Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): An Anecdotal Observation

Abstract

An increasing number of environmentalists are becoming more concerned
about global warming, air/water/etc. pollution, imbalanced earth systems, to mention a
few issues, and encouraging more public awareness and participation. Climate change
impacts have become issues for all, not only for ecologists, as previously. At this
critical time, many foreign language teachers not only impart vocational wisdom and
knowledge on a daily basis, but have been adding more values to their classroom
experience. This observatory study is thus aimed at examining oral presentation
activities undertaken in an intensive English course at a leading postgraduate school in
Thailand. It represents the endeavor of two instructors to inculcate corporate social
responsibility (CSR) in their Master of Business Administration (MBA) students; the
students’ attitudes towards CSR and their oral presentations were observed, analyzed,
and compared. The data was elicited from two sources: oral presentations and a
questionnaire. (The frequency CSR was mentioned by 154 students in their oral
presentations was tallied and converted into percentage.) Despite explicit pedagogy
on CSR, only 64.7% stated the importance of CSR after learning about it. This
number is deemed high when being revealed alone, but a striking contrast is
uncovered when it is compared to the high percentage of respondents who
overwhelmingly expressed appreciation for the nature of CSR in the questionnaire—
99.35%. An obvious contradiction between theory and practice was revealed. Attitude
and knowledge may not be good indicators of standard practices.