SRES 408 Evolution of Business, Human Rights & ESG
Fall Semester only. In pursuit of human security and justice, many policymakers, academics, political leaders, and activists insist that transnational corporations and other business enterprises should be legally bound to respect and fulfill human rights. This has given rise to a global matrix of human rights governance networks and the transformation of businesses from organizations focused primarily on increasing shareholder value to ones addressing the interests of multiple stakeholders. This course examines the evolution of business and human rights, focusing on the historical development, legal and regulatory framework, assessment and reporting methods, efficacy, and future of the corporate social responsibility ("CSR"), environmental, social, and governance ("ESG"), and business and human rights ("BHR") movements. The course provides business leaders with a working knowledge of these movements as a complex adaptive system for social transformation that will continue to challenge past and present ideas about the proper mission and responsibilities of businesses and the future of capitalism and democracy.
Cross Listed Courses
SRES 408 & SRES 508
Prerequisite
Open to undergraduates with sophomore or higher standing