Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a management model that helps a company take a beneficial role in the community by integrating environmental and social concerns into their business decisions. By practicing CSR, businesses hold themselves accountable to the public, stakeholders, and employees. It’s common knowledge that employees want to work for a company that shares their values, and consumers want to support an organization that practices a holistic approach to business.

A recent PwC survey found that global CEOs believe the most successful organizations make social responsibility central to their companies. An online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Barry University helps students become bold business leaders with a degree that pairs traditional management essentials with core courses emphasizing social responsibility with a strategic worldview.

Designed with today’s business professional in mind, this AACSB-accredited online degree program features detailed coursework with a focus on practical application. This structure allows students to deepen their skills through real-world scenarios, think critically, and become part of a discussion that encourages diversity of population and thought.

The Social Responsibilities of Leadership

Many employees that belong to a younger generation want to ensure the company they work for prioritizes social issues in their business plans. Topics such as human rights, climate change, hunger, and global poverty are just a few examples of social issues businesses can focus on. Still, problems closer to home are also significant, such as employee benefits, maternity and paternity leave, sick time, and 401(k) matching programs. Employees who feel cared for are less likely to leave a company, which can save on training new hires and boost productivity. Being a socially responsible leader can have an impact around the world, boosting the brand and the bottom line.

Today’s effective and intelligent leaders need to deliver positive business results while making a place for their organization within society. By promoting positive social change and focusing on change-directed, socially responsible leadership, those in administrative positions can manage successfully on the individual, group, and social levels.

Some values and skills that define socially responsible leadership are being a part of a community and playing an active role, exhibiting behaviors that line up with the company’s public business mission, collaborating, having a common purpose, seeing opportunity in change, committing resources and personal time to social causes, handling conflict with grace and expressing passionate support for important values.

About Barry University’s Online Master of Business Administration Degree Program

Barry University plays an active role within numerous national and international economic development organizations to remain at the forefront of the business world and ensure students receive a high-quality, relevant education. Due to the university’s firm stance regarding social responsibility, students will become aware of the intrinsic duties of leadership in their community. Because of this, students of this program will graduate with a dependable and solid reputation.

Students in this online program will learn the following skills and strategies, among others:

  • Advanced leadership techniques
  • Competitive strategy formulation
  • Analytical approaches for the development of calculated marketing plans in a vigorous environment
  • The tools and concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM), including benchmarking, defining product and service quality requirements, and process improvement
  • Managerial decision-making involved in developing product, promotion, price, and distribution strategies

The online MBA program’s core courses, such as Strategy Formulation, Implementation, and Entrepreneurship; and Social, Legal, and Ethical Aspects of Business, introduce students to the global environment, the social and ethical responsibilities of business, non-market strategies, and government institutions.

Learn more about Barry University’s online MBA program.