Delivered at:: Department of Educational Programmes

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 1 year, 3, 4 module

Instructor

Proskuryakova, Liliana N.

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

At the time of VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world caused by planetary ‘grand challenges’ such as climate catastrophe, inequality, pandemics, social impact of supply chain practices, shortage of resources and increasing political turbulence, flourishing businesses around the world are encouraged to devote substantial efforts to responsible business practices, and sustainable development. That is why modern businesses with purpose are expected to act as agents of world benefit, serving all stakeholders, in making our planet a better place for living by contributing to the 17 United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and adopt the environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles. For conscious business leaders a paradigm of socially responsible management is becoming a new norm. This course provides key frameworks and tools for integrating responsibility and sustainability in corporate management, stakeholder participation, conscious culture, responsible leadership and sustainable practices. Designed with the application of the most innovative teaching methods focusing on experiential learning, the course aims to develop a new generation of responsible business leaders with a sustainability mindset that rests on a multi-disciplinary approach to learning and requires profound environmental awareness, development of systems thinking (knowing) combined with emotional (feeling) and spiritual (being) intelligence.

Learning Objectives

To introduce the evolution, main concepts and practices of responsible business and sustainable development with focus on implementing the 17 UN’s SDGs.
To expose students to integrated sustainable business strategies, developed and communicated in line with the generally accepted international standards (e.g. the UN Global Compact, ISO 26000, GRI, etc.) and approaches for addressing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles at the operational level.
To provide students with the experiential learning opportunities, based on learning from inspiring case studies and implementing real life research projects for the WikiRate platform on metrics for SDGs and reflecting upon the interaction with responsible and sustainable business practices.
To train students to develop critical and appreciative view of the world, facilitate cultivation of the sustainability mindset by taking into account contemporary debates on the role of business in society and nature with respect to local culture.
To empower students to develop stories of national sustainability champions for the AIM2Flourish.com platform by addressing one or several of the UN’s SDGs.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Be aware of, and apply the appropriate research approaches to CSR and Sustainability (both academic and applied)
Complete a research project independently or in groups in a multicultural context
Assessment of management practices related to CSR and Sustainability
Assessment of management practices related to responsible and sustainable business
Experience of in analyzing complex situations in companies, identifying key problem areas, and formulating CSR und Sustainability strategies
Merge and apply methods from different disciplines on a theoretical, methodological and empirical level
Synthesize and analyze information and data on current CSR and Sustainability problems in national and international contexts
Formulate research questions based on a complex societal problem , develop a research design to answer these questions, apply up-to- date social empirical methods, such as appreciate inquiry interview

Course Contents

Introduction. Business Ethics, Responsible Business and Sustainable Development: Definitions, Central Concepts and Discourses
Stakeholder Capitalism, Sustainable Business Models and Responsible Business Norms
Globalization and Sustainable Development
Group Presentations and Discussion of the research article
Implementing a Responsible Business Strategy and communicating the results
Social Entrepreneurship and Future of Sustainability
Group Project Presentations on AIM2Flourish and Discussion
Experiential Learning on ESG-transformation in Action

Assessment Elements

Quiz
Project
Essay

Interim Assessment

2024/2025 3rd module
0.3 * Essay + 0.4 * Project + 0.3 * Quiz

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Electronic globalized business and sustainable development through IT management : strategies and perspectives, Pablos de, P. O., 2011
ESG: три буквы, которые меняют мир, , 2022
Proskuryakova, L. (2017). Energy technology foresight in emerging economies. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, (C), 205. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.eee.tefoso.v119y2017icp205.210

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Proskuryakova, L., & Filippov, S. (2015). Energy Technology Foresight 2030 in Russia: An Outlook for Safer and More Efficient Energy Future. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.B29560B4

Authors

Зинченко Екатерина Андреевна

Master’s Programme 'Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy'

Responsible Business and Sustainable Development