Studying at York
Corporate Social Responsibility - ENV00043M
Module summary
This module will introduce students to the links between business ethics, corporate activities, globalisation, risk and the environment.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching cycle |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2017-18 to Spring Term 2017-18 |
Module aims
Whilst much of the CSR literature focuses upon the social responsibilities of companies, including the ethical conflicts their activities raise, such developments are often viewed in isolation from broader societal changes. The module’s aims are to:
- Examine the link between corporate activities, globalisation and the environment.
- Introduce the student to the major challenges faced by decision makers when they attempt to implement CSR policies in the real world.
- Introduce the student to some of the decision makers in a variety of organisations (e.g. NGOs, SMEs and multinational companies) that implement best in class CSR policies or help those organisations achieve their CSR objectives.
Module learning outcomes
On completion of the module, students will be:
- familiar with the conceptual frameworks and theories of business ethics and CSR;
- able to assess the CSR performance of an organisation and develop a programme to improve it;
- able to critically analyse the factors involved in developing, deploying and monitoring CSR policies in real world situations, such as trade-offs, organisational changes and financial implications
- able to engage confidently in academic and professional communication (both orally and written), reporting on action clearly, autonomously and competently.
Module content
The module is delivered in autumn and spring terms.
- Autumn Term (theory): Theories of CSR and business ethics
- Spring Term (practical) 8 lectures from corporate CSR directors and executives and 8 guided seminars where the students will be asked to reflect on the talks in groups
Assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Project Report: 3000 words |
N/A | 50 |
| University - closed examination Corporate Social Responsibility |
2 hours | 50 |
Special assessment rules
None
Reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework Extended essay question (open) 3000 words |
N/A | 100 |
Module feedback
Generic written and/or verbal feedback to whole class as well as detailed comments on individual work. Return within 4 weeks of submission.
Indicative reading
Blowfield, M. and Murray, A. (2008). Corporate Responsibility. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Ciulla, J., Martin, C. and Solomon, R. (2007). Honest Work: A Business Ethics Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London: Sage
Bakan, J. (2004) The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. London: Constable and Robinson
Carroll, A. B. (1991) The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders. Business Horizons, July-August, pp.39-48.
Crane, A. and D. Matten (2007) Business Ethics (second edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Vogel, David (2005) The Market for Virtue: The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility. Washington: The Brookings Institution
