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MMBA8068 – Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility

2022 – Term 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Debbie Haski-Leventhal
debbie.haski-leventhal@mq.edu.au
Debbie Haski-Leventhal
debbie.haski-leventhal@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MBA or GradCertMgtPostMBA or MSusDev or MSocEntre or GradCertSocEntre or GradDipMgt
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

When considering CSR, many think about corporate philanthropy and being environmentally friendly. However, strategic CSR is a holistic and long-term approach to the broad responsibilities of business, based on stakeholder integration and ethical behaviour while utilising the firm’s resources and brand to address societal and environmental issues. It implies that CSR is aligned with what the company does, its brand, and what it stands for while being embedded in every aspect of the business. In this unit, we will explore the concept of CSR and related ideas and frameworks; discuss stakeholder integration and involvement; current approaches to business ethics; examine sustainability and climate action; and shed light on responsible leadership. We will further work on measuring and reporting impact, communication and marketing, and organisational change towards sustainable and responsible business.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Integrate Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its six components into business operations
  • ULO2: Use a stakeholder integration approach in order benefit the organisation and society at large.
  • ULO3: Integrate ethical concepts, social and environmental factors into business decision-making.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate how strategic CSR can assist in delivering social, financial, and environmental value, both as an individual and as part of a group

General Assessment Information

Late submissions of assessments Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, no extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available assessment-task marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24-hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. Late submissions will only be accepted up to 96 hours after the due date and time.

No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g., quizzes, online tests.

Table 1: Penalty calculation based on submission time

Submission time after the due date (including weekends)

Penalty (% of available assessment task mark)

Example: for a non-timed assessment task marked out of 30

< 24 hours

10%

10% x 30 marks = 3-mark deduction

24-48 hours

20%

20% x 30 marks = 6-mark deduction

48-72 hours

30%

30% x 30 marks = 9-mark deduction

72-96 hours

40%

40% x 30 marks = 12-mark deduction

> 96 hours

100%

Assignment won’t be accepted

Special Consideration To request an extension on the due date/time for a timed or non-timed assessment task, you must submit a Special Consideration application. An application for Special Consideration does not guarantee approval.

The approved extension date for a student becomes the new due date for that student. The late submission penalties above then apply as of the new due date.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Discussions, debate, analysis, and small group tasks 20% No All sessions
Group Presentation 30% No 22/05/2022
CSR Analysis Report 50% No 27/05/2022

Discussions, debate, analysis, and small group tasks

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: All sessions
Weighting: 20%

This task requires students to contribute to in class activities that are based on content and concepts.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Integrate Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its six components into business operations
  • Integrate ethical concepts, social and environmental factors into business decision-making.

Group Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 34 hours
Due: 22/05/2022
Weighting: 30%

The group presentation will be based on an analysis of a company’s strategic CSR, as defined and applied in this unit. Each group needs to find a company that has a CSR and/or sustainability program. This can be a company one of the group members works/has worked in or a well-known company. The group is required to collect data using publicly available information and/or via interviews and surveys. In the last day of this unit, each group will present for 30 minutes, with each member presenting for at least five (5) minutes on one of the four parts: 1. The company, its history, vision, and mission 2. Its current CSR and analysis of strategic CSR (all six aspects). 3. Its work towards the SDGs 4. Recommendations for improvement. The group will need to submit a draft of the slides 48 hours prior to the presentation, so that feedback can be provided, and the slides can be amended accordingly. Each group will also need to provide an executive summary of the company’s analysis with a title page with all group members’ names and students’ IDs and references according to APA7.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Integrate Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its six components into business operations
  • Use a stakeholder integration approach in order benefit the organisation and society at large.
  • Integrate ethical concepts, social and environmental factors into business decision-making.
  • Demonstrate how strategic CSR can assist in delivering social, financial, and environmental value, both as an individual and as part of a group

CSR Analysis Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 28 hours
Due: 27/05/2022
Weighting: 50%

Based on the group work for the Group Presentation, each member will be required to submit a full individual report. The report will need to include a review of the relevant literature (either separately or embedded in the analysis), an analysis of the business and its CSR (including all six aspects). It will also include one new topic (e.g., SDGs, CSR reporting, CSR marketing, stakeholder integration or organisational change) and offer suggestions for improvement. It may also incorporate the feedback given to the group after the presentation. The reports are to be written individually and will be checked for plagiarism. You will need to include all sources and academic articles used in a reference list according to APA7.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Integrate Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its six components into business operations
  • Use a stakeholder integration approach in order benefit the organisation and society at large.
  • Integrate ethical concepts, social and environmental factors into business decision-making.
  • Demonstrate how strategic CSR can assist in delivering social, financial, and environmental value, both as an individual and as part of a group

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Required Text

 Haski-Leventhal, D. (2021). Strategic CSR: A Holistic Approach to Responsible and Sustainable Business (2nd Edition). SAGE.

Unit Web Page

The web page for this unit can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/

Technology Used and Required

Students are required to have access to a personal computer and familiarise themselves with iLearn (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/).

iLearn will be used to post lecture slides, assessment details, student grades and as a means of communication between staff members and students.

Delivery Format and Other Details

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

Recommended readings

Recommended readings are provided via the links on the iLearn Unit page

Inherent Requirements

None

Unit Schedule

Please see iLearn. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

The textbook was updated (second edition). I will also update the content, readings, and assignment instructions on iLearn. 

Changes since First Published

Date Description
01/03/2022 Textbook edition updated to 2nd edition (2021).

Unit information based on version 2022.05 of the Handbook