Introduction

Introduction > What is this course about? > What is this course about?

• The twenty-first century has been marked by the emergence of CSR as a central topic for scholars and practitioners.
• European actors in particular have progressively taken hold of the idea in the past three decades, and CSR has gained rapid momentum across European industries, politics, and academia -despite the continued disputes about its potential to address social and environmental challenges constructively.
• Resistance to the notion is at least partly due to the different meanings of CSR in different places, for different people, and for different purposes.
• So what is CSR? What does it mean, and what does it involve? Do stakeholders really care, and if they do, how should companies communicate with them? In this MOOC, we first try to make clear what CSR is, and how to implement it, before discussing why and how to communicate about CSR activities to the different audiences important to companies and how to assess the effectiveness of such CSR communications, especially for consumers.
• By presenting insights from CSR experts representing both academia and practice, this MOOC provides a way for managers, consumers, and citizens to acquire in-depth insights and critical perspectives on companies’ CSR activities and communications.