Unit information: Principles of corporate social responsibility (Bath) in 2020/21

Unit name	Principles of corporate social responsibility (Bath)
Unit code	LAWDM0161
Credit points	15
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Pieraccini
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	N/A
Co-requisites	In taking this module you cannot take MN50456
School/department	University of Bristol Law School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

The unit will draw upon theory and evidence to construct a rigorous understanding of the strategic implications of CSR. It will employ informative cases to develop a practical appreciation of opportunities for, and limitations of, emerging CSR- orientated strategies. Such strategies will speak to implications for numerous stakeholder groups (employees, communities, etc.) and numerous types of issue (community-oriented, employee-related, environmental, etc.), and may encompass social enterprise, cooperatives, and green business.

Aims:

Corporate social responsibility is an increasingly important aspect of the contemporary business world. This course examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) and focuses on exploring the responsibilities of firms in respect of a range of contemporary environmental and social issues.

The unit builds upon prior knowledge of theoretical and empirical perspectives including stakeholder theory and institutional theory. The unit is designed for students with some prior experience of corporate responsibility and will enable students to practically apply this knowledge to complex, social and environmental issues that arise within today's business environment. The course aims to equip them with tools and approaches necessary for the practical application of theory.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the unit, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate the application of different principles that constitute CSR, and how these perspectives inform various strategies, codes of conduct and self-regulatory standards for CSR that are advocated by stakeholder groups and companies.
• Understand the current and future challenges being faced by businesses as they negotiate their relationship with their physical and social environments in fast changing conditions, and the key questions these pose for corporate action, strategies and purposes.
• Propose strategies that balance conflicting business and social responsibilities and critique different managerial approaches to working with stakeholders
• Apply the theoretical and practical aspects of corporate responsibility to a range of contemporary social and environmental problems Critically and creatively assess different approaches to the management of CSR issues and evaluate the prospects and limits of different policy approaches related to these issues.

Assessment Information

This unit is assessed by the University of Bath - Coursework (CW 100%)