Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies to Create Business and Social Value

Your Course of Study

Through case analyses, faculty lectures, classroom exercises, small group discussions, and exposure to the latest research, HBS faculty help senior executives to develop and manage strategic corporate social responsibility initiatives that integrate with their business practices and produce measurable results. In addition, you will have numerous opportunities to learn from the varied experiences and global perspectives of your peers. Core topics include:

Managing for Social and Firm Values

  • Making the business case by calculating benefits and costs
  • Recognizing the links between the welfare of society and that of the organization
  • Proactively examining opportunities designed to benefit the organization and the community
  • Integrating corporate social responsibility best practices into key business areas
  • Identifying and managing the primary positive as well as negative impacts

Driving Corporate Social Responsibility Throughout the Organization

  • Aligning corporate social responsibility strategies and goals with organizational goals
  • Embedding corporate social responsibility within the company culture for long-term sustainability
  • Integrating corporate social responsibility metrics into the company's general performance management systems
  • Effectively disseminating information on corporate social responsibility policies internally
  • Providing continual company-wide visibility of the individual and departmental impacts from socially responsible practices
  • Communicating the impact of corporate social responsibility to capital markets, shareholders, and other stakeholders

Managing Risk and Decision Making

  • Evaluating complex environments and potential impacts before making capital investment or other business decisions
  • Interacting successfully with governments, NGOs, and stakeholders
  • Decentralizing to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach across the organization
  • Identifying vulnerabilities and predicting possible pitfalls
  • Developing preparation and prevention processes for handling crisis scenarios
  • Integrating corporate social responsibility initiatives in vendor and supplier agreements

"I wanted to get acquainted with the North American model of corporate social responsibility, which is quite different from the European one. The program helped me to see the importance of networking and partnering with organizations—not only with NGOs, but also with consumer organizations, unions, and others. I now have a deeper understanding of what defines real leadership. The program was truly 'mind opening.'"
Esther Trujillo [CSR Manager], Telefonica, Spain