Introduction to CSR

The course provides a comprehensive overview of the essential theoretical foundations of business and corporate ethics and also establishes numerous practical application references. At the beginning of the lecture, the necessity of dealing with the topic of business and corporate ethics is discussed. Subsequently, important theoretical foundations of business and corporate ethics as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) are presented in detail. In particular, the fundamental relationship between economics and ethics is discussed, key terms are defined and a distinction is made between individual, corporate and business ethics. Building on this, particular problems of business and corporate ethics in an international context are explained.

In the next step, various approaches to business and corporate ethics are presented and critically discussed. The aim is to understand the special features of the approaches and to work out their differences. Business and corporate ethics will have no impact if their findings are not applied in practice. Accordingly, the lecture then focuses on the discussion of selected approaches to the concrete implementation of business and corporate ethics in international companies.

The aim of the lecture is to give students an insight into the research field of business and corporate ethics and to sensitize them to ethical issues in international competition. Students should be able to apply the content they have learned to specific practical problems and reflect independently on the ethical behavior of companies.

The lecture „Introduction to CSR“ covers the following topics in detail: 

1. The Need for Business and Corporate Ethics

2. Theoretical Foundations of Business and Corporate Ethics

2.1. Relationship between Economics and Ethics

2.2. History of Business and Corporate Ethics

2.3. Explanation of Key Terms 

2.4. Differentiation between Individual, Corporate and Business Ethics 

2.5. The Intercultural Dilemma as a Fundamental Problem of International Business Ethics

3. Selected Approaches to Business and Corporate Ethics

3.1. Philosophical Approaches 

3.2. Integrative Business and Corporate Ethics

3.3. Shared Value Approach According to Porter & Kramer 

3.4. Stakeholder Approach 

3.5. Political CSR 

4. Selected Approaches to the Implementation of Business Ethics in Practice 

4.1. Implementation in Companies

4.2. National and International Initiatives

The course consists of a lecture and a tutorial. The entire course will be held primarily in German. However, the set of slides for the lecture will be available in German and English. The majority of the scientific articles to be worked on in the tutorial are also in English. Students can formulate their contributions in English at any time and the exam can also be taken in English. 

The contents of the lecture and the individual tutorials are taught using PowerPoint presentations. The slide sets and all other materials for the lecture and exercises can be downloaded from STiNE. The slides serve more as a visual “stimulus” and not as a substitute for a lecture manuscript. Students are therefore strongly advised to supplement the lecture and tutorial slides with their own notes.

The lecture Introduction to CSR will take place in a blended learning format in the winter semester 2021/22. This means that some lectures will take place digitally via Zoom and some lectures in a face-to-face format in the lecture hall. The lectures always take place on Tuesdays from 10:15-11:45 a.m. (in face-to-face format in the main university building at Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1 in lecture hall ESA M). The lectures on 12.10.2021, 19.10.2021 and 23.11.2021 will take place as synchronous Zoom sessions virtually and not in presence.

As an additional offer to students who are unable to take part in classroom teaching, Professor Gilbert will supplement his face-to-face lecture in the main university building, ESA M, with a synchronous Zoom meeting, provided that the technical conditions allow this. 

Please note: Due to the dynamic development of the COVID 19 pandemic, however, it may be necessary to switch teaching completely to a purely virtual format at short notice. In this case, teaching will continue as a combination of synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous teaching units (videos on Lecture2Go). Therefore, please pay attention to updates in the course description, which will be regularly adapted to the dynamic pandemic situation!

The exam takes the form of a take-home exam (open book). The questions can be answered in German or English. A retake date will be offered (see below).

The exam will be administered via the University of Hamburg's OpenOLAT platform. Detailed instructions on the technical implementation will be provided to students early in the semester.

Important: 

• Registration for the exam and, if necessary, deregistration takes place via STiNE!
• Only exams taken by students who are registered for the exam via STiNE will be assessed.
• Students who are registered for the exam via STiNE but do not upload their answers to the take-home exam to OpenOLAT are deemed to have failed the exam unless they can provide evidence of technical problems (e.g. screenshots, logging of the internet connection and IP addresses used in the router, evidence of unexpected construction work or power supply failure by the provider, etc.).

Students are strongly advised not to delay submitting their exams until the last minute. In addition, course participants abroad must take into account that all times apply to the time zone UTC+1 (Hamburg)!

The exam will be the same length as a 90-minute face-to-face exam. However, students will be given a period of four days to complete the exam. Students can use the forum at OpenOLAT on the first day of the processing period to ask questions about the exam.

The processing period for the exam is as follows:

1st date: Thu, February 3, 2022, 3:30 p.m. to Sun, February 6, 2022, 11:59 p.m. (UTC + 1).

2nd date: Fri, March 25, 2022, 3:30 p.m. to Mon, March 28, 2022, 11:59 p.m. (UTC + 1).

The following notes on attempts to cheat apply:

The assignment can be answered with the help of the lecture and tutorial materials as well as independent research. However, it should be noted that the source must be cited for all content that is not taken from lecture or tutorial materials or the textbook (see below). It is expected that the usual rules of good scientific practice are observed. Information on the format will be included in the assignment and correspond to our standard guidelines for term papers. Further guidelines and information on correct citation can be found in the instructions for term papers on the chair's homepage:

www.wiso.uni-hamburg.de/fachbereich-sozoek/professuren/gilbert/dateien/formale-vorgaben-ha.pdf 

Although aids may be used, the exam must be completed independently. Collaboration with other students is not permitted. Identical or only slightly different passages in the exam answers of several students will be assessed as an attempt to cheat. In such cases, all students concerned will fail.