Katalin Ásványi, PhD

Associate Professor

Corporate Social Responsibility

BA in Commerce and marketing, Business and management – Specialization in Business communication, 2nd and 3^rd year students

CERL project title(s)

CSR cooperation proposal

The main output of the semester:

The students have to select a company and write a CSR cooperation proposal in the name of the partner. Part of this cooperation can be supporting Ethnic Talents’ work both as a casting agency as well as their diversity training in breaking down stereotypes towards Roma and other disadvantaged people.

The course tasks related to the project:

1.      Which SDG goals can be better implemented through cooperation?

2.      Where is there a fit between Ethnic Talents and for-profit companies and which of these companies are open to cooperate in communicating diversity? Which companies communicate in their mission statement about diversity?

3.       Which companies have common stakeholders with Ethnic Talents?

4.      Can a CSR focused marketing be implemented (Kotler, 6 types) with Ethnic Talents?

 2ME43NDK12B, Corporate Social Responsibility

AIMS OF THE COURSE:

During the course students will learn about the development of social responsibility, current trends and the goals, tools and target groups of CSR communication. The integrated, communication-oriented and practice-oriented approach of the course prepares students to face the challenges of social responsibility during their professional career.

SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS:

Knowledge of sustainability is a fundamental topic in the course, and as a principle, it is also included in the course.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

KNOWLEDGE:

Being aware of the concept of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Being aware of different approaches to responsibility.

Being familiar with the different clusters and forms of appearance of CSR. Knowing sustainable development goals (SDGs).Being aware of the potential of HR-related CSR activities. Knowing the different CSR communication strategies. Knowing the theories involved. Mastering a responsible approach. Being aware of the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork and individual work

SKILLS:

Being able to distinguish between responsibility and sustainability. Can understand and understand the essence of different CSR approaches. Being able to identify which CSR type of responsibility activity. Can interpret individual SDG goals. Being able to identify responsible solutions in HR. Being able to distinguish between individual CSR communication approaches. Being able to identify those involved in a given situation from the perspective of responsibility. Being able to recognize and identify responsibilities within a specific topic. Being able to solve individual tasks. Being able to work in a team and solve a task together.

ATTITUDES:

There is a need for understanding and understanding the different approaches to responsibility and sustainability. Seeking to understand different CSR approaches. Striving to understand and interpret the different types of CSR as deeply as possible. There is a need to get to know CSR activities in line with SDG goals. Need to get to know the connection between HR and CSR. It seeks to understand different CSR communication approaches. It strives to evaluate the relationship of the affected person with a responsible approach. It seeks to deepen (critical) understanding of the responsible topic. Constructive, collaborative, initiator in case of group tasks.

AUTONOMY & RESPONSIBILITY:

Responsible for your own learning outcomes. Produces professional material responsibly. Can do self-control. It also carries out its tasks independently and independently. He also appreciates the work of others. Responsibly and in compliance with ethical standards, it prepares its presentation and presentation. It is responsible for the results of its work. Responsible member of the group and contributes responsibly to joint work. Accepts the framework for cooperation.

How was it taught:

1.      number of students

2.      student groupwork or individual,

3.      how they worked with the partner,

4.      how the project proceeded,

5.      any reflection done with students,

6.      evaluation or formal assessment of their learning,

7.      Could or should we follow up with students?

8.      tech used

9.      Anything else interesting?

10.   For how long have you been teaching this course, and since when there is a community partner involved?

1.      70 students

2.      Students worked in 14 groups (5 people/group)

3.      Students researched the partner and prepared questions for the first meeting together, where Ethnic Talents introduced themselves and what their activities are and how they do what they aim for. At midterm students had a live phone call interview conducted by the partner with one of their clients, so students could get a deeper understanding of who benefits from the partner’s work. At the end of the course all groups wrote a 10-page document and a ppt presentation, and 4 selected group presented their ideas to the partner.

4.      When students finished a subtask of the course the partner was updated with the results.

5.      The students from the group and the community partner both filled a feedback form as the semester group work ended. Students also filled a survey about their feelings, what they’ve learnt, how they were affected by the course and by the partnership with Ethnic Talents.

6.      The partner picked 4 student groups to present their ideas to her, and reflected live on the results The group got a formal evaluation and grade for their work from the educator.

7.      It would be great to follow-up with the students.

8.      As it was an online course we used mentimeter and scrumblr mainly.

9.      No

10.   I have been teaching this course since 2015 Spring semester and I have had community partners since 2017 Spring semester.

EVALUATION SYSTEM OF THE COURSE:

seminar task and homework 20 points

• Collecting associations on CSR and sustainability.

• Look for examples to support CSR approaches.

• Collecting examples of CSR types related to a specific topic (NGO topic area)

• Identify SDG goals for the selected company.

• Collecting the conditions for a family-friendly workplace

• Look for good and bad examples of how to communicate your CSR activity.

• Studying a company facebook page, collecting and evaluating CSR related impressions.

• Identify corporate stakeholders and make decisions through a case study approach.

• Identify the CSR activities that the student expects to connect with the roles involved as a consumer, as an employee and as a member of the local community.

submission and presentation – CSR offer for a company on behalf of the NGO 20 + 20 points

written exam 40 points

100 points in total

What did you CHANGE about your programme/course in relation to CERL during CIRCLET?  

1.      We shared the course tasks that were related to our partner and could also be useful for them with Ethnic Talents. Until last semester, we just did these tasks to help the students focus on the partner, but it can give the partner more information.

2.      Ethnic talents chose from the list of companies that students found good for cooperation. In this way, students could prepare the proposal for those chosen companies, with whom the partner really wants to cooperate with.

3.      Students could meet (in this situation just online) people who are affected by Ethnic Talents work, so they could feel and understand better, that if the partner has more corporate partners, they are the people who they can help and affect their lives. It helped students a lot to be committed to the project.

CHALLENGES and how you overcame them?

How to ensure students will like tackling the problem of the partner?

That is why it is really important that students have to meet the partner outside the university, to understand better the profile, the stakeholders, so students can be more sensitive to the problem afterwards.

How not to get behind schedule?

I wrote emails to students every week, they did a lot of tasks related to the project, so the students had to work on the project during the whole semester and not just one week before they had to upload the final documents.

How not to let the students work on the project at the expense of the learning outputs of the course, and how to make sure to get the specific learnings, attitudes and skills the course sets out for?

It is important that the course is complete without the partner, too, and we can just implement the project.

What did your STUDENTS LEARN or how will they benefit?

Students wrote in the feedback form: “I really liked that we faced a real problem and could work on a solution that might really be implemented. This motivated us not only to do it for our grades but to invest our time and effort so there’ll be real outcomes.“​

I had a questionnaire with one question asking How did the project affect their consciousness as a consumer?

Some examples of the answers:

“It was a great experience to get to know an NGO from the inside, too, this way. Besides this, I’m much more familiar now with their topic and activity, so they’ll always come to my mind whenever the topic comes up.”

“The NGO made the problem tangible for me and this raised my commitment to the topic.”

“Honestly, after getting to know Ethnic Talents it reduced some of my unconscious biases and I approached Romas more positively several times”

What do you think the BENEFIT was TO THE PARTNER?

Do You have any feedback from the partner?

The partner felt inspired and tangibly supported by all the different ideas the students’ groups gathered focusing on their possible cooperation with companies.

The partner’s response in the science shop feedback form:

“I’m totally amazed how open you are to this group. You’ve come up with fantastic ideas, got so much deeper than in the previous semester, that is also due to us putting more time and energy into students getting to know our organisation and those working with us better.”

Students’ work could help the partner to be able to start the cooperation process and show good ideas for the cooperation which the companies need.

3 TANGIBLE PIECES OF ADVICE you would give to someone starting a CERL project with students?

1.      Be open

2.      Be patient with the partner

3.      Pay attention to the schedule and the deadlines

4.      Be clear about the tasks of students and tasks of the partner.

5.      Fix the meeting dates in time

6.      Be flexible

Thanks for everything, I am happy to be able to work with you.