From Corporate Social Responsibility to Corporate Social Innovation

This course is a part of Entrepreneurial Mindset and Leadership, a 4-course Professional Certificate series from edX.

The challenges facing our world are increasingly complex and affect corporations, communities, citizens, and the natural environment. For many companies, even those with strong traditions of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility, there is a growing consensus that current models of corporate engagement in society are no longer sufficient. They see that new approaches are needed.

Fortunately, the past decade has seen an explosion of interest and development in social innovation—a discipline that employs entrepreneurial knowledge and methods to develop solutions to pressing social issues.

This course combines learnings from the real-world experience of business leaders with analysis and practical applications. These leaders,who have developed and led social innovation efforts, share the theories, strategies, and management frameworks that are drivingnew models for business engagement in society.

You will learn from firsthand accounts and interaction with key executives who’ve led social innovation initiatives. They hail from leading organizations and brands including, Campbell’s, Dunkin Brands, Verizon, Salesforce.com, FIFCO, Barclays and more.

In addition to online interactions, there will be opportunities for in-persontouchpoints for anyone in the Greater Boston area; with the potential for meetups elsewhere in the future.

You will learn the key steps and apply the management frameworks to your organization. You will also develop a clear, practical understanding of the process, knowledge, and skills required to develop social innovation efforts. Finally, you'll learn to address key related challenges including business growth, innovation, employee engagement and retention, social impact, and connection to society.

This is a course for anyone interested in understanding and acting on the new frontier of Corporate Social Innovation. No matter where you sit inside your company, you’ll be able to apply the lessons from companies in the field to develop the practical steps needed for the specific needs of your organization.

This new context is driving companies – large and small – to think beyond Corporate Social Responsibility and to view business opportunities through the lens of social innovation.

What you'll learn

• A clear understanding of the multiple ways in which organizations create both social and economic value in a world where the purpose of business is being challenged and redefined.
• The practical steps and hands-on skills to integrate social issues into business strategies, programs, and organizations through real-world examples and interviews with company leaders who have led social innovation initiatives.
• How and why corporate engagement in society has evolved – from philanthropy to Corporate Social Responsibility to Social Innovation – and how it is driving today’s companies to develop new strategies to create both economic and social value.
• About the leadership and entrepreneurial skills and competencies needed to develop and lead social innovation initiatives, including developing strategic focus, building organizational capacity, engaging stakeholders, measurement tools and driving innovation.
• Babson’s methodology of Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® and tools to help you take immediate action in your organization.