Master
2024/2025
Sustainable Business Management
Type:
Compulsory course (Operational Excellence and Production Systems )
Area of studies:
Management
Delivered by:
Department of Strategic and International Management
Where:
Graduate School of Business
When:
2 year, 2 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Tom Rawlins
Master’s programme:
Производственные системы и операционная эффективность
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The maximisation of utility and value for shareholders, as Milton Friedman’s one and only social responsibility of business, is outdated and must change if we are to face and overcome the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) challenges that the majority of stakeholders face in the 21st Century. To do so, we must re-evaluate the ethics of our business and redefine both the social responsibility of business and our own social responsibility in management. This course provides a framework to help students develop and define their own moral philosophy and ethic of responsibility in terms of why business exists and what is the right thing to do when faced with an ethical dilemma? How does managerial authority effect an organisation’s integrity? How do ESG Practices differ from the current reality of business? How can we improve the situation as future business leaders and managers? As well as other important ethical issues in business and in management. Participants are expected to contribute to the overall learning through their active participation in class discussions.
Learning Objectives
- The course aims to make students familiar with sustainability aspects in various functional areas of a company's management.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students develop a solid understanding of the basic concepts and principles of sustainability, including its social, environmental, and economic dimensions.
- Students recognize the urgent need for businesses to address sustainability issues and the potential benefits of doing so.
- Students identify and prioritize the stakeholders relevant to the organization and understand their perspectives, needs, and expectations
- Students understand the process of prioritizing materiality issues based on their potential risks and opportunities and aligning them with the organization's goals and values
- Students integrate sustainability considerations into financial decision-making processes
- Students analyze financial statements and data, conduct valuation assessments, and interpret ESG-related information
- Students comduct the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and identify potential areas for improvement
- Students apply sustainability certifications and standards, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems), or B Corp certification
- Students develop different communication strategies and techniques that organizations can use to effectively communicate their sustainability efforts
- Students identify ethical considerations involved in sustainable communications
- Students develop specific metrics and indicators used to measure sustainability performance
- Students apply data collection methods, data management, and data analysis techniques
- Students set performance targets, track indicators over time, and assess progress toward sustainability goals.
Course Contents
- Topic 1. Introduction
- Topic 2. Integration of sustainability into a corporate strategy
- Topic 3. Sustainable Operations.
- Topic 4. Sustainable HRM
- Topic 5. Sustainable Marketing and Communications.
- Topic 6. Sustainable Finance
- Topic 7. Performance Tracking and Evaluation
Assessment Elements
- Multiple choice testMultiple choice test will be given in the lectures and/or seminars during the course. The test will be given using the StartExam platform and you must ensure you have access to this platform for the test, when required.
- Written assignmentFour assignments (two written and two video) will also be given which must be completed and uploaded to the StartExam platform before the end of the module.
- Video assignmentFour assignments (two written and two video) will also be given which must be completed and uploaded to the StartExam platform before the end of the module.
- Multiple choice testMultiple choice test will be given in the lectures and/or seminars during the course. The test will be given using the StartExam platform and you must ensure you have access to this platform for the test, when required.
- Video assignmentFour assignments (two written and two video) will also be given which must be completed and uploaded to the StartExam platform before the end of the module.
- Written assignmentFour assignments (two written and two video) will also be given which must be completed and uploaded to the StartExam platform before the end of the module.
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 2nd module0.2 * Multiple choice test + 0.2 * Multiple choice test + 0.1 * Video assignment + 0.2 * Video assignment + 0.2 * Written assignment + 0.1 * Written assignment
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Dirk Schoenmaker, & Willem Schramade. (2019). Principles of Sustainable Finance: Vol. First edition. OUP Oxford.
- HALL, C. (2020). Learning Analytics : Using Talent Data to Improve Business Outcomes. Kogan Page.
- Kokubu, K., & Nagasaka, Y. (2020). Sustainability Management And Business Strategy In Asia. World Scientific.
- Principles of management : practicing ethics, responsibility, sustainability, Laasch, O., 2021
- Schönborn, G., Berlin, C. 1981, Pinzone, M., Hanisch, C., Georgoulias, K., & Lanz, M. (2019). Why social sustainability counts: The impact of corporate social sustainability culture on financial success. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 17, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2018.08.008
- Sustainability assessment : a rating system framework for best practices, Poveda, C. A., 2017
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Collings, D. G., Mellahi, K., & Cascio, W. F. (2019). Global Talent Management and Performance in Multinational Enterprises: A Multilevel Perspective. Journal of Management, 45(2), 540–566. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318757018