Corporate social responsibility and competitive advantage

Unit Name: Thriving in a Competitive Global Context
Title of Coursework: Corporate social responsibility and competitive advantage
According to Cavusgil et al (2014) ethical behaviour is an essential component for successful business in today’s global environment. They further state that “Adhering to corporate social responsibility (CSR) implies a proactive approach to ethical behaviour in which firms not only seek to maximise profits, but also to benefit society and the environment” (p.153).

Why is ethical behaviour ‘good for business’? Is there any link between CSR and gaining competitive advantage for the firm?
Illustrate by discussing the cases of at least two firms – one which demonstrates success, and another that demonstrates failure, in their CSR practices.

1. Introduction: A brief introduction that provides the purpose of the essay or its objectives and how the essay is structured. Interpreting the question – this ideally should be clear within the introduction along with background / context.

2. Addressing the question / topic: The main body of the essay where the question is addressed. (This part may have a few sections / sub-sections). The key criteria here include:
a. Research – evidence of systematic research approach, depth and breadth of research undertaken; application of some conceptual (theoretical / empirical) framework(s), etc.
b. Analysis – well focussed on answering the question, depth and clarity of argument, organising / summarising collected information; answering the questions/tasks fully.
c. Scholarly practice – a proper referencing within the report (citations), employing appropriate International Business vocabulary, etc., the quality of the Reference section. (Harvard style of referencing).

3. Conclusion: A clear, concise, and relevant conclusion (and recommendations where appropriate). A conclusion where the key points that have emerged from the discussion are summarised, implications and where further investigation may be appropriate are stated.

Criteria Description of what is expected
Introduction A very good introduction with clear aims and objectives that interpret the question accurately.
Research
A wide and relevant choice of literature presented with a well argued narrative. Impressive breadth & depth of research. Clear conceptual framework(s) applied.
Analysis A very good, critical and focused evaluation and synthesis; a convincing argument presented in answering the question fully.
Scholarly practice
Overall a very good scholarly practice demonstrated.
Conclusion and recommendations A very good conclusion – clear, concise, and relevant; connected to the stated aims and objectives. Sound & well evaluated recommendations.

Format for submission

• The word limit is 3,500
• All work should be word processed using either Times New Roman or Ariel font, with line spacing of 1½ and justified.
• A Reference list must be attached at the end of the essay.
• A minimum of 10 peer reviewed academic sources is required.
• Unit title must be included as a header/footer on every page.
• Pages should be numbered.
• The unit title and code number must be clearly marked on the assignment top sheet.

Recommended Resources

The essential textbook for this Unit:
Cavusgil S.; Knight, G.; and Riesenberger, J. (2014). International Business: the New Realities, (Global Edition). 3nd. Edition. Pearson

Guided reading – the following is expected reading for this unit. Details of what to read and when will be provide in the BREO site.
Hollensen, S. (2014). Global Marketing. Harlow: Pearson Education.
Jullens, John (2013) How Emerging Giants can take on the world, Harvard Business Review, (91)12:121-125
Kumar, V.; Mudambi, R.; and Gray, S. (2013) Internationalisation, Innovation and Institutions: the 3 I’s underpinning the Competitiveness of Emerging Market firms, Journal of International Management, (19)3:203-206.
Capelli, P.; Singh, J.; & Useem, M. (2010). The Indian Way: How India’s top business leaders are revolutionizing management. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

The following resources provide useful background reading for the material in this unit.
Rugman, A. & Collinson, S. (2012). International Business. 6th. Edition. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
Seyoum, B. (2008), Export-Import Theory, Practice, and Procedures (2nd. Ed.). Harlow: Routledge
Porter, M.E. (1990), The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, New York.
Peng, M. (2009). Global Business. South-Western Cengage Learning.
Xu, Jun & Mohammed Quaddus (2009), E-Business in the 21st. century, Abingdon: World Scientific Publishing (UK) Ltd.

Recommended journals
Journal of International Business Studies
Journal of Global Business
International Business Review
Journal of East West Business
Journal of African Business
European Business Journal
Journal of World Business
Journal of Transnational Corporations
Harvard Business Review

Samples of Other Periodicals

The Economist,
Time,
Fortune,
The Economist Intelligence Unit
Business Week, etc.

Selected Online Resources

Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
http://www.oecd.org/
The International Monetary Fund (The IMF publishes useful materials, e.g. World Economic Outlook; Global Financial Stability Report, etc.)
http://www.imf.org/
The World Bank (The World Bank publishes numerous documents such as World Development Indicators, etc.)
http://web.worldbank.org/
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/
UNCTAD (United Nations Centre for Trade and Development publish such documents as World investment report, etc. ’’
UNDP (United Nations Development Programme publishes useful report, e.g., Annual Reports. Annual Report for 2007, ‘Making Globalization Work for All’)
World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD
http://www.wbcsd.org/
World Resources Institute
http://www.wri.org
World Trade Organization, publishes various useful reports and documents, e.g., its annual ‘International Trade Statistics’.
http://www.wto.org/
www.fairtrade.org.uk