CSR and Sustainability in Family Firms

Description

This module will explore actions towards a sustainable economy and ways to improve the social responsibility of businesses. In particular, it will assess how family firms’ entrepreneurial and social activities and their unique culture affect CSR and sustainability. Topics covered in the module are:

• Contemporary environmental and social issues for organizations
• The non-financial goals of family firms and their consequences
• Family firms and environmental performance
• Family firms and external stakeholders
• Family firms and internal stakeholders
• Family firms and reporting
• Family firms and philanthropy
• Family firms and social entrepreneurship

Learning outcomes

After completing the seminar students should understand how family business owners tackle pressing social and environmental issues. After completing the module students will be able to:

• understand and critically reflect on the role of family ownership for CSR and sustainability
• understand family owners’ non-financial incentives to engage in CSR and sustainability
• reflect on possible barriers to promote CSR and sustainability through the family firm
• compare existing knowledge of CSR and sustainability with their own first-hand experience interviewing medium-sized family firms in the region
• evaluate a specific family firm’s actions to promote CSR and sustainability
• explore how family businesses can exploit sustainable opportunities