The course will use a mixture of learning styles, including lectures, case-study discussions, and company presentations.
 

The course will in particular deal with the following topics:

- Introduction to the concept of CSR.

- The rise of global supply chains.

- The costs and benefits of CSR.

- Non-governmental organizations and their influence on corporate behavior.

- Theoretical and practical approaches to understanding the integration of social and environmental issues into supplier relations.

- Social and environmental audits, standards and labels.

- Responses by Third World suppliers.

- Consumer attitudes and behavior

- Multinational companies and labour issues
 

The course´s development of personal competences:

An increasing number of companies in the Western world outsource parts of their production to low-wage countries with poor social and environmental standards. Such long-distance outsourcing makes it difficult for companies to ensure that their products are being produced under socially and environmentally sound conditions. The course attempts to make the students capable of understanding and managing the opportunities and barriers facing companies, which seek to exercise social and environmental responsibility in their supply chains.

• Andersen, M. & Skjoett-Larsen, T. (2009), Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains,Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 14, 2: 75-86.
• Spence, L. & Bourlakis, M. (2009), The Evolution from Corporate Social Responsibility to Supply Chain Responsibility: The Case of Waitrose, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 14, 4: 291-302.
• Dedek, A. & Calkins, M. (2009), Mattel, Inc.: Lead-tainted toys, p. 222-249 in Rafflet, E. & Mills, A.J. (2009), The Dark Side: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield.

• Halldorsson, A./Kotzab, H./Mikkola, J./Skjoett-Larsen, T. (2007): Theories complimentary to Supply Chain Management,  Supply Chain Management, an international journal, 12,4, 284-296 

• Carter, C. & Rogers, D. (2008): A framework of sustainable supply chain management: moving toward new theory, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 38, 5, 360-387.
• Pedersen, E.R. & Andersen, M. (2006). Safeguarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Global Supply Chains: How Codes of Conduct are managed in Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Journal of Public Affairs, 6, p. 228-240
• Mamic, I. (2005). Managing Global Supply Chain: The Sports Footwear, Apparel and Retail Sectors, Journal of Business Ethics 59, 81-100.
• Roberts, S. (2003), Supply Chain Specific? Understanding the Patchy Success of Ethical Sourcing Initiatives, Journal of Business Ethics, 44: 159-170.
• De Brito, M.P., Dekker, R., & Flapper, S.D.P. (2003). Reverse Logistics – a review of case studies, ERIM Report Series Research in Management.
• Blackburn, J.D., Guide, V.D., Souza, G.C., Wassenhove, L.N.V., (2004). Reverse supply chains for commercial returns. California Management Review, 46(2), 6-22.
• Baden, D.A., Harwood, I.A., Woodward, D.G. (2009), The effect of buyer pressure on suppliers in SMEs to demonstrate CSR practices: An added incentive or counter productive?, European Management Journal, Vol. 27 Issue 6, p429-441.
• Yu, X. (2008), Impacts of Corporate Code of Conduct on Labor Standards: A Case Study of Reebok’s Athletic Footwear Supplier Factory in China, Journal of Business Ethics, 81: 513-529.
• Waddock, S. (2008), Building a New Institutional Infrastructure for Corporate Responsibility,Academy of Management Perspectives; 22, 3: 87-108.
• Ingenbleek, P., Binnekamp, M., Goddijn, S. (2007), Setting standards for CSR: A comparative case study on criteria-formulating organizations, Journal of Business Research, 60, 539-548.
• Alvarez, G., Pilbeam, C., Wilding, R. (2010), Nestlé Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program: An Investigation into the Governance Dynamics in a Multi-Stakeholder Supply Chain Network, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 15,2: 165-182.
• Hess, D. (2008), The Three Pillars of Corporate Social Reporting as New Governance Regulation: Disclosure, Dialogue, and Development, Business Ethics Quarterly, 18,4, 447-482.
• Global Reporting Initiative (Reporting Framework G3): http://www.globalreporting.org/NR/rdonlyres/ED9E9B36-AB54-4DE1-BFF2-5F735235CA44/0/G3_GuidelinesENU.pdf
• Executive summary +  Chapter 1-3 in KPMG survey of CSR reporting: http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/International-corporate-responsibility-survey-2008.pdf
• Rondinelli, D. and London, T. (2003), “How Corporations and environmental groups cooperate: assessing cross-sector alliances and collaborations”, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 17, Issue 1, pp. 61-76.
• Bowen, F. , Newenham-Kahindi, A., & Herremans, I. (2010), When Suits Meet Roots: The Antecedents and Consequences of Community Engagement Strategy,Journal of Business Ethics, 95, 2: 297-318
• Boyd, E., Spekman, R.E., Kamauff, J.W., and Werhane, P. (2007), Corporate Social Responsibility in Global Supply Chains: A Procedural Justice Perspective, Long Range Planning, 40, 3, p. 341-356.
• Halldórsson, Á., Kotzab, H., & Skjøtt-Larsen, t. (2009), Supply Chain Management on the Crossroad to Sustainability: A Blessing or a curse?, Logistics Research, 1,2: 83-94.
• Locke, R. & Romis, M. (2007), Improving Work Conditions in a Global Supply Chain, MIT Sloan Management Review, 48, 2: 54-62.
• Lund-Thomsen, P. & Costa, N. (2011), Sustainable Procurement in the United Nations, revised and resubmitted to Journal of Corporate Citizenship.