Submitted: October, 25th 2009
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Lesson
Curricular area:
12th Grade Economics Class
Objective:
Students will be able to define Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) and variations of CSR. Students will study the effectiveness
of CSR through an analysis of six businesses that practice CSR.
Finally, students will write a research paper comparing Japanese
companies practicing CSR to American companies practicing
CRS.
Timeline:
The research portion of the lesson is designed to be completed in
three class periods of 1 hour each and a few hours outside of
school. The research paper is to be 3 – 5 pages typed and must
include a works cited page. Students should be given three to five
days to work on the research paper at home.
Guiding Questions/Directions:
1. Define Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as corporate
responsibility, corporate citizenship, global responsibility, and
sustainable responsible business (SBR).
2. Some business professional argue that CRS makes strong business sense.
They feel that the practice of CRS is good for the planet and it will lead to
longevity and larger profits. Others feel that it’s not the responsibility of
companies to take on the role of government in protecting its people and
resources. Find two articles on the web that are pro CRS and two that are
against it. Read them and be prepared to include your finding in your
report.
3. Go online and research the following companies who have some level of
CSR in their business model. Answer the questions below for each of the
six companies.
Starbucks
Ford Motor Company
Wal-Mart
http://www.starbucks.com
http://www.ford.com
http://www.walmart.com
Toshiba
Nissan
Sony
http://www.toshiba.com
http://www.nissan.com
http://www.sony.com
1. How easy was it to find CSR or Sustainability information for each of the
companies listed above? Are you able to find their annual CRS report or
Sustainability report?
2. Some reports are easy to find. Some are not so easy. What does the ease in
which you find the report tell you about each company’s support of CRS?
3. Describe at least three CSR efforts for each company that are currently
being promoted on their websites. For example, Starbucks’ Social
Investment in Coffee Communities program.
4. What is the percentage of operating income that each of the companies
listed above contribute to CSR? You may need to dig deep for this
information. Does the percentage seem to support the companies’
assertions that they are promoting CRS?
Research Paper:
Share your findings in a typed 3 – 5 page research
paper. Your paper must:




Define CSR
Address the debate among the business world
concerning CSR programs
Compare and contrast the three American
corporations CRS programs with those of the
Japanese corporations
Include your opinion of CSR as a business practice