LFU:online

Sustainability is one of the most severe challenges that society is facing. In this course, students will acquire a fundamental understanding of sustainability-related topics and concerns from a strategic and organizational perspective. Thus, this module, combining VU and SE, aims at providing students with a solid understanding of the strategic, organizational and ethical implications of corporate sustainability. Adopting a firm-oriented perspective, the course intends to familiarize participants with the complexity of these decisions, and with the challenges and opportunities resulting from a sustainable and stakeholder management approach. 

Understanding firms and other organizations as both causes of social and environmental harm and drivers of sustainability.

Understanding organizational routines, strategy making, and decision-making processes in the context of sustainability.

Understanding and bridging diverse theoretical fields, including strategy, sustainability, organization studies.

Understanding ‘real-life’ practices of sustainable business opportunities and threats, real world examples, cases and company presentations that illustrate how to put sustainability into practice; 

Analyzing a sustainability problem and finding solutions relevant to the implementation of sustainability strategies 

Input by the lecturer, plenary and group discussions, group work, case studies

Please be aware that attendance is mandatory. If you have an attendance issue, please contact the instructor BEFRORE the respective class to find a solution.

VU: Active participation in classes (e.g., via chat or in person, questions, discussions, etc.), per individual student (50%), quality of small team works (50%)

SE: Quality of the project assignments (per group, 60%) and quality of the individual contribution throughout the seminar, final presentation and the subsequent discussion in Q&A (per individual student, 40%)

The final module grade will be automatically determined based on the VU and the SE grades.

To pass, students have to reach 60% in both, VU and in SE.

Literature will be provided in the module’s syllabus. It is absolutely necessary that students prepare all sessions according to the syllabus (pre-reading), as the grade depends significantly on that. The syllabus and literature will be available before semester start in the OLAT platform.

Good knowledge of common strategy and organization theories.

The VU (436252) and the SE (436253) are strongly interlinked and closely connected.