Classroom Resources

Link to Global Citizen Project Resources

There are other ways to help a company with its CSR issues besides working in its Corporate Citizenship department. Although many multinational companies have Corporate Citizenship departments or committees, not all of them do, and many companies are too small to have people who specifically dedicate some or all of their time to these issues. Even companies with employees on staff who work on these issues can sometimes use an outside perspective, help with setting new policies, assistance with reporting, or an external assessor.

In many of these instances, companies turn to consultants who specialize in corporate citizenship/CSR issues. Corporate citizenship consultants work with companies on a variety of different tasks, ranging from developing corporate reports to defining a company’s goals and policies. Companies may work with a consulting firm that specializes in these issues, such as the Corporate Citizenship Company or SustainAbility, both based in the United Kingdom. They may get information or training from a research organization, such as The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College. They may also work with individual consultants who own their own businesses. Use the links below to learn more about these types of organizations.

To be a consultant in this area, you usually need a bachelor’s degree and expertise in one or more of the areas addressed by corporate citizenship, such as the environment or labor issues. An advanced degree (such as an MBA or a degree in environmental science) may be helpful but is not always required. Some business schools now have courses in corporate citizenship and corporate ethics.

• Article 13
• Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College
• The Corporate Citizenship Company
• Interpraxis
• SustainAbility