The good practice presented here is an informative game on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) called ‘CSR at the helm’. The game introduces the general principles of CSR to different target groups without prior knowledge of the subject. The interactive method of the game trains the social skills of the players, and stimulates discussion and cooperation between them. The development of the business simulation game ‘CSR at the helm’ was one of the actions taken by the HUB, in order to integrate CSR into curricula, via alternative teaching methods. A close cooperation with project partners led to a wide dissemination to higher education, secondary education, profit and nonprofit organizations. For other higher education institutions the game could be an ideal opportunity to supplement their efforts towards SD and CSR integration in the institution and towards the use of alternative teaching methods.
Although the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development has raised attention for the integration of sustainable development (SD) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in educational programs, many lecturers are unaware of a way to fulfill the practical integration of these topics in their academic courses. For a couple of years, the Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (HUB), an academic institution in the centre of Brussels, has set sustainability at the top of its agenda and is trying to find ways to integrate SD and CSR in its curricula, research and university operations. The development of the business simulation game ‘CSR at the helm’ (from January 2007 until December 2009) was one of the actions taken by the HUB, in order to integrate CSR in curricula via alternative teaching methods. Since January 2010, the business game is fully integrated in different programs of the HUB. The HUB developed ’CSR at the helm’ with two project partners (C.I.S., an educational games center and VKW, an employer’s organization). Through this cooperation (and the experience of the partners with different target groups) the game was tested with various audiences and is now offered as an informative game on CSR for higher education, secondary education (students of ages 16 to 18 years), companies and intermediary organizations.
The objective of ‘CSR at the helm’, an informative business game on the principles of CSR, is to introduce these principles in an alternative way to different target groups, being higher education students, secondary education students, companies and intermediary organizations. The principles that are explicitly addressed during the game are the following:
CSR is doing business based on ethical dialogue;
CSR implies a long term vision;
CSR implies a balanced policy addressing the economic, social and environmental dimensions (people, planet and profit); and
CSR implies taking into account different stakeholders while doing business.
‘CSR at the helm’ is an informative game that allows players of different target groups to get acquainted with corporate social responsibility during a 2 to 3 hours interactive session. During the game the participants themselves take the helm of a cruise ship. Each group of players takes strategic business decisions in the capacity of members of the ship’s management team. Their decisions range from the right investment in terms of CO2 emissions and staff training to a tempting offer of game rigging. It is up to the players to make the right choices and bear the consequences. The added value of ‘CSR at the helm’ for lecturers is the following:
The themes addressed in the game are socially and ecologically relevant (SD and CSR topics)
The content of the game is recognizable for the players, because it explicitly links the content of the game to the player’s world
The game offers a balanced educational package:
‘CSR at the helm’ focuses on knowledge, skills and attitudes related to subject-specific and cross-cultural final attainment levels in secondary education as well as competences in higher education;
The game gives the lecturer starting points around which future classes can be structured;
After the game, participants receive a summary of the themes discussed;
The interactive method of the game trains the social skills of the players. They work in teams and share lines of reasoning and perspectives during the discussions;
‘CSR at the helm’ contributes to the social-critical education of the players. The game presents them with knowledge and understanding about CSR and conscious consuming;
Playing ‘CSR at the helm’ does not require prior knowledge of economics; the themes are of general social interest. This way, it is a valuable interpretation of a project that can be used to fill up the electives slot in secondary schools or as an interdisciplinary project in higher education. The game is offered as an informative game on CSR for higher education, secondary education (students of ages 16 to 18 years), companies and intermediary organizations.
After a thorough period of game development by the three project partners, an informative game on CSR was developed. The game introduces the general principles of CSR to different target groups without prior knowledge of the subject. The interactive method of the game trains the social skills of the players, and stimulates discussion and cooperation between them. The game has been previously tested with all target groups and is currently offered to higher education institutions, secondary education institutions, companies and intermediary organizations. An extra benefit of the game is that all game material was produced with good ecological manufacturing practices. For the HUB, the integration of ‘CSR at the helm’ in the institution has been an inspiring project, including the motivation of different faculty representatives and lecturers to integrate the business game into their program and courses, the intensive training of lecturers, the establishment of the efforts and constant improvements via evaluations and consultations of involved parties. The integration efforts related to the business game are reinforced by other activities towards SD and CSR integration in the institution via curricula, research and university operations.
The business game is an innovative way of introducing the principles of CSR to different target groups, among which students of higher education, without needing prior knowledge of the subject. The game is based on ESD principles, through its content but also through the use of alternative teaching methods. The close cooperation of the project partners (a higher education institution, educational games center and employer's organization) caused a wide implementation of the game via higher education, secondary education, profit and nonprofit organizations. An extra benefit of the game is that all game material was produced with good ecological manufacturing practices.
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