
This course is an introduction to business and sustainability. This course starts with an overview of the triple bottom line framework, in which corporations take into account social and environmental performance in addition to financial performance. Then we will focus on contemporary business activities that address society and the natural environment. We will read influential research papers that integrate sociology, psychology, and economic theories to evaluate different business strategies and approaches to sustainability. We will discuss the role of society and the natural environment on business management and strategy, operations, supply chain, product innovation, and marketing. Throughout this course, my goal is to provide you with an understanding of a variety of activities that corporations take to address sustainability challenges and to help you develop the skills to critically analyze these corporate activities and recognize strengths and weaknesses in different corporate strategies.
Course Requirements:
The final grade is composed of:
Course contribution, case analysis responses, sustainability report analysis, industry analysis, and a final case analysis.
Class Format:
Two one-hour lectures/week, plus a 1 hr discussion