MBA 6130 - Corporate Social Responsibility: Topic Starting Points

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This page has resources to get you started on the specific topics you've chosen. Use the links in the table of contents area (left margin) to go to specific topics.

Cemetery Equity

Are We All Equal at Death?: Death Competence in Municipal Cemetery Management.
Longoria, T. (2014). Are We All Equal at Death?: Death Competence in Municipal Cemetery Management. Death Studies, 38(6), 355–364.
The economics of death? A descriptive study of the impact of funeral and cremation costs on U.S. households
Banks DA. (1998). The economics of death? A descriptive study of the impact of funeral and cremation costs on U.S. households. Death Studies, 22(3), 269.
Although this is an old article, my hope is that it may provide some comparison data for the 2014 article by Longoria.
This millennial mortician is changing the face of the traditional funeral industry
By Rosie Colosi, 16 October 2019. NBCNews.com
Funeral Homes in the US
IBISWorld US Industry (NAICS) Report 81221, October 2020. By Jared Ristoff.

Food insecurity and access

Background sources:

Food access research atlas
From the USDA Economic Research Service.
Household Food Security in the United States in 2015
From the USDA Economic Research Service
Low-Income and Low-Supermarket-Access Census Tracts, 2010-2015
January 2017. From the USDA, Economic Research Service.
Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: updated estimates of distance to supermarkets using 2010 data
November 2012. USDA Economic Research Service.
Building the Case for Racial Equity in the Food System
2014. Center for Social Inclusion.

Specifically about Milwaukee/Wisconsin:

Market Boxx Community Stores
Mobile grocery stores. A 2016 blog post about them.
Food Insecurity & FoodShare
Local NPR station's Lake Effect program. October 7, 2020.
Rise in FoodShare Another Indicator in Pandemic's Toll
From the Wisconsin Policy Forum, September 2020.
FoodShare Wisconsin
This is the state of Wisconsin's "food stamp" program.
"Milwaukee employs new methods to combat food deserts"
Milwaukee NNS; July 13, 2016 article.

Mental health

Local, regional and national sources for data.

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division
Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Alcohol & Other Drug Use Statistics
CDC - Mental Health, Data & Publications
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Data and Dissemination
Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
From SAMHSA.
SHRM Survey of Benefits 2019
Look at the Healthcare and Health Services section (page 8) to see stats on coverage for specific services (including mental healthcare) over the last 5 years.
Mental Health in the Workplace
An issue brief from the CDC.

Scholarly articles:

Below are some sample articles from the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. There are more, and you can search on the publisher's website also linked below ...

Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation
Full-text from 1997 - present.
A Systematic Review of the Factors which Predict Return to Work for People Suffering Episodes of Poor Mental Health
By Blank, Lindsay; Peters, J; Pickvance, S; Wilford, J; MacDonald, E. In the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation; New York Vol. 18, Iss. 1, (Mar 2008): 27-34. DOI:10.1007/s10926-008-9121-8
Evaluating Mental Health Literacy in the Workplace: Development and Psychometric Properties of a Vignette-Based Tool
By Moll, Sandra; Zanhour, Mona; Patten, Scott B; Stuart, Heather; MacDermid, Joy. In the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation; New York Vol. 27, Iss. 4, (Dec 2017): 601-611. DOI:10.1007/s10926-017-9695-0
Return to Work Perceptions and Actual Return to Work in Workers with Common Mental Disorders
By Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Noordik, Erik; van Dijk, Frank J; H; van der Klink, Jac J. In the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation; New York Vol. 23, Iss. 2, (Jun 2013): 290-9. DOI:10.1007/s10926-012-9389-6

Parental / Family Leave Inequities

Racial and ethnic disparities in access to and use of paid family and medical leave: evidence from four nationally representative datasets
Monthly Labor Review, January 2019. By Ann P. Bartel, Soohyun Kim, Jaehyun Nam, et al.
Foundations for a Just and Inclusive Recovery
A 40-page report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) about their Just Recovery Survey. Includes discussion about access to family leave etc. TLDR: See their 5-page policy brief.
Disparities in the usage of maternity leave according to occupation, race/ethnicity, and education
IMPORTANT: The link above will NOT get you the article! You must request it via Interlibrary Loan.
Hawkins, D. (2020.) Disparities in the usage of maternity leave according to occupation, race/ethnicity, and education. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 63(12): 1134-1144.
Studies on Access to Paid Leave
A list from the National Partnership for Women & Families.
The Economics of Paid and Unpaid Leave
The Council of Economic Advisers, June 2014. Includes data and discussion.

Plastic

Issues:

FAQ's about plastic recycling and composting -- EPA
Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling: Plastics
Figures for 1960 - 2015 on plastics produced, recycled, composted and disposed of in landfills.
The Business Case for a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution
October 2020. Written and researched jointly by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the Boston Consulting Group.
"Plastic", in R. M. Stapleton (Ed.), Pollution A to Z
Stein, R. S. (2004). Plastic. In R. M. Stapleton (Ed.), Pollution A to Z (Vol. 2, pp. 109-115). New York, NY: Macmillan Reference USA.
"Beat Plastic Pollution" -- UN Environment
Infographic on history and extent of plastic pollution.
Single-Use Plastics: a roadmap for sustainability
UN Environment, 2018.
Trash-free Waters -- EPA
Since a lot of the trash is plastic, this website can be useful. After all, Milwaukee is on Lake Michigan ...
Aquatic Trash Prevention National Great Practices Compendium -- EPA
December 2016. Has examples of efforts around the country to keep plastic out of waterways.

In Milwaukee (and Wisconsin):

Below are links to several articles from the local NPR affiliate, WUWM, by their environmental reporter Susan Bence. They have good local news coverage.

Wisconsinites: what happens to your recycling once it leaves your curb?
Bence, S. (2018, January 8). Wisconsinites: what happens to your recycling once it leaves your curb? WUWM.com
Are Plastic Bags Really Recycled?
Bence, S. (2019, August 5). Are Plastic Bags Really Recycled? WUWM.com
Milwaukee Leaders Approve Limiting Plastic Straws, Not Banning Them
Bence, S. (2019, November 26). Milwaukee Leaders Approve Limiting Plastic Straws, Not Banning Them. WUWM.com
The Trouble With Waste: The State Of Recycling In Wisconsin
Bence, S. (2019, April 22). The Trouble With Waste: The State Of Recycling In Wisconsin. WUWM.com.
Milwaukee Recycles
Milwaukee City government. Includes guidelines on what can be recycled, a video tour of the recycling plant, and the annual report of the DPW.

Initiatives that work with companies:

The U.S. Plastics Pact
... "will create a unified national framework for a circular economy for plastic; creating structure, coherence, aligned goals and associated reporting."
ReSource Plastic
"Engaging Business to Solve Plastic Waste." An initiative from the World Wildlife Fund to work with companies on plastic recycling.
New Plastics Economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation develops and promotes the idea of a circular economy. Here are their ideas as related to plastics.
Nine Ways To Ditch The Single-Use Plastic Bag
Kart, J. (2021, March 2). Nine Ways To Ditch The Single-Use Plastic Bag. Forbes.com.

Marquette University

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