by Gabriela Acosta

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to both multinational corporations and local businesses. Also known as corporate citizenship, CSR is seen by many executives and business owners as having a positive impact on long-term profits and general business health. Some companies have initiated CSR programs of their own, such as Target’s Bullseye Gives program or Pepsi’s Refresh Project, while others partner with nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity or No Kid Hungry.

Most of the socially responsible efforts by corporations are in areas traditionally supported by social work, including public safety, community development, education, public health and diversity. Over the past few decades, many corporations have learned to tap into the expertise of social workers by creating roles for them within the corporate hierarchy. The infographic below shows how social work plants the seeds for corporate good and describes the varied roles that social workers fill within corporations.

The USC School of Social Work’s Social Work and Business in a Global Society concentration, available online and on campus, is a great option for students who are interested in influencing how businesses work with their communities and customers to solve big social problems or defining organizations’ best practices on how to help individuals live healthy and productive lives. The curriculum teaches students to understand group and organizational dynamics and prepares them for their choice of micro-level (individual and family clinical focus) or macro-level (organizational change and program development) practice within work-related environments. The concentration also includes a 550-hour supervised field internship to maximize the learning experience. In some cases, the school offers “non-traditional” placements in organizations that may not ordinarily hire MSWs, including financial services, insurance, health services, and foundations.

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