Corporate Social Responsibility
BUS 3003 Fall 2005
Tuesday (6:30 - 9:00 pm) Library Room 2
Instructor: Jacob Park
Office: Moses 156
Office Hours: Mon. & Thurs. 12:15 - 2:00 pm
and by appointment
Tel: 287 - 8326
E-mail: parkj@greenmtn.edu
______________________________________________________________________________
Course Overview
In a world economy that is becoming increasingly integrated and interdependent, the relationship
between business and society is becoming ever more complex. The globalization of business, the
emergence of social advocacy groups in the U.S. and worldwide, and new governmental regulations
have significantly altered the nature of strategic decision making within small-medium sized
enterprises as well as large multinational corporations.
This course provides an overview of business strategy and its important links to society and
stakeholders. Using contemporary business case studies, the course will address such issues and
questions as: can and to what degree business enterprises provide different levels of leadership,
including - individual, organizational, and societal? How can the concept of corporate citizenship
operate within the traditional framework of business strategy? Is there (or should there be) a tradeoff
between profits and ethical business practices/corporate social responsibility?
Course Learning Objectives
• Gain
a deeper exposure to the complex interdependent relationship between business and society
new analytical understanding of business-society linkages and community-based business
strategies
• Develop
Course Grading
Your final grade will be based on two written assignments (40 percent); class contribution &
participation (30 percent); and final project write-up/presentation (30 percent)
Course Text/Materials
Lawrence, Anne et al, Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, and Public Policy (11th Edition)
New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005
Extensive supplemental case studies and course materials/handouts, and video presentations will be
provided in class.
Course Policies
This class meets once a week, which makes it even more critical that you fully participate in the all
aspects of the class. Any absence(s) from, being late, and/or unprepared to class will all be factored
in determining your final grade for the class.
Course Schedule
Part One: The Corporation in Society
August 30th (Tuesday @ 6:30 PM unless otherwise stated and/or there is a prior
announcement)
Readings: Chapters 1 (“The Corporations and Its Stakeholders”), pg. 2-19 and 2 (“Public Affairs
Management”), pg. 22-39 in Business and Society
•
Case Study: Odwalla Inc., and the E.Coli Outbreak (Business and Society, pg. 421-431)
Part Two: Business and the Social Environment
September 6
Readings: Chapters 3 (“Corporate Social Responsibility”) in Business and Society; “What’s a
Business For?”, Harvard Business Review, December 2002, pg. 49-55 (to be distributed in class)
•
Case Study: Malden Mills Inc. (to be distributed in class)
September 13
Readings: Chapters 4 (“Corporate Citizenship”), pg. 62-76 in Business and Society; Chapter 1
(“The Case for Doing at Least Some Good”) in Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most
Good for Your Company and Your Cause (to be distributed in class)
•
Case Study: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters/Fair Trade Coffee (video to be shown in class)
Case Study: Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Inc. (to be distributed in class)
Part Three: Business and the Ethical Environment
September 20
•
Reading: Chapters 5 (“Ethical Issues in Business”), pg. 88-99
Case Study: Out of Control at Adelphia (Business and Society, pg. 308-310)
Case Study: The Collapse of Enron (Business and Society, pg. 408-420)
FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE (SEPTEMBER 20)
Part Four: Business and Government in a Global Society
September 27
Readings: Chapter 7 (“The Challenges of Globalization”), pg. 126-142 in Business and Society;
“Selling to the Poor”, Foreign Policy, May/June 2004 (to be distributed in class)
•
Case Study: Conflict Diamonds (Business and Society, pg. 144-145, and other additional
supplemental readings will be distributed in class)
October 4
Case Study: Shell in Nigeria: Corporate Social Responsibilities and the Ogoni Crisis (to be
distributed in class)
Case Study: GlaxoSmithKline and AIDS Drug for Africa (Business and Society, pg. 464-470)
FINAL PROJECT/PRESENTATION PROPOSAL DUE (OCTOBER 4)
October 11
FALL BREAK, NO CLASS
Part Five: Business and Technological Challenge
October 18
Readings: Chapters 13 (“Technology: A Global Economic-Social Force”), pg. 251-267 and 14
(“Managing Technological Challenges”), pg. 268-286 in Business and Society
•
Case Study: File-Sharing Music: Legal? Ethical? (Business and Society, pg. 286-288 and supplemental
reading materials to be distributed in class)
Part Six: Building Relationships With Stakeholders
October 25
Readings: Chapters 8 (“Business-Government Relations”), pg. 146-163 and 10 (“Antitrust,
Mergers, and Competition Policy”), pg. 188-205 in Business and Society
•
Case Study: The Antitrust Case Against Microsoft (Business and Society, pg. 454-463)
SECOND WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE (OCTOBER 25)
November 1
Readings: Chapters 17 (“The Community and the Corporation”), pg. 330-347; Chapter 7
(“Community Volunteering: Employees Donating Their Time and Talents”) in Corporate Social
Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your Cause (to be distributed in
class)
•
Case Study: Timberland and Community Involvement (to be distributed in class)
November 8
Readings: Chapter 18 (“Employees and the Corporation”), pg. 349-366 in Business and Society;
“The Path to Corporate Responsibility”, Harvard Business Review, December 2004
•
Case Study: Xilinx, Inc. (to be distributed in class)
Case Study: Sweating the Swoosh - Nike, Globalization, and the Question of Sweatshop Labor
(to be distributed in class)
FINAL PROJECT/PRESENTATION OUTLINE DUE (NOVEMBER 8)
November 15
Readings: Chapter 15 (“Stockholder Rights and Corporate Governance”), pg. 290-308 in Business
and Society; supplemental reading materials will be distributed in class for this topic
•
Case Study: Columbia/HCA and the Medicare Fraud Scandal (Business and Society, pg. 432-442)
November 22 (Thanksgiving Recess Begins After Tues. Night Classes)
•
•
Readings: Chapters 20 (“Business and the Media”), pg. 389-404 in Business and Society
Final Project Update/Review
Case Study: Two Different Public Relations Strategies – Bridgestone/Firestone and Ford (Business
and Society, pg. 404-406)
November 29
• Practice
Presentations & Final Project Update/Review
December 6
•
Class Presentations
December 12 (Monday): 6:00-8:00 PM
•
•
Class Presentations
DUE: Final Project/Case Study Analysis Write-up