Each student is required to create a tightly scripted presentation arguing for the adoption of a specific initiative with societal impact (i.e. Corporate Social Responsibility).

Regardless of your opinion of CSR or its utility, CSR appears to be something that broader society currently expects of business. The good news is there are a multitude of ways that a company can have a positive impact on society while also furthering its interests as a business.

The Prompt

You work for a major multinational corporation (your choice of company and industry, it can be a hypothetical company.) For its own reasons, the company is interested in launching a corporate social responsibility campaign. You are one of several people who have been asked to help pick an initiative for the company to become more publicly involved with. To do this you must create a presentation on the topic that compels the company to pursue the initiative.

The Topic

Your presentation is an opportunity for you to advocate for a passion you have relative to business's interaction with the society in which it exists. It's wide open to any and all causes important to you, with the understanding that the presentation you create should advance the well-being and flourishing of humanity in some form or fashion (as this is the aim of ethics). Furthermore, you must make the case for why this initiative makes sense for your company (e.g., tackles an issue relevant to the business model and/or its stakeholders). The issue may be broad enough to apply to business as whole, but should then be applied to the specific situation of the company. Possible jumping off points include:

• Sustainability management

• Animal & Environmental Rights

• Healthcare coverage and benefits

• Product development and stewardship

• Individuals and intellectual property

• Monopolies and monopolistic practices

• Wage disparities

• Equity and inclusion initiatives

• Political involvement

• Or any issue in which business is not contributing to solving an issue they 'should' be helping with (normative position).