ESG and Social Activism

In this module, you will learn about the role that social performance plays in how a corporation views itself and how it performs in the market. You will get an overview of the impact of contemporary ESG ratings and how companies balance ESG issues against its financial performance. You will examine the importance of authenticity, and how a company can face backlash if social performance is viewed as solely driven by profit. Lastly, you will discover the impact of regulation and how corporations use political influence in positive and negative ways. By the end of this module, you will have a firm understanding of the nuance within social performance, how companies respond to stakeholder concerns, and how political corruption is managed.

In this module, you will learn about contention within social activism and the role that it plays in driving corporate social reform. You will also learn about the downsides to social movements, and how they can become market disruptors if they create negative media attention for a business. Next, you will examine examples of the harmful effects of activism, and how they can have the opposite influence on a business than what was intended based on the ideological alignment of stakeholders. Lastly, you will consider corporate activism, how CEOs can take on the role of activist, and the ways that they can influence ESG policies by partnering with NGOs. By the end of this module, you will know how to identify risks within social activism in your business, and how to best ally with NGOs as part of an authentic ESG strategy.

In this module, you will learn about corporate governance and how that affects risk management and strategy. Next, you will learn how a corporation selects Directors how independence requirements are put into place to protect the interest of shareholders. You will also review best practices to strengthen the independence of the Directors and assess how to increase diversity to gain a more balanced Board of Directors. Lastly, you will discover ways to cultivate an inclusive corporate culture in ways that can improve market performance. By the end of this module, you will be familiar with governance mechanisms and how they work in large and small companies, understand how to select an independent Board of Directors, and finally, identify ways to promote diversity and inclusivity in corporate culture.