CSR Weekends

Upcoming CSR Weekends

October 2009

 

In Pictures

Highlights of past CSR Weekends

Corporate Social Responsibility - How companies manage the social side of their business.

Each year, a weekend is designated as a "CSR Weekend". A unique curriculum is presented for each level in the Commerce Program including lectures, case studies, simulation exercises, guest speakers, debates, and other stimulating activities.

The energy generated during the CSR weekends reflects the enthusiasm with which Queen's School of Business students have embraced the CSR program. Initial registration was expected to be 50, the first year saw 177 registrants for the Certificate Program. This expanded to 260 in the second year, approximately 30% of all the undergraduates in the School of Business.

Weekend Overview

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) focuses our attention on the need for organizations to manage the social side of their business. Corporations have impacts that go beyond simple market transactions and they rely on a broader constituency than shareholders alone. Therefore, corporations have responsibilities that go beyond the production of goods and services at a profit.

The overarching goal of the CSR Weekend is to provide the opportunity to understand the complexities involved in managing the social side of the business, and take steps to develop the skills to manage these complexities.

Your active participation in the CSR Weekend will help you develop the following skills:

  • Understanding of Societal Issues that Impact Business
    Corporations rely on a broader constituency base than shareholders alone. Understanding the dynamic between business and its societal context is a fundamental first step to managing this relationship.
  • Awareness of the Integration of Business and Civil Society
    An increasing number of corporations find themselves actively partnering with NGOs and other civil organizations in contributing to societal well being. Understanding the dynamics, good and bad, of these business- civil partnerships (also called Social Alliances) is, increasingly, "must-know" for business leaders.
  • Ability to Develop Strategic Responses to Societal Challenges
    Operating in a dynamic societal environment requires more than reactive tactical responses to societal threats. Increasingly, companies are seeking out people with the skills to develop a proactive stance in the company's attempt to integrate societal and economic concerns.
  • A Critical Evaluation of the Role of Business in Society
    Something that we rarely do in a business school is to consider the role of business in society. However, we believe that engaging in an active discussion and debate on this topic helps to illuminate the endless opportunities for businesses in their pursuit of economics, social and environmental sustainability.