CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
(AND SUSTAINABILITY FROM A BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
PERSPECTIVE)
SYLLABUS
Professor Earl A. Molander, PhD
Profess Emeritus, School of Business Administration
Portland State University (USA)
(University of Hradec Kralove, Spring -Summer Semester 2014)
OVERVIEW
This course, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND
SUSTAINABILITY FROM A BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE,
is designed to introduce the international business or economics student to how
non-economic factors in the corporate environment influence business operations
and decision-making. These non-economic factors include: the actions of
government and non-governmental organizations, social issues, culture, changes in
technology (with a special emphasis on the Internet and IT), international relations
and ecological problems in particular as they are presented to the business
enterprise and manager as issues of corporate social responsibility and
sustainability.
MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE
It is important to understand that this course is taught from the perspective of the
enterprise, with the enterprise, business manager or IT professional as the focal
decision maker. The student who successfully completes this course will have the
majority of the analytical tools necessary to confront the full range of issues that
fall within the broad framework of “corporate social responsibility” or “CSR,”
professional business ethics and sustainability.
Special emphasis is given in this course to the ethics and social responsibility
issues inherent in IT practice and IT management.
MANAGERIAL DECISION-MAKING IN THE CSR ENVIRONMENT
One can summarize the CSR managerial decision-making dilemma as follows:
1. your company has a CSR problem
2. your know your decision will be a function of:
a. the short- and long-term interests of your firm
b. the values of your firm (and yourself and your IT profession)
c. the external pressures on your firm, best described by the
constellation of actors around an issue and the net pressure on you
to act in one way or another
d. likely scenarios as to how the future will evolve, given a particular
decision by you or other actors in a case (and consideration of best
and worst case scenarios as well)
Assessing none of the above is easy. It is understanding and then the balancing of
the above considerations that presents the challenge to the managerial decisionmaker, and thus is the focus of this course, because in the end, a decision has to be
made by you!
IT PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PERSPECTIVE
One can summarize the professional practice decision-making dilemma as follows:
3. you face a CSR problem as an IT professional
4. your know your decision will be a function of:
a. the short- and long-term interests of your firm
b. the values of your firm (and yourself and your profession)
c. the external pressures on your firm, best described by the
constellation of actors around an issue and the net pressure on you
to act in one way or another
d. likely scenarios as to how the future will evolve, given a particular
decision by you or other actors in a case (and consideration of best
and worst case scenarios as well)
e. your understanding of the ethics that guide the IT profession
Assessing none of the above is easy. It is the understanding and then the balancing
of the above considerations that presents the challenge to the IT professional, and
thus is the focus of this course, because in the end, a decision has to be made by
you!
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE
At the end of Modules 3-13, we also offer a special note on the perspective of the
entry-level employee, someone like yourselves who would encounter CSR, ethics
and/or sustainability issues in an entry-level position. These notes emphasize that
while the key decisions in this area will be made by upper level managers, often
entry-level employees are asked to contribute to those decisions in important ways.
TEXT MATERIAL
In US business schools, similar courses (which go by many different names)
typically use a large, hardcover textbook that focuses primarily on the business
environment in the US. Such a textbook is therefore is not useful for a course
taught to an international student audience with a strong international focus.
Rather, in this course, we rely on a series of Modules generally consisting of short
readings and cases focused on key topics, with assignments to highlight the major
issues that each topic presents to the business manager and develop one’s
analytical skills and their direct application to business decision making dilemmas.
The course structure will consist of a total of 13 Modules organized into 4 separate
Installments (A, B, C and D). Submission of case analyses have deadlines
associated with the Module and week in which they are scheduled. In general, this
will mean that a Case Analysis assignment for a given Module will be due by
Monday of the week following the week in which the Module is scheduled, e.g.,
in general the assignment for week 1 is due by Monday of week 2. However, in
order to proceed to a subsequent Installment, the student should complete reading
the materials in the three Modules in the preceding Installment.
Always feel free to ask questions by email if you do not understand any of the
conceptual content assignments.
COURSE STRATEGY
The course strategy is to introduce the background and conceptual foundations of the
course in the first three Modules (Installment A) and then in subsequent Modules
introduce key topic areas, the models and tools of analysis for these topic areas, and
how to apply them to the issues of CSR, ethics and Sustainability as they are
presented to enterprises, managers, and IT professionals. This application of models
and tools for analysis is then demonstrated in a case analysis exercise in each Module
from Modules 5-13.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The course requires the submission of some preliminary, ungraded assignments in
Weeks 1-2 and a minimum of four (4) written analyses of the cases associated with
Modules 5-13. It also requires preparation of a case of your own choosing (but
subject to the professor’s approval of the topic as suitable to this course) and an
accompanying analysis. There is a final comprehensive case analysis that will be
distributed at the start of Week 10 and due at the end of that week.
Evaluation of case analyses: Case analyses will be evaluated on the basis of the
effectiveness with which the concepts and tools of the course are applied to the
case questions, as well as on completeness and clarity. Where appropriate, have
you clearly indicated why you have chosen one strategic or decision-making
alternative over other options?
GRADING
The method of grade calculation will be as follows:
Weekly Case Analyses (best 4 case analyses* for
Modules 5-12 (due on Monday of the following week)
Case You Write (draft due on Monday of Week 6)
Analysis of Your Own Case (due during Week 9)
40
20
20
Final Comprehensive Case (due at the end of Week 11)
Total
*You may submit up to 5 case analyses
TEXTS AND MATERIALS
There are limited materials requirements for the course:
1. This Syllabus
2. Modules, IT Unites, and Accompanying Cases
3. Format for Student Bio Questionnaire
4. Format for Case-writing and Case Analysis
20
100%
Installment A
Week 1
Module 1
Mar 3-7
Introduction to the Course. Overview of the Conceptual Content and
the Corporate, Managerial and IT Professional Decision Making
Perspective of the Course.
Case #1a. Sample Student-Written CSR Case and Case Analysis
Case #1b. Sample Student-Written Ethics Case and Case Analysis
Case #1c. Sample Student-Written Political Strategy Case and Case Analysis.
UNGRADED ASSIGNMENT #1: Send to Professor Molander
(emolander@yahoo.com) the completed Student Bio Questionnaire by Friday,
March 7
Module 2
Mar 3-7
The History of CSR and Sustainability in the US and Developed
Countries:*
Case #2. Historical Perspective: Corporate Social Responsibility for
Protecting Groups that Cannot Speak for Themselves: Children
UNGRADED ASSIGNMENT #2: Why are societies all around the world
constantly having to challenge corporations regarding their irresponsibility toward
children in so many areas of business? Send your answer to Professor Molander
(emolander@yahoo.com) (maximum length: 100 words) Due Monday, 10 March.
Week 2
Module 3
Mar 10-14
Business Ethics and Resolving Ethical Dilemmas (IT3: IT Ethics
and Children)
Case #3. Internet Companies and Data-gathering from Apps for
Children
UNGRADED ASSIGNMENT #3: How is the issues raised in this case different
from those health-related issues raised in Case 2? Send your answer to Professor
Molander (emolander@yahoo.com) (maximum length: 100 words) Due
Friday, 14 March.
Module 4
Mar 10-14
Sustainable Business Practice and Sustainable Development
(IT4: IT and Sustainability)
Case #4. Migros’ 35-year History of Social Audits
UNGRADED ASSIGNMENT #4 What measure would you use to measure the
contribution to “sustainability” of the IT department in a large corporation. Send
your answer to Professor Molander (emolander@yahoo.com) (maximum length: 50
words) Due Monday, March 17
Professor visits on Wednesday, 12 March to give a 3-hour presentation on
Modules 4-12)
Installment B
Week 3
Module 5
Mar 17-21
Property Rights and Social Contract (IT5: Intellectual Property on
the Internet: A Survey of Issues)
Case #5.* Chinese Theft of Intellectual Property from American
Semiconductor
* (Case 5 is the first case of the four cases you can submit for a grade. You may
choose any 4 cases from Modules 5-12)
Week 4
Module 6
Mar 24-28
Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Other New
Stakeholders Challenging Business (IT6: Privacy)
Case #6. Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos
Module 7
Mar 24-28
Environmental Monitoring (IT7: Internet Predators)
Case #7. Facebook Policy on Cyber-Bullying
(Monday, 24 March, Proposed Topic for Student-Written Case due. By
Friday, 28 March, professor will inform you if your topic is suitable for the
CSR course, and if not, suggest some alternatives)
Week 5
Module 8
Analyzing and Diagramming Power Relations (IT8: Big Data)
Mar 31-Apr 4 Case #8. Cisco Brings Location-Based Big Data to Shopping
Installment C
Week 6
Module 9
Apr 7-11
Environmental Forecasting and Scenario Building
(IT9: Protecting Customer and Credit Card Holder Information)
Case #9. Incident Response when Customer Credit Card
Information is Hacked at Niemann-Marcus
(Monday, 7 April, Draft of your Student-Written Case due. Professor will
provide his comments on your draft no later than Friday 11 April)
Week 7
Module 10
April 14-18
The Public Policy Process in a Pluralist Democracy
(IT10: IT in a Democratic Society)
Case #10. Big Data Aggregator Resist Sharing
Big Data with Governments
Week 8
Module 11
Apr 21-25
Developing a Political Strategy
(IT11: IT and Politics)
Case #11. Google Challenges Spain’s Privacy Laws
(Monday, 21 April, Final Version of your Student-Written Case due)
Installment D
Week 9
Module 12
(IT12: Negative Effects of the Internet in Education)
Apr 28-May 2 Case #12. Balancing the Internet Use with Face-to-face Student
contact.
(Monday 28 April, Analysis of your Student Written Case due)
Week 10
Module 13
May 5-9
Final Exam Week
(IT13: The IT Implementation Challenge: Cross-Functional
Collaboration)
Case #13. IT-HR Cooperation in Protecting Employee Information
(Monday, 5 May, Final Comprehensive Case will be sent to students;
Monday, May 12, Final Comprehensive Case Analysis due)