Assignment 3: Ethics and Sustainability Case COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Purpose: A core element of business is the practice of analyzing a problem, understanding its root causes through application of key concepts and frameworks, and making well-supported recommendations on how to solve the problem. Case studies are useful in simulating real business situations and providing you with opportunities to practise what you have learned. This assignment is a closed case (i.e. no additional research permitted beyond what is provided to you) that will require you to step into a decision maker’s role in analyzing a real-life business story with complex ethical, social, environmental, and economic considerations. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Learning Objectives: Take an ethical and responsible approach to business to identify inherent opportunities and risks in a complex scenario. Take a long-term view in framing business analysis and decision-making. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guidelines: Submit on Canvas through the assignment dropbox. Convert your documents to PDF and combine all parts into a single PDF file for upload. Multiple files will not be accepted It is worth 25% of your overall course grade in COMM 105. . Use single-spaced 11-point Arial font, 1-inch (2.54cm) page margins, and 8.5x11 inch pages (except for your appendices, which may be 9-point font or larger). Ensure your assignment is easy to read. Use section headers to organize your assignment. Bold and italicize any course concept or framework that you reference in your work. File naming convention: Last5NumbersOfStudent#-Sec#-AssignmentName.pdf (e.g. 12345-Sec101-EthicsAndSustainabilityCase.pdf). This is an individual assignment. UBC policies regarding academic integrity and plagiarism apply. You may not work on this project with others. AI is not permitted for this assignment. You may not use ChatGPT or other large language models for this assignment. The use of AI tools will be considered cheating; see 3.b(iv) of the Vancouver Academic Calendar. Keep all drafts and notes in case you are asked to demonstrate that you created this assignment without AI. Use a word processor that tracks edits (e.g. turn on Track Changes in Microsoft Word, or use Version History in Google Docs, etc.). Assignment components: ● Page 1: Cover Page ● Pages 2-4: Case Write-Up ● Page 5: Appendix ● Page 6+: References ListAssignment 3: Ethics and Sustainability Case COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Instructions: Page 1: Cover Page Include the assignment title, your COMM 105 section number, and the last five digits of your student number. We will be uploading assignments to Turnitin, so to protect your privacy, please do not include your full name or full student number anywhere in your assignment. View a sample cover page here. Page 2-4: Case Write-Up (2.5 pages maximum) To access the case, click on the “Ethics and Sustainability Case Website” link in Canvas. Then, make a recommendation based on this case question: Your task is to take on the role of a Responsible Investment Analyst at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in 2019, faced with the decision of whether or not CIBC should invest in LNG Canada according to its principles of long-term environmentally and socially responsible action. Make a recommendation: either invest in the project, or do not invest. ● Assume the financial prospects of the investment (e.g. credit rating and risk-return ratio) are comparable to other profitable investment opportunities available to CIBC in BC. ● Assume that other possible projects that CIBC might invest in would have complex social and environmental issues, just like the issues described in this case. In other words, the opportunity cost of this investment would be another imperfect project that has its own benefits, drawbacks, risks, and tensions just like LNG Canada. ● Your recommendation to either invest or not invest must be based on analysis of the situation based on the information provided on the case website, and supported by the concepts and frameworks covered so far in COMM 105. To build a rational and persuasive argument for a chosen recommendation, your case analysis will use the IAR (Issues – Analysis – Recommendations) framework of case methodology: ● Issues (aim for ½ page): Clearly identify 3-4 key issue(s) related to LNG Canada that would help CIBC determine whether they should invest in LNG Canada. Issues can be positive or negative.Give each issue a short name or title, and give each issue a short 2-3 sentence description that justifies why you have selected the issue as a priority. Your issues will likely be under the broad categories of Environmental or Social & Indigenous. Your issues should be more specific than these categories; for example, “fugitive emissions” is appropriately specific, though it’s up to you to consider whether you would prioritize this as one of the most important issues in the case. ● Analysis (aim for 1 ½ pages): To support your decision of whether or not CIBC should invest in LNG Canada, apply analytical tools, frameworks, and concepts from the course. Like any investment, this project has benefits and drawbacks, and a strong analysis will consider the pros and cons. While your analysis will likely go beyond a discussion of the 3-4 issues you identified, ensure that you emphasize your issues (as you have already justified why they are important). Making unfounded assumptions or giving your opinion are not sufficient; focus on evidence-based analysis. Describe which ethical framework(s)/lenses from our Business Ethics 1 lesson you feel are most relevant in helping to determine whether this is a responsible investment. ● Recommendation (aim for ½ page): Based on your analysis, choose either to invest or to not invest, and briefly summarize why this would best address your 3-4 issues.Assignment 3: Ethics and Sustainability Case COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The page limits for each of the Issues, Analysis, and Recommendations sections are guidelines, not requirements, but you must not exceed 2.5 pages total for your case write-up. Write this section in the third-person narrative voice. Even though you will provide your own analysis, it is standard business practice to write in an impersonal voice. For example, instead of “I think the company should…”, write “The company should…”. Page 5: Appendix You have up to one page to include exhibits, diagrams, or charts to support your analysis. This would likely include your application of frameworks, concepts, or tools from class. Diagrams or charts should only appear in your appendix, and not in your case write-up. Appendices should be labelled and titled, e.g. “Appendix A: Managing for Stakeholders Analysis”. Appendices must be referenced in the body of the memo, e.g. “see Appendix A for a full Managing for Stakeholders analysis”). Do not add a page of random graphics that is not mentioned in your case write-up. It is helpful to demonstrate how you have used the framework as part of your analysis. For example, instead of including an image of the Managing for Stakeholders diagram, outline the important stakeholders for the case and why they are relevant. Only include items in your appendix if they add value to your analysis and recommendations. The appendix must be a useful tool for the reader; it is not a “scrap bin” for information you could not fit in the body of your assignment. Page 6+: References List This assignment is a closed case and does not allow outside research. You can only use details that are included directly on the case website; do not click on the hyperlinked resources. You cannot use your own personal knowledge as part of your analysis. You are not permitted to reference external images, ideas, or analytical tools that have not been discussed in COMM 105. However, some situations may require citations and references: ● You are directly quoting from the course website (i.e. facts and statistics do not need to be cited, but quotes of phrases or full sentences do, to identify that these phrases or sentences are not your own words). If you quote something from an outside source that is referenced on the case website, cite the outside source, and not the case website. ● Format all in-text citations and references using APA style, 7th edition. ● APA-style. formatting for the case website in-text citation: (“LNG Canada Case”, 2025) ● APA-style. formatting for the case website reference: LNG Canada Case. (2025). Canvas@UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca ● Course concepts (e.g. from prep materials, video lectures, or lecture slides) do not need an APA citation or reference as long as you are not directly quoting from these materials. However, you must bold and italicize each course concept that you reference. For example, “Based on the Managing for Stakeholders framework, it’s clear that…“ There is no limit to the number of pages of your References List. If you do not directly quote the case website, you do not need to include a References List. It is your responsibility to learn how to use the APA format. Assignments that are inadequately referenced (either lacking detail or using improper format) may be returned for correction and will be subject to penalties, including possible academic misconduct investigations.Assignment 3: Ethics and Sustainability Case COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Grading (25% of course grade): Criteria Points Issues: Are 3-4 key issues clearly stated, relevant to the case, and related to the environmental or social & Indigenous impacts of the project? Are course concepts are/or case facts used to justify your choice of issues? 10 Analysis - Overall: Does your analysis of whether or not CIBC should invest in the LNG Canada project consider the benefits and drawbacks of the investment from both an environmental and social & Indigenous perspective? Is your analysis persuasive and anchored in evidence from the case? Does your analysis focus on the 3-4 issues you defined in your Issues section? Have you described which ethical framework(s)/len(ses) are relevant for CIBC to determine whether this would be considered a responsible investment? 15 Analysis - Course Concepts: Do you apply at least three course frameworks, tools, or concepts in your analysis section? Have you shown an understanding of each concept, and are your chosen concepts relevant and have they made your analysis more persuasive? 10 Recommendations: Is your recommendation connected to the key issues stated at the beginning of the paper? Is it reinforced with a brief and confident summary statement which synthesizes the most important parts of your analysis? 5 Professionalism Deductions: ● Up to -4 points: Formatting instructions not followed (file title, font, font size, margins, etc.), sections in incorrect order, unclear or inconsistent formatting (overly-long paragraphs, lack of headings, blank pages, etc.) ● Up to -4 points: Spelling or grammatical errors ● Up to -8 points: Going over page limits or word counts ● -0.5 points: Including your full name or full student number in your work ● -0.5 points: For each APA citation or reference mistake Up to -12 (30% of max score) Each of the Criteria will be graded using the following scale: Far Below Expectations 0-49% Below Expectations 50-69% Meets Expectations 70-79% Exceeds Expectations 80-100% It is your responsibility to upload your submission on time, and to ensure that you have uploaded the correct file to the Canvas assignment page. Review the COMM 105 course syllabus on Canvas for a reminder of the late assignment submission policy.Assignment 3: Ethics and Sustainability Case COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Assignment Tips: Case analysis is challenging - and this is likely the first major case you will be analyzing. There is no one, single “correct” answer to this case. We are interested in your framing of the issues, choice of information, analysis, connection to course concepts, rationale, and recommendations. Given the complexity of the issues in this case, the recommendation either to invest or to not invest can both score well if argued persuasively using course concepts, facts from the case, and logical argumentation. You can frame. the issues from CIBC’s perspective as a responsible investor or as general environmental or social & Indigenous issues connected to LNG Canada. Either approach is acceptable, as both ultimately tie back to CIBC’s decision-making process The case has asked you not to consider the financial return of investment to CIBC. However, when evaluating whether LNG Canada would be a responsible investment, you could consider the economic impact to stakeholders of the case, given the connection between positive economic outcomes and positive social outcomes. Linkage of concepts or frameworks used to their application is imperative for a top grade. Saying you would “analyze the ethical issues” or “do a stakeholder analysis” is not specific enough to be useful. Mentioning a concept or framework is not the point; your objective is to gain insights by demonstrating the correct application of an appropriate concept or framework. It is important to be specific. Case memos that use concrete, specific facts from the case website demonstrate a more detailed and nuanced argument. While you can assume that your reader is familiar with the case, do not assume that they have memorized all of the case facts; rather, your use of relevant case facts adds evidence to your argument. Do not “bias” your analysis to match your recommendation (of investing or not investing in LNG Canada). Write your analysis as if you haven't decided on your recommendation yet. In other words, include all significant positive and negative reasons why this would (or would not) be a suitable project for CIBC to invest in. Some discussion questions to help you start framing your analysis of this situation: ● What are the triple-bottom-line (environmental, social, and economic) impacts of the LNG Canada project? ● What ethical factors need to be considered when making this investment decision? ● Does investment in this project fit with CIBC’s Responsible Banking guidelines? Note: Do not simply answer these discussion questions in your paper; rather, use your answers to guide your analysis and think about alternatives and recommendations in an integrated way. Remember, this case is set in 2019, not the present day. Details about LNG Canada later than 2019 are not relevant. Do not use external research in this assignment. References to facts that are not included on the case website will significantly impact your score We have not provided an exemplar for this assignment, as we are interested in your own independent thought. However, you can check Canvas for a sample case template document. The case will be discussed in class after the submission deadline. You are encouraged to have your notes handy (or a copy of your submission) to allow you to contribute to these discussions.