General Goal for all Cases: We want to evaluate business’s social responsibility with respect to its obligations to its stakeholders and society? We want to know if firms are or are not acting in ways that are economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. If they are not, we need to understand why so we can make appropriate recommendations to correct the problem. And while firms sometimes fall short of their social responsibilities (both willfully and through negligence), we must consider that the critics of business sometimes make false accusations to extort firms or manipulate them into a defensive negotiating positions.

Specific Tasks

Provide an Initial Response of about 500 words for each Discussion Topics

Read the Case, Dead Peasant Life Insurance Policies (Case #30, p. 730; and Profiting from Death articles). Compose a short analysis of the case (no more than 500 words) using the general criteria provided in Carroll’s frame work described on page 612 (as modified for our class, see below).

1. What is the issue?
2. Facts and Assumptions?
3. Stakeholders?
4. CSR Analysis

1. 1. Economics
   2. Law
   3. Ethics
   4. Philanthropy and other factors: altruism, power, politics, self-interest, incentives, etc.

1. Evaluation
2. Recommendations

Read the case, McDonald’s – Coffee Spill Heard ‘Round the World (Case #21, p. 701)

Compose a short analysis of the case (no more than 500 words) using the general criteria provided in Carroll’s frame work described on page 612 (as modified for our class, see below).

1. What is the issue?
2. Facts and Assumptions?
3. Stakeholders?
4. CSR Analysis

1. 1. Economics
   2. Law
   3. Ethics
   4. Philanthropy and other factors: altruism, power, politics, self-interest, incentives, etc.

1. Evaluation
2. Recommendations

Evaluation: I will evaluate your contributions to the group’s discussion based on:

• The use of CSR concepts and theory (textbook, readings, lectures, cases, etc.) to support your analysis of the issue (problem, controversy, etc.).
• Your use of good logic, use of data, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.
• Insightfulness: This encompasses the range and depth of your analysis in terms of understanding the importance and interest of different ideas. If you only identify common or trivial ideas in your analysis that almost all people would identify, you will earn a lower score. If you identify important and impactful ideas that few people would identify, you will earn a higher score.
• Grammar and writing mechanics
• It is not explicit in the rubric but I will penalize participants who fail to act in ways that are respectful and collegial.