Coca-Cola has committed to using up to 40% recycled materials in their packaging. Ford Motors intends to achieve carbon neutrality globally by 2050. Starbucks has put in place programs to diversify their workforce. Danone invests in sustainable agricultural practices and programmes to increase awareness of the benefits of healthy diets. OpenAI claims that its mission is to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) benefits all of humanity. All these practices fall under the umbrella of Corporate Social Responsibility (‘CSR’), commonly understood as business practices carried out for social or environmental purposes.
The aim of this class is to introduce CSR and explore its impact from the perspective of multiple disciplines, from economics and finance to law and behavioral psychology. The course begins with an introduction to CSR, explores the role of CSR as a complement or alternative to governmental intervention, and continues with an assessment of the effects of CSR practices on financial performance, employee satisfaction, and consumer behavior. Lastly, the class engages with the role of CSR in the development and deployment of safe artificial intelligence applications.
All required materials are either available on Moodle or hyperlinked in the syllabus. Students are expected to have read the assigned materials and be prepared to participate.
