In­tro­duc­tion to Sus­tain­able Busi­ness

Course content

Course content and structure

The course is an introduction to sustainable business with a focus on firms' environmental and social impact on society. It provides students with an understanding of business sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and shared value. Students will obtain knowledge about how corporations integrate social and environmental issues in order to identify new business opportunities, communicate (and collaborate) with their stakeholders, compete in global markets, and address sustainability expectations and requirements of firms in the early 21st century. Besides introducing a number of sustainability issues, the course provides students with analytical skills and theories to critically interrogate sustainability ideals and practices. 

The course structure provides a historical overview of ideas concerning the social responsibility of business and the turn towards sustainability, followed by three approaches (or pillars) to examining sustainable business. These include ethical decision making, stakeholder management, and corporate purpose. These approaches are then integrated and applied in functional business areas, including CSR strategy, CSR communications including decoupling and greenwashing, environmental responsibilities, corporate and transnational governance, and global supply chains.