- "Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic, activist, or charitable nature..." - "engaging in, with, or supporting professional service volunteering through pro bono programs, community development, administering monetary grants to non-profit organizations for the public benefit, or to conduct ethically oriented business and investment practices."
An examination of the moral and ethical implications of organizational decisions and actions, and their impact on stakeholders and society at large.
Introduction to Ethics: This topic covers the basic concepts, theories, and principles of ethics, including moral reasoning, ethical decision making, and the different approaches to ethics.
Stakeholder Theory: This topic discusses how organizations should consider the interests of stakeholders, who are individuals or groups affected by the organization's actions or decisions.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): This topic covers the responsibilities that organizations have to society, including economic, environmental, and social responsibilities.
Ethical Leadership: This topic discusses the importance of ethical leadership in organizations, including the role of leaders in shaping organizational culture, and the different leadership styles and their ethical implications.
Corporate Governance: This topic covers the systems, processes, and practices that ensure accountability, transparency, and ethical behavior in organizations.
Business Ethics in Global Governance: This topic covers the role of business ethics in the global economy, including the challenges and opportunities in managing ethical issues in multinational corporations.
Ethics and Sustainability: This topic discusses the relationship between ethics and sustainability, including the ethical considerations in managing natural resources, environmental impact, and climate change.
Ethical Decision Making: This topic covers the different approaches to ethical decision making, including consequentialism, deontological theories, virtue ethics, and care ethics.
Ethics and Technology: This topic discusses the ethical implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and social media.
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: This topic covers the different reporting frameworks and standards for measuring and communicating corporate social responsibility performance.
Ethical Consumerism: This topic discusses the role of consumers in shaping ethical business practices and how organizations respond to the demands and expectations of ethical consumers.
Ethics in the Workplace: This topic covers the importance of ethics in the workplace, including issues related to employee rights, corporate culture, whistleblowing, and conflicts of interest.
Utilitarianism Ethics: This theory states that corporate social responsibility is to maximize the overall happiness of society by creating products or services that benefit everyone.
Deontological Ethics: This theory suggests that companies should always follow ethical principles and moral values even if it does not result in the greatest good for society.
Virtue Ethics: This theory asserts that being ethical is a personal characteristic and that individuals within the organization should develop good moral virtues like honesty, integrity, and compassion.
Environmental Ethics: This theory argues that the environment has inherent value and companies should take steps to reduce their negative impact.
Stakeholder Ethics: This theory proposes that companies have a responsibility not just to shareholders but also to other stakeholders such as customers, employees, and the community.
Ethical Relativism: This theory contends that ethical standards vary across cultures and companies should adapt to the moral standards of the country they operate in.
Feminist Ethics: This theory focuses on the feminist perspective, arguing that companies should address gender inequality and promote gender equity.
Integral Theory: This theory proposes that companies should focus on the spiritual, physical, and emotional health of the organization as well, as the economic aspects.
Social Contract Theory: This theory argues that companies must fulfill their social contract by following ethical principles, such as transparency, fairness, and respect for human rights.
- "While once it was possible to describe CSR as an internal organizational policy or a corporate ethic strategy similar to what is now known today as Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG); that time has passed as various companies have pledged to go beyond that..." - "or have been mandated or incentivized by governments to have a better impact on the surrounding community." - "In addition national and international standards, laws, and business models have been developed to facilitate and incentivize this phenomenon."
- "professional service volunteering through pro bono programs" - "community development" - "administering monetary grants to non-profit organizations" - "conducting ethically oriented business and investment practices"
- "while it has been considered a form of corporate self-regulation for some time, over the last decade or so it has moved considerably from voluntary decisions at the level of individual organizations to mandatory schemes at regional, national, and international levels."
- "Moreover, scholars and firms are using the term 'creating shared value', an extension of corporate social responsibility, to explain ways of doing business in a socially responsible way while making profits."
- "CSR is generally understood as a strategic initiative that contributes to a brand's reputation." - "social responsibility initiatives must coherently align with and be integrated into a business model to be successful."
- "CSR can contribute to firm profits, particularly if brands voluntarily self-report both the positive and negative outcomes of their endeavors." - "these benefits accrue by increasing positive public relations and high ethical standards to reduce business and legal risk by taking responsibility for corporate actions."
- "some businesses will adopt CSR policies and practices because of the ethical beliefs of senior management" - "the CEO of outdoor-apparel company Patagonia, Inc. argues that harming the environment is ethically objectionable."
- "Proponents argue that corporations increase long-term profits by operating with a CSR perspective."
- "A 2000 study compared existing econometric studies of the relationship between social and financial performance, concluding that the contradictory results of previous studies reporting positive, negative, and neutral financial impact, were due to flawed empirical analysis and claimed when the study is properly specified, CSR has a neutral impact on financial outcomes."
- "Critics questioned the 'lofty' and sometimes 'unrealistic expectations' in CSR." - "CSR is merely window-dressing, or an attempt to pre-empt the role of governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations."
- "political and sociological institutionalists became interested in CSR in the context of theories of globalization, neoliberalism, and late capitalism."