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2020/2021 KAN-CCMVI2081U Sustainability in the Nordics
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| Sustainability in the Nordics |
Course information |
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| 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 | 80 |
| Study board |
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business
Administration
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| For academic questions related to the course, please contact instructor Robert Strand at rs.msc@cbs.dk | |
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| Teaching methods | |
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| Last updated on 27/04/2021 | |
Relevant links |
| Learning objectives | ||||||||||||||||||||||
To achieve a superior grade, students should meet
the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or
errors:
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| Bachelors degree. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Course content, structure and pedagogical approach | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nordic countries and Nordic-based companies are frequently
cited as global sustainability leaders. In this course, we
more deeply explore sustainability in the Nordics in an effort to
understand how the Nordics are achieving such comparatively strong
sustainability performances and consider what lessons may be
applicable elsewhere in the world.
We root our exploration in the debates about the purpose of
the corporation and explore ideas of shareholder view vis-à-vis
stakeholder view of the firm. This serves as the
foundation from which we also consider the concepts of
sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We
review how these concepts are increasingly recognized as key
elements to corporate strategy and innovation as indicated by the
recent engagement by strategic management guru Michael Porter and
the recent “Creating Shared Value” (CSV) concept.
Throughout our explorations, we strive to identify the
fundamental cultural norms and institutional factors that comprise
the Nordic business context through which we also identify and
hypothesize connections between these contexts and the
sustainability activities and performances that follow. As a
matter of comparison, we invoke considerations of the Nordic
context vis-a-vis the U.S. context - while welcoming participants
to bring their comparative contexts from whatever parts of the
world they may come. While we center our attention on Nordic
business, our line of inquiry extends beyond to consider the role
that Nordic culture and Nordic policy has on sustainability
practices and performances of Nordic business - and society as a
whole. As a key part of this, we consider the very nature of
capitalism and compare and contrast “Nordic Capitalism” with
“American Capitalism” while exploring the sustainability
ramifications of the differing approaches.
Preliminary assignment: Familiarize yourself with the
course's required texts (two papers by Milton Friedman &
Robert Strand; two books by Anu Partanen & Lynn
Stout). This does not mean you are expected to
have fully read both books in advance of the course - that would of
course only be beneficial but is not expected - but rather it means
that you spend time getting a good sense for the issues covered in
these texts. Based on all of this and any other
research and experiences you may have previously done, offer your
immediate hypothesis as to how the Nordic region is realizing
comparatively superior sustainability outcomes in the form of a
short paper.
Class 1: Course Overview & Introduction Class 2: The Nordics: An Introduction Class 3: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Class 4: Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Class 5: Purpose of Business: An American Story and a Nordic Story; Part I Class 6: Purpose of Business: An American Story and a Nordic Story; Part II Class 7: Creating Shared Value Class 8: Nordic Corporate Governance
Class 9: Critiquing the Nordics
Class 10: Nordic Capitalism vis-a-vis American
Capitalism
Class 11: Review & Reflections
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| Description of the teaching methods | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| This year all courses are taught digitally over the Internet. Instructors will apply direct/live teaching through a link (like Skype, Team, Zoom). In some courses, pre-recorded material will also be used. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback during the teaching period | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback activity: Each student identifies a Nordic-based company that they feel is engaging in sustainability in a characteristically “Nordic” manner. Give an oral presentation to the class describing the company, what they are doing with respect to sustainability, and why they feel it is characteristically “Nordic” drawing upon materials and discussions from the course. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Further Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 and Exam schedules are 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 in March 2021.
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| Expected literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mandatory readings:
Strand, Robert. (2014). Scandinavia Can Be an Inspiration for Creating Shared Value. Financial Times, April 25. Available at https://www.ft.com/content/84bbd770-b34d-11e3-b09d-00144feabdc0.
Partanen, Anu. (2017). The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life. Gerald Duckworth & Co. (Available via Amazon, other booksellers)
Friedman, Milton. (1970). The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits. New York Times Magazine. (Google this article title to locate.)
Stout, Lynn. A. (2012). The Shareholder Value Myth: How Putting Shareholders First Harms Investors, Corporations, and the Public. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. (Available via Amazon, other booksellers)
Additional relevant readings:
A list of relevant articles for the respective sessions will be provided in the syllabus in advance of class commencement. All articles will be available from the CBS library. The two aforementioned books (Shareholder Value Myth & Nordic Theory of Everything) must be purchased in advanced.
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