BUS 330 | Corporate Social Responsibility and Law

Corporations are undeniably influential actors in modern society, through the creation of goods, services, and jobs. They also have tremendous resources at their disposal. Many factors influence how and in what manner those resources are used, including the internal decision-making processes of the organization, fiduciary duties of the organization's principals, the statutory and regulatory environment, and stakeholder interests and influences. To the extent that corporations step outside of their ostensibly traditional role to merely maximize shareholder returns, and they dedicate at least a portion of their resources to the betterment of issues of societal concern, they are engaging in some form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This course examines questions about CSR: What is it? Who or what may practice it? What are the factors that create tensions concerning the allocation of business resources? What does our law require of organizations with respect to fiduciary duties, the allocation of their resources, and societal expectations? Should organizations have legal obligations to engage in CSR? Students will examine these questions from a legal perspective.