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.

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

This course is part of the minor in Sustainable Business

 

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