ILRHR 6615 - Socially Responsible Business

Spring. 1.5 credits. Letter grades only.

Enrollment limited to: graduate students. Co-meets with ILRHR 4615.

Staff.

HR leaders are now being asked to lead the CSR function, to head the company foundation, or to create programs that engage employees in the community. They are also asked to oversee compliance around corporate ethics, whistleblower provisions, and to help safeguard the company reputation. This course will examine how corporations and non-profits are engaging in socially beneficial activities as well as how some have engaged in socially harmful activities. The course begins with an overview of key regulatory and voluntary compliance regimens such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FASB regulations, and the conflict of interest and ethics policies of domestic and international corporations and non-profits. We will then review the policies, programs, and cultures of certain corporations and non-profits that have allowed them to create strong and good reputations as well as examples of corporations that have engaged in fraudulent and unethical behavior. We will discuss such diverse topics as impact investing by corporations, the excesses of executive compensation, bribery, product liability and operational debacles, and the role and value of good organizational reputations. Some of the companies and countries we will focus on include: Merck Corporation (US), Tata Corporation (India), Yara (Norway), Coca Cola (Mexico), Environmental Defense Fund (US), Accenture (US), Chiquita (South America).