International Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• How CSR is defined by a company and embedded into management practices and company policies.
• The main ethical concepts/theories.
• The social and environmental impacts of business.
• Different theories such as stakeholder theory and institutional theory and their applications in international business environment.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical thinking by presenting different points of view.
• Develop skills in group work and group discussions for the class based group exercises.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Critically evaluate the role and effectiveness of specific CSR initiatives and sustainable business models.
• Understand and critically analyse the concept of CSR.
• Apply logical and critical analysis to complex ethical issues.

• Ethical theories and responsible management practices
• What is CSR: Carroll model, CSR activities, distinction between responsible business practices and corporate philanthropy?
• Drivers for CSR from society: globalisation, power of corporations, lack of international regulation, human rights issues, poverty/inequity, externalities, sustainability and climate change.
• Drivers for CSR from business: reputation, eco-efficiency, stakeholder pressure (e.g. customers, employees), regulatory pressure, legitimacy concerns.
• Corporate governance
• CSR as soft regulation: ISO26001, ISO14001, UNPRME, codes of conduct.
• CSR reporting and verification.
• Stakeholder theory and practice (i.e. critically assess stakeholder theory and its implications in the international context).
• Institutional theory
• Alternative business models (e.g. co-ops, social enterprise, stakeholder boards).
• Sustainable business models – how to integrate CSR and sustainability into Human Resource and management practices.

Teaching methods will combine lectures with practical exercises and class discussions. Students will be exposed to multiple perspectives (business, NGOs, accreditation and rating agencies and other stakeholders).

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Feedback

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: The module includes various class exercises and group exercises (e.g. case studies, role playing) which will allow students to apply the lessons discussed in the lecture. Moreover, students will get an opportunity to review previous year’s exam scripts. These exercises allow students receiving feedback from their peers and tutors.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.