Course overview
This course is designed to explore contemporary social and ethical challenges facing global corporations in our increasingly globalised and inter-connected world. Through analysis of recent developments in Corporate Social Responsibility, triple bottom-line accounting and sustainability requirements, students will examine issues such as ethics and leadership, the shareholder-stakeholder debate, corruption, the changing trade environment as well as how modern corporations are dealing with the challenges of poverty, climate change and dangerous conflict situations. The aim is to increase students' ability to apply critical analysis and ethical principles to practical problems that they will face in the workplace and to engage with and influence ongoing debates on the future role of global corporations in contributing to a more prosperous and sustainable global environment.
Course learning outcomes
- Apply their critical and analytical thinking skills to problems and dilemmas in global corporate responsibility.
- Develop applied research skills to a practical problem in global corporate responsibility, specifically, problem framing, literature research, data collection, analysis and interpretation, formulation of managerial recommendations.
- Develop and employ team leadership, management and collaboration skills in small groups.
- Integrate knowledge and skills from preceding courses of the bachelor of commerce program, particularly, small group research skills with knowledge of international business, foundations in accounting, finance, marketing and management.
- Develop argumentation skills within contemporary debates in global corporate responsibility, such as the shareholder-stakeholder debate, strategic CSR, environmental and social dumping, social business and social entrepreneurship.
- Understand the conceptual foundations in the field of corporate responsibility and comprehend the complexity of corporate responsibility for the global business.