Corporate Responsibility

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
• Convenor and tutor: Ioanna Boulouta
• Assessment: a 3500-word essay (100%)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Corporate Responsibility (CR) can be understood as a management concept and process that integrates environmental and social concerns into business operations. As such, it affects business interactions with a full range of stakeholders, ranging from employees to society at large. In today’s business environment, issues related to environmental and social responsibility are gaining more and more importance. Whilst short-term economic gains can still be pursued without taking into account the long-term social and environmental impacts of business operations, such business practices are unsustainable. Moreover, global challenges such as climate change, the global financial crisis and high-profile corporate scandals have increased the pressure on businesses for more accountability and responsibility. As a result, managers are increasingly required to understand such issues and integrate them into their everyday management practice.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand and critically analyse responsible business practices
• debate the importance of Corporate Responsibility issues in your organisation and build a ‘business case’
• design and implement corporate responsibility strategies in your organisation and address social and environmental concerns.