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2016/2017  KAN-CCBLV1605U  Corporate Citizenship: Political Responsibility in Theory and Practice

English Title
Corporate Citizenship: Political Responsibility in Theory and Practice

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Min. participants 40
Max. participants 80
Study board
Study Board for BSc og MSc in Business, Language and Culture, MSc
Course coordinator
  • Jeremy Moon - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • CSR and sustainability
  • Globalization and international business
  • Political Science
Last updated on 15-02-2016
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: What does Corporate Citizenship mean; how has its meaning changed.
How is Corporate Citizenship used in claims and debates about corporate responsibility.
What distinguishes political responsibilities from other corporate social responsibilities?
What are the arguments for and against corporations undertaking political responsibilities?
What issues arise for business and politics when corporations do undertake political responsibilities:
i) in democracies and non-democracies
ii) at home and abroad
iii) in selected issue areas (e.g. defence, taxation, provision of critical infrastructure
iv) in selected policy processes (e.g. elections, lobbying, administration.
Course prerequisites
None
Examination
Corporate Citizenship: Political Responsibility in Theory and Practice:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
Assignment type Essay
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

The exam will be set to require students to produce an essay style assignment covering CC in the broad and inviting / giving some choice to points of specific focus.   

Course content and structure

The course will ask what responsibilities does the concept of 'citizienship' bring to corporations? 

The first half of the Course will critically review the Corporate Citizenship (CC) and Political Responsibility theoretical literatures, particularly to consider the ways in which Corporate Citizenship relates to / differs from the corporate social responsibility theory.  It will also include reference to Politial Science literature on the corporate citizenship.

 

The underlying assumption is that CC brings responsibilties of corporations to the polity - not just to society.  It will critically assess the sort of arguments  -strengths and weaknesses - that can be deployed for CC.

 

The second half of the Course will focus on particular issue areas which questions or CC  do or potentially apply: e.g. lobbying, taxation, provision of critical infrastructure, and governance responsibility in developing and non-democratic countries. 

 

The Course will enable students to distinguish long-standing arguments for CC from more recent contributions, such as 'Political CSR'.

It will also enable students to consider questions about the application of CC in national and international contexts, and in democratic and non-democratic contexts.

 

 

Week 1 The Origins of Corporate Citizenship theory

Week 2 Citizenship and Business Relationships

Week 3 Developments in the Corporate Citizenship / Political CSR  theory 

Week 4 Corporate Citizenship at the National Level (i) Lobbying

Week 5 Corporate Citizenship at the National Level (ii) Taxation

Week 6 Corporate Citisenship at the National Level (iii) Critical Infrastructure

week 7 Corporate Citizenship at the International Level (i) Partnerships for labour rights 

Week 8 Corporate Citizenship at the International Level (ii) Equality and diversity  

Week 9 Corporations as citizenship: current issues (e.g. Citizens United case   

 

 

Teaching methods
Interactive Lectures based on prior reading
Group exercises in class
Debates in class
Guest speakers particularly around practice issue areas
Student workload
9 X 3 hour lectures 27 hours
3 hour exam 3 hours
40 hours exam preparation 40 hours
140 hours reading and preparation during course 140 hours
Further Information

Erin Leitheiser (PhD researcher) and Dr Lauren McCarthy (assistant professor) will also be able to contribute.

Expected literature

A Crane, D Matten and J Moon (2008) Corporations and Citizenship Cambridge University Press (this provides framework)

 

D Matten and J Moon (2013) Corporate Citizenship Edward Elgar (this is a collection of 32 papers which would form the core of the reading list.)

 

Readings to enable students to focus on specific issue areas  

Last updated on 15-02-2016