• Independently identify and delineate a relevant research question at the thematic intersection of corporate responsibility, governance, and communication
• Examine their self-chosen research question by drawing on the pertinent academic literature and theoretical approaches to corporate responsibility, governance, and communication
• Critically reflect the choice of theoretical perspectives and their limitations in a comparative way
• Develop a coherent argument, a (theoretical and/or empirical) analysis, and a distinct contribution to the given literature in this field
• Consider the broader societal and practical implications of matters of corporate responsibility, governance, and communication
• Demonstrate good academic writing skills (clear and accurate writing style in English language, correct use of relevant terminology, coherent structure of arguments, proper use of references)

This course is concerned with the organizational and communicative challenges that arise for corporations to handle multifold societal expectations in the era of globalization. In particular, the course will shed light on how matters of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are negotiated and institutionalized in the dynamic communicative interplay between corporations, their stakeholders, and the media (incl. social media).

The course will feature an introduction of main theoretical perspectives on CSR and global governance (e.g., instrumental perspectives, political theory of the firm, critical management studies, institutional theory, and communication-centered perspectives). These theoretical perspectives will be related to various application areas of CSR (e.g., CSR standardization processes, implementation of CSR practices, CSR/stakeholder communication, or how to deal with eruptive crises and scandalizations in social media). Overall, this course represents a unique offering that closely combines CSR-related research from the fields of business ethics and management with insights from the neighboring field of corporate communication studies.
 

Students will develop an seminar thesis over the course of the semester that follows the format of academic papers. In the thesis, students will identify and tackle a relevant gap or puzzle in the given literature on corporate responsibi­l­ity, govern­ance, and communication. As part of the supervision process, the course will feature workshops that help develop seminar thesis ideas and discuss work-in-progress theses. More generally, students can bene­­fit from the supervision process as a hands-on training and preparation for their master theses.

Furthermore, the course links theoretical insights to practice via case-based workshops with leading practitioners from the field of corporate responsibility, governance, and communication. These case studies provide students with the opportunity to engage in team work, presentations, and in direct interactions with experts from practice.