Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Beyond Rhetoric to
Action
CMGT 577
Fall 2011, 6:30-9:20 pm Mondays in ASC 331
Susan Resnick West, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor, Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism
ASC 121E,
(213) 740-9689
sresnick@usc.edu
Office Hours: Mon. 3:30 – 5:00pm
Thurs. 4:45 – 6:30
If you would like to stop in for office hours, please send me an email. I’ll make sure I’m in the office. You
may also make an apt to see me other times.
Assistant:
Stephen Preware
preware@usc.edu
Corporate Advisor:
Kelsey Rood
Director of Communications
DaVita
Kelsey.Rood@davita.com
http://CommunicateCSR.com
"I believe that to really make [CSR] meaningful, your people have to see it. Your customers have to see
it. It has to be built into the substance of the company. And there really should be a track record that
offers the substantive evidence that this is something the company's deeply engaged in, and not just
something that we understand is popular to talk about."
- Anne Mulcahy, Former CEO, Xerox (Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2009)
"Given the current economic situation and the fourth estate's scrutiny of companies receiving federal
funds and not spending wisely begs for companies to stand up and say, 'we are socially responsible'
....Certainly every single company is taking something from the public good, and they
have to give some of that back.”
- Ric Grenell, Former SVP, Communications, DaVita (Personal communication, March 31, 2009)
Are these opposing or complementary thoughts? Should CSR be seen by the public but not heard too
loudly to interfere with the primary business of a company? Does communicating CSR appear selfaggrandizing and therefore detract from the overall goal? Should companies stand up and say they are
socially responsible or simply go quietly about their business assuming everyone will notice, assuming
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that public opinion and fourth estate scrutiny will favor them? Do the shareholders care about CSR or
just the value of the stock? Communicating corporate social responsibility is a complex task, one for
which there is no universal formula. The above quotes illustrate just two of the many perspectives
examined in this course.
Course Summary
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Citizenship, Triple Bottom Line, and Sustainable
Business have all become catchphrases for movements developing within corporations to address the
very serious and growing vulnerabilities facing our nation and the world. For simplicity, we will refer to
these movements as CSR. CSR includes a company's social and environmental impacts as well as
treatment of employees across its supply chain.
Once thought to be a method for protecting reputation, research has reinforced the business case for
CSR and the role it plays in shaping corporate reputation. With multiple stakeholders including NGO's,
governments, the Social Responsible Investment (SRI) community and employees all demanding
transparency, communicating CSR is complex. Corporate communicators frequently find themselves at
the center of these movements charged with a continuum of activities from CSR reporting to employee
and stakeholder engagement to the initiation of joint ventures.
The course provides an overview of corporate social responsibility, its evolution, various models, metrics
and stakeholders as well as key issues in communicating CSR including the use of online communities.
The course topics are divided into 3 major sections:
• CSR background and core communication issues
• Case studies
• Skill development
At the end of this course students will:
• Understand the roots of CSR
• Understand the critical elements of a CSR initiative
• Understand the CSR communication paradox
• Understand the implementation issues of a CSR initiative
• Be able to conduct an audit of a CSR strategic communication plan for CSR
Assignments/Course Grades
Individual Class Assignments including:
 Class reading assignments, case preparation and individual mini-cases describing
what you would do in specific situations.
 1-page memos written to senior executives explaining the relevance of course
information to an organization’s efforts in communicating CSR.
These assignments will be graded on a pass/fail basis.
% Of
Grade
25
All assignments are due before class and should be sent to usc.cmgt577@gmail.com.
Full credit will only be given for assignments turned in prior to class.
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Individual Paper and Brief Presentation: Instructions to be provided separately. Topics to
be approved by September 13
Due: before the start of class on October 11
Final Project: The final project requires students to identify a company/organization facing
a CSR related challenge and and either:
 develop a case study centered on that challenge and related notes for analysis.
Instructions will be provided separately. Students should pay close attention to
the approach taken in the Walmart and Timberland cases discussed in class.
or
 Conduct an audit of the organizations CSR effort.
Team and Organization Selection: done by October 4
Presentation: November 22 or November 29
Case/Audit Due: December 6
Feedback: Because two-way communication is critical, after each class session, 1/2 of you
will provide written feedback. A feedback schedule will be distributed in class. The
feedback should address what’s going well and what might be improved and
should be emailed to Professor West at usc.cmgt577@gmail.com. She will compile
it and share it at the next session. All shared feedback will be anonymous. Since
timely feedback will improve our class experience, feedback is due within 24 hours
(i.e. by 9:30 pm on Tuesday).
Full credit will only be given for feedback received within 24 hours.
Participation: Due to the nature of this course, attendance and participation are crucial for
an effective learning environment.
 Attendance will be taken in each class.
 Any absences will be noted and reflected as deductions in the final grade.
 For those who constructively participate in class, and contribute to the class’s
learning the effort will be reflected favorably in your grade. Ask good questions!
Help the class learn!
CSR Blog: Students enrolled in the course have a keen interest in CSR, and are likely to
follow key CSR issues in the media as they develop. To receive additional credit, a
maximum of 2 students can team up to work on a weekly blog post that will be posted to
the course website. (http://CommunicateCSR.com ).
The first students to respond to the course email usc.cmgt577@gmail.com will be
chosen.
Speakers’ Committee: Throughout the semester we will have high-profile guest speakers
who are at the forefront of implementing and communicating CSR. A speakers’
committee will help coordinate the speakers. Members of this committee will be
responsible for introducing the speakers, keeping the speakers abreast of current
class activities, and helping the speakers link the content of their presentations to
the course content. Members of the committee will also have dinner with the
speakers. You may volunteer to serve on this committee. Extra credit will be given
to those who volunteer and do a good job.
25
30
10
10
TBD
TBD
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Academic Integrity Policy
The Annenberg School for Communication is committed to upholding the University's Academic
Integrity code as detailed in the SCampus Guide. It is the policy of the School of Communication to
report all violations of the code. Any serious violation or pattern of violations of the Academic Integrity
Code will result in the student's expulsion from the Communication major or minor.
It is particularly important that you are aware of and avoid plagiarism, cheating on exams, fabricating
data for a project, submitting a paper to more than one professor, or submitting a paper authored by
anyone other than yourself. If you have doubts about any of these practices, confer with a faculty
member.
Disability Policy
Students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability are required to register with
Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved
accommodations can be obtained from DSP when adequate documentation is filed. Please be sure the
letter is delivered to me (or to the TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is open Monday-Friday,
8:30-5:00. The office is in Student Union 301 and their phone number is (213) 740-0776.
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Please note: Because of the distinction of our speakers and the demands of their schedules, all
appearances are subject to change. All topics will nonetheless be covered.
Topics, Readings, and Assignments
Except for cases available at the HBR online site and books, all readings are on Blackboard. Books may
be purchased at the USC Bookstore or online. Instructions for purchasing the HBR cases are listed on the
Announcements section of our Blackboard course.
Schedule
Section 1: CSR Background and Core Communication Issues
Pre-Class Assignment
Please do the following before the first class!
Assignment
Please post a comment to the "Introductions" post on our class website:
http://CommunicateCSR.com. In your post you should include a short bio of yourself and why
you are taking the class. Due before the first class starts!
Week 1 - August 23
Topic: Course introduction and rationale
Class Activity
• Appreciative Inquiry - Prototyping CSR
Optional reading
1. Waddock, S. (2009). Making a difference? Corporate responsibility as a social movement.
Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 33, 35-46.
2. Read and review this website: http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu
Week 2 - August 30
Topics: CSR & the Sustainability Sweet Spot
Class Activity
• Team Presentations - The Triple Bottom Line
Assignment Due Prior to Start of Class Today (August 30) (send to class email)
• CSR_Assignment_1 (see blackboard)
• Tips on Leading a Class Discussion
Prepare for the August 30 class by reading the following.
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Required
1. Part 1 of Savitz, A. & Weber, K. (2006.) The triple bottom line. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
2. Edelman Trust Barometer 2010 report
3. Just good business: A special report on corporate social responsibility. (January 19, 2008).
The Economist
4. Chapter 3: What is the Demand for Virtue? In Vogel, David. The Market for Virtue: The
Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility (on Blackboard)
5. UN Global Compact/Accenture 2010 Survey: Executive Summary
https://microsite.accenture.com/sustainability/research_and_insights/Pages/A-New-Era-ofSustainability.aspx
Optional
1. Garriga, E., & Melé D. (2004). Corporate social responsibility theories: Mapping the territory.
Journal of Business Ethics: Building Ethical Institutions for Business, 53(1-2), 51-71.
2. Lee, M. (2008). A review of the theories of corporate social responsibility: Its evolutionary
path and the road ahead. International Journal of Management Review, 10(1), 53-73.
Week 3 - September 6 - Labor Day - No Class
Week 4 - September 13
Topic: Lessons on Launching and Sustaining Sustainability Efforts
Class Activity
• Case Discussion: Wal-Mart
• Discussion of class examples
Assignment
• Turn in bulleted responses to assignment questions (questions posted on blackboard)
• Research and bring to class 3 examples of CSR not mentioned in the reading
Prepare for the September 13 class by reading or viewing the following.
Required
1. Part 2 of Savitz, A., & Weber, K. (2006.) The triple bottom line. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
2. Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2006, December). Strategy and society: The link between
competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. HBR #R0612D (available in
HBR reader).
3. Plambeck, Erica; Denend, Lyn (2007). Wal-Mart's sustainability strategy. Stanford
Graduate School of Business reprint OIR-71 (available in HBR reader).
4. Watch the "Story of Stuff" film at http://storyofstuff.com
Optional
1. Section 4 of Laszlo, C. (2008). Sustainable value: How the world's leading companies are
doing well by doing good. Stanford: Stanford Business Books. PDF on Blackboard
2. Maon F., Lindgreen, A., & Swaen, V. (2008). Thinking of the organization as a system: The
role of managerial perceptions in developing a corporate social responsibility strategic
agenda. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 25(3), 413.
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Week 5 - September 20
Topic: Communicating CSR from Sense Giving to Sense Making to Co-Creating
Class Activity
 Role Play Exercise
• Case Study: Timberland and Community Involvement (Abridged Version - available at HBR)
• Case Study: Timberland: Commerce and Justice (Available at HBR)
• ForestEthics Case Study
Prepare for the September 20 class by reading the following.
Required
1. Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. Corporate responsibility & sustainability
communications: Who's listening? Who's leading? What matters most?
2. Morsing, M., & Schultz, M. (2006). Corporate social responsibility communication:
Stakeholder information, response and involvement strategies. Business Ethics: A European
Review, 15(4).
3. Timberland and Community Involvement (Abridged) (available at HBR)
4. Timberland: Commerce and Justice (available at HBR)
5. The Economist: Dangerous Liaisons: How businesses are learning to work with their new
stakeholders (Blackboard)
In addition to the above readings, the following are a collection of informative readings on the subject
1. Stuart, H. Risky Business: Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility.
2. Perrini, F. (2006). The practitioner's perspective on non-financial reporting. California
Management Review, 48(2). (Available on HBR.)
3. Bhattacharya, C.B., & Sen, S. (2004, Fall). Doing better at doing good: When, why, and how
consumers respond to corporate social initiatives. California Management Review, 47
(Available on HBR)
4. Gable, C., & Shireman, B. (2004, January). The stakeholder imperative. Environmental
Quality Management, 14(2), 1-8.
5. Ferrell, O.C., & Maignan, I. (2004). Corporate social responsibility and marketing: An
integrative framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 32 (1).
6. Jamali, D. A. (2008). A stakeholder approach to corporate social responsibility: A fresh
perspective into theory and practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 213-231.
7. Morsing, M., Schultz, M, & Nielson. (2008, April). The Catch 22 of communicating CSR.
Journal of Marketing Communications, 14 (2), 97-111.
8. Hooghiemstra, R. (2000). Corporate communication and impression management - new
perspectives why companies engage in corporate social reporting. Journal of Business Ethics,
27(1/2), 55-68.
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Week 6 - September 27
Topic: Meet in teams
Final group project topic due to Dr. West by Oct 4.
Schedule individual team meetings with Dr. West
Section 2: Special Topics
Week 7 - October 4
First Memo Due
Topic: CSR in Cultural Context
Guest Speaker
• Andrew Lih, Visiting Professor Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and new
media researcher, consultant and technology author: The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of
Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia (Hyperion 2009)
Class Activity
• Case: Google in China
• Case: Coca Cola in India
Assignment
 Compare and contrast the issues confronted by Google in China and Coca Cola in India.
 How are these both issues of CSR…or are they?
Prepare for the October 4 class by reading the following.
Required
1. Wilson. K., Ramos. Y., Harvey, D., & Norman, W. (2007). Google in China: The Great Firewall.
Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.
2. Watch “Google-China Dispute Puts Internet Freedoms Back in the Spotlight” at Google
Discussion
3. Corporate citizenship around the world: How local flavor seasons the global practice . Boston
College Center for Corporate Citizenship & Global Education Research Network.
4. Case: Coca – Cola in India (posted on Blackboard)
5. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=7508
6. www.corporatewatch.org.uk/download.php?id=55,2006 What’s wrong with Corporate
Social Responsibility
Week 8 - October 11
Midterm Paper Due
Topic: CSR and Social Entrepreneurship
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Guest Speaker
 Adlai Wertman, Clinical Professor Marshall School of Business. Founding Director of the
Society and Business Lab at Marshall – a center focused on using business education and
resources to address global social, environmental and health challenges.
Class Activity
 Discussion of Social Entrepreneurship and USC activities
 Brief Presentation of midterm papers
Prepare for the October 11 class by reading the following.
Required
• http://www.marshall.usc.edu/news/all-articles/professor-adlai-wertman.htm
• http://www.marshall.usc.edu/sbl/
• http://www.marshall.usc.edu/sbl/what_about.htm#wertman
• Lydenberg, S., & Sinclair, G. (2009). Mainstream or daydream? The future for responsible
investing. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 33, 47-67.
• Review the uncharitable web site and Dan Pallotta’s HBR blog
o http://www.uncharitable.net/
o http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/
Optional
 Pallotta, Dan. Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their
Potential
Week 9 - October 18
Topic: Impact of legislation and regulations on Corporations Approaches to the Environment
Guest Speakers
 Bob Voss, Resesarch Professor, USC SPPD and Center for Sustainable Cities
 Candace Hodder, GRI certified and Consultant CleanAgency Inc.
Prepare for the October 18 class by reading the following.
Required:
1. Lehrer, J. (2010, June). How 3 Corporations are Putting Their Green Foot Forward. Retrieved
from http://www.printmag.com/Article/How-3-Corporations-are-Putting-Their-Green-FootForward
2. Terrachoice. (April 2009). The seven sins of greenwashing: Environmental claims in consumer
markets . Summary report: North America, April 2009.
3. Ram Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad and M.R. Rangaswami. Why Sustainability is Now the Key
Driver of Innovation. Harvard Business Review. Sept 2009. Reprint R0909E. in HBR reader
4. Chapter 5: Corporate Responsibilty for the Environment The Market for Virtue: The
Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility (on blackboard)
Week 10 - October 25
Topic: Anatomy of a CSR Report
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Guest Speaker
• Kirk Stewart, executive vice president and leader of the corporate communication practice at
APCO Worldwide In addition, he serves as a member of APCO’s executive committee.
Mr. Stewart served as global vice president of corporate communications for Nike, Inc. He coled the global corporate responsibility team and helped Nike become recognized as a leading
corporate citizen. Mr. Stewart is an Annenberg Alum!
Class Activity
• TBD
Prepare for the October 25 class by reading the following.
Required:



Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
Video on Anatomy of a CSR Report
Additional reading TBD
Week 11 - November 1
Class meets at the Museum of Tolerance
Topic: Social Media, Films and Reports
Case: Museum of Tolerance
Guest Speaker
 Liebe Geft, Executive Director, Museum of Tolerance and others TBD
Activity
 Prepare recommendations for Museum’s Social Media Campaign
Prepare for the November 1 class by reading the following.
Required
1. Coupland, C. (2005). Corporate social responsibility as argument on the web. Journal of
Business Ethics, 62, 355-366.
2. Communicating CSR through social media (2008, September 23).
3. Social Responsibility Link, International Association of Business Communicators,
http://srlink.x.iabc.com/
4. http://www.justmeans.com
5. http://www.BCCorporateCitizenship.org/filmfestival
6. Why Social Media Is Vital to Corporate Social Responsibility, Article
7. 5 Winning Corporate Social Good Campaigns, Article
8. Research the Museum of Tolerance. Review their web site. Before class, submit
suggestions for how they might go about developing a social media presence
Week 12 - November 8
Memo 2 due
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Topic: CSR as Democratic Workplace
Guest
 Traci Fenton, CEO World Blu
Class Activity
 Case: Gap and SAI
 Case: Worldblu: Democratic Work Places
Prepare for the October 11 class by reading the following.
Required:
1. Bhattacharya, C.B., Sen, S., & Korschun, D. (2008, Winter.) Using corporate social
responsibility to win the war for talent. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(2).
2. CEO Publication. Sustaining human rights: How Gap Inc. and Social Accountability
International (SAI) show that two (and more) interests are better than one.
3. Review Worldblu website: http://www.worldblu.com
Week 13 - November 15
Topic: CSR as Innovation and A Word from the Trenches (TBD)
Week 14 - November 22 - Group Presentations and Reunion
Week 15 - November 29 - Group Presentations and Reunion
Last day of class
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Additional Topics/Readings
CSR as a Movement
Laszlo, C. (2008). Sustainable value: how the world's leading companies are doing well by doing good.
Stanford, CA: Standford University Press.
Googins, B. K., Mirvis, P. H., & Rochlin, S. A. (2007). Beyond good company: next generation corporate
citizenship. New York, NY: Palgrave McMillan.
CSR as a Multiorganizational System
Case Study: IBM The Corporate Service Corps HBR #409106
CSR Models: Stages of Corporate Citizenship
Mirvis, P., & Googins, B. Stages of corporate citizenship: A developmental framework. Center for
Corporate Citizenship at Boston College.
Zadek, S. (December 2004). The path to corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review.
Grau, S., Gupta, S., & Pirsch, J. (2007). A framework for understanding corporate social responsibility
programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 70, 125-140.
The Role of 3rd Party Organizations in Driving CSR Initiatives (government, NGOs, the UN)
Williams, O. (2004). The UN Global Compact: The challenge and the promise. Business Ethics
Quarterly, 14(4), 755-774.
United Nations Global Compact leading companies retreat: Summary report. (2008). Center for
Corporate Citizenship at Boston College.
Organizational Identity and Reputation
Case Study: Rejuvenating Wal-Mart's Reputation HBR # BH141
Mark-Herbert, C., & von Schantz, C. (2007). Communicating corporate social responsibility: Brand
management. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 12(2).
Curtis, J. (Sept. 13, 2006). Why don't they trust you with CSR? Marketing, 30-32.
Developing CSR Communication Strategy
Case Study: -Timberland Commerce & Justice, HBR #305002
Weber, M. (2008). The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company-level measurement
approach for CSR. European Management Journal, 26, 247- 261.
Dawkins, J. Corporate responsibility: The communication challenge. Journal of Communication
Management, 9(2), 108-119.
Dunfee, T., Hess, D., & Rogovsky, N. (Winter 2002). The next wave of corporate community involvement:
Corporate social initiatives. California Management Review, 44(2). (Reprint available on HBR)
Chen, J. C., Patten, D., M., & Roberts, R. W. (2008). Corporate charitable contributions: A corporate
social performance or legitimacy strategy? Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 131-144.
Ethics and the Communication Paradox and CSR Leadership
Davis, G., Marina, V.N., & Zald, M. (Winter 2008). The responsibility paradox! Stanford Social Innovation
Review, 6 (1).
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Van de Ven, B. (2008). An ethical framework for the marketing of corporate social responsibility. Journal
of Business Ethics, 82, 339-352.
Designing Organizations for CSR
Case Studies: Cuyahoga River Valley (CRVO)
IBM Global Citizenship Unit
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Susan Resnick West, Ph.D.
Susan Resnick West is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Annenberg School of Communication at the
University of Southern California. Formerly the Director of Education at the Center for Effective
Organizations, Susan received her B.A. and her Ph.D. from UCLA.
Dr. West focuses on leadership development and evaluation to enable strategic change. She has been
actively involved as a researcher and/or consultant to a wide variety of organizations implementing
strategic change including Alliance for Redesigning Government, ARCO, Asian Development Bank,
Association for Quality and Participation, Barclays Global Investors, Canadian Forrest Products, Casa
Dorinda, Cedars-Sinai, Chevron, Country Villa, County of Orange, DreamWorks, General Electric, Goal
QPC, Harbor General Hospital, Hospital Council of Southern California, Hitachi Data Systems, Pioneer,
Home Savings, Hughes Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Norris Cancer Center, Northrop Grumman,
Price Waterhouse and Coopers, San Diego Union-Tribune, Solutia Inc, Southern California Cable
Association, U.S. Navy, Union Bank, University of Iowa, Westin Hotels and Xerox Corporation.
Susan is co-author of Designing Performance Appraisal Systems and several articles on performance
appraisal, the management of professional employees and the evaluation of strategic change efforts.
She has developed numerous programs to enable employees to participate in strategic change
including: The Changing Role of the Manager, Managing Change, Ooops What Do We Do Now, You and
the Balanced Score Card, Identifying and Using Job Competencies, Facilitation Skills, Strategic Self Design
and Performance and Career Development. She has held management positions in the public and
private sector and received grants from Goal QPC and the Association for Quality and Participation. She
teaches graduate level courses in leadership and organizational change at the Annenberg School for
Communication.
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Andrew Lih
Andrew Lih is a new media researcher, consultant and technology author
(listen to a recent Radio New Zealand interview here). After a decade in
academia as a professor of journalism and media studies, he spent two
years researching and writing the book The Wikipedia Revolution: How a
Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia (Hyperion
2009), the only nonfiction narrative account about the online community
that has created one of the most influential Web sites in the world. He was
previously an assistant professor of journalism and new media at the Hong
Kong University Journalism and Media Studies Centre.
After founding one of the first dot-com companies in New York in 1994, Lih created the new media
program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism where he served as adjunct professor
and director of technology for their Center for New Media from 1995 to 2000. During that time, he
taught the first generation of new media journalists and advised New York media companies on content
strategy and Web site design. He also developed the first guidelines for the Pulitzer Prizes to accept
digital multimedia submissions, starting in 1999. Lih’s work and commentary have appeared in The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, National Public Radio, MSNBC, CNN International, South China
Morning Post and The Standard (HK), among others. He was recognized as a Young Leader by the
American Swiss Foundation in 2000 and by the Asia Society in 2007.
Andrew Lih is a new media researcher, consultant and technology author (listen to a recent Radio New
Zealand interview here). After a decade in academia as a professor of journalism and media studies, he
spent two years researching and writing the book The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies
Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia (Hyperion 2009), the only nonfiction narrative account about
the online community that has created one of the most influential Web sites in the world. He was
previously an assistant professor of journalism and new media at the Hong Kong University Journalism
and Media Studies Centre.
After founding one of the first dot-com companies in New York in 1994, Lih created the new media
program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism where he served as adjunct professor
and director of technology for their Center for New Media from 1995 to 2000. During that time, he
taught the first generation of new media journalists and advised New York media companies on content
strategy and Web site design. He also developed the first guidelines for the Pulitzer Prizes to accept
digital multimedia submissions, starting in 1999. Lih’s work and commentary have appeared in The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, National Public Radio, MSNBC, CNN International, South China
Morning Post and The Standard (HK), among others. He was recognized as a Young Leader by the
American Swiss Foundation in 2000 and by the Asia Society in 2007.
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Adlai Wertman
USC Marshall School of Business, Los Angeles CA 90089-0808
Phone: 213 740 9910
awertman@marshall.usc.edu
Adlai Wertman is a Professor of Clinical Management and Organization at the Marshall School of
Business at the University of Southern California. In this position, Professor Wertman originated and
spearheads the Marshall School’s efforts in the growing fields of social entrepreneurship, social
enterprise and corporate social responsibility. He is also the founding Director of the Society and
Business Lab at Marshall – a center focused on using business education and resources to address global
social, environmental and health challenges.
Prior to joining the faculty at Marshall, Adlai spent seven years as President and CEO of Chrysalis - the
only non-profit in Los Angeles devoted solely to helping homeless change their lives through
employment. As part of its award-winning program, Chrysalis ran one of the larger social enterprises in
the country - Chrysalis Enterprises – with annual revenues over $4.5 million and employing nearly 1,000
clients each year. During his tenure at Chrysalis, the organization doubled in size, opened a third facility
and acquired a permanent home. Adlai and his team dramatically increased the fundraising profile of
Chrysalis, adding over 1,000 donors, creating premier events and raising it visibility in the greater
community. He was also integrally involved in policy-making in Los Angeles regarding homelessness,
workforce development and poverty.
Prior to Chrysalis, Adlai spent 18 years as an investment banker. His last position was Managing Director
and Manager of Prudential Securities' West Coast Public Investment Banking Group. During his career,
which included positions as at Bear Stearns and Chase, Adlai served as the senior banker on nearly $25
billion of financings throughout the United States. He also managed offices in Miami, Chicago, Dallas,
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Adlai was a Senior Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Affairs where he spent two years teaching nonprofit management, fundraising, finance and social enterprise to Masters in Social Welfare candidates,
He is also the subject of a UCLA published case study. Adlai is also a Wexner Heritage Fellow.
Adlai was appointed by the Mayor as a Commissioner of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Fund.
He has worked extensively in the Los Angeles community as founder and board member of several nonprofits and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Global Health Institute and a Member
of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Foundation. He is a frequent speaker on the issues of
social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, fundraising and non-profit management. Adlai has also
consulted to numerous NGOs in the US and in Israel. He is also a contributor to the Huffington Post and
Thresher.com.
Adlai earned his BA in Economics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his MBA in
Finance, Public Policy Management and Strategic Planning from The Wharton School at the University of
Pennsylvania.
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Kirk Stewart
Kirk Stewart, executive vice president and leader of APCO Worldwide’s
corporate communication practice, has more than 30 years of experience in
public relations and public affairs. He plays a leading role in serving APCO’s
corporate clients and helping broaden and expand the firm's corporate
communication practice. In addition, he serves as a member of APCO’s global
executive committee and a member of the firm's International Advisory Council.
Mr. Stewart previously served as global vice president of corporate communications for Nike, Inc. He
joined Nike in 1997 after a 16-year career with the global public relations firm of Manning, Selvage &
Lee, the last four-and-a-half years as its chairman and chief executive officer. During his eight years with
Nike, Mr. Stewart was responsible for corporate media relations, brand communication, crisis and issue
management, internal communication, community affairs, sustainable development and stakeholder
engagement. He also co-led the global corporate responsibility team and helped Nike become
recognized as a leading corporate citizen.
Previously, Mr. Stewart held the positions of director of public affairs for the then-information services
division of TRW and senior account executive at the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.
He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, The Arthur W. Page Society, the Conference
Board's Council on Corporate Communications Strategy and a trustee of the Institute for Public
Relations. He is the recipient of the distinguished journalism alumni award from the University of
Southern California's school of journalism.
Mr. Stewart received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and his Master of Arts in Public Relations
from the University of Southern California, where he was an instructor in the school of journalism for six
years.
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Liebe Geft
Director
Museum of Tolerance
1399 South Roxbury Drive
Los Angeles CA
90035 USA
Email: lgeft@wiesenthal.com
http://www.museumoftolerance.com
Ms. Liebe Geft, director of the Museum of Tolerance since 1998, has been involved in the education of
young people for several decades, including years as an English teacher to elementary school students
and adults in England and Israel. She is a frequent public speaker at national and international seminars
and conventions, and she regularly moderates public debates on pressing social issues. As a professional
broadcaster, she has frequently appeared on radio and television programs about poetry and children's
literature. As the Director of the Tools for Tolerance for Professionals program at the Museum of
Tolerance since 1996, Ms. Geft has helped design curricular materials and directed workshops for
thousands of teachers, law enforcement officials, and municipal employees. Ms. Geft was educated in
Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Israel, England, and the United States.
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Traci Fenton
Founder + CEO
WorldBlu
traci[at]worldblu[dot]com
Traci Fenton is the Founder + CEO of WorldBlu, which champions the growth of democratic
organizations worldwide. As a leading expert in organizational democracy, she is recognized as one of
the business thought-leaders of her generation as well as of the next generation of business.
Traci has spent over a decade pioneering methods and tools for designing and building democratic
companies, including the WorldBlu Democratic Design System™. Traci’s unique vision has created events
like WorldBlu LIVE, a first-of-its kind conference on organizational democracy attended by hundreds of
business thought-leaders from around the world. Traci also pioneered the groundbreaking WorldBlu List
of Most Democratic Workplaces™, an annual listing of the most democratic organizations in the world.
Drawing from over a decade of original research and hundreds of conversations with business
executives and leading practitioners about how freedom, rather than fear and control, can be practiced
within a business environment, Traci is currently working on a book highlighting innovative case studies
in organizational democracy. She has been published in the Christian Science Monitor newspaper and
has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, The New York Times, Fortune Small
Business, the BBC as well as dozens of other magazines, online journals, radio shows and blogs.
Traci frequently addresses audiences on organizational democracy and freedom-centered leadership
and has shared her message with individuals from over 100 countries and with organizations and events
such as Yahoo!, Fox Interactive Media, the CIA, South by Southwest and Harvard University.
Previously in her career she worked in public relations and advertising for a Fortune 500 company, was a
social venture capitalist for the NASDAQ Stock Market’s multi-million dollar educational foundation, and
was a social entrepreneurial consultant for a national non-profit organization.
Traci has traveled throughout Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, North America, and
Europe. She earned a BA in global studies and entrepreneurship from Principia College and a master’s
degree in international development from American University’s School of International Service in
Washington, DC. In her free time, Traci loves traveling, learning how to play the cello, running, yoga,
spending time outdoors, and writing poetry.
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Robert Vos
From 1999-2009, Robert Vos was director of industrial ecology research
with the Center for Sustainable Cities at USC, where he conducted projects
on regional materials flow analysis, eco-industrial park planning, life-cycle
assessment, and sustainability indicators. He has published extensively on
theories and concepts of sustainability. His co-edited book, Flashpoints in
Environmental Policymaking: Controversies in Achieving Sustainability, won
the Lynton K. Caldwell Prize from the Section on Technology and
Environmental Policy in the American Political Science Association for the
best book published between 1995 and 1997 on environmental politics and
policy.
As part of his sustainability consulting practice, he has applied industrial ecology tools to the goods
movement industry, water and wastewater systems, and in assessing the carbon footprint of various
products with clients ranging from the City of Los Angeles to small and medium-sized green businesses.
In January of 2010, he joined Clean Agency as research director, where he has conducted research on
behalf of a mix of larger corporate clients and government agencies.
He holds an interdisciplinary B.A. degree focusing on urban environments, with an M.A. and Ph.D. from
USC in political science, specializing in environmental politics and policy. He is also a member of the
International Society of Industrial Ecology (ISIE). He has a continuing appointment as a research
assistant professor in the spatial sciences program at USC, where, among other projects, he is working
on applying industrial ecology to evaluate the environmental justice implications of California’s
landmark climate change legislation (AB 32) and working on a statewide project on watershed
indicators. In fall 2009, in partnership with Professor Mansour Rahimi, of the Viterbi School of
Engineering, he developed and taught a new course in Industrial Ecology at USC’s Department of
Industrial and Systems Engineering.
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Candace Hodder
Candace Hodder, Project Associate at Clean Agency, works
with companies to assess, and find solutions to lessen, their
environmental impact. During her time at Clean she has
worked with major companies like Disney, Nestle, Asics, Avery
Dennison and NewPage on a wide variety of internal and
external sustainability initiatives. Her communications-related
experience with these clients ranges from delivering education
on environmental responsibility to company stakeholders to
developing methods to engage employees in sustainability
initiatives. She has also produced public communications like
NewPage Corporation’s On Paper podcast series, which
features interviews with corporate leaders in environmental
and social responsibility.
Prior to joining Clean, Candace worked to help launch Urban Farming's Food Chain project; an initiative
to install a network of food-producing green walls in the heart of urban Los Angeles. A native of Toronto,
Canada, she spent the years prior to her arrival in Los Angeles coordinating a national environmental
event called the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, encouraging Canadians to clean up beaches and
waterways in their communities. She has also worked as an environmental educator, developing and
teaching nature education programs for children and adults.
In 2010, Candace completed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Certified Training Program. GRI is the
world’s most widely used framework for organizations to measure and report their economic,
environmental, and social performance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from Queen’s
University in Ontario, Canada and a Master’s degree in Environment and Politics from Keele University in
the UK.
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