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Mandatory course: Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Semester
E2019
Subject
Business Administration and Leadership *
Activitytype
master course
Teaching language
English
Registration

Tilmelding sker via stads selvbetjening indenfor annonceret tilmeldingsperiode, som du kan se på Studieadministrationens hjemmeside Når du tilmelder dig kurset, skal du være opmærksom på, om der er sammenfald i tidspunktet for kursusafholdelse og eksamen med andre kurser, du har valgt. Uddannelsesplanlægningen tager udgangspunkt i, at det er muligt at gennemføre et anbefalet studieforløb uden overlap. Men omkring valgfrie elementer og studieplaner som går ud over de anbefalede studieforløb, kan der forekomme overlap, alt efter hvilke kurser du vælger.

Registration through stads self-service within the announced registration period, as you can see on the Studyadministration homepage. When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts between courses or exam dates on courses. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programs, which do not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programs, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

Detailed description of content

The aim of the course: “Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations” is to discuss the relation between business and society in the context of legitimacy and public relations. The course analyzes corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate citizenship, public relations, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, globalization and trust in the framework of responsibility, ethics and legitimacy of corporations. Focus is on the role of communication and public relations for management and leadership. In this context, we will consider corporate communications and public relations in the perspective of practical actives and initiatives of business in relation to the environment. In particular, we will focus on how to manage ethical and responsibility in the framework of legitimate decision-making in democracy. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the theory and practice of managing legitimacy and public relation in the perspective of corporate social responsibility and business ethics. We will investigate major theories of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and of business ethics—relating them to corporate practices and emerging trends and requirements of legitimacy. We will look at the major schools of corporate social responsibility (CSR), for example: the strategic conception (CSR as a tool for profit maximization), the international conception (CSR as respect for human rights in international business), the communicative conception (CSR as stakeholder management), and the ethical conception (CSR as business ethics). In addition, we will investigate major theories of legitimacy in business ethics, for example stakeholder management. The voluntary-mandatory dichotomy and theories related to business and human rights. These theories will be related to legal developments of regulation of CSR and business ethics in Europe, United States and at the level of the United Nations. The past thirty years have been characterized by a tremendous development in requirements of Legitimacy and public relations of business in society. Now we do not only talk about business and society but indeed about business for society. In many cases, reporting procedures and accountability programs for corporate and social values are introduced into the organization in order to respond to increased complexity and concern for legitimacy. The corporate boards see management of public relations as a means to ensure not only the responsibility and integrity of the organization but also efficient management, competitiveness and legitimacy of the firm in a complex democratic society. We can summarize this as an evolution towards a “new economy of legitimacy corporate citizenship” that “brings together competencies from civil society,labour organizations, business, government and international bodies“. With business ethics and values-driven management corporations aim at contributing to civil governance and they become responsible for long term social processes of developing society in collaboration and dialogue with their stakeholders. We can say that corporations are changing their role in society not only through new partnerships with governments but also by making ethics, social responsibility and participation in governance processes part of their core strategies. A closer integration of ethics and business in order to ensure corporate legitimacy seems especially necessary after many recent business ethics scandals in US and Europe, which have persuaded critical stakeholders to require increased social responsibility of corporations.

Expected work effort (ECTS-declaration)

Students are required to study intensively the course literature for each course session. Students are also asked to make small presentations for each course session. Students are required to participate actively in discussions during the course sessions.

Required preparation time for the courses: 5 x 4 x2 Hours = 40 hours

Course material and Reading list

Textbook: Jacob Dahl Rendtorff (2018). Cosmopolitan Business Ethics. Towards a Global Ethos of Management, Routledge, London 2018 (Available as e-book from the publisher).

Articles : Mitchell, Ronald K., Bradley R. Agle og Donna J. Wood (1997). “Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What really counts” i Academy of Management Review, vol. 22, nr. 4: 853-886. Scherer, Andreas Georg and Guido Palazzo (2011). The New Political Role of Business in a Globalized World: A Review of a New Perspective on CSR and its Implications for the Firm, Governance, and Democracy, Journal of Management Studies 48:4 June 2011. Scherer, Andreas Georg , Guido Palazzo and Dirk Matten (2014). The Business Firm as a Political Actor: A New Theory of the Firm for a globalized world, Business & Society Review 53(2) 143–156 Suchman, M.C., (1995): “Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches” i Academy of Management Review, vol. 20, no. 3.

Other literature (recommended knowledge): Bonnafous-Boucher, Maria and Jacob Dahl Rendtorff (2016). Stakeholder Theory : A Model for Strategic Management. (Springer Briefs in Ethics). New York: Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Evaluation- and feedback forms

Class feedback Mid-term evaluation Office hours Final evaluation

Administration of exams
ISE Studyadministration (ise-studyadministration@ruc.dk)
Responsible for the activity
Jacob Dahl Rendtorff (jacrendt@ruc.dk)
Margit Neisig (neisig@ruc.dk)
Type of examination

Individual written take-home assignment on a research question of the student’s own choice.

The take-home assignment may not exceed 21,600 characters, including spaces.

The size specifications include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices. Work on the take-home assignment is begun during the course.

The deadline for delivery will appear on the university’s homepage.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale.

Moderation: None.

ECTS
5
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
  • Knowledge and understanding:

    • Knowledge and understanding of the complexity that characterises the relationship between businesses and their surroundings today
  • Understanding of the requirements related to the responsibility and legitimacy of a business.

  • Skills:
    Skills in obtaining knowledge about various theoretical views of corporate responsibility and legitimacy

  • Skills in linking theoretical reflections to practical situations where theory can provide a better description of the specific challenges and strategies of a business

  • Skills in critically analysing and communicating detailed knowledge on issues relating to corporate responsibility and legitimacy.

  • Competences:
    Competency to independently identify and apply various theories and methods to solve specific strategic issues

  • Competency to see the consequences of new knowledge and describe the validity and scope of the insight provided by that knowledge

  • Competency to reflect on the usefulness of theories and tools in various situations.

Overall content

The course provides students with insight into the great complexity that characterises the relationship between businesses and their surroundings today. In recent decades, questions of corporate legitimacy and social responsibility have moved from the periphery to become central problem areas of existential importance to the business . 'Legitimacy', in a broad sense, means something which is considered socially acceptable. The need to be perceived as legitimate has always been crucial to a business's access to resources – investments, markets, motivated employees and general support in the community. But the relationship between a company and society changes over time, and thereby also the premises for a busness's legitimacy.

Teaching and working methods

A number of lectures are conducted, including presentations on practice.

Type of course

Mandatory course

Exam code(s)
Exam code(s) : U40669
Last changed 06/06/2019

lecture list:

Show lessons for Subclass: 1 Find calendar (1) PDF for print (1)

Tuesday 10-09-2019 13:15 - 10-09-2019 17:00 in week 37
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Tuesday 17-09-2019 13:15 - 17-09-2019 17:00 in week 38
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Tuesday 24-09-2019 13:15 - 24-09-2019 17:00 in week 39
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Tuesday 01-10-2019 13:15 - 01-10-2019 17:00 in week 40
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Tuesday 15-10-2019 13:15 - 15-10-2019 17:00 in week 42
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations

Tuesday 22-10-2019 10:00 - 22-10-2019 10:00 in week 43
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations - Exam

Friday 03-01-2020 10:00 - 03-01-2020 10:00 in week 01
Managing Legitimacy and Public Relations - Re-exam