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This course works through comprehensive insights on the conceptual and empirical issues that link organisational practice with the ability to sustain. Beyond creating customer and shareholder value, organisations are increasingly being viewed through the lens of social and environmental impacts. What are the links to CSR? How do organisations manage sustainability trade-offs? What role does technology play in the context of a sustainable enterprise? These are some questions that will drive the focus of this course.
As human society progressively exceeds the earth’s carrying capacity, companies are under increasing pressure from consumers, investors, governments and other stakeholders to incorporate social and environmental considerations into business objectives. Companies which fail to adequately do this are at risk of losing market share or worse. Witness the major sell-off of BP assets to cover its more than US$54 billion costs for damages to the environment, and impacted communities following the Deep Water Horizon oil spill, or Volkswagen stock plummeting a third of its value in less than a week, and estimated costs associated with recalls as well as likely penalties being reported at USD$ 35 billion following the scandal involving emissions rigging of vehicles. In contrast, companies at the forefront of change are steadily building company value along with the loyalty of staff, customers and investors, as they find profitable new opportunities emerging for innovation and strategy that leverage a sustainable approach to doing business.This course contains comprehensive insights on the conceptual and empirical issues linking sustainability with business practice. The course is interdisciplinary in its nature drawing on insights from socio-economic, political, environmental and business management studies. The lectures and workshops will introduce students to the roles that business, globalization, consumerism and environmentalism play in the global system we find ourselves a part of.
On successful completion of this paper you will be able to:1. Understand the fundamental drivers underlying the pressures on companies to become more responsible and more sustainable, and the “rules of the game” or system conditions for sustainability. 2. Recognise how businesses can prosper while meeting these system conditions and the risks of not responding adequately, and be familiar with a strategic framework for navigating to sustainability.3. Be able to assess the sustainability of a current or proposed business, identify opportunities for change and improvement, and engage others on the journey.4. Be familiar with a range of sustainability tools and approaches, and their strengths and weaknesses.5. Have developed enhanced skills in research, enquiry, and written and oral communication.
Subject to approval of the MBA Director.
Michaela Balzarova
Michaela Balzarova, PhDPhone: 03 369 3122Email: michaela.balzarova@canterbury.ac.nz
There is no formal textbook adopted for this course. Each lecture will be based on a set of readings that will provide both theoretical and practical foundations for workshop-style sessions. Readings will be available on Learn http://learn.canterbury.ac.nz
LEARN
Domestic fee $3,169.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Master of Business Administration Programme .