| Unit name | Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0154 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Edwina Zhu |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The role of business in modern society is rapidly changing, with a need to be accountable beyond economic gains and growth. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are thus vital issues for society, nature, organisations, employees, managers and consumers. In this unit, students will explore the origins of CSR and sustainability and consider how businesses can respond to social and environmental breakdown to promote more sustainable futures. Students will be introduced to the latest thinking on Business Ethics, CSR and sustainability, including insights from core disciplines such as Critical Management Studies, Supply Chain Management, Organisation Theory, Ethical Theory and International Business.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This pathway unit follows an introduction to management by providing a detailed exploration of a specific area of management theory and practice of CSR and Sustainability. Topics include: sustainable production and consumption, globalisation and global value chains, ethics, regulation and governance, stakeholder management and engagement, and a critique of CSR and sustainability. In addition to theoretical engagement with these topics, students will explore practical and problem-focused case studies of sustainability management as well the social and environmental challenges that contemporary organisations and managers face.
An overview of content
The content of learning includes four core disciplines of Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Social Entrepreneurship, which draw upon insights from Critical Management Studies, Supply Chain Management, Organisation Theory, Ethical Theory and International Business.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
The contact hours for this unit are 45, including 20 hours of lectures and 25 hours of seminars. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the theories and practices that underpin CSR and Sustainability in today’s organisations. You will critically evaluate areas including global and social challenges to business, sustainable production and consumption, stakeholder management and engagement, business ethics and strategic management in social businesses.
We aim to guide, teach and develop analytical and confident critical thinkers. You will gain insight into the nature of management and CSR and Sustainability and will be armed with the knowledge to apply management theory to practice. Groupwork and presentations, often based on industry case studies, allow practical application of theory and develop the teamwork and communication skills expected in today'’s workplace.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
ILO1: Explain the key concepts and principles that constitute contemporary perspectives on and approaches to CSR and sustainability
ILO2: Question the regulatory dynamics of CSR and how sustainability agendas are shaping firm strategy
ILO3: Critically evaluate and engage with existing CSR and sustainability initiatives
ILO4: Employ theoretical and practical knowledge to propose new solutions to the social and environmental challenges firms and organisations face in the current and future business environment.
This unit focuses on interactive learning and research-rich learning. The total contact hours for this unit are 45, including 20 hours of lectures and 25 hours of seminars. Students will be directed, and expected, to read from a range of sources including academic journals, case studies, reports by governments and NGOs etc. Students will be encouraged and enabled to pursue their own interests (both intellectual and practical) within the broad fields of CSR and sustainability. They will read these materials before attending the session and analyse them collaboratively in a guided discussion in the formats of role playing, group discussion, quizzes and so forth. Several sessions will be delivered as presentation workshops, where they will develop their ability to synthesise and interpret evidence sources, and prepare themselves for the assessments. They will also spend time in self-learning each week, to build up their independent learning capacity.
This unit will be delivered over the course of 6 weeks. Teaching will comprise of lectures and small group teaching totalling an approximate 8 hours a week. A variety of teaching techniques will be used, including role play, debates, informal quizzes, individual reflections, and group presentations.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
A five-minute individual poster presentation at the Mini-Conference with feedback from peers, tutors and practitioners. You will upload your poster to a Padlet page at least one day before the Mini-Conference so that the audience will have a chance to view your posters in advance. On the day of the Mini-Conference, you will be standing by your poster and ‘speak to your poster’. You will give a brief presentation based on the material on your poster, and there will be a Q&A session, where you will answer questions from your audience. You will have 5 minutes to introduce your poster and 2 minutes to answer questions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Summative assessment 1: An essay to unpack a keyword and critically discuss how it is conceptualised and used in the research area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, business ethics or alternative organising
(1,500 words excluding references) (40%) [ILO1].
Summative assessment 2: Students will create a report to the board of an organisation discussing existing CSR responses or strategies for sustainability and propose new or revised solutions (2,500 words excluding references) (60%) [ILO2, ILO3, ILO4].
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
Reassessment 1 individual essay (40%) - An essay to unpack a keyword and critically discuss how it is conceptualised and used in the research area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, business ethics or alternative organising (1,500 words excluding references) [ILO1]. It should be a new piece of work rather than a revised original submission.
Reassessment 2 individual report (60%) – Students will create a report to the board of an organisation discussing existing CSR responses or strategies for sustainability and propose new or revised solutions (2,500 words excluding references) [ILO2, ILO3, ILO4]. It should be a new piece of work rather than a revised original submission.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0154).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
