Faculty
Associate Professor Steen Vallentin, Adjunct Professor R. Edward Freeman, Associate Professor Kai Hockerts

Course Coordinator
Associate Professor Steen Vallentin

Only PhD students can participate in the course. The course requires the submission of a paper or long abstract that deals with conceptual problems or analytical designs in relation to the broad field of corporate social responsibility. The length should be 3-5 pages. In all cases, the PhD student should state his/her main analytical challenge/concern at the current stage of the project. Papers/abstracts must be in English. At the same time, participants are also invited, but not obligated, to submit similar long abstracts to the 2nd Nordic Symposium on CSR on 17 June (see below).

The universe of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is expanding, not only in terms of the mass, scope and diversity of corporate activity but also in terms of scholarly endeavour. Recent years have thus seen a surge of research contributions exploring CSR as a social and political phenomenon in the broadest sense. As a result, CSR can no longer be pigeonholed as a moral-philosophical discourse providing an ethical counterpoint to neo-classical economic theory and profit-driven forms of business economics. The meaning, significance and practical impact of CSR in areas such as environmental management and sustainability reporting, worker’s rights and welfare, human rights and corruption, is dissected by researchers covering a wide array of academic disciplines, including organization studies, management studies, communication studies, political science, law, development studies, international relations, sociology, and anthropology – along with moral philosophy and, increasingly, subfields within mainstream business economics. As a result, CSR is emerging not only as a lofty ideal, but as a socially embedded and diverse organizational practice that engages a variety of corporate stakeholders and is affected by a variety of societal forces

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the latest theoretical and analytical developments in this broad and contested field. In particular, the course will emphasize the implications of political (as opposed to ethical) conceptions of CSR. It will also focus on institutional and sense-making approaches that provide, respectively, outside-in and inside-out explanations of organizational and managerial developments in this field. Thus, the course will allow students to discuss their projects in light of some of the latest and most important research developments.

After following the course, students should be

Lecture plan

Time/period	Faculty	Title
09:00-09:45	TBA	Introduction: outline of the day and participants’ approaches to CSR
09:45-10:30	TBA	Research frontiers in CSR.
10:45-12:15	TBA	Research frontiers in CSR (cont.), including plenary discussion
13:00-17:00	TBA	Breakout sessions with group work based on participants’ projects

The course will include lectures, class discussions, and group work focusing on the participants’ projects and how they relate to CSR.

Matten, D. & Moon, J. (2008): “‘Implicit’ and ‘Explicit’ CSR: A Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility”. Academy of Management Review, vol. 33/4: 404-424.

Scherer, A.G. & Pallazzo, G. (2007): “Towards a Political Conception of Corporate Responsibility: Business and Society Seen From a Habermasian Perspective”. Academy of Management Review, vol. 32/4: 1096-1120.

Shamir, R. (2008): “The age of responsibilization: on market-embedded morality”. Economy and Society, vol. 37/1: 1-19.

Vallentin, S. & Murillo, D. (2011): “CSR as Governmentality”. Paper under review in Organization: 1-34.

Basu, K. & Palazzo, G. (2008): “Corporate Social Responsibility: A Process Model of Sensemaking”. Academy of Management Review, vol. 33/1: 122-136.

van Oosterhout, J. & Heugens, P.P.M.A.R. (2008): “Much Ado about Nothing: A Conceptual Critique of Corporate Social Responsibility”. In: A. Crane, A. McWilliams, D. Matten, J. Moon & D.S. Siegel (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility (197-223). UK: Oxford University Press.

Ghoshal, S. (2005): “Bad Management Theories Are Destroying Good Management Practices”. Academy of Management Learning & Education, vol. 4/1: 75-91.

Frederick, W.C. (1978/1994): “From CSR1 to CSR2: The Maturing of Business and Society Thought”. Business and Society, vol. 33/2: 150-164.

Schwartz, M.S. & Carroll, A.B. (2008): “Integrating and Unifying Competing and Complementary Frameworks – The Search for a Common Core in the Business and Society Field ”. Business & Society, vol. 47/2: 148-186.

Campbell, J.L. (2007): “Why Should Corporations Behave in Socially Responsible Ways? An Institutional Theory of Corporate Social Responsibility”. Academy of Management Review, vol. 32/3: 946-967.

Porter, M.E. & Kramer, M.R. (2011): ”Creating Shared Value”. Harvard Business Review, January-February: 62-77.

Vogel, D. (2005): “Is There a Business Case for Virtue?”. Ch. 2 in: The Market for Virtue – The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibility (16-45). Harrisonburg, Virginia: Brookings Institution Press.

Reich, R.B. (2007): “Politics Diverted”. Ch. 5 in: Supercapitalism (168-208). USA: Alfred A. Knopf.

Roberts, J. (2003): “The Manufacture of Corporate Social Responsibility: Constructing Corporate Sensibility”. Organization, vol. 10/2: 249-265.

To apply for the course, please fill out the registration form and send it to Course Secretary Maja Dueholm ( md.ikl@cbs.dk) before 26 May 2011

 

Symposium, 17 June 2011

On this date, the 2nd Nordic Symposium on CSR: Stakeholder Management and the Scandinavian Approach to CSR” will take place at CBS. The Symposium is arranged by the CBS Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (cbsCSR). The PhD participants are invited to submit long abstracts or papers for the Symposium. In case the participant is accepted to present his or her paper at the Symposium, participation will count as a full course day with 1 additional ECTS.

Notes

The Doctoral School of Organization and Management Studies is currently developing a more in-depth three-day PhD course in Corporate Social Responsibility to be offered in January 2012 as a natural extension of this one-day course. Participants of the 16 June course are encouraged to sign up for the January course as well.