Competency Based Learning

Project Title:
Building Bridges Across Continents: An
Intercultural Student Project

Student Guidelines

Daniel Agyapong MPhil, (Ghana)

Regina Brautlacht, M.A. (Germany)

August 2015

Winter Semester 2015/16

Table of Contents

01. General Information and Contact Details....................................................................................3

02. Student Goals........................................................................................................................................... 5
03. Project Plan / Schedule........................................................................................................................7
04. Task Descriptions................................................................................................................................ 10
05. Research Topics................................................................................................................................... 20
06. Joint Online Platform (Wiki) - Instructions..............................................................................22
07. Research Instructions and Writing Reports............................................................................23
08. Writing Minutes and Keeping a Record.....................................................................................26
09. Social Media Tools............................................................................................................................... 28
10. MP3 Skype Recorder.......................................................................................................................... 29
11. Turnitin.com.......................................................................................................................................... 30
12. Online Etiquette................................................................................................................................... 33
13. Code of Conduct....................................................................................................................................35
14. Corporate Social Responsibility: An Introduction................................................................36
15. References.............................................................................................................................................. 41

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 01. General Information and Contact Details

Germany Ghana
Start Academic
28 September 2015 1 August 2015
Year
End Academic
22 January 2016 16 January 2016
Year
Christmas Exams
Exams /
23 December 2015 – 6 23 November 2015 -
Christmas
January 2016 12 December 2015
Number of
20 20
Students
Second-year students
First-year students of
in Business
Degree Research Methods
Administration
(Master’s level)
(Bachelor of Science)
Project
Regina Brautlacht Daniel Agyapong
Coordinators
Joint Platform https://buildingbridges.pbworks.com

Daniel Agyapong Regina Brautlacht

Senior Lecturer in Finance and
Entrepreneurship, School of
Business, College of Humanities
and Legal Studies
University of Cape Coast, Ghana
E-Mail: dagyapong@ucc.edu.gh
Senior Lecturer in English and
Business Communication
Language Centre,
Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of
Applied Sciences
E-Mail: regina.brautlacht@h-
brs.de

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Objective
You will be participating in “Building Bridges: An Intercultural Student Project” that
aims to encourage communication between students from Germany and Ghana - using
English as a lingua franca. In this project you will discuss and compare students’ ideas
on Corporate Social Responsibility in both countries.
Students will work in an international team online using various tools to communicate
with each other. The international teams will be in charge of designing and carrying out
a survey to assess views on specific topics related to Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) in Germany and Ghana. The findings will be shared in a final report.

Tasks and deadlines

The project runs from 28 September 2015 to 16 January 2016. You will have to complete
7 tasks in this period. Each task needs to be completed by a given deadline.
Please read the description of the tasks below.
Respect the deadlines otherwise the whole team’s work could be compromised. You
need to communicate with your team if you are experiencing problems and to ask for
help if you feel that you cannot meet a deadline.

Tools
Various online tools are at your disposal to communicate with your peers: Facebook
group and a joint online platform “wiki” to upload written work or send out messages to
the members of your group. The tool is hosted by Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied
Sciences, Germany. Login details and a password to connect to these tools will be sent
via email to each participant.

Project Wiki /E-tutor

(https://buildingbridges.pbworks.com/)
You can at all times request technical
assistance by sending an email
to the e-tutor, Vanessa Wuesthoff at
wuesthoff.hbrs@gmail.com .
For other aspects of the
project please contact your project coordinator directly (see email addresses above).

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 02. Student Goals
New communication technologies are changing the
way we work and have created a possibility to
communicate with people around the world. Effective
communication skills in business are important in
today's interconnected world. These skills include the
use of new innovative technologies such as working
with Web 2.0 tools and connecting with
businesspeople, organizations and institutions around
the world. The Internet and new technologies at the
workplace have created a new demand for specific
business communication skills that go beyond typing, using the phone or fax.
In this project students will learn to use different new technologies to communicate with
students on a different part of the globe. Students will not only use new tools (e.g. wiki,
web conferencing, survey tools), but will learn to collaborate together and carry out
joint research projects.
The project will focus on raising awareness of international business communication
and intercultural communication as a way to promote international business.
Learn to use business communication effectively:
● Listening to native and non-native speakers of English.
● Being patient and a good listener; practice listening.
● Native speakers act as a role model for grammar and writing skills.
Learn to use different new technologies of communication (video conferencing, use of
collaborative writing tools) in an international setting.
Develop professionalism
● Ability to carry out a joint international research project
● Learn to collaborate in a virtual environment (be ethically correct, follow the
code of conduct and remember general rules of business etiquette) meet
deadlines and learn to manage keeping lines of communication open at all times.
● Explain issues and give solutions
● Learn to work in an international team (be reliable, be responsible and
productive).
Understand intercultural communication
● Explain: Being able to explain basics about one’s own culture (customs, views,
values etc.) is setting standards in on learning to communicate with non-native
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 speakers of English and speakers of African English.
● Learn: Gain knowledge about students’ cultural backgrounds (different countries
and nationalities).
● Avoid: being prejudiced and be open-minded to new ideas, customs, beliefs and
traditions.
● Use International English or English as a Lingua Franca: Communicate with
non-native speakers of English; avoid jargon, acronyms, abbreviations, and
specific words not used in the other culture. Raise awareness of oral
communication strategies for online communication.
● Foster Communication and Exchange: During the project ask questions, give
constructive feedback and encourage discourse.
● Adapt written communication: When publishing a written document for a
specific international audience meet the needs of the particular culture and
clarify particular aspects unknown to the audience.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 03. Project Plan / Schedule
Research Project Management: The Stages

The table below shows the different stages, tasks and tools used in this project:

Date /
Task Task Descriptions Tools
Week

A) Students from Ghana will attend a general orientation

workshop to get familiar with project guidelines.
B) Students choose one of the topics and sign up for the
workspace of the team according to the topic they would
Week 35-40 like to research.
C) Students from Ghana get access to the joint platform
Orientation 26 August - 15 (wiki) by September 15. Wiki
: Ghana September D) Ghanaian students get acquainted with their
2015 workspace (virtual team) on the wiki and enter their
possible meeting dates in a prepared table found in their
workspace by September 24. In addition, students join
their Facebook group created for their team as well as
get connected on Skype.

Orientation Week 40 Students from Germany join the online platform (wiki)
: 28 September and sign up for their chosen topic. Wiki
Germany 2015

A) Ghanaian students are now acquainted with their

workspace and await German students to join the
project.
B) German students are the last to join the platform and
Week 41
add their names to the existing table by no later than
Tuesday, 6 October, to plan the date of the first
05 October Wiki,
meeting held between 12 October and 18 October
TASK 1 2015 Facebook
2015.
-
C) Ghanaian students post on their Facebook group the
11 October
final meeting date after the German students have
2015
added their availability. (Deadline: Friday 9 October).
D) Students from each country research the topic they
have chosen with regard to the situation in their own
country.

TASK 2 Week 42 1st virtual meeting: Skype

Chairing: The Ghanaian members of each team will Meeting;
12 October chair the first virtual meeting held on Skype. Recording
2015 App;
– A) Introductions (personal background and university Wiki
18 October studies)
2015 B) General discussion of the topic students have chosen

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 and researched.
C) Agree on a date for 2nd virtual meeting held between
19 October and 25 October 2015.
D) The German members of each team record the Skype
meetings using a recording app.
E) The German members of the team write the minutes
of the 1st virtual meeting and post them on their wiki
workspace.

2nd virtual meeting:

Chairing: German members of each team will chair the
second virtual meeting.
A) Each country team proposes a list of 10 - 12
questions to their team that they would find appropriate
for the survey.
B) The team agrees on a final list of 15 - 20 questions
based on proposals for the survey from each country.
C) The team decides how to conduct the survey (self-
Week 43 administered questionnaire, online survey, face-to-face
with the researcher present, paper format, email etc.)
Skype
19 October D) The German team will compile all questions for the
Meeting;
TASK 3 2015 survey and creates a final questionnaire for their team
Wiki
- and posts it on the wiki.
25 October E) Each country will then use this final questionnaire in
2015 their country and translate into the respective native
language if needed.
F) The team decides on a date and time between 1
January and 16 January 2016 for the next virtual
meeting.
G) The German team will record the Skype conference
call and store the file on the wiki.
F) The Ghanaian team writes minutes of the meeting
and informs the team of the next meeting and posts the
minutes on the wiki.

Week 44 – 45 Students from each country carry out their surveys. Survey
TASK 4 26 Oct. -8 Nov. tool
2015

Week 46 A) Members from Germany write a country summary of

their findings and provide the results with appropriate
TASK 5 Wiki
9-15 Nov. 2015 graphs before 15 November.

Ghanaian students write a final report (using the data of

Wiki and
Week 53 all three countries) by 30 December 2015.
Turnitin
TASK 6 30 December The Ghanaian students upload the final report on the
Template
2015 team space in the wiki in a Word document and also
(Report)
upload it through turnitin.com.

TASK 7 Week 1 – 2 3rd virtual meeting: Skype

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 Chairing: the German members of each team will chair
the third virtual meeting.
A) Each country gives feedback on the results of the
survey in their country in an online presentation.
(2016)
B) The team critically analyses all results.
C) Similarities/differences between the data are Meeting
1 January 2016
examined. Wiki
-
D) Reflect and recommend possibilities of collaboration
16 January
between Europe and Africa.
2016
E) The German members record the meeting and post
the file on the wiki.
F) The Ghanaian members write the minutes of the
meeting and post them on the wiki.

Week 1 – 2 All students complete an online evaluation of the

(2016) project. The link will be available in workspace.
Evasys
Evaluatio
Evaluation 1 January 2016
n
-
Software
16 January
2016

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 04. Task Descriptions

Orientation & Task 1

Week 35-41 (26 August – 10 October)

The overall research topic of the project is “Corporate Social Responsibility”. The idea is
that each international team conducts research about this topic in each country using
the same survey. The team analyses the collected data from each country and afterwards
the information is published in a joint report.

Read the student guidelines to get familiar with the timeline, tasks and deadlines of the
project. Since you will be working with students in different countries, you will be using
several online tools to communicate and coordinate your research project.

Go to the wiki, the joint online platform hosted by Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and get
familiar with the course materials. You have received access and can join the course.
Your project coordinator will provide the first orientation session.

You are member of international project team comprised of students from Germany and
Ghana. Find your international workspace on the wiki. There are 10 international
teams in total and you are a member of one team. The Ghanaian students enter their
possible meeting dates on their personal team space (table). The link can be found on
the wiki. If you do not have a Skype or Facebook account, create one for the project. Get
acquainted with the wiki, the platform where you will store your documents.

Ghanaian students: Your first task is to schedule the first virtual meeting. The
German students will add their names to the schedule proposed by the Ghanaian
students on the team space (table). Then, the Ghanaian members will send out a
message to all members by posting the meeting time and day to all the team members in
their Facebook group. The Ghanaian members of each team will chair the first meeting
(Task 2). Finding a time can be a challenge because each country has completely
different schedules. In some countries students are in class the entire day and can only
meet in the late afternoon or evening. Trying to find a suitable day and time where
everyone can attend will require you to adjust your timetable. Another option is to meet
during the weekend. In general, both all members from one country should attend each
meeting, however at least one member of each county must attend every virtual
meeting.

Checklist for Task 1:

1. Read and familiarize yourself with the Student Guidelines.
2. Find your international working space on the wiki.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 3. Go to the groups’ meetings date table and write in the times you can attend a
meeting.
4. Familiarize yourself with Skype Conference Calling. Get a headset before the first
virtual meeting.
5. Join the Facebook group created for your team.
6. Ghanaian team announces the date and time of the first virtual meeting. The
Ghanaian team will chair the first virtual meeting.
7. Read task 2 before the meeting so that you are familiar with your country tasks.

Absentee Ruling: At least one member of each country needs to be present during each
virtual meeting. If the other country member cannot attend he or she will work together
closely with the country partner and is still responsible for all the tasks.

Questions: Consult your professor or instructor in your country. If you need technical
help, please consult the e-tutor, Vanessa Wü sthoff (wuesthoff.hbrs@gmail.com).

Task 2
Week 41-42 (11 October – 18 October)
1st Virtual Meeting (Kick-Off Meeting)

Chairing: The Ghanaian members of each team will chair the first meeting.

Minutes: The German members of the team will write the first minutes of the
meeting and store them on the wiki. The minutes are a record of what was said during
the meeting and information that all the attendees agreed on and gives those members
that cannot attend the meeting the necessary information to proceed with the project.
The minutes should also include the names of the attendees. See the section on Writing
Minutes for useful hints as well as the template, which is stored in your team workspace
on the wiki.

Meeting Guidelines:
● Introduction:
Get to know each other and build rapport. Each member should introduce
himself/herself and provide some details about the person and the university and
degree program. It might be good to have an agenda for the meeting and to
briefly go through the project schedule.

● Online discussion about the research topic:

Discuss the topic you have chosen for your survey, you can discuss issues that
might be worth including in the survey. The survey questions will be your

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 assignment for task 3.

● Schedule second meeting:

Schedule the second virtual meeting. See details about the meeting time in task 3.
German students will post the final meeting date and time on Facebook.

Checklist for Task 2:

1. Before the meeting on Skype conduct a sound check. Use a headset and do not
meet in any public area, but find a quiet place where there are no other noise
distractions.
2. Gather some information about CSR and your specific topic prior to the meeting.
3. Ghanaian team will chair the meeting.
4. During the meeting schedule the next date and time for your second virtual
meeting.
5. German team will take notes during the meeting and write minutes about the
meeting.
6. German team will record the Skype conference call and store the file on the wiki.
7. German students will post the 2nd meeting time and date on Facebook.

Absentee Ruling: Again, at least one member of each country needs to be present
during each virtual meeting. If the other country member cannot attend he or she will
work together closely with the country partner and is still responsible for all the tasks.
In case there is only one member from a country he/she is required to attend all
meetings.

Task 3
Week 43 (19 October – 25 October)
2nd Virtual Meeting
“Prepare a survey”

Before the meeting: You will be planning a survey and drafting a questionnaire. Each
country member should draft at least 10-12 questions to share with the other team
members that can be used for the survey. The questions can be quantitative questions
using a rating scale (e.g. 0=no agreement, 1= least agree, 2= moderately agree; 3= agree,
4= strongly agree) or open questions. Due to the time restrictions, it is best to limit the
use of open questions. For example, Google Drive has a questionnaire creating function
with many different types of questions, which might be useful. If you have access to
other survey software you can use these for your survey. There is a tutorial video

12
Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
offered by a former student in the project on how to use the Google Drive surveys. See
the wiki for the video.

Chairing: The German members of each team will chair the second meeting and record
the meeting and store the file on the wiki.

Minutes: The Ghanaian members of the team will write the minutes of the meeting
and store them on the wiki. The minutes are a record of what was said during the
meeting and information that all the attendees agreed on and gives those members that
cannot attend the meeting the necessary information to proceed with project. The
minutes should also include the names of the attendees. The German members of the
team will compile all questions agreed on by the team for the survey and post it on the
wiki.
Please note: All countries are required to use the same set of questions (i.e. the same
questionnaire). Please make sure that you are using the correct and final version of
questions before you begin!

During the meeting

Preparing the survey
Each country presents the 10-12 questions about the topic they are surveying. During
the meeting the participants should agree on a final list of 15-20 questions they will be
using for their research. The questionnaire should include information about age,
gender and perhaps profession.

Define the purpose of your survey. What do you want to find out in your survey? A
survey is used to gather data that can be represented in statistics and make
generalizations (e.g. opinions, conditions, ratings), what issues are the most relevant and
controversial?

Schedule next meeting

Schedule the third virtual meeting, agree with all members when to meet. Ghanaian
members will post on Facebook the agreed date and time. The third meeting should
take place after the Ghanaian students have completed the final country report (See task
7).

Checklist for Task 3:

1. Before the meeting go to your virtual room (Skype) and conduct a sound check.
2. Prior to the meeting prepare a list of questions you would like to use for the
survey
3. The German team will chair the meeting.
4. The German team will record the meeting.
5. During the meeting agree on a final list of 15-20 questions for your survey and
13
Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 schedule the next date and time for meeting.
6. The Ghanaian team will write the minutes.
7. The Ghanaian team will post 3rd virtual meeting time and date on Facebook.

Task 4
Week 44-45 (26 October – 8 November)
Conduct research

Decide who you want your audience to be (e.g. friends, family, schoolmates) and ask
them to complete the survey. You may choose any type of media. You can create an
online survey on Google Drive or send it by email or via a social network, or give it out
on paper. Your survey can be in your native language or in English.

This is how you should proceed:

● Write a short letter of introduction about the research your team is conducting
send the questionnaire to your classmates, friends and other respondents. Please
mention that the survey is anonymous and non-traceable and offer a contact
person if questions arise. This letter can be written in the native language.
Explain briefly that the survey should not take more than few minutes of their
time. You can use the logo of the project for your introductory email. Finally,
thank the readers for their attention.
● Coordinate your country survey with the other classmates in your country. It
would be counterproductive if you send out 10 surveys at the same time to your
university classmates.
● Get approval to conduct the research at your university. Consult your lecturer or
professor.

Sample size?
Each country should sample at least 40 people. You are of course welcome to sample
more if you wish.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Useful Tools & Research Tips:

Sample Size Calculation Websites:

● http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm#one
● http://www.macorr.com/sample-sizecalculator.htm
● http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html

Checklist for Task 4:

1. You may want to get approval from your university to send out the survey to the
students.
2. Write an introductory email with the link of your survey.
3. Keep the deadline for completing the survey in mind!
4. Watch out for survey tools that are free for a limited time and then require a
payment. Refrain from these types of offers as you will not have access to your
data after the deadline has expired.

Task 5
Week 46 (9 November – 15 November)
Country Reports

Country Reports (German and Ghanaian members)

Write an objective summary of your findings and critical analysis of your results; two-
page country report of a minimum of 500 words. The findings should also include charts
and graphs. Upload your summary report and graph(s) to the wiki in your team space.
The Ghanaian students will use this data to write the final research report from your
team.

Checklist:
1. Get the results of the survey and analyze the data. The results will be posted in your
workspace a few days after the deadline.
2. Prepare a presentation (some slides with graphs) explaining the data from your
country’s perspective. Present this during your final virtual meeting. The date is already
known. If you do not remember the date, check the minutes of the meeting or look on
Facebook.
3. Germany upload a two-page written text for the final report analysing their country
data to the wiki. This information is needed for the final report written by the Ghanaian
students.
4. Upload the graphs on the wiki and prepare to present your data to the group during
the final meeting.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 Task 6
Deadline: 30 December 2015
Team Reports and Final CSR Report

Instructions for the Final Team Reports

The Ghanaian students will collect the data from each country and then write a final
report for the team, which includes the data from the Germany and Ghana. The final
report will not exceed 5000 words. It will be uploaded onto the team space in the wiki as
a Word document. Do not upload a pdf on the wiki. The final report will also be
submitted to turnitin, a plagiarism software by the Ghanaian team before the deadline.
Further instructions of submitting the document on turnitin.com are found in section 11.
All ten final team reports will be published online in a final CSR project report. This final
report will be published online and made available to all participants.

The final team report should include the following:

Abstract: It provides a summary of the most important components of the research

study. It normally includes a brief statement of the problem, the objectives of the study,
the main research questions, the sample used, the research design, the major findings
and their implications.
Background: This should highlight the general perspective of the issues under
investigation. There is the need to move from general to specific. Key concepts are
explained during discussion at this stage of the study. It should include the problem
statement and the gap in literature.
Literature Review: it should include the theoretical and empirical reviews. It reviews
relevant previous work, including theories. Explain how the theory frames the present
study; how it explains the relationship between the variables or phenomenon under
study. Empirical Reviews document the results of other studies that are closely related to
the present work. It shows how the present study will refine, revise, or extend what is
now known; provides rationale for the study and demonstrate its linkage to existing
knowledge, theoretical framework, previous investigations, contemporary practice;
Identify limitations of past/current research and identify gaps.
Methodology: The methodological issues covered include the research design (Is the
research explorative, descriptive, causal or a case study method?); highlight and discuss
the relevance of the format for the study; describe how the research format will be
applied/ research approach; define your population; determine the sampling frame;
Identify and document the population or reference for the study. If there are different
components of the population, clearly indicate this; show the sampling and sampling
procedure; data and data collection procedure – type of data include primary (sources
include interviews, survey question nares), secondary (sources include IMF database,

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
IFS database, annual reports, company published materials etc); research
instrumentation - describe the techniques/tools/ instruments or approaches to be used;
pre-testing of instrument – reliability and validity of research instrument, ethical
dimension; method of data processing and analysis– data proceeding software include
SPSS, MS Excel, Eviews, STATA; Methods include structural equation modelling, factor
analysis, multiple regression, cluster analysis, factor analysis (principal components) or
discriminant analysis, cointegration etc.
Results and discussion: this is where the results from the research are presented and
discussed and implications drawn from the finding. It highlights the descriptive statistics
and Interpretations; diagnostic checks – for quantitative/secondary data-based studies,
there is the need to test for unit root, linearity, etc.; interpret the findings/results based
on the research objectives. The presentation of the study results should have a logical
organization that reflects the aims or research question(s) of the thesis, including any
hypotheses that have been tested; research methods and theoretical framework that
have been outlined earlier in the study.
Conclusions and recommendation: this should be based on your findings.
Conclusions are not summaries. They are not just short descriptions or a short account
of your findings. Conclusions show the significance of the research for knowledge in the
discipline - what is new and important about your work. Because you are conveying
your findings as current reality, they are written basically in the present tense.
Recommendation should flow from the conclusions. The study must make a
recommendation for theory, policy and knowledge.
References: use the American Psychological Association – APA referencing style
Appendix
Quality of presentation: Appropriate and grammatical use of language, layout,
referencing (APA).

Checklist:
1. Ghanaians write the final team report based on the instructions above.
2. Ghanaians upload the team report on the wiki.
3. Ghanaian students upload the report on turnitin.com.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 Task 7
Week 1-2 of 2016 (1 January – 16 January 2016)
3rd virtual meeting

Before the meeting: Go on to the wiki platform and read the final report written by the
Ghanaian team.

During the meeting: Chairing: the German members of each team will chair this
meeting.
 Discuss the findings of each country, look for similarities and differences, discuss
the findings critically.
 Give feedback on the final report that the Ghanaian students wrote.
 Reflect and recommend possibilities of collaboration between Europe and Africa.

Minutes: The Ghanaian members of the team will write the minutes and store them
on the wiki.

Checklist for Task 7

1. Before the meeting go to your virtual room (Skype) and conduct a sound check.
2. Prior to the meeting read the report of the findings of your team.
3. German team will chair the meeting.
4. During the meeting discuss similarities and differences between countries,
analyze these critically.
5. Ghanaian will write the minutes and upload on the wiki team space.
6. The minutes will include a reflection and recommendation of possible
collaboration between Europe and Africa.

Evaluation
Week 1-2 in 2016 (1 January – 16 January 2016)
Complete the Project Evaluation Online

Project Evaluation
All students are requested to evaluate the project. An online survey on the wiki will be
made available.

The project coordinators thank all students for their hard work and research activities!
A special thanks to the Ghanaian students for finalizing a country report and for the
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
technical support offered by the project assistants from Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of
Applied Sciences.

Thank you!

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
05. Research Topics
1. Recycling and Reuse: e-waste, consumer behavior, awareness of environmental
impact, how waste is avoided.
2. Organic and Ethical Consumption: fair trade, fair wage, ethical sourcing,
responsible and environmental conditions under which products are
manufactured/grown within its supply chain. Applying a code of conduct or code
of practice for suppliers as well; child labour, value vs. values, ethical products,
such as fair trade–certified coffee and chocolate, fair labour–certified garments,
cosmetics produced without animal testing.
3. Social Equality: impact of social benefits, smaller vs. larger enterprises.
4. Corruption Perception in Business and Government: money laundering,
human rights issues, bribery practices by giving offering favour to influence the
action of others, misuse of power in public and corporate offices for personal
gain. Environmental and labour scandals involving governmental and corporate
officials.
5. What responsibilities do companies have to their local communities and
society: how do companies look beyond how to make the most money and
commit to building a better society?
6. The Impact of Globalization for Society, Business and Trade: new
technologies, social networking, transcending traditional political, cultural and
economic boundaries. Positive developments
7. Responsible Tourism: extra fees to help conserving natural heritage and
biodiversity; respect the socio-cultural authenticity; Make optimal use of
environmental resources, etc.
8. What lies ahead? What will the world be like in 50 years? Look at the
economic, social and environmental developments of the future. Will the
developments be positive or negative in respect of the earth’s ecosystem? Can the
world provide a better quality of life, are the moral and legal obligations of
companies, governments and civil society organizations better than they are now.
Has Europe grown together or split apart in issues concerning corporate social
responsibility?
9. Social responsible investments (SRI): Does SRI influences people's preferences
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 for investing in particular pension funds, banks etc. What impact does SRI have
on global and local economics, profitability? What are the pros and cons for
investors? What are the perceptions of consumers on companies that offer
socially responsible shares?
10. Genetically modified (GM) food: Potential harm and benefits of GM food, e.g.
increase of yields, effects of GMF on human health, potential harm to the
environment, impact on traditional farming practices, the role of the government
in regulation and labelling GM food, effects on feeding the world population.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 06. Joint Online Platform (Wiki) - Instructions
https://buildingbridges.pbworks.com/

Please check your email account for the following invitation:

Subject: spz.wiki@h-brs.de has invited you to join their workspace, BuildingBridges

spz.wiki@h-brs.de has sent you an invitation to their workspace.

We've prepared an account for you to log in:

Username: firstname.lastname@smail.wis.h-brs.de
Password: (choose your own) or (already existing one)
Log in here.

Thanks,
Your PBworks Team

When you follow the link “Log in here” you will be directed to the following webpage to
set up your PBworks account:
1. Type in your username.
2. Create your own password and confirm it.
3. Feel free to change the workspace settings (e.g. email notifications, user
information, profile picture etc.) at your convenience. If you change your user
information, please don’t use any nicknames but only your full name, so
that we know who you are!

What to do if you didn’t get an invitation.

1. Check to make sure that your email account is not over quota.
2. Please contact Vanessa Wü sthoff at the Language Centre (BRSU) as soon as
possible. (wuesthoff.hbrs@gmail.com)

What to do if you can’t log in.

1. Check that you have spelled your username / email address correctly. Please note
that PBworks doesn’t recognize email aliases, i.e. you will have to use the email
address under which you have been invited to join the workspace (see email
invitation above).
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 2. Check that you are using the correct password. If you have forgotten your
password, you can simply request a new one!

07. Research Instructions and Writing Reports

Preparing your survey
You will have to research about Corporate Social Responsibility in each country using
the same survey. Below you will find some useful tips on how to prepare and write a
survey.

Things to think about before you start

Writing survey questions is easier if certain things are considered before actual question
construction. In general, you should first clearly outline the information you need to
collect. Don't worry about "how" before defining "what."

First, think about:

 What information is necessary? At the end of the process, what data do you hope
to have? What information is necessary for a decision? Separate "need to know"
from "nice to know" information.
 What will you do with the information? Who will see it? How much detail will
they want?
 Who will receive the survey? Define the population.
 How much time is available to analyze the results? How will you code the
information you receive?
 How will you distribute the survey? How can you reach the most people at one
time?

Question construction
Once you have defined your data and analysis needs, you may begin writing questions.
Every question should have a purpose. Keep things simple, concise, and clear.

General guidelines include

 Don't ask a question if the answer is obvious.
 Avoid abbreviations and jargon. If they must be used, clearly define them.
 Ask yourself whether several questions are actually necessary or if you can get
the information in one question. Don't try to cram too much into one question.
 Make your questions easy to understand. Make sure your sample population
understands them.
 Consider whether respondents will have the information to answer your
questions. Is it readily available? Will they know the answers? Will they have to
research? Remember, if they have to look it up, they'll probably skip the question
or throw the survey out.
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
  If a list of answers is provided, make sure all possible answers are present. Even
with "yes" and "no" questions, it may be necessary to include a neutral
"undecided" or "don't know."
 Start a sequence with the question that is most comfortable to answer. This
focuses the respondent.
 Don't mix "I feel" or "I think" questions with questions regarding facts. Keep
factual and perception questions in separate groupings.
 Place sensitive demographic questions (such as age or gender) at the end of the
survey.

Don't forget clear instructions and explanations

Always provide a good explanation of why you are conducting the survey and how the
information will be used, at the top of the survey. Make your instructions short and to
the point. Let respondents know why it is important that they complete the survey and
thank them for their cooperation. Be friendly in your appeal.
Provide directions for completing the survey, including a warning for how the data is
protected and how it will be used.

Always have someone else look at your work.

Even a small pre-test can help. The best option is to let part of your sample population
take the survey. If nothing else, show it to a couple of people and get their input.
Proofread a second time.

Questions to ask about questions

After you have designed your questions, take another look at them and think about the
following:
● Is the question relevant? Is it consistent with survey goals?
● Does the question ask for "need to know" or "nice to know" information?
● What will be the value of a response? If 95 percent say, "Yes," would this affect
decision making?
● Might the question elicit a vague answer? Make sure you ask directly for the
information.
● Will respondents be able to answer the question? Will they have the information?
● Does the question lead to a particular response? (Is it a leading question?)
● If a set of answers is provided, are all possible answers listed? Is one side of the
issue represented more than another?
● Does the question use negative phrases or words?
● Are positive adjectives or phrases used?
● If a scale is used for responses, is it balanced (for example, 1 to 5, with 3 being
neutral)?
● Might the question antagonize the respondent?
● Are "dead giveaway" words used, such as "all," "every," or "always"?
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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 ● Are many demographic questions asked?
● Is potentially offensive language used (for example, sexist or racist wordings)?
● Is the question wordy?
● Were ambiguous words used - words with more than one meaning?
● Is the question worded simply?
● Are abbreviations used?
● Have adjectives been quantified and/or clearly defined?
● Does each question ask for one piece of information?

Writing survey reports

After completing the survey, each team analyses the collected data from their country
and afterwards the information is published in a joint report.

The final step of a survey project is reporting the findings. Reports should be
informative and relevant. Below you will find some useful expressions to help you
report your findings.

PURPOSE USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES

State the The aim/goal/purpose of this report is to

purpose present/examine/evaluate/assess/discuss/outline the results of the survey
and content ...
of the
survey The report contains information gathered/collected/compiled from ...
Students/people/respondents were asked about ...
The data/information analyzed in this report was
collected/obtained/compiled from ...

Present The majority/minority of respondents/those who responded/those who

Data/Facts were surveyed/those interviewed
stated/replied/reported/maintained/indicated that ...
Of the (how many) … students/people/respondents/those who were
surveyed, (how many)… claimed that ...
... per cent of those surveyed were of the opinion that ...
A small/large number of respondents expressed ...

Analyse ...is/are generally viewed as/considered ...

Data/Facts The facts suggest/imply/indicate/document that ...
There seems to be a tendency to ...
The general view/opinion may be caused/influenced by ...
Unlike..., ... /Similarly, ...
As a consequence, ...

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 There’s been a slight/significant/noticeable change in ...
The views/opinions/viewpoints about ... seem to/appear to remain
unchanged

Summarize To sum up/To conclude/To put it briefly/In short, ...

and present
On the basis of the survey results, it might be concluded that ... It would be
conclusions
fair to conclude that ...
The conclusion that can be drawn from these facts is that ...

08. Writing Minutes and Keeping a Record

An organization, team or company keeps an official record of what was discussed or
voted on during a meeting. Once you start attending regular business meetings you will
be asked to write minutes of the meeting.

Each member of the team will be responsible to complete his/her minutes within two or
three working days. Please use the designated template (see below) for your minutes.
You will record your meeting in an action style method. This means that all actions that
need to be done are written out and the responsible person and due date are included in
the minutes. Once the person has completed the task he/she informs the team
members. In most cases, minutes are written in a word document and sent per email to
the attendees and other persons involved in the subject matter. In our case, you can
share the minutes with the entire team by uploading the document on the wiki.

What is the purpose of minutes?

The purpose is to offer a record of the projects development and it used to in project
management to monitor the different activities and persons responsible for specific
actions. The deadlines are also recorded for monitoring purposes.
The benefits of keeping a record of meetings
1. Everyone who attended the meeting can read the tasks (action) that needs to be
done. This offers a good summary of the discussions and decisions made by a
group.
2. Those persons that could not attend can read what action needs to be done and
what issues were discussed by the members of the meeting.
3. Other persons not directly involved in the project can follow what is happening.
4. A written record to monitor the project offers a good tool for the project
management team.
5. Finally, it avoids misunderstanding and gives clear messages of what has been
agreed by the team and who is involved.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
What needs to be included in the minutes
● The name of the committee, team, department holding the meeting.
● The place and time the meeting took place and also important when it adjourned
(time the meeting ended).
● All the members that attended and those that were absent; also include the
names of guests that were invited.
● At the beginning of the meeting the previous minutes are approved or amended if
needed.
● The name and signature of the person typed at the bottom of the minutes.

How to write minutes

● Write them after the meeting and send out to everyone no later than 48 hours
after the meeting. The best policy is to do them right after the meeting.
● Write in clear, complete sentences so that non-team members can also
understand the content. This includes writing complete names, dates and avoid
using too many abbreviation.
● Create “TOPICS” and ”subheadings”
● Write down what “action” is required.
● Write down the deadline and the persons responsible for the action
● Minutes are objective
● Minutes are always written in a gender neutral form

Language usage: helpful verbs when reporting about a discussion

● Avoid using verbs such as say, make, and do to report about a meeting.
● Use verbs such as: decided, agreed, suggested, voted, informed, reported,
advised, recommended, requested, asked for, demanded, rejected
● Poor Example: We set a date for the next meeting.
● Poor Example: Everyone introduced themselves. (very vague and not
informative)
● Good Example: The next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 6 on Skype
at 2:00 / 3:00 pm
● Good Example: John is from Germany and is studying computer science. He has
never been to Ghana but has travelled to Italy on several occasions.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 SAMPLE OF MINUTES: Building a Bridge Project
Team 1
Minutes of the Team Meeting

DATE: 1 February 2015

ATTENDEES: Hans Mü ller (Chair, Germany), Daniel Owono (Ghana),
Julian Vaseno (Germany)
ABSENT: Christina Boateng(Ghana)
Minutes: Daniel Owono
TIME: 12:30 pm - 2: 30 pm (Germany) and 11:30 am - 1:30 pm (Ghana)

Hans Mü ller called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. The team
discussed when to meet for the next Skype meeting, the tools to
communicate with and everyone introduced themselves.

TOPIC - Best meeting time for each country

Discussion: Germany, Ghana and the US both have classes on Tuesdays

and Thursdays all day so that they would prefer to meet on the weekends
or on Mondays in the late afternoon (Germany/Ghana).
Action taken: The team decided to meet on Mondays at 3:30 as this is the
best time for everyone.
TOPIC - What tools to use to communicate

Discussion:
Action taken:
Deadline:

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 pm; the next meeting will take place
on 22 April on Skype at 11:00 am/ 10:00 am. Daniel Owono will chair the next
meeting and Julian Vaseno (Germany) will write minutes.

Daniel Owono (Team 1/Ghana )

1 February 2015

09. Social Media Tools

In this section we will provide you with some technical requirements and useful
information on working with each tool. In addition, there are some links for users that
wish to get some more support. If you have technical issues, you can always get support
from our technical support team.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Skype
Skype is the most popular voice communication service and offers free audio and video
calls for up to 10 participants. The tool offers teams to collaborate together over the
Internet and allows you to share your screen / desktop to show your peers what you are
working on in real-time.

To use Skype with its full potential you will need a computer with enough power, a
reliable and good Internet connection and a headset (speakers and a microphone).

Skype is available for free for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and can be downloaded
here: http://goo.gl/cN9ozd

We recommend that you use Skype in a quiet surrounding and the use of a headset to
communicate as this reduces the echo from your computer and improves your voice
quality.

In order to use Skype you will need to setup a new account on the first start of the
program. If you already have a Skype, Microsoft or Facebook account, you do not need to
create a new account as you can login using one of these accounts to use Skype.

Facebook Group
Facebook is one of the fastest growing social networks worldwide. Using Facebook in an
international project offers easy access to many free tools as most of the students are
already familiar with the service and have access to it.

Facebook Groups are part of the free service of Facebook and can be used for students to
organise, get to know each other and find dates quickly. The e-tutor will set up one
Facebook Group for each international team in the beginning and invites the team
members for each group. You can use the group to discuss different tasks and deadlines
during the project and keep track of your work and status.

We will define the Facebook groups as secret groups so no one other than you, your
team members and the e-tutor can access the data stored in these groups. If you have
privacy concerns using your private Facebook account for this project, we advise you to
create another account just for the project, which you can delete or deactivate the
account after the project is completed.

10. MP3 Skype Recorder

MP3 Skype Recorder

MP3 Skype Recorder offers you an easy way to record your Skype meetings for further
use. MP3 Skype Recorder is absolutely free and starts the recording automatically after
the installation whenever you call someone or receiving a call on Skype. The tools runs

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 on Windows 7 or 8 and needs .Net Framework 4.0 or later but this will install
automatically if you do not have it already installed during the installation process.

The tool saves the recording in MP3 (audio) files which can be edited later.

Link: http://voipcallrecording.com/MP3_Skype_Recorder

Mirror #1: http://www.chip.de/downloads/MP3-Skype-Recorder_51262054.html

11. Turnitin.com
Turnitin Login
http://www.turnitin.com/

Turnitin is the global leader in evaluating and improving student writing. The company’s
cloud-based service for originality checking, online grading and peer review saves
instructors time and provides rich feedback to students. One of the most widely
distributed educational applications in the world, Turnitin is used by more than 10,000
institutions in 126 countries to manage the submission, tracking and evaluation of
student papers online. [Source: http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/products/faqs ]

Please check your university email account for the following invitation:
Subject: A Turnitin account has been created for you. Here is your login information.

Dear [your name],

You have been enrolled in the Turnitin class “Business English" by your instructor, [your teacher’s name].

Turnitin Originality Checking allows educators to check students' work for improper citation or potential
plagiarism by comparing it against continuously updated databases. Every Originality Report provides
instructors with the opportunity to teach their students proper citation methods as well as to safeguard
their students' academic integrity.

To start using Turnitin, go to http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/home and log in using the following

temporary information:

Email address: firstname.lastname@smail.wis.h-brs.de

Password: [your password]

Once you log in you will be taken through a step-by-step startup process, and you will also have the chance
to change your password and any other personal information. Keep in mind that the temporary password
above is case-sensitive: we recommend that you paste it directly into your browser.

Turnitin's Student Training will get you prepared and excited to use Turnitin. Get started now.

Thank you for using Turnitin,

The Turnitin Team

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
When you follow the link http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/home you will be directed to
the following webpage to set up your Turnitin account:

1. Type in your username and given password in the top right corner.
2. On the first page after you login you will need to change your password and make
up a security question. Please do not change your email address.
3. You need to accept the user agreement.
4. You should see your class name und your teacher’s name. If not please contact
the e-tutor (http://www.spz.h-bonn-rhein-sieg.de/E_Learning/Support.html)
5. Please click on your class to submit a paper.
6. You should see your current assignment. Please click on “submit” to upload your
paper.
7. Please fill out the following form and select your paper with the “Choose from
this computer” button. We recommend that you upload your whole assignment in
a single pdf file. Please refer to the section How to convert Word files to pdf for
further instructions.

8. After you uploaded your paper the system shows you a preview. It should contain

your first page. If everything is correct please click on “submit”. Otherwise please
try it again.
9. You will receive an email confirming that everything was uploaded.

How to convert Word files to pdf

If you do not know how to install a pdf printer on your computer please refer to the free
service from http://de.pdf24.org/onlineConverter.html. You can upload your paper in
different file types and convert it into a pdf file. You do not have to enter your email

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
address on the website even though it is required.

How to merge different pdf files to a single document

You can merge your pdf files to a single pdf file using a free service from
onlinepdfservice.com using this website: http://www.pdfjoin.com/

Please note: You acknowledge that you use this service at your own risk!

http://www.spz.fh-bonn-rhein-sieg.de/E_Learning/Support.html

Turnitin - Introductory Video

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL-KEgSbs3o

An instructional video about submitting papers:

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l8V7KzTzNY

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 12. Online Etiquette
Based on the project feedback from previous projects, the following do’s and don’ts
should give students some guidelines for keeping the communication lines open. The
main objective is to communicate and collaborate with each other using different
types of media. If you are unsure about something, ask and enquire about the possible
options that you have to complete your tasks. Remember the objective is to work
together.

Dos Don’ts

Time management is an important aspect in Don’t postpone, don’t delay or procrastinate.

a project that deals with different time Remember don’t make your international
constraints. Please member that each partner wait too long for an answer!
country has its own schedule and time
restraints.

Be nice, friendly and respectful! Try to find a Don’t ask questions that are too personal!
common basis for working with each other. Remember this is a university project in
business communication

Be interested in your partner! Find out If you have trouble getting in contact with
general information about the country, its somebody, don’t panic. Try communicating
people and culture. through various channels; if that doesn’t help
contact your lecturer or his/her assistants.

Make sure you answer emails or Facebook Don’t change the level of your communication
messages as soon as possible (usually it from a professional to a private one - unless
should not take longer as two days)! both partners concordantly agreed on it!

Stick to deadlines! Be responsible and keep Don’t ignore tasks, but communicate with your
the lines of communication open. international partner if you are having
difficulties with your assignments.

Ask questions and be aware that you are
dealing with someone from a very different
culture! Not everyone has the same
background, the same knowledge nor access
to the same facilities.
Don’t judge people that do things differently
than in your own culture. Observe, enquire and
be respectful of each other.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Keep our English simple and adapt it to your
audience. Talk slowly, repeat using familiar
words and summarize your message.
Describe different aspects of your culture
that are unknown without too many words
that are untranslatable.
When writing, bear in mind the common
rules of spelling and punctuation!
Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Don’t speak in your native language during the
conference calls or post something that cannot
be understood by everyone. Speaking in your
native language irritates others and creates a
barrier and stops the flow of communication.
Don’t use English jargon, abbreviations in your
messages that may lead to misunderstanding.
34
 13. Code of Conduct
Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and Cape Coast University established a
code of conduct for the participants in the intercultural student project „Building
Bridges Across Continents”.

In this project students have the opportunity to learn about their own academic, social
and cultural backgrounds and to reflect on the similarities and differences in other
cultural, ethnical, racial and social environments.

Gaining multicultural competencies is not simply obtained by dialogue and project work
itself, but students are encouraged to reflect on their interactions in class discussions.
Student are encourages to deal independently with cultural differences in
communication styles, work ethos as well as management and language skills.

Respectful Discourse: In this project men and women work together with different
cultural, ethnical, religious backgrounds and native languages. All persons may not share
the same opinions or values, but all participants should avoid using biased or prejudiced
language. Sexist or racist comments in verbal and written contexts are not permitted.
Students are encouraged to communicate in a professional, ethical and respectful
manner.

Intercultural Communication: In an intercultural interaction expectations of the

interlocutors vary as communication and language styles are different. This discourse
can cause friction, misunderstandings, anger, frustration or even conflict. To avoid these
situations try to be flexible, patient and adapt to the situation. If the issue remains,
explain your situation to the other team members and if necessary advise your
instructor about any unresolved situations.

Institutional and Academic Regulations and Standards: Each student is required to

follow the code of conduct of its own university. Students are required to respect and
adhere to intellectual property rights. Academic dishonesty or plagiarism will be dealt
with in a serious manner. Penalties may involve the exclusion from the project and
further disciplinary action may follow.

Online Etiquette and Do’s and Don’ts: Each student in the project will respect the
private sphere of the individual members in the project. Exchanging private mobile
numbers or communicating on WhatsApp are not permitted. Please see the list of do’s
and don’ts in the Student Guidelines for advice on online communication and
collaboration strategies.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 14. Corporate Social Responsibility: An Introduction

Video assignment

First, watch the video from the University of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland explaining
“What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0NkGtNU_9w

Second, read the text below from Connexions: <http://cnx.org/content/col11227/1.4>

(section 14.9).

Reading assignment

Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable development in the

global environment

The topics surrounding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have become more
complex due to the globalization of the economy and the issues that arise from
companies competing in international markets. Companies are manufacturing goods,
hiring local labor, utilizing raw materials and resources extracted from the environment
in international locations.
This heightened awareness of CSR and sustainable development has been endorsed
by an increased responsiveness to ethical, social, environmental and other global issues.
In recent years, companies have been the center of scandals regarding accounting
practices, damages to the environment, inadequate treatment of employees and workers
and the effect of its products on the society.
For example, in January 2009, the Chairman of one of India’s largest technology
companies, Satyam Computer Services Ltd., said he fabricated key financial results,
including a fictitious cash balance of more than USD 1 billion (Sheth, 2009). Cases like
this, and others such as Enron Corporation and Worldcom in the United States, prompt
concerns about corporate governance and accounting standards globally. Further,
corporate fraud puts into question one of the fundamental reasons of why shareholders
invest in public companies, the need for transparency.
As a result, companies are responding to increased public expectations of
responsibility and incorporating the concept of CSR into their operating plans and
strategy.

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Figure 1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby companies integrate ethical, social,
environmental, and other global issues into their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders
(employees, customers, shareholders, investors, local communities, government), all on a voluntary basis.
Source: industryplayer.com

Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable

development defined

Traditionally, CSR has been defined as the corporation’s responsibility to comply with
the laws and responsibilities to its shareholders. This concept of CSR has evolved to
include the organization’s responsibility for its impact on different stakeholders such as
employees, customers, investors, local communities, and government.
A broader concept is that CSR involves the commitment on the part of the company to
adopt behavior that will result in the improvement of the quality of life of its
stakeholders while contributing to the economic development of its business. To
improve the welfare of its community, the company may take on broad environmental
and social endeavors.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines CSR as “the
continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic
development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as
well as of the local community and society at large” (wbcsd.org). This definition outlines

37
Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
the role of enterprises as active partners in the communities in which they operate,
rather than the more traditional view of enterprise as a separate, self-regulating, profit-
making entity.

CSR Positives and Negatives

Milton Friedman, in his book, Capitalism and Freedom, argues that:

There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources
and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within
the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition
without deception or fraud.

Stockholder wealth maximization commands that corporate management should

aggressively seek to maximize stockholder returns by working to increase share prices
and to continually grow the dividends paid to shareholders (Czinkota, 2005).

Conversely, according to Professor Archie B. Carroll:

Corporate social responsibility involves the conduct of a business so that it is

economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. To be socially
responsible then means that profitability and obedience to the law are foremost
conditions when discussing the firm’s ethics and the extent to which it supports
the society in which it exists with contributions of money, time and talent
(Carroll,1983).

Carroll’s CSR model contains four categories of corporate responsibility organized from
most to least important. According to Carroll, the “history of business suggests an early
emphasis on the economic and then legal aspects and a later concern for the ethical and
discretionary aspects” (Carroll, 1979). Economic obligations are, therefore, seen to be
moderated by ethical responsibilities or social expectations and norms. Discretionary
responsibilities go beyond ethical responsibilities and include philanthropic measures.
In 1991, Carroll presented his CSR model as a pyramid, and suggested that although the
components are not mutually exclusive, it “helps the manager to see that the different
types of obligations are in constant tension with one another” (Carroll, 1979).

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
Figure 2. Carroll’s CSR Pyramid: A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate social performance.

There is no indication that CSR (corporate wealth maximization) and profitability

(stockholder wealth maximization) are mutually exclusive (Czinkota, 2005). Corporate
wealth maximization suggests that companies consider and balance short-term goals
against long-term societal goals of continued employment, community citizenship and
public welfare needs (Czinkota, 2005). The successful multinational enterprises of the
coming century will be those that find the unique balance between financial objectives
and CSR.

CSR and Sustained Development initiatives

There are a number of projects and initiatives that are shaping the goals and principles
of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, such as:
 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) is an
international organization with 35 industrialized countries as participants, which
account for 76 per cent of the world trade. The themes that this organization
addresses include environmental, human rights, labor issues, and information
disclosure.
 UN Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business
Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. The completion of these norms was
possible through discussions with unions, business, and NGOs. The norms include
clarification of corporate social responsibilities of companies in countries where
they operate, and also refer to human rights in the workplace.
 ILO (International Labor Organization) and its Tripartite Declaration focuses on
the “social aspects of the activities of multinational enterprises, including
employment creation in the developing countries” (Governing Body of
International Labor Office, 204th session). The principles established by this

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015
 organization are adopted voluntarily, and thus its reach is limited since non-
compliance cannot be sanctioned.
 United Nations' Global Compact was established in 1999 by United Nations'
Secretary Kofi Annan as a voluntary international initiative. Participant
companies are asked to demonstrate their support to ten different international
principles of human and labor rights, anti-corruption and environmental
protection, to seek solutions to the challenges of globalization and promote
responsible corporate citizenship. The initiative has more than 2,500 business
participants from 90 countries around the world.
 Kyoto Protocol was agreed on in 1997 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
2012. A total of 1968 countries and the EEC have ratified the protocol
(envroliteracy.org, 2007).

CSR and corporate strategy

A distinction must be made between charity and CSR. Charity refers to a company’s
efforts to donate money or resources to an organization or a cause, promoting and
allowing employees to volunteer in the community, and the establishment or
endorsement of foundations. Conversely, CSR is a concept that involves a company
taking into consideration the different stakeholders involved when making a business
decision. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development identified CSR
to be an integral part of a company’s value system and strategy (intranet.csreurope.org).
For a company to fully integrate CSR, top management must integrate social
responsibility into the strategic level of the decision-making process in order to develop
a framework for economic decisions made at different levels of the organization’s
hierarchy.

The problem that a company will encounter if CSR is not integrated into the organization
strategy is that management and employees could bypass social responsibility
considerations and CSR becomes personal ethics rather than CSR. To adopt a CSR
strategy the organization needs to take the following steps:

 Define CSR for their particular business.

 Understand motivations underlying its commitment.
 Establish policies and goals to achieve CSR.
 Establish measures to monitor their accomplishments in CSR (bsr.org).

Source: Available for free at Connexions: <http://cnx.org/content/col11227/1.4> (section 14.9)

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 15. References

The Global Text Project. (n.d.). Business Fundamentals. Retrieved from

http://cnx.org/content/col11227/1.4

Turnitin (n.d.). Our Company. Retrieved from

http://www.turnitin.com/en_us/products/faqs

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Building Bridges – Student Guidelines 2015