This module aims to develop an understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility principles, theories, and frameworks and how they apply to management contexts. Students will learn to strategically integrate CSR into business operations, aligning social and environmental responsibilities with corporate goals and strategies. They will be equipped to analyze and resolve ethical dilemmas in business, fostering a strong ethical compass in their practices. The module emphasizes the importance of engaging with diverse stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and investors, and develops skills to manage these relationships effectively. Students will gain knowledge in sustainability reporting practices and learn how to communicate CSR initiatives and achievements effectively to various stakeholders. They will explore how CSR can be integrated into corporate strategies.
Finally, the module aims to develop leadership skills to champion CSR initiatives within organizations, fostering a culture of responsibility and sustainability. By achieving these objectives, students will be well-prepared to implement and manage CSR practices effectively within organisations, contributing to both business success and societal well-being.
There are no specific skills or pre-requisites required for this course.
The module draws upon engaging and interactive lectures with a reaserch-informed approach and employability-oriented tractions. In class assignments and practical case-studies along with in class reading time and critical discussions will enrich the students' learning experience. The directed study component is designed to enhance the taught and post taught input.
Course's attendance is not compulsory but highly recommended. In the case in which the course will be taught completely or partly on distance, the course syllabus will be slightly or significantly changed to make it suited for online teaching and learning.
Attending students
1. Group/individual assignments during the course (50 % of course grade)
2.Final examination – TEST composed by 30 questions (50 % of course grade, based on the course textbook and the other course readings)
Non-attending students will have to take an exam divided into two partes: 1. a test consisting of 30 multiple choice questions, composing the 50% of the exam.
2. four open questions composing the other half of the exam. Students will have 90 minutes to finish the exam.
This module will cover the following topics: - Introduction to CSR for management and marketing; - Theoretical overview of CSR; - Shift from corporate responsibility to corporate accountability; -Stakeholder theory and Stakeholder management; -Agency theory; - Institutional theory; - Legitimacy theory; - CSR and Sustainability issues: how business is responding to the challenge of sustainable development and SDGs; - Strategic CSR; - How companies may manage CSR challenges; Sustainability Reporting and Accounting; - Emergence of CSR-related legislations; - Future trend in CSR for management.
Course handouts will be available on the elearning platform (Moodle space).
