Students

MMBA8068 – Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility

2023 – Term 2, In person-scheduled-intensive, City

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
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

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Group Presentation 30% No Last day of the unit
Discussions, debate, analysis, and small group tasks 20% No All classes
CSR Analysis Report 50% No 7 days after the last day of the unit (Sunday) at 23:59

Group Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 34 hours
Due: Last day of the unit
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

Discussions, debate, analysis, and small group tasks

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: All classes
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.

CSR Analysis Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 28 hours
Due: 7 days after the last day of the unit (Sunday) at 23:59
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

Please check the iLearn for dates and materials 

Unit Schedule

Please check the iLearn for dates 

 

Session

 

  

Lecture Topic

 

Textbook chapters

1

  

Introduction to strategic CSR

1, 2

2

Stakeholder management and involvement

3, 8

3

  

Business ethics

4

4

Environmental sustainability

6

5

  

Leadership

7

6

CSR Impact

9

7

  

CSR Benchmarking

10

8

CSR Reporting and Marketing

11-12

9

  

Organisational change towards CSR

13

10

Presentations

N/A

 

  

 

 

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Changes since First Published

Date Description
17/11/2023 I made the changes to be more general and applicable every time it is taught while referring students to iLearn

Unit information based on version 2023.01 of the Handbook