This course provides an overview of corporate social responsibility focusing on the relationship between corporations and their stakeholders. It discusses how CSR has evolved from traditional philanthropy to encompass environmental and social issues in business operations and products. The course also examines the rise of social enterprises and how various organizations can embrace social innovation. Students will critically analyze case studies and learn key economic concepts to understand CSR challenges and opportunities.

1. THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
[THIS COURSE IS UNDER THE THEMATIC CLUSTER OF
‘SUSTAINING CITIES, CULTURES, AND THE EARTH’.]

2. COURSE
DESCRIPTION
• This course provides an interdisciplinary overview of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR), focusing on the interplay between corporations and their
key stakeholders. Over the past several decades many factors have
contributed to increased expectations for corporations to carry more social
responsibilities. Asia is not an exception. At the same time, our governments
have acted to reduce their roles in addressing social problems, in favor of
market-based approaches.
• CSR has progressed from traditional philanthropy and donation to encompass
not only what companies do with their profits, but also how they make them.
Through their stakeholder relations management and innovative business
models, companies can not only develop practices to address environmental
and social issues, but also identify opportunities for innovative products and
technologies.
• In recent decades the emergence of CSR has brought a new wave of social
innovations to the marketplace. “Social enterprises” have emerged that
emphasize both social and financial sustainability, and, therefore, traditional
non-profit organizations, governments and corporations need to adapt
themselves to embrace this social innovation. Thus, the topics of sustainability
reporting, nonprofit organizations, social enterprises and other topics of
interest to students will be discussed in-depth to bring this course to a more
forward-looking perspective.

3. COURSE
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Demonstrate a heuristic
understanding of economic
concepts relevant to analyzing
CSR issues.
Understand, analyze and critically
interpret cases and examples of
issues in corporate social
responsibility using the relevant
economic concepts.
Reflect upon the interactions
between economic and political
dimensions of corporate social
responsibility issues and their
moral dilemmas.
Understand, analyze and critically
interpret and reflect upon the
relationship between issues of
corporate social responsibility
affecting businesses and its
broader relationship with the
nature of society and duties of
citizenship.

4. OFFER SEMESTER AND DAY
OF TEACHING
SECOND SEMESTER (WED)

5. STUDY LOAD
Activities Number of hours
Lectures 24
Tutorials 12
Preparation for tutorials 12
Reading / Self-study 60
Assessment: Essay / Report writing 60
Total: 168

6. ASSESSMENT: 100% COURSEWORK
Assessment Tasks Weighting
Written report 50
Class participation 10
Essay 40

7. REQUIRED
READING
Reading will include, but may not be limited to the following:
• Berle, A. A., Jr. (1932). For whom corporate managers are trustees: A note. Harvard Law
Review, 45(8), 1365-1372.
• Carroll, A (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: toward the moral
management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, July/August, 39-48.
• Coase, R. (1960). The problem of social cost. The Journal of Law and Economics, 3, 1-44.
• Dodd, E. M., Jr. (1932). For whom are corporate managers trustees? Harvard Law Review,
45(7), 1145-1163.
• Drucker, P. F. (1999). Management challenges for the 21st century. New York: HarperBusiness.
• Freeman, R (1984). Stakeholder management: framework and philosophy. Boston: Pitman.
[Chap. 3]
• Friedman, M. (1970, September 13). The social responsibility of business is to increase its
profits. The New York Times Magazine.
• Porter, M., & Kramer, M. (2002). The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy.
Harvard Business Review, December.
• Porter, M., & Kramer, M. (2006). Strategy and Society: The link between competitive
advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, December.
• Zadek, S. (2004). The path to Corporate Responsibility. Harvard Business Review, December.

8. RECOMMENDED
WEBSITES
Business in Society,
McKinseyquarterly.com
Corporate Social
Responsibility,
Forbes.com

9. COURSE CO-ORDINATOR AND TEACHER(S)
Course Co-ordinator Contact
Dr S.L.K. Fung
School of Business, Faculty of Business
and Economics
Tel: 3917 4214
Email: flksammy@hku.hk
Teacher(s) Contact
Dr S.L.K. Fung
School of Business, Faculty of Business
and Economics
Tel: 3917 4214
Email: flksammy@hku.hk