Please note! Course description is confirmed for two academic years, which means that in general, e.g. Learning outcomes, assessment methods and key content stays unchanged. However, via course syllabus, it is possible to specify or change the course execution in each realization of the course, such as how the contact sessions are organized, assessment methods weighted or materials used.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing the course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and critically assess different strategic approaches to and rationales behind sustainability and CSR communication
  • Identify and analyze some narrative and rhetorical strategies that contemporary organizations use in their sustainability and CSR communication
  • Carry out stakeholder analysis for sustainability and CSR communication.
  • Create audience-centered communication initiatives and strategies for sustainability and CSR management.

Credits: 6

Schedule: 18.01.2022 - 17.02.2022

Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):

Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Johanna Moisander

Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):

CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):

Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):

Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English

CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD

Content
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Corporate Responsibility Communication provides students with knowledge and capabilities that sustainability managers and CSR communication specialists need to analyze and respond to changing stakeholder expectations about corporate responsibility, accountability, transparency, and responsiveness. The course offers conceptual tools, analytical techniques, and best practices for (1) managing stakeholder engagement as a communicative process, and (2) developing effective sustainability and CSR communication initiatives and strategies for diverse organizations. Topics covered include sustainability and CSR reporting; corporate integrity; stakeholder dialogue; stakeholder analysis; rhetorical stratetegies for CSR communication; CSR storytelling; and challenges of CSR communication.

Assessment Methods and Criteria
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Students will be assessed based on their course work on a scale of 0-5.

    The final grade will be a weighted average of the following separately graded course work:

    • A randomly selected learning assignment (20%) 
    • Final course paper (50%)
    • Oral presentation of the final course paper (30%)

Workload
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Workload 160 h (6 cr)

    • Independent learning module  20 h
    • Class meetings 20h
    • Learning assignments and group work for presentation and final report 120h

     

DETAILS

Study Material
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    1. A package of readings specified by the instructor.
    2. Ihlen, Øyvind, Bartlett, Jennifer, & May, Steve. (2011). The Handbook of Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Availability

Substitutes for Courses
Prerequisites
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals

    4 Quality Education

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further Information
  • valid for whole curriculum period:

    Students are admitted to the course in the following priority order: 1) MIB / CEMS / IDBM / JOO students / Open University students, 2) Other BIZ Master s students, 3) Other Aalto students.

    Maximum number of students: 60


    Please note that the course starts with a compulsory online learning module that must be completed succesfully before the first class meeting!

    For more information see MyCourses.


    Teaching Period:

    2020-2021 Spring III

    2021-2022 Spring III


    Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=77E28000


    Registration for Courses: In the academic year 2021-2022, registration for courses will take place on Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) instead of WebOodi.