerism based on the evidence that you have gathered both
from your primary and secondary research, focusing on the company
you have chosen for detailed review.
Recommendations as to how your company could become more
ethical.
You must include a references list after the main body of the report.
Remember to use Harvard referencing where appropriate.
A copy of your opinion survey should be included in an appendix.

Word limit: Not more than 2000 +/- 10%

A suggested word count for each section is given below.
Executive summary
Introduction
Ethical consumerism
Company review
Opinion survey
Conclusion
Recommendations

100 words
200 words
400 words
600 words
400 words (not including
survey/tables etc.)
200 words
100 words

Supporting material is on GSM Learn, but you will be expected to undertake

research using newspaper/magazine/web articles, journals and text books.
There will also be input in class time to assist you with the topic.

A brief introduction to ethical consumerism

On April 24 2013, a building known as the Rana Plaza collapsed on top of
garment workers inside its factories, killing more than 1,100 people and
injuring 2,500. It would be known as the worst ever accident in the garment
industry anywhere in the world.
It was later discovered that 28 brands that sourced clothes from the plaza
included Primark, Benetton, Mango, Matalan and Bonmarch, prompting
public concern about the working conditions of garment factories around the
world which contribute to western high street fashion stores.
Ethical consumerism encourages people to think about how the products
they buy are sourced and produced and which are not harmful to the
environment and society. This