Corporate Responsibility

Paul A Argenti - Dartmouth College, The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

Other Titles in:
Corporate Social Responsibility

August 2015 | 408 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

In Corporate Responsibility, Paul Argenti covers the growing discipline and functional area of Corporate Responsibility (CR) in organisations. Within the broader definition of CR, Argenti makes the case that corporate social responsibility is good for business and focuses on how leaders can balance the needs of their organisations with responsibilities to key constituencies.

Through cases focusing on the social, reputational, and environmental consequences of corporate activities, you’ll learn how to make difficult choices, promote responsible behaviour within your organisations, and understand the role personal values play in developing effective leadership skills.

Corporate Responsibility also:

Makes the business case of CR, explaining the financial, strategic, competitive, and social benefits of CR
Outlines the three components of CR, outlining the corporation’s responsibility to the environment, to society, and to consumers
Discusses the role of ethics and philanthropy as it relates to corporate responsibility
Explains how to communicate and implement CR strategically and effectively.

Preface

Why Corporate Responsibility?

What Is This Book About?

Why Is Corporate Responsibility So Important Today?

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Part I: What and Why

1. An Introduction to Corporate Responsibility

What Is Corporate Responsibility?

The 21st Century's CR Surge

The Upside of CR

Responsibility Inside and Out: Employee Involvement In CR

Building a Values-Based Culture

The Evolution of CR

How to Think About CR: Frameworks and Implementation

Conclusion

Notes

Starbucks Coffee Company

2. The Business Case for CR

What Is the "Business Case" for Corporate Responsibility?

Perceived Barriers to Corporate Responsibility

Models Created to Categorize the Benefits of CR Initiatives

Creating Value Through Corporate Responsibility

The Business Case for Sustainability

Structure of CR Function

Conclusion

Notes

Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan: Revolutionizing Sustainability on a Global Scale

Part II: Three Components of CR: Environmental, Social, and Governance

3. Environmental Responsibility

The Evolution of Corporate Environmental Responsibility

Greenwashing and Sustainability Rankings

Measuring Environmental Friendliness

The Current State/Heading Toward a Triple Win

Growing Investor Interest

Human Capital and Sustainability

Conclusion

Notes

Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Strategy

4. The Corporation’s Responsibility to Society: Human Rights and Labor Issues

Introduction to Socially Responsible Business Practices

Socially Responsible Labor Practices

Workplace Discrimination

Labor Issues in the Supply Chain

The Scope of Human Rights Responsibility

Conclusion

Notes

Royal Dutch/Shell Group: Brent Spar and Nigeria

5. The Corporation’s Responsibility to Consumers

The Food Industry

The Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries

Conclusion

Notes

Creating Shared Value at McDonald’s

6. Responsible Corporate Governance

The Board of Directors

Corporate Governance in Crisis

The 2007 Financial Crisis

Government Response to Corporate Scandals

The Evolution of Corporate Governance to Include Corporate Social Responsibility

Conclusion

Notes

The New York Stock Exchange and Richard Grasso: Excessive Compensation as a Failure of Corporate Governance

Part III: Corporate Responsibility in Action

7. Corporate Ethics

Definition of Corporate Ethics

The Evolution of Corporate Ethics

Corporate Ethics in the Modern Era

Relationship Between Ethics and Other Areas of CR

How Ethics Informs Business Decision-Making

Role of Ethics in MBA Curricula

Ethics as a Creator of Shared Value

Conclusion

Notes

Il Mare’s Oculare

8. Corporate Philanthropy

Motivations Behind and Critiques Against CP

The Strategic Approach to CP

The Business Case and Value Creation

Measuring Progress and Improving Outcomes

Conclusion

Notes

Corporate Philanthropy at Goldman Sachs: 10,000 Small Businesses

9. Communicating Corporate Responsibility

The Strategic Importance of Communicating CR

The Current Environment for Promoting Responsible Business Practices

How to Effectively Communicate Your Company's CR Strategy

The Connection Between Communicating CR and Corporate Reputation

CR Reporting

Communicating CR in a Digital World

Conclusion

Notes

FIJI Water: Going Green or Greenwashing?

10. Implementing a CR Strategy

Current Approaches to CR Implementation

Our Approach

How CR Strategy Relates to Implementation

Where Do CSR Strategies Usually Come From?

How Do You Select and Refine Your CSR Focus?

How Should a Corporation Evaluate CR Strategies/Opportunities?

Driving Internal Change

Establishing a Change Movement Organization

Gaining Support of the Top Management Team

Establishing Organizational Momentum

Reinforcing Through Incentives

Partnering with External Parties

Measuring and Reacting

Social Sustainability

Conclusion

Notes

The Timberland Company: Managing a Socially Responsible Supply Chain

Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
Calling all instructors!
It’s easy to log on to SAGE’s password-protected Instructor Teaching Site at study.sagepub.com/argenti for complete and protected access to all text-specific Instructor Resources for Corporate Responsibility. Simply provide your institutional information for verification and within 72 hours you’ll be able to use your login information for any SAGE title!

Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:

A Microsoft® Word® test bank, is available containing multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The test bank provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
A Respondus electronic test bank, is available and can be used on PCs. The test bank contains multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter and provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding. Respondus is also compatible with many popular learning management systems so you can easily get your test questions into your online course.
Editable, chapter-specific Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides offer you complete flexibility in easily creating a multimedia presentation for your course.
The Instructor Teaching Site includes an instructor manual with case notes and answers to case questions.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

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Corporate Responsibility

Supplements

Sample Materials & Chapters

For instructors

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