Unit information: Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability in 2014/15

Unit name	Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Unit code	EFIM30012
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Dr. Phillips
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Principles of Management (ECON22650) OR Fundamentals of Organisational Theory (ECON22651)
Co-requisites	None.
School/department	School of Management - Business School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability seeks to develop students’ understanding of contemporary issues in CSR and the challenges posed to managers and organisations resulting from the economic, social and environmental impacts of business. This is particularly important in the face of climate change, rapidly depleting resources and a growing demand from the public that business attends to its role both in causing and resolving such issues. The unit will consider CSR critically and theoretically as well as engage students in evaluating practical strategies to embed CSR within organizations. Areas such as governance, fair trade and the supply chain will be included. It will then go on to consider more radical approaches to sustainability. The unit will be highly interactive and provide opportunities for students to develop their analytical and transferable skills. By the end of the unit, students will have developed the skills to critically evaluate issues and challenges facing organisations in this area.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify and describe a range of issues relevant to CSR and sustainability

• Explain and discuss theoretical approaches to CSR and sustainability

• Analyze and appraise practice through the application of relevant theory

• Critically evaluate the theory and practice of CSR and sustainability

• Working in a team, oral communication and visual presentation skills, advocacy and negotiation.

Teaching Information

This unit will encompass weekly lectures supported by tutorials and case studies.

Assessment Information

Formative:

1 x 1500 word essay to assess and give feedback on:

• ability to identify and describe relevant issues
• ability to explain and discuss relevant theory
• ability to apply theory to practice
• essay writing skills

1 x team presentation to assess and give feedback on:

• Transferable skills (team working, oral communication, visual presentation, advocacy, negotiation)

Summative

1 x 3500 word individual written assignment to assess:

• ability to identify and describe relevant issues
• ability to explain and discuss relevant theory
• ability to apply theory to practice
• essay writing skills

Reading and References

Essential Reading:

• Crane A & Matten D (2010) Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Additional Reading:

Crane A, McWilliams A, Matten D, Moon J & Siegel D S (2008) The Oxford Handbook of CSR. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Blowfield M & Murray A (2008) Corporate Responsibility: A Critical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Useful Journals:

• Journal of Business Ethics
• Business Ethics Quarterly
• Organization
• Organization Studies
• Business & Society