602.405 (20W) BUS 9: Sustainability Management

Wintersemester 2020/21

Registration deadline has expired.

First course session
08.10.2020 14:00 - 17:00 online Off Campus
... no further dates known

Overview

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be necessary to make changes to courses and examinations at short notice (e.g. cancellation of attendance-based courses and switching to online examinations).

For further information regarding teaching on campus, please visit: https://www.aau.at/en/corona.
Lecturer
Course title german BUS 9: Sustainability Management
Type Lecture
Course model Online course
Hours per Week 2.0
ECTS credits 4.0
Registrations 67
Organisational unit
Language of instruction English
Course begins on 08.10.2020
eLearning Go to Moodle course

Time and place

Please note that the currently displayed dates may be subject to change due to COVID-19 measures.
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Course Information

Intended learning outcomes

This course is an introduction to corporate sustainability management. The aim of this course is to help students to build up the ability to be able to investigate this topic from a management perspective but also from the perspective of different stakeholders such as consumers, investors and the general public. Further, this course provides students with a background and frameworks that they can use to identify, analyze and solve sustainability issues in a business context.  

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

Lecture, readers (case studies), discussions

Course content

The course is structured into 6 modules. Besides theoretical input that is provided in form of a lecture the students will have the possibility to apply and deepen their knowledge through the reading and discussion of case studies.

Topics that are covered in this course:

  • Module 1: Background on corporate sustainability management (e.g., climate change, social issues, UN SDGs, sustainability transitions)
  • Module 2: Risk and issues management (e.g., "inside-out perspective": social, environmental, political or regulatory risks in the context of sustainability and "outside-in perspective": e.g., issues related to corruption, inequality, poverty, resource depletion, forest destruction)
  • Module 3: Stakeholder management (groups and individuals who can affect or be affected by the business, such as consumers, employees, governments, citizens)
  • Module 4: Strategic differentiation (e.g., creating "shared value", i.e., developing sustainable value propositions to stakeholders for the purpose of gaining competitive advantage)
  • Module 5: Business model innovation and transformation (i.e., business models to address sustainability issues)
  • Module 6: Managing change (managing change on an organizational, leadership and mindset level to develop and implement sustainable business practices) 

Prior knowledge expected

No prior knowledge in this field required.

Literature

Overall topics and case studies are based on: 

Lenssen, Gilbert G., & Smith, N. Craig (Eds.) (2019). Managing Sustainable Business, Springer. – freely available as eBook at the AAU library

Further literature recommendations/readings will be provided during the course. 

Examination information

Im Fall von online durchgeführten Prüfungen sind die Standards zu beachten, die die technischen Geräte der Studierenden erfüllen müssen, um an diesen Prüfungen teilnehmen zu können.

Modified examination information (exceptional COVID-19 provisions)

The exam takes place as an online exam viaMoodle. More detailed information will follow in the lecture.



Examination methodology

Online exam via Moodle

Examination topic(s)

Course materials (Moodle) + discused cases fromthe textbook "Managing Sustainable Business" (Lenssen &Smith, 2019)

Grading scheme

Grade / Grade grading scheme

Position in the curriculum

  • Bachelor's degree programme International Business and Economics (SKZ: 516, Version: 19W.1)
    • Subject: Principles of Business (Compulsory subject)
      • 1.10 BUS 9: Sustainability Management ( 0.0h VO, VI / 4.0 ECTS)
        • 602.405 BUS 9: Sustainability Management (2.0h VO / 4.0 ECTS)
          Absolvierung im 1., 2., 3., 4. Semester empfohlen

Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts

Wintersemester 2023/24
  • 602.405 VO BUS 9: Sustainability Management (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2022/23
  • 602.405 VO BUS 9: Sustainability Management (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Wintersemester 2021/22
  • 602.405 VO BUS 9: Sustainability Management (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)
Sommersemester 2021
  • 602.405 VO BUS 9: Sustainability Management (2.0h / 4.0ECTS)