Kerekes Sándort díszdoktorrá avatta a Varsói Közgazdasági Egyetem
 
Honoris causa degree for Professor Sándor Kerekes
 

 

Corporate Sustainability and CSR (CSCSR_VTKGT)
CEMS
Fall Semester, 2010/2011

 
Course leaders:Sándor KEREKES DSc, Ágnes ZSÓKA Ph.D.
Lecturers:Sándor KEREKES DSc, Ágnes ZSÓKA Ph.D.
Department:Department of Environmental Economics and Technology
Office hours:Sándor Kerekes: by appointment
Ágnes Zsóka: by appointment
Availability: Sándor Kerekes:
Room 213
Phone Nr.: 482- 5262
e-mail: sandor.kerekesuni-corvinus.hu
Ágnes Zsóka:
Room 87
Phone Nr.: 482-5063:
e-mail agnes.zsokauni-corvinus.hu
Course type:elective
Prerequisites:None
Credits: 4
Number of hours per semestertwo 80 minute classes per week = 43.5 hours per semester;
the number of lectures and seminars: 2+2
Time of class: Tuesday 08:00 - 11:00
Venue: C 417

 

Aims, objectives and description of the course:

The course aims to highlight the most important issues of Corporate Sustainability and social responsibility. Due to the challenges of our rapidly changing world like climate change, the need for radical (system) innovations etc. the triple bottom line has become a business case in the corporate world. Our future lies in building sustainable enterprises and economic reality that connects industry, society and the natural environment. The focus of the course has recently shifted to the social dimension of corporate sustainability. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility can be applied to business organisations as a mechanism for measuring social, environmental and ethical performance. The course focuses on exploring the drivers behind Corporate Sustainability and CSR strategy and the implications of sustainability challenges to corporate reality. CSR efforts are often publicized in sustainability reports, but the intentions and the performance behind reporting are ambiguous and make critical evaluation necessary.

Learning outcomes:

Methodology to be used:

During the course we combine lectures held by the course leaders and guest speakers, company visits as well as class discussions, group work at seminars, and home assignments for groups and individuals.

 

Detailed class schedule, 1st - 15th week:

Date of classTopics to be discussed, readings required for the class
Week 1Introduction. Content and approach of the course. The relevance of corporate sustainability and CSR, based on challenges of the rapidly changing environmental and business circumstances.
Week 2Management theory and the triple bottom line. Economic fundamentalism, stakeholder approach, corporate social responsibility.
Week 3Technology and innovation. Dealing with risk. Economic, social and environmental risks and how they are settled by companies. Corporate strategies in risky environments.
Week 4Company visit Csepel II. Power plant
Week 5Reflections from the company visit;
Renewable energy - chances and obstacles
Week 6Corporate Social Responsibility - concept and practice
CSR reporting
Week 7The CSR performance of Electrolux Lehel - case study discussion
Week 8Student presentations and Discussion
Week 9Environmental Conflict Management
CSR at Hungarian Telekom - Presentation by Katalin Szomolányi
Week 10Student Presentations and Discussion
Week 11Company visit to Sanofi Aventis/Chinoin
Week 12Company visit to MOL
Week 13Reflections to company visits
Responsible investment and the question of trust
Evaluation of the course and the assignments
Week 14Final exam
Week 15Make-up exam (if necessary)

 

Assignments:

  1. Home essay and presentation prepared by groups of 3-4 students each (20%). The evaluation criteria are clarity of presentation, methodology, quality of data, analytical depth and critical assessment. Deadline: Week 7
    1. Corporate social responsibility: altruism or necessity?
      More and more companies are publishing corporate social responsibility reports or sustainability reports. Not all of them are famous for their environmental performance. Companies from dirty industries, for example the British American Tobacco, are also proud of having their own reports.
      - What are the intentions beyond publicising CSR?
      - Are those companies publishing one better than those not doing so?
      - Would you personally fight for CSR in your own company? Why or why not?
      - Is there room for a CEO to represent environmental values within the company?
    2. Environmental value added
      We speak too much of environmental costs and too little of environmental values.
      - How can environmental activities add economic value in a real company? (examples)
      - Is there a chance that economic benefits from environmental activities could ever offset the costs of environmental protection? If yes, how and under what conditions could it happen?
      - If not, what kind of financial target would you set for your environmental director?
    3. Small is beautiful, big is efficient
      Big corporations are most often accused of polluting the planet. Still, they emit less pollution per unit of product than smaller companies within the same industry. -Would efficiency improvements solve environmental problems in longer run?
      - Who is responsible for consumerism and the increasing level of environmental burden (GHG emission, waste problem, loss of biodiversity, etc.)
      - Should the big companies change their focus?
      - Should environmental policy turn towards the small ones?
      - How are big companies able to influence the small ones through the supply chain?
    4. Corporate Sustainability and NGO-Activism: The Case of Corporate Watch
      Describe and analyze the mission, concept and impact of Corporate Watch (http://www.corpwatch.org/).
    5. Carbon Neutral Business Strategies - Trend or fad?
      - Analyze the reasons for companies' carbon neutral strategies and discuss the pros and cons.
    6. The Global Reporting Initiative - Concept and Impact
      -Describe and analyze the mission, concept and impact of the Global Reporting Initiative.
  2. Home essay prepared individually (15%), based on a case study. Deadline: week 12
    Choose one company (different from that in the group assignment!!!) and discuss the following questions with regard to the company of your choice:
    - What are drivers for the company's sustainability activities (reasons, objectives, strategies)?
    - What measures/activities are taken?
    - How do you rate the companies sustainability strategy and performance?
    - Is the sustainability strategy of the company different in different units of the company? (i.e. between parent and daughter companies in different countries)?
    - At what level is sustainability strategy being formed and implemented (is there any CEO involvement? Is it in the PR department? Is it the responsibility of the environmental manager?)
    We suggest analysing one of the listed companies of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (check http://www.sustainability-index.com/htmle/data/djsiworld.html) or an SME of your choice.
    Parts of the analysis might include company publications (Annual Reporting, Sustainability / CSR Reporting, Website, NGO/Stakeholder reports), Personal Interviews with employees, personal experience and/or literature reviews.

Assessment, grading:

Group assignment (home essay: 10-15 pages and presentation): 20%
Answering individually the case study questions as other home essay (10-15 pages): 15 %
Class participation (being present, prepared, and active in discussions and group-work): 15 %
Final exam: 50 %

Compulsory readings:

  1. Binswanger, Mathias (2001): Technological progress and sustainable development: what about the rebound effect?, Ecological Economics 36, pp. 119-132
  2. Buchholz, Rogene A and Rosenthal, Sandra B. (2005). Toward a Contemporary Conceptual Framework for Stakeholder Theory, Journal of Business Ethics 58, pp. 137-148
  3. Dyllick, Thomas - Hockerts, Kai (2002): Beyond the Business Case for Corporate Sustainability, Business Strategy and the Environment 11, pp 130-141.
  4. Fassin, Yves (2005): The Reasons behind Non-ethical Behaviour in Business and Entrepreneurship, Journal of Business Ethics, 60, pp. 265-279
  5. Hart, S.L. (2001): Beyond greening: Strategies for a Sustainable World, The In: Starkey, R. and Welford, R. (eds.): The Earthscan. Reader in Business and Sustainable Development. Earthscan.
  6. Kerekes, Sándor - Vastag, Gyula- Rondinelli, Dennis A. (1996): Evaluation of Corporate Environmental Management Strategies: A Framework and Application International Journal of Production Economics, vol. 13, nos. 2-3, pp. 193-211
  7. McWilliams, A. - Siegel, D.S. - Wright, P.M. (2006): Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications. Journal of Management Studies. Vol. 43:1, pp. 1-18.
  8. Porter, M. - Kramer, M. (2006): The Link between Competitive Advantage and CSR Strategy and Society. Harvard Business Review, 1-15
  9. Report by the Stiglitz Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, Executive Summary, http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/documents/rapport_anglais.pdf
  10. Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (1999), In: Bennett, M. and James, P. (eds.): Sustainable Measures. Greenleaf Publishing.
  11. Tracey, Paul - Phillips, Nelson - Haugh, Helen (2005): Beyond Philantrophy: Community Enterprise as a Basis for Corporate Citizenship, Journal of Business Ethics 58, pp 327-344.
  12. Wüstenhagen, Rolf (2003): Sustainability and Competitiveness in the Renewable Energy Sector The Case of Vestas Wind Systems GMI 44, pp. 1-12
  13. Zollinger, Peter (2004): Missing Links: Corporate Governance, Responsibility and Sustainability

Recommended readings:

  1. Beder, Sharon (2002): Fronting for Industry, in: Global Spin. The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism. Revised edition, Green Books, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, pp. 27-45.
  2. Beder, Sharon (2002): Global Warming: Corporate-Sponsored Confusion, in: Global Spin. The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism. Revised edition, Green Books, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, pp. 233-246
  3. Buchholz, R.A. (1998): Management theory and the environment. In: Principles of Environmental Management: The Greening of Business. Englewood-Cliff: Prentice Hall, pp.: 341-361.
  4. Csutora, M. (1999): The Accommodation Region - The Missing Link in Understanding Environmental Strategies. Proceeding, Business Strategy and the Environment Conference, Leeds.
  5. Immelt, Jeffrey (2005): A lean, clean electric machine (cover story), Economist, 12/10/2005, Vol. 377, Issue 8456, pp 77-79, 3 p, 1 graph, 2 c
  6. Kerekes, Sándor - Harangozó, Gábor - Németh, Patrícia - Nemcsicsné Zsóka, Ágnes (2003) : Environmental Policy Tools and Firm-level Management Practices, OECD National Report, in Cooperation with OECD Environment Directorate Project leader: Nick Johnstone
  7. Porter, M.E. - Kramer, M.R (2002): The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy. Harvard Business Review,
  8. Senge, Peter M. - Carstedt, Goran (2001): Innovating Our Way to the Next Industrial Revolution, MIT Sloan Managmeent Review, Winter 2001, pp 24-38

 

Grading:

Grade Conversion Table for FBA Programs and Courses taught in English
Percentage achievedHungarian GradeECTS GradeISP GradeExplanation
97-1005A A+Excellent
94-965A AExcellent
90-93 5A A-Excellent
87-895B B+Very good
84-864C B Good
80-834C B-Good
77-794C C+Good
74-763D C Satisfactory
70-733D C-Satisfactory
67-693D D+Satisfactory
64-662D D Low pass/Sufficient
60-632E D-Low pass/Sufficient
0-591FX/F F Fail, 0 credit
 N  NNo grade received, 0 credit

 

 

 

fel