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2018/2019  KAN-CCMVI2032U  Business and Society: Beyond Compliance toward Sustainability, Innovation and Social Impact

English Title
Business and Society: Beyond Compliance toward Sustainability, Innovation and Social Impact

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration Summer
Start time of the course Summer
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 60
Study board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Karen Becker, Associate Professor of Marketing, The College of New Jersey, kbe.msc@cbs.dk
    Karen Becker - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
For academic questions related to the course, please contact the course instructor.

Other academic question: contact academic director Sven Bislev at sb.msc@cbs.dk
Main academic disciplines
  • CSR and sustainability
  • Innovation
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 29-05-2019

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the role of the firm in addressing global challenges
  • Demonstrate a strong theoretical understanding of the key literature and frameworks that guide contemporary CSR, CSI, and Social Business, including limitations and boundary conditions of the models and frameworks
  • Demonstrate the development of a tool kit for examining the interplay of business, environment, and social impacts
  • Demonstrate creative innovative thinking with regard to social and environmental responsibility challenges and opportunities
Course prerequisites
Completed Bachelor degree or equivalent
Examination
Business and Society: Beyond Compliance toward Sustainability, Innovation and Social Impact:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Project
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer, Ordinary exam: Home Assignment: 25/26 June - 29 July 2019. Please note that exam will start on the first teaching day and will run in parallel with the course.
Retake exam: Home Assignment: 72-hour home assignment: 8-11 October 2019 – for all ISUP courses simultaneously
3rd attempt (2nd retake) exam: 72-hour home assignment: 25-28 November 2019 – for all ISUP courses simultaneously

Exam schedules available on https:/​/​www.cbs.dk/​uddannelse/​international-summer-university-programme-isup/​courses-and-exams
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Retake exam: 72-hour home project assignment, max. 10 pages, new exam question
Exam form for 3rd attempt (2nd retake): 72-hour home project assignment, max. 10 pages, new exam question
Course content and structure

This course will examine the role of firms in society, specifically addressing how they can simultaneously manage shareholder demands for growth, employee desires for meaningful dignified work, and societal expectations related to sustainability and social impact. We will begin by examining the historical context of firms as agents of social and community development as well as their interaction with governments and civil society. We will then move to examine the contemporary environment with particular emphasis on various models for firms to act as responsible innovative corporate citizens. As part of this course students will learn about various frameworks and tools which firms use to develop, implement, assess, and communicate about their social and environmental impacts. We complete our study with a look to toward the future. Throughout the course, a particular focus will be on business innovation as a path for achieving economic growth and addressing the sustainable development goals.

 

Preliminary assignment: 2 readings and field study assessment to be mailed to students in advance of course 
Class 1: Historical Perspectives - Charity to CSR 
Class 2: Contemporary Models and Frameworks - CSR to CSI 
Class 3: Innovation and Social Business Models 
Class 4: Conscious Leadership - CEOs and Boards 
Class 5: Internal Stakeholders and Supply Chains 
Class 6: External Stakeholders Feedback activity: Proposals due 
Class 7: Innovation and Social Impact - Poverty and Peace 
Class 8: Innovation and Environmental Impact 
Class 9: Measurement and Assessment 
Class 10: Revisit - Critical Examination of Models and Processes 
Class 11: Looking Forward - Identifying Global Challenges and Opportunities

 
Description of the teaching methods
The class will be a combination of short lectures, in-class exercises, and case discussions - all students are expected to be involved in the discussion
Feedback during the teaching period
Students will have sample exercises and questions during the feedback activity to ensure theoretical understanding

All Home Project Assignments/mini projects are based upon a research question (problem formulation) formulated by the students individually, and must be handed in to the course instructor for his/her approval no later than 11 July 2019. The instructor must approve the research question (problem formulation) no later than 16 July 2019. The approval is a feedback to the student about the instructor's assessment of the problem's relevance and the possibilities of producing a good report.
Student workload
Preliminary assignment 20 hours
Classroom attendance 33 hours
Preparation 126 hours
Feedback activity 7 hours
Examination 20 hours
Further Information

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings or video clips to be read or viewed before the start of classes with a related task scheduled for class 1 in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.

 

Course timetable is available on https://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/international-summer-university-programme-isup/courses-and-exams

 

We reserve the right to cancel the course if we do not get enough applications. This will be communicated on https://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/international-summer-university-programme-isup/courses-and-exams end February 2019 at the latest.

 
Expected literature

Mandatory readings:

 

Conscious Capitalism, Mackey and Sisodia, HBS Press, 2014

 

Additional relevant readings: 

 

Articles posted on course web-site
Last updated on 29-05-2019