This is a detailed summary for the class Corporate Social Responsibility (6013B0525Y) at UvA.
It includes summaries of all necessary chapters (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13) of the book, Winning Sustainability Strategies.
It also covers all guest lectures in detail: (Week 1: Introduction to...
Trends in CSR
Moving from → to…
Company Supply chain
● increasingly mandated by government
bodies/stock exchanges
● Drives adoption among large companies
(especially in sectors with large environmental
impacts - eg. mining, oil).
Environment Social impacts
Check the box Making an impact
Top down Bottom up
Nice to have Need to have
CSR CFO and CEO
Corporate Social Responsibility Hierarchy
Economic Responsibility: produce an acceptable return for investors
Legal Responsibility: act within the framework of laws and regulations drawn up by the government
and judiciary.
Ethical responsibility: to do no harm to stakeholders and within its operating environment
Discretionary responsibility: companies have proactive, strategic behaviors, that benefit
themselves/society
→ Business is assumed to voluntarily have this
→ Unilever, Tony Chocoloney, Patagonia
, Four Archetypes
The four archetypes describe how companies engage with sustainability based on their risk profile,
industry characteristics, and strategic priorities.
Traditional ● High (inherent) risk profile
● Limited sustainability initiatives
● Focus on compliance and using regulations to justify their license to operate
● Sustainability is a defensive tool, not a driver of growth
● Industries like tobacco/weapons
Key takeaway: they see sustainability as a necessary obligation, not as an opportunity
for innovation or competitive advantage
Communicative ● High compliance with ESG standards
● Capturing opportunities is difficult due to high costs
● Focus on risk reduction and compliance
● Industries like automotive industry, insurance
Key takeaway: they comply to sustainability norms and talk about efforts but face
challenges translating sustainability into business
Opportunistic ● Recognize sustainability but have uneven progress across their portfolio
● Creates situations of ‘sustainability schizophrenia’
● Industries like energy, renewables, diversified conglomerates
Key takeaway: try to embrace sustainability but struggle with inconsistencies and high
risk areas in their portfolio
Transformational ● Companies that embrace sustainability in a holistic fashion
● Sustainability programs closely ties to business operations
● They generate new opportunities
● Integrated sustainability into core activities
Key takeaway: companies use sustainability as a holistic strategy for business growth,
risk management, and industry leadership
Materiality Assessment
→ Helps identify and prioritize the sustainability issues that matter most to a business, and the
stakeholders
→ keeps businesses alert to stakeholder concerns and expectations, and issues with greatest risk and
opportunities for the business
Move first where it matters most
, Materiality Assessment Matrix
→ material aspects
X-axis: significance to business (potential impact)
Y-axis: significance to stakeholders (their motivation)
Six Steps Approach to Generate a Materiality Matrix (exam question)
1. Select and assess relevant stakeholders
2. Define a long list of sustainability topics (risks)
3. Rank the topics and create a short list
4. Rate the business impact in terms of risks and opportunities
5. Construct a concept of materiality matrix
6. Get sign off by senior management and document the process
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