Rotterdam, Netherlands

Business-Nonprofit Collaboration: A Force For Positive Change

when 3 July 2017 - 7 July 2017
language English
duration 1 week
credits 2 EC
fee EUR 575

Global trends such as migration and climate change, and local challenges such as poverty, social exclusion, injustice and the changing role of governments in our society stimulate the increase in private action for solutions to these global and local (glocal) challenges. Within this development, academia and practitioners alike increasingly realize that collaboration between private actors (Business & NGOs) is necessary and that this is force for positive change in our (global) society. Therefore, we need to increase our understanding of businesses that step into local, glocal and global social issues, what the dynamics are within nonprofits now private action is increasingly called upon and government spending on some social issues are decreasing. Moreover, we need a better understanding of the potential of business-nonprofit collaboration as a force for positive change. In this course, we address these three perspectives on being a force for positive change: 1) business, 2) NGO and 3) the collaboration. Next to theoretical conceptualizations and theories to better understand the actors involved (in) and business-nonprofit collaboration, the instruments that are being used to organize this collaboration and the benefits and challenges of such collaborations for all actors involved, we discuss and experience the actual practices in the Netherlands. We do so by involving local, national and international NGOs and businesses as hosts of our fieldtrips and invite them as guestspeakers. We ask the students to actively participate in this one-week program, but also write a short essay on a case of their own interest.

Course content
In this course, we address business-nonprofit collaboration as a force for positive change in our society. The course will discuss the perspectives of 1) businesses, 2) NGOs and 3) the business-nonprofit collaboration. The basis of the course is to discuss theoretical conceptualizations and theories to better understand the actors involved (in) and business-nonprofit collaboration, the instruments that are being used to organize this collaboration and the benefits and challenges of such collaborations for all actors involved. To deepen our understanding of the complexity in practice, we discuss and experience the actual practices in the Netherlands. We do so by organizing fieldtrips to NGOs and (multinational) companies, and invite guestspeakers from the field. We present state of the art insights from both academia and practice in solutions for the underlying societal issues. We have field trips to business, corporate foundations and NGOs and have guestspeakers from the field. Among others, main course topics are: 1) conceptual foundations/theories in understanding business-nonprofit collaboration, 2) employee engagement in business-nonprofit collaboration, 3) Management, strategy and leadership (both from NGO and business perspective). After completing this course, the students have developed a better understanding of the complexity of business-nonprofit collaboration, how to work with each of these actors, and to set up such initiatives.

Course leader

prof.dr. Lucas Meijs and dr. Lonneke Roza

Target group

Students from business & management, public administration, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, social work

Course aim

After completing this course, the student will have a deep understanding of business-nonprofit collaboration from both the perspective of NGO's and businesses in terms of theory and practice. In addition, the students have developed a better understanding of the complexity of business-nonprofit collaboration, how to work with each of these actors, and to set up such initiatives. By writing a strategy paper for an organization of their own interest, students learn that setting up these initiatives is a real profession that requires interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.

Credits info

2 EC
Examination
Assignment

Certificate
Yes

Fee info

EUR 575: Course + Course materials

Scholarships

No