Corporate Social Responsibility : Center for Social Innovation (CSI)

Articles : All | News Articles | Stanford Social Innovation Review Articles | Blog Posts

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development

Crowdsourcing Microfinance

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

The Grameen Foundation’s Bankers Without Borders initiative applies skills-based volunteering to poverty alleviation.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Social Entrepreneurship

Picking Green Tech’s Winners and Losers

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Unless clean tech follows well-established rules of innovation and commercialization, the industry’s promise to provide sustainable sources of energy will fail.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

What’s Next: Retailing with Heart

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Venture into a Panera Cares café and you’ll see the same menu and racks of freshly baked breads that are staples at the 1,400 Panera Bread restaurants across the United States. The only thing missing is the cash register. Instead, there’s a donation box where customers pay on the honor system.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Nonprofit Initiative Mentors Women Entrepreneurs In Emerging Markets

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program is helping women in 22 countries in the developing world start and grow businesses, Dina Habib Powell, who oversees the effort told a business school audience.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Research: Turning a Profit by Helping the Poor

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Politically radical social workers didn’t expect to be working in a bank any more than white-collar bankers expected to be holding meetings in a crowded public market.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Cause Marketing, Nonprofits, Philanthropy & Responsible Investing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

The Science of Getting People to Do The Right Thing

For the movers and shakers of this world who could use some practical, cost-effective solutions for encouraging donations, volunteerism, social activism, and other responsible, caring, and pro-social behaviors, Frank Flynn reviews the latest findings. To receive Flynn's highlights, sign up for the quarterly prosocial highlight.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Doing Business Better

A national debate over the behavior of ousted Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd had just made headlines. Advance publicity for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, a movie about greed writ large, was picking up volume. And political pundits were arguing daily over what it meant for candidates to be perceived as either pro- or antibusiness as midterm elections approached. Stanford GSB students reflect on Wall Street's bruised reputation.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Hsieh of Zappos Takes Happiness Seriously

Since taking over as CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh has vowed to do whatever it takes to keep his employees, customers, and vendors happy. He told a business school audience his strategy leads to profits in the end.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

What Do Your Jeans and Your Car Have in Common?

What Do Your Jeans and Your Car Have in Common?
Did you know that making a pair of Levi 501 jeans, from cotton seed to finished garment, uses 54 showers' worth of water and produces the same amount of greenhouse gas as driving your car 78 miles? Neither did Levi Strauss & Co. - until they conducted an environmental impact assessment on their goods speakers told the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chains Conference.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Money Makes People Happy, Especially If They're Paid By The Hour

Researchers find a stronger tie between money and happiness for people paid by the hour than by salary, because hourly workers are more regularly reminded of the value of their time, according to work co-authored by business school Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Research: Turning a Profit by Helping the Poor

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Politically radical social workers didn’t expect to be working in a bank any more than white-collar bankers expected to be holding meetings in a crowded public market.

-Subscription Required

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Q&A: Richard Jefferson

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Richard Jefferson believes that biotechnology can be used to benefit the poor and disenfranchised, but only if the R&D process is democratized so that everyone has access to critical scientific tools and technologies.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Rights

More than Beans

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Sustainable Harvest grows a new supply chain.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Rights

Positive Distraction Workforce

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Habitat International has grown its bottom line using a largely disabled workforce.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Investing at the Bottom of the Ladder

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Winter 2011

Companies that invest in their lowest-level employees are more productive and more profitable.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

BoP 101: Essential Reading for Those Interested in the Base of the Pyramid

Pivotal pieces that have influenced the “base of the pyramid” theory as a way for business to alleviate global problems.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Heat Wave: Part 3

Major world leaders pledge big money to improve the lives of millions.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Heat Wave: Part 2

Highlights from the Clinton Global Initiative.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Heat Wave: Part 1

Clinton’s Global Initiative kicks off.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

A Coffee Shop for the Social Capital Market

The social capital market aims to have a positive impact on the planet.

Resource: Blog Post

Video/Audio : All | Audio | Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

New Sustainable Business Models

Bringing along the consumer, Method and Zipcar have provided greener alternatives to our everyday lifestyles. By creating this catalyst for change, they moved their products and services ahead of industry leaders and scaled this impact with market success. In this Future of Green open call series from Stanford's Center for Social Innovation, founders Robin Chase of Zipcar and Adam Lowry of Method speak on building a company around a radical and sustainable business model.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Can Corporations Really Change?

Market practices are changing. With a focus on sustainability, corporations are moving toward operations that reduce the environmental impact of their products and services and offer an integrated bottom line. In this audio interview, part of The Future of Green series, host Neal Gorenflo speaks with Maurice Bechard of Diversey and Michael Kobori of Levi Strauss & Co. about the motivations for change and how to approach this shift.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Environmental Sustainability for Small Businesses

When does a house painter learn about low VOC paint? Are high-efficiency lightbulbs always better? How can you reduce package waste and still meet client expectations? How can a small business owner keep up with sustainability issues? Now Intuit and eBay have sites where small businesses share their green knowledge. Amy Skoczlas Cole, who runs eBayGreenTeam, and Rupesh Shah of IntuitGreen talk about small business and green.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Healthcare

Disaster Response: Lessons Learned from Haiti

When disaster strikes somewhere in the world, what kind of leadership, nonprofit management, and supply chain expertise are needed? In this university podcast, Stanford professor of surgery, Paul Auerbach, shares lessons learned from the Stanford Emergency Medicine rapid response team's deployment in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake. His experiences provide a glimpse in to how relevant groups may prepare themselves to better assist in future global catastrophes.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Using Public-Private Partnerships to Resolve Asia's Water Crisis

Countries all across Asia face the prospect of a water crisis that threatens the sustainability of their already stretched water and irrigation systems. In this audio interview, part of a Stanford Center for Social Innovation series on water around the world, the Asian Development Bank's Arjun Thapan talks with Stanford MBA student Ashish Jhina about the potential of public-private partnerships to catalyze the efficiency improvements required to meet increasing water demand in the face of reduced water availability due to climate change.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-4

The experience brought back to the GSB: It was a proud moment when a classmate raised his hand and said, "In Guatemala we saw this as an example of what you just said."

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-3

Getting Passionate About the Supply Chain: On a 3-hour bus ride, students debated the coffee supply chain and what could be done. For John Joseph, it "was fun to see how passionate they were about it."

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-2

From Bean to Cup-of-Coffee Complex: Students first thought the coffee supply chain was boring. The more they experienced Guatemala, the more they realized the story was far more complex.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Human Rights

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-1

On a service learning trip to Guatemala, John Joseph, MBA '08, and classmates visited small producers right up to the Starbucks' organization, as well as NGOs like As Green As It Gets.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-6

Environment and the Supply Chain: MBA student Tom Mercer, Class of '07, got a chance to see different views on the supply chain from varied perspectives: the corporate perspective (Starbucks), as well as those of individual coffee farmers.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

New Sustainable Business Models

Bringing along the consumer, Method and Zipcar have provided greener alternatives to our everyday lifestyles. By creating this catalyst for change, they moved their products and services ahead of industry leaders and scaled this impact with market success. In this Future of Green open call series from Stanford's Center for Social Innovation, founders Robin Chase of Zipcar and Adam Lowry of Method speak on building a company around a radical and sustainable business model.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Can Corporations Really Change?

Market practices are changing. With a focus on sustainability, corporations are moving toward operations that reduce the environmental impact of their products and services and offer an integrated bottom line. In this audio interview, part of The Future of Green series, host Neal Gorenflo speaks with Maurice Bechard of Diversey and Michael Kobori of Levi Strauss & Co. about the motivations for change and how to approach this shift.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Environmental Sustainability for Small Businesses

When does a house painter learn about low VOC paint? Are high-efficiency lightbulbs always better? How can you reduce package waste and still meet client expectations? How can a small business owner keep up with sustainability issues? Now Intuit and eBay have sites where small businesses share their green knowledge. Amy Skoczlas Cole, who runs eBayGreenTeam, and Rupesh Shah of IntuitGreen talk about small business and green.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility

When Corporate Responsibility Means Going Local

McDonald's has migrated to India, and with it, a commitment to corporate social responsibility. In this university podcast, executive Abhijit Upadhye discusses how the introduction of the "golden arches" into the subcontinent over the past six years has resulted in the creation of local opportunities in the areas of agriculture and food production, storage, and transportation.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Healthcare

Disaster Response: Lessons Learned from Haiti

When disaster strikes somewhere in the world, what kind of leadership, nonprofit management, and supply chain expertise are needed? In this university podcast, Stanford professor of surgery, Paul Auerbach, shares lessons learned from the Stanford Emergency Medicine rapid response team's deployment in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake. His experiences provide a glimpse in to how relevant groups may prepare themselves to better assist in future global catastrophes.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Resource: Audio

Case Studies : All | Academic Cases

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Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Starbucks Corporation Building a Sustainable Supply Chain

Starbucks created a new program to support coffee farmers through a partnership with Conservation International. If Starbucks could overcome issues it faced with implementation of the program, the initiative could go a long way toward improving the sustainability of its coffee supply chain.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Wal-Mart's Sustainability Strategy

Senior executives at Wal-Mart launched the company’s new sustainability strategy in 2005. The case describes their efforts to keep environmental improvement tightly coupled with business values and profitability.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

SK-II China: Managing Public Relations

Procter & Gamble’s high-end skincare brand in China had the potential to be a star. However, after two major public relations debacles, P&G had to rebuild the brand image and regain consumers’ trust.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

10b5-1 Plans: Mortgaging a Defense Against Insider Trading

Two executives came under fire for selling a significant amount of Midway stock just weeks before a precipitous decline in the company’s share price. Regulators had to decide whether they had carried out a sophisticated form of illegal insider trading.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

Esquel Group: Transforming Into A Vertically Integrated, Service-Oriented, Leading Manufacturer Of Quality Cotton

Esquel Group, one of the world’s leading producers of premium cotton shirts, offered innovative products and services and was devoted to protecting the environment in areas in which it operated. The case describes the company’s culture and strategy.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Serrot Corporation

Serrot, the plastics linings company, was moving into new markets. The founder faced management challenges associated with this transition, including labor and union issues.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Wal-Mart: Nonmarket Pressure and Reputation Risk (B): A New Nonmarket Strategy

In 2002, Wal-Mart came under attack for its inadequate pay and benefits, and its negative impact on local economies. This case examines the steps the company took to improve its image.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Social Entrepreneurship

Green River Environmental

David Dodson started the septic company Green River Environmental after mixed results in his previous entrepreneurial ventures. This case tracks three difficult mangerial situations Dodson faced during his tenure as CEO and chairman of the company.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Wal-Mart: Nonmarket Pressure and Reputation Risk (A)

In 2002, Wal-Mart came under attack for its inadequate pay and benefits, and its negative impact on local economies. This case examines the issues involved.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment

FedEx and Environmental Defense: Building a Hybrid Delivery Fleet

From specification to production: FedEx and Environmental Defense started a collaboration in 2000 to develop energy efficient delivery trucks. Eaton Corporation and Freightliner soon joined them to prototype the new vehicles.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Nonmarket Environment of Google

With Google's rapid international growth, came a number of nonmarket challenges including privacy issues in both the United States and European Union, the spectrum auction, intellectual property, corporate social responsibility, and business practices in China.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Models of Corporate Governance: Who's the Fairest of Them All?

This case explores the various corporate governance systems that have been adopted in the United States and abroad. It examines issues of control, director and auditor independence, board structure, and more.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Healthcare

Gilead Sciences (A): The Gilead Access Program for HIV Drugs

Gilead Sciences designs a strategy for delivering an AIDS drug to developing nations in Africa. This first part of the case describes the organization's initial considerations.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Healthcare

Gilead Sciences (B): Implementing the Gilead Access Program for HIV Drugs

Gilead Sciences designs a strategy for delivering an AIDS drug to developing nations in Africa. This second part of the case explores the company’s experience with a distribution program.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Industrial Products AG Thailand (B)

A shipment of industrial products gets waylaid by customs in Thailand, with a charge of smuggling. When the project manager refuses to pay an extortionary fee and is reported to officials, the company manager must figure out how to defuse the situation.

Resource: Academic Case

Research Papers : All

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Social Pressures Affect Corporate Strategy and Performance

Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Contention and Corporate Social Responsibility

At the confluence between social movement theory and organizational studies, Sarah Soule's Contention and Corporate Social Responsibility examines protests against corporate practices and policies before 1990 and offers a framework to better understand anti-corporate social movements and their role in shaping socially responsible practices in the global economic arena.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Private Politics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Integrated Strategy

The paper investigates the implications of private politics and corporate social responsibility on the strategies of rival firms when one or both is the target of an activist campaign. It also discusses implications for empirical analysis.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Corporate Demography and Income Inequality

The researchers examine the relationship between income inequality and corporate demography in regional labor markets, and demonstrate how the number and diversity of employers affects wage dispersion.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Ethics for the Real World: Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decision in Work and Life

In "Ethics for the Real World, " Ronald Howard and Clinton Korver explain how to master the art of ethical decision-making by identifying potential compromises in your own life; applying distinctions to clarify your ethical thinking; committing in advance to ethical principles; and generating creative alternatives to resolve dilemmas.

Resource: Research Paper

Courses : All

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Business World: Moral and Spiritual Inquiry through Literature: POLECON 349

This course uses novels and plays as a basis for examining the moral and spiritual aspects of business leadership and of the business environment. The literature covered illuminates the character of business people and the cultural contexts of values and beliefs in which commercial activities take place in a global economy.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Paths to Power: OB 377

Understanding the processes of power and influence in organizations is critical for leaders. This course aims to teach students how to to diagnose and analyze power and politics in organizational situations, show students how to exercise power effectively, and help students come to terms with the inherent dilemmas and choices involved in developing and exercising influence.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Leadership Perspectives: OB 363

This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various ways leaders try to institutionalize values within their organizations. Through assigned readings, interactive lectures with visiting executives, and weekly small group discussions, students learn how leaders implement their principles, and reflect on their own values and career aspirations.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Ethical Issues in Biotech Industry: GSBGEN 522

This course focuses on the bioscience industry (biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics, and vaccine). The emphasis is on the ethical and social challenges of running companies in these areas.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Work and Family: GSBGEN 376

This course examines the strategies that highly educated women and men use to combine work and family. It also explores how managers can help others achieve balance in these two areas.

Resource: MBA Course

Innovators : All

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Bruce McNamer (JD/MBA '96)

Bruce McNamer empowers entrepreneurs in rural areas around the world to become self-sufficient. He finds helping people to help themselves a noble calling.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Government, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Adam Stern (MBA '87)

Adam Stern's Web site lets people offset their own carbon emissions by supporting renewable energy projects. He's working to stop global warming.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

What’s Next: Trawling for Trash

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2011

An EU Fisheries Commission Project pays fisherman to remove plastic debris from the Mediterranean Sea.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Leveraging Business Assets in Nonprofit

Can business be a power for good? Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, would argue yes. Virgin Unite is the nonprofit foundation of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, a conglomerate of more than 400 world-wide companies. In this audio lecture, Oelwang discusses the need to address root causes of social and environmental issues, the unsustainable nature of the growing disparity between rich and poor, and the potential to make a difference by adapting existing product and service innovations.

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Resource: Audio

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility

Stakeholders in Corporate Social Responsibility

What does it mean for a company to fully engage in corporate social responsibility and become a global citizen? In this audio lecture at Stanford, former Hewlett-Packard VP Debra Dunn talks about the opportunities and challenges of implementing a robust Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and aligning with the demands of numerous stakeholders. Dunn draws on her own experience working for the technology giant.

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Resource: Audio

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Q&A: Roundtable on Shared Value

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

Executives from 10 major corporations gathered in New York City to discuss the innovative ways that they are putting societal issues at the core of their companies’ strategy and operations.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Government, Human Rights, Leadership, Nonprofit Management

Japanese Alumni Test Their Post-Disaster Leadership Mettle

As Japan shifts from disaster relief to rebuilding, GSB alumni see opportunities for change and renewal.

Resource: News Article

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