21226 Sustainable Enterprise

Faculty of Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Handbook description

This subject considers one of the most pressing issues for business in the 21st century: the increasing importance of civic governance and the rising awareness of the earth's limits. The subject critically analyses and examines the social and ecological assumptions that underpin commercial activities in contemporary society and reviews the current global performance of business in terms of human and ecological sustainability. The subject provides students with opportunities to expand their personal horizons and develop understanding of both aspects of sustainability. There is an introduction to how the sustainable enterprise might operate at three different levels: individual, organisational and societal. A number of different frameworks for considering sustainability are introduced and students are given a range of practical methods for improving corporate performance and measurement in the three key areas of economic, social and ecological reform.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

Understand the range of organisational stakeholders and their role in driving corporate change for sustainability.
Recognise that sustainability is a values-based concept, open to interpretation according to individual worldviews.
Use theories of organisational change and leadership to develop possible mechanisms, activities and strategies for organisations to move to a more sustainable position.
Think creatively and make critical and ethical choices concerning complex social and environmental issues.
Critically analyse contemporary understandings of social and environmental risk and their implication for stakeholder relations.

Contribution to graduate profile

Sustainable Enterprise introduces the student to a number of different theoretical and practical frameworks for understanding sustainability and the implications for business operations. It places emphasis on the development of critical and collaborative capacity so that students can make rigorous and strategic choices with reference to a wide range of stakeholders. A key area of emphasis is the furthering of communication skills required for the management of the long lasting and high performance organisation. The subject examines the organisational changes required for the enterprise to develop efficient, strategic and ethically-committed operations in terms of both human and ecological sustainability. Students develop an understanding of a wide range of practical methods for improving corporate performance and measurement in order to achieve these aims.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject is delivered using a lecture based format which is complimented and extended with the use of online tutorials, case studies, role plays and stakeholder dialogue sessions. Experiential exercises, comparative analysis of theoretical models and guest lectures given by sustainability change agents drawn from various business organisations enable the students to link the theory of sustainability to the business case and practice of corporate sustainability. Team and negotiation skills are developed through group based assessment activities. Stakeholder dialogue practices embedded in the subject challenge students to take a critical approach to business practices.

Content

Communicating with a wide range of stakeholders in order to develop standards and build organisational capacity for ethical and sustainable business operations.
Managing the integration of environmental, human rights, stakeholder engagement and other responsible practices in a meaningful way throughout the entire organisation.
Managing the incremental and transformational changes required to develop the long lasting, high performance organisation, capable of responding to dynamic business and social environments.

Assessment

Stakeholder dialogue report (individual)	30%
The stakeholder dialogue report enables the student to demonstrate a critical understanding of the stakeholder engagement process carried out in class over a number of weeks. The report is a summation, analysis and critical evaluation of the stakeholder dialogue activity and should be a minimum of 2,000 words. It addresses objectives 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Sustainability assessment (group)	35%
Students are required to prepare a sustainability assessment of an organisation that addresses specific topics set for that semester. In preparing the report students are required to collaborate with team members in the collection and analysis of required primary data. The assessment addresses objectives 3-5.
Final examination (individual)	35%
The examination will be in a short answer format. It addresses objectives 1-5.

Examinations will be conducted under University Examination conditions, and hence thoroughly address secure assessment concerns. Individual essay assessment is subjected to plagiarism detection software. The group assessment task addresses specific questions which vary each semester. Individual logs of contributions are required and the final report is subject to plagiarism detection software.

Recommended text(s)

Dunphy, D., Griffiths, A. and Benn, S. (2003), Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability, Routledge, London.

Indicative references

Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, New Society Publishers Ltd.

Laszlo, Christopher (2003). The Sustainable Company: How to Create Lasting Value through Social and Environmental Performance , Island Press, Washington, DC.

Seiler-Hausmann, J., Liedke, C. and von Weizsacker, E. (2004). Eco-Efficiency and Beyond: Towards the Sustainable Enterprise, Greenleaf Publishing, London.