2014/2015  DIP-DINBV1025U  Corporate governance: maneuvering between profit maximization and social responsibility

English Title

Corporate governance: maneuvering between profit maximization and social responsibility

Course information
Language	English
Course ECTS	5 ECTS
Type	Elective
Level	Graduate Diploma
Duration	One Quarter
Course period	Third Quarter
Timetable	Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board	Study Board for Graduate Diploma in Business Administration
Course coordinator
Georg Wernicke - Department of International Economics and Management (INT)
Main academic disciplines
Globalization, International Business, markets and studies Management Organization Corporate and Business Strategy
Last updated on 25-04-2014

Learning objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to critically evaluate selected theories within the fields of corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, and business ethics, as well as discuss how these frameworks can be applied to concrete business situations: • Explain, combine and analytically discuss the theories, frameworks, models and concepts presented in the course. • Discuss the role of business in society, in the context of globalized markets and internationally active firms. • Identify business challenges and opportunities arising from internal corporate governance demands and external stakeholder pressures. • Using the concepts and frameworks discussed in the course, sketch responses to these challenges and opportunities, and reason why those responses would pass the “good business ethics” test of critical observers. • Explain the importance of stakeholder engagement to obtain buy-in for the business responses deemed appropriate and discuss how this could be achieved in practice.

Examination

Corporate governance: maneuvering between profit maximization and social responsibility: Exam ECTS 5 Examination form Oral Exam Individual or group exam Individual Duration 20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade Preparation time No preparation Grading scale 7-step scale Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner Exam period Autumn Term Aids allowed to bring to the exam Closed Book Make-up exam/re-exam Same examination form as the ordinary exam FOR ONLINE STUDERENDE gælder følgende: Prøveform ved den ordinære prøve: Individuel projektopgave, maks. 15 sider.

Course content and structure

The purpose of the course is to introduce the theoretical foundations of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, develop awareness of associated practical problems, and provide an overview of different governance systems and mechanisms as well approaches to corporate responsibility. The course provides students with a toolbox and skills for evaluating firms from governance and social responsibility points of view. Special attention is given to the theoretical foundations such as agency and stakeholder theory. Corporate governance concerns the way firms are directed and controlled. The intertwine of legal, economic, political, and psychological factors affecting how firms and markets are run and controlled creates complexity and challenges our ability to state and solve problems practically as well as intellectually. The regulatory backlash caused by corporate scandals and the financial crisis, as well as growing public and media pressure on companies to act in a ‘socially responsible’ way, have put stakeholder engagement on top of the corporate agenda. Regardless of business managers’ individual philosophical stance on what the role of business in society should be, these pressures cannot go unmanaged and need to be addressed in a strategic manner. A thorough understanding of the corporate governance demands companies face today is therefore a necessary prerequisite in any business function.

Teaching methods

The course is lecture based, using various texts, journal articles, cases, research results, and current events and news to illustrate the topic of the session.

Further Information

Undervisningen ligger på tirsdage kl. 17.10 - 19.45 i uge 43 - 49. Eksamen: Mundtlig eksamen d. 11.12.