Module manager: Louise Kilburn
Email: L.H.Kilburn@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
LLLC1424
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module introduces you to the foundational principles of organisational corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. You will explore environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges that organisations face today, emphasising the responsibility of organisations to generate sustainable value for society and the environment.
The objectives of the module are to:
1. Develop your understanding of the key concepts, theories, and frameworks within corporate social responsibility and sustainability in an organisational context.
2. Develop your critical understanding of contemporary issues and practices in CSR and sustainable management.
3. Provide you with opportunities to analyse how sustainability frameworks apply to real-world organisational practices and decision-making.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Explore foundational concepts of sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] in organisations and apply their relevance to modern organisational practices.
2. Analyse the impact of organisational decisions on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability.
3. Develop and justify a sustainability plan that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs].
4. Apply sustainability principles to a simulated real-world scenario involving multiple stakeholders.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Engages in the sustainable development discourse. Gathers information from a range of sources, analyses, and interprets data to aid understanding, anticipate problems and, evidence-based decision-making. Uses reasoning and judgement to identify needs, solve problems, and respond with actions. (Sustainability - critical thinking)
2. Developing and applying a breadth of knowledge to assess the consequences and impact of ideas, opportunities and actions (Enterprise skills - Applying Commercial, Ethical, Sustainable, Digital and Inter- Disciplinary Literacies)
3. The ability to contribute positively and build constructive, supportive and co-operative relationships with others, towards the achievement of shared goals and outcomes (Work ready skills)
4. Information Searching the ability to search for, evaluate and use appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and self-directed research (Enterprise skills – information searching
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 11 | 1.5 | 16.5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 91 | ||
| Private study hours | 92.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 16.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Assessment 1
Students will complete a guided analysis exercise using a structured template & short extract from a sustainability report or CSR statement provided by and fed back on by the tutor. The task will involve: -
1. Identifying key sustainability concepts highlighted in the extract.
2. Highlighting examples of environmental, social, and governance practices mentioned.
3. Completing a simple checklist to rate how well the organisation addresses each area of the Triple Bottom Line.
Assessment 2
Students will complete a short stakeholder mapping activity in class with a clear template & a short scenario provided by and fed back on by the tutor. The task will involve: -
1. Listing a few key stakeholders in the scenario and noting their main priorities.
2. Using a simple influence vs. interest grid to position stakeholders visually.
3. Identifying one potential tension or conflict between stakeholder priorities.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Comparative Analytical Commentary – 2000 words develop students’ ability to evaluate sustainability and CSR concepts and apply them to real organisational contexts. By analysing publicly available artefacts from less mainstream organisations, students will assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts of organisational decisions. | 50 |
| Group Discussion | Live Simulation-Based Sustainability Planning + 500-word reflection This is a bespoke simulation involving a fictional organisation and stakeholder negotiation, promoting originality, critical thinking, and sustainability planning. | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
<b>Assessment 1</b> resit will stay the same, however two different organisations will be chosen instead. The critique must still evaluate the organisation's impact across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions. <b>Assessment 2</b> resit will be an individual sustainability proposal and justification where the student receives a detailed case study scenario (instead of a live simulation) of a fictional organisation facing a major sustainability challenge. The student must individually develop and justify a Sustainability Plan for the organisation, explicitly aligning it with 2-3 specific SDGs and addressing competing stakeholder priorities (identified within the case study). The individual reflection (500 words) remains, focusing on the trade-offs and ethical reasoning used in the plan development.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 24/02/2026
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