Veranstaltungsinformation
Dozierender: Dr. Thierry Ngosso
Sprache: Englisch
Stufe: Master
Umfang: 2 SWS
Credits: 3 ECTS
Inhalt
The notion of Corporate (Social) Responsibility generally refers to as a set of ethical standards or codes that firms adopt to address effectively several challenges they face in doing business. Yet, there is less emphasis on the context‑sensitive aspect of this concept, whose facets are as numerous as the interpretations are different. This course on Corporate Responsibility (CR) in Sub‑Saharan Africa takes seriously the contextual dependence of reflections regarding Corporate Responsibility. In fact, the economic and political situation of most Sub‑Saharan African countries poses very specific challenges to CR. If most Sub‑Saharan African countries are among the most lucrative growth markets for business compared to Western economies, they are also the most exposed to environmental and social crisis. Their economic attractiveness coupled to their very weak political infrastructure makes them more vulnerable and leaves them a very small margin of maneuver when bargaining with increasingly powerful firms. In this respect, the course will discuss both the legitimacy for asking firms to share the burdens for fighting against poverty, corruption, climate change, unemployment, for equal access to health care and which actions and steps this implies concretely. The course will also discuss the difference, if any, that exist between local and foreign firms, as well as between small‑size firms and multinationals in terms of CR in this context. At the end of this course, the student must be able to take a critical and reflexive view on the role of the firm in societies where political and economic institutions are significantly weak like in sub‑Sahara Africa. The student should also be able to integrate humanistic and ethical values into her daily personal action within and/or in interaction with these economic organizations inside these societies.
Course objectives
The overall objective of this course is to introduce students the specific problems, questions or solutions related to corporate social responsibility in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
The specific educational objectives are:
(a) Highlighting situations specific to Sub‑Saharan Africa that would justify a need for CR.
(b) Stressing the specific nature of CR issues as they arise in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
(c) Highlighting and examining the responses those firms bring to the challenges they face in doing business in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
Aufbau/Stuktur
1. Introduction: Specificity of Corporate Responsibility in Sub‑Saharan Africa
2. Corporate Responsibility and Poverty
3. Corporate Responsibility and Corruption
4. Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights
5. Corporate Responsibility and Health Care
6. Corporate Responsibility and Environment
7. Conclusion: The future of Corporate Responsibility in Sub‑Saharan Africa
The course has two parts. The theoretical part will consist in focusing on very specific aspects of Corporate Responsibility in Sub‑Saharan Africa regarding Poverty, Corruption, Human Rights, Health care and Climate Change. The practical part will focus on group presentations of specific case‑study.
The course is based on an interactive format, which requires presence and active participation by all students.
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