Di­versity and Cor­por­ate So­cial Respons­ibility Bey­ond Bor­ders

Course content

Issues to do with equity and equality seem to be in the news more than ever. How organizations deal with diversity challenges is under scrutiny, even when there may be questions over whose responsibility equality is. Can corporate social responsibility (CSR) be used to promote an ethically diverse workforce? Are diversity management (DM) and CSR practices collapsing into one, and if so, what are the consequences? What are the different topics and target groups of DM and CSR in different national and regional contexts? In this course we critically explore the dynamics and assumptions behind these kinds of questions, among others.

We will engage with theories, issues, and debates surrounding DM and CSR in and around global organizations. By “around organizations” we mean exploring diversity outside of traditional organizational boundaries and in the communities, value chains, and societies where businesses interact with people. We discuss how DM and CSR are translated, practiced, and communicated across the Global North and Global South.

Covering different aspects of organizing diversity and CSR, in different geographic locations, this course will appeal to students studying organizations, management and diversity, human relations or corporate social responsibility.

Course structure and content 
Besides the introduction and wrap up, the course is organized into three themes. The structure can be summarized as follows:
•    Intro: DM, CSR, and their interface (session 1)
•    Module 1 (M1): The Global North (sessions 2-3-4)
•    Module 2 (M2): The Global South (sessions 5-6-7)
•    Module 3 (M3): Communicating Diversity & CSR (session 8-9-10)
•    Outro: Course wrap up and final Q&A (session 11)

For each of the three themes, we will have a structure that includes:
A.   a traditional lecture session focusing on theory and giving the background for the theme
b.    a student-led discussion session (including student-led presentations and activities)
c.    and finally, a case study session, also serving as direct practice for the exam