Upper-Intermediate CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Warm-up
1) What words do you associate with ‘corporation’? Write down five words.
2) What companies/brands do you like? Why?
3) Do you know companies that have bad reputations? What for?
4) Are there products you won’t buy for ethical reasons? If so, what are they?
The Corporate Social Responsibility Debate (August 10th, 2011)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a commitment to integrate social and environmental
concerns into a company’s business model. CSR incorporates public and environmental
interests into corporate decision-making.
Advocates of CSR believe that a corporation should not only be responsible to shareholders but
also to the environment and company stakeholders. These stakeholders may include
employees, customers, communities, and related groups that support the organization.
Approaches to implementing CSR include community-based development, creating better
business practices to manage risk, and philanthropy.
Economist Milton Friedman presented the classic objection to CSR in 1970. Friedman argued
that the success of a free-market economy is founded on the idea that the only social
responsibility of a business, provided it operates lawfully, is “to use its resources and engage in
activities designed to increase its profits.” Friedman equated CSR to “spending someone else’s
money for a general social interest.” Doing so, he argued, would be equivalent to imposing
taxation (in the form of CSR policies) on shareholders. Such a political role is appropriate for a
socialist government, not a corporation, according to Friedman.
Central to the CSR debate is the question of whose interests a corporation ought to serve. This
question, known as the shareholder-stakeholder debate, puts anti-regulation economists like
Friedman in opposition with those who believe companies should be bound by ethical and
international norms (and not only laws) to protect the interests of all stakeholders. CSR has
gained importance in the last two decades due to a new phenomenon called ethical
consumerism -- the practice of educated consumers purchasing only products they believe are
made ethically. As a consequence, many companies are now being pressured to adopt CSR
strategies regardless of whether they genuinely care about social responsibility or not. (286)
[Sources: http://doc.cat-v.org/economics/milton_friedman/business_social_responsibility,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility]
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CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Comprehension Questions
1) In your own words, how would you define CSR?
2) What is the difference between a shareholder and a stakeholder?
3) What are some ways mentioned in the article by which a company can implement CSR?
4) Why does Friedman associate CSR with politics?
5) How are consumers influencing CSR nowadays?
Match the words with their meaning as used in the article.
incorporate (verb)
advocate
stakeholder
implement (verb)
philanthropy
provided
engage in sth (verb)
equate (verb)
impose sth on sb (verb)
bind (verb)
genuine
supporter
helping the needy, especially by giving money
take part
constrain, restrict
a person or group involved with an organization
if
include
introduce/enact a new a rule, tax, law, etc.
consider one thing equivalent to another
sincere, truthful
carry out sth that has been officially decided
Master the language: Connect the below ideas to make a sentence. (possible homework)
government / crush / uprising
advocate / philanthropy
implement / CSR
harm / stakeholder
provided / make / profit
engage / illegal
equate / brand name / quality
impose / tax
bind / law
e.g. The government crushed the uprising.
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Central Issues (Pair Work)
Do you agree with the below arguments Milton Friedman makes in his article?
1) The only social responsibility of a business is to increase its profits.
2) Businesses are not bound by the same responsibilities as people. The business world
operates within a different set of rules.
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Debate 1
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(Each student reads his/her role to him/herself)
Student A:
You are a shareholder in the XYZ Company. Despite the economic crisis, you
have heard that the board of directors wants to implement a large (and costly)
CSR campaign next year. You are against this. Think of reasons to support
your argument. (Student B, a member of the board, will start the discussion.)
Student B:
You are on the board of directors at the XYZ Company. You believe that, by
implementing a CSR campaign in the next year, your company can make more
long-term profits. Think of reasons to support your argument. When ready,
announce the news of the CSR campaign to your shareholders. (Student A is
one of your shareholders.)
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Debate 2
Student A:
You are the CEO of ABC Pharmaceuticals. Your secretary has arranged a
meeting with Student B for you today. You do not know what it’s about.
Student B:
You are on the neighborhood planning committee in the community where
Student A’s company, ABC Pharmaceuticals, operates. Your committee is
hoping to build a large youth center for troubled youths. You have a meeting
with ABC’s CEO today (Student A). Try to convince him to donate money to
help build the center.
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Ethics Discussion
Background: A negative right is a right against interference. It prevents the violation of the rights
you already have as a person. Examples include the right against being harmed, the right to
exist, etc. A positive right is something you have the right to be provided, e.g. access to
education, social welfare payments, etc.
Now, with your partner, consider the below dilemmas and discuss the related questions.
Situation #1 - You come across an injured man on the side of the road. You are in a rush. He
begs you to stop and help him. He is bleeding. If you don’t help him, he says he might die.
Questions:
1. What would you do in this situation?
2. If you do not help the man and he dies, have you done something morally
wrong? Should you be punished?
Situation #2 - Your business is operating in a developing country. It is making a profit and not
harming the local people. The local people live in extreme poverty. Hundreds die daily.
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Questions:
1. Is not harming (or interfering with the negative rights of) others enough?
2. Do businesses have a positive obligation to help the public? Would not
helping the locals be a crime?
3. Is this situation the same as situation #1?
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Debate 3
Student A:
You are a rich American. Your country was founded on the work of
entrepreneurs (businesspeople who took great risks) who worked hard to make
their money. You believe in the free market economic system, which rewards
people for their merit/achievement. You are against government regulation and
high taxation on the strong. Think of other reasons to support your position.
Student B will start the conversation.
Student B:
You are anti-big business. Corporations are basically psychopaths—they act
selfishly without concern for others (e.g. society or the environment). Explain to
Student A (a rich American) why corporations need heavy regulation and
taxation to protect the public good. (You may take a minute to prepare.)
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Pair Work
With a partner, discuss how CSR can be integrated into the below areas of a business. When
finished, present your ideas to the class.
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HR
Risk Management
Operations
Marketing / P.R.
CSR Business Ethics ESL Lesson Plan: Discussion Questions
1) Are the successes of a community and its businesses interdependent?
2) Ethical consumerism – is it the answer? What are its limits?
3) What CSR programs does your company have, if any?
-Lesson plan copyright Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com
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