As the power of transnational companies has swelled, so has public preoccupation with corporate social responsibility (CSR). Recent corporate scandals have aggravated anxieties about business responsibility, already highlights by globalization. This course introduces concepts of CSR and the shifting role of NGOs from corporate watchdog to partner. Four global trends are examined: sustainability (including economic development, environmental preservation, poverty alleviation); business awareness of these concerns (including the convergence of sustainability and CSR); growing demand for transparency (including more stringent corporate governance and worldwide movements for increased accountability); and an international investor awakening to the economic impact of social responsibility.