• Describe, classify, structure, and combine the concepts, theories, methods, and models of the course.
• Identify and develop relevant problems within CSR strategy on the basis of marking problems.
• Analyze and synthesize concrete problems within CSR strategy by applying the concepts, theories, methods, and models of the course.
• Evaluate and disseminate solutions to problems concerning a CSR strategy at an independent and reflected academic level.

 Course content, structure and teaching
Analyze how new social and environmental demands from a variety of stakeholders pose new risks and opportunities to business leaders. Western firms operating in or sourcing from developing countries are increasingly held responsible for a range of issues such as climate change, labor rights and human rights that have previously been seen as outside a firm’s sphere of influence (Reich 1998). Today stakeholders as diverse as investors, employees, the media, NGOs and customers have strong views on how corporations should be run. One example is Nike, which owned no factories in the US but purchased shoes from factories in Indonesia, China and Vietnam. Nike came under severe criticism in the mid 1990s because Nike’s suppliers had forced workers to work extremely long shifts under dangerous conditions. As a response to the criticism, Nike issued its own code of conduct for suppliers. Another example is Wal-Mart which according to Jon Entine, a journalist with the magazine Ethical Corporation, has turned “from evil empire to jolly green giant” (Entine 2008: 36). Wal-Mart now works with suppliers on greening its supply chain including increasing the purchase of organic cotton, improving energy efficiency, etc. The course addresses the following key questions:
 

• What drives the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda?
• How should business respond: Minimizing business risk
• How should business respond: Maximizing business opportunity
• Limits to CSR
• Managing CSR initiatives: Codes of conduct
• Reporting: benefits and drawbacks
• Institutional investors and socially responsible investments
• The crystal ball: New CSR issues and challenges?

Key words: Corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, business environment, strategy, management