MM334: New Directions in Business and Corporate Social Responsibility

Module code: MM334

Module provider: Marketing and Reputation; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: 6

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Irene Garnelo-Gomez, email: i.garnelo-gomez@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 19 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

There is growing recognition of the role business and market-based solutions can play in tackling complex ‘wicked’ global sustainable development challenges, including reducing poverty, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and facing up to global climate change. Concurrently, barely a day goes by without media reports of corporate misbehaviour and scandal. This module examines the role of business in society and the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

This module aims to develop students’ awareness and understanding of contemporary debates and practices of CSR, and to encourage their reflection on the wider role of business in society and global sustainable development. Those who have studied MM298 (Social Responsibility in Action) will be able to dig deeper into specific areas of corporate responsibility.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Discuss and critically analyse current research and literature on CSR and wider business and society debates, and explain the main theoretical contributions informing them.  
2. Discuss and critically evaluate contemporary CSR management and practice, including its application in different arenas of business activity and in relation to different social and environmental concerns.  
3. Recognise an organisation’s stakeholders, discuss stakeholder theory, and critically evaluate relationships between organisations and their stakeholders.

Module content

Topics include:

• CSR Concepts and Theories 
• CSR and the Environment  
• CSR and the Community  
• CSR Strategy and Implementation  
• Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation 
• CSR Reporting

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The above themes will be taught in 10, 2-hour lectures, supported by 6 hours of seminars and 2 hours of poster display/presentation. Each lecture will have required pre-reading and involve class discussion.

Study hours

At least 28 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative self-completion exercises are available in the module core text book for most topics covered. Formative feedback will be provided via discussions in lectures, seminars and through discussion boards in blackboard.

Reassessment

Additional costs