Not available in 2020/21
MG210 Half Unit
Corporate Social Responsibility and International Labour Standards
This information is for the 2020/21 session.
Teacher responsible
Prof Sarah Ashwin NAB 4.19
Availability
This course is available on the BSc in Management, International Exchange (1 Term) and International Exchange (Full Year). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.
Pre-requisites
Any social science background
Course content
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming an expected element of corporate strategy. This course critically evaluates CSR, focusing on firms’ attempts to prevent labour standards violations in their supply chains. We begin by analysing the rise of CSR, setting it in the context of global value chains, international labour standards, and emerging private forms of regulation. We then analyse topics such as: the impact of CSR on corporate financial performance; whether CSR is an effective means of raising labour standards; theories of CSR; how to embed CSR within the firm and comparative CSR. The course includes plenty of examples of how large firms are dealing with the ethical challenges posed by global supply chains. The course is interdisciplinary, and students are encouraged to bring insights from their “home” discipline so that seminars become a mutual learning experience. The course will include one lecture from a CSR professional.
Teaching
10 hours of lectures and 15 hours of classes in the LT. 1 hour of classes in the ST.
Formative coursework
Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the LT.
Indicative reading
Locke, R. (2013) The Promise and Limits of Private Power: Promoting Labor Standards in a Global Economy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vogel, D. (2005) The Market For Virtue: The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility, Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Crane, A. et al. (2008) The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility, Oxford: OUP. Elliot, K.A. and Freeman, R. (2003) Can Labor Standards Improve Under Globalization?, Washington D.C.: Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Assessment
Exam (60%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.
Essay (40%, 2000 words) in the ST.
Important information in response to COVID-19
Please note that during 2020/21 academic year some variation to teaching and learning activities may be required to respond to changes in public health advice and/or to account for the situation of students in attendance on campus and those studying online during the early part of the academic year. For assessment, this may involve changes to mode of delivery and/or the format or weighting of assessments. Changes will only be made if required and students will be notified about any changes to teaching or assessment plans at the earliest opportunity.
Key facts
Department: Management
Total students 2019/20: 22
Average class size 2019/20: 12
Capped 2019/20: No
Value: Half Unit
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Commercial awareness
