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2020/2021 KAN-CCMVV8002U Sustainable Business in the Nordics
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| Sustainable Business in the Nordics |
Course information |
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| Language | English |
| Course ECTS | 1.5 ECTS |
| Type | Elective |
| Level | Full Degree Master |
| Duration | One Quarter |
| Start time of the course | Spring, Spring |
| Timetable | Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk |
| Max. participants | 30 |
| Study board |
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business
Administration
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| Course coordinator | |
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| For academic questions related to the course, please contact instructor (name and personal email address) Other academic questions: contact academic director Martin Jes Iversen at mji.si@cbs.dk.” | |
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| Teaching methods | |
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| Last updated on 16-03-2021 | |
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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| Course prerequisites | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course is a special course limited to cand.
merc. students returning from exchange. To qualify for the course
you:
1. Enrolled in a cand.merc. programs at CBS 2. Have to have passed 28 ECTS during your exchange 3. Have to submit a motivational statement to outexchange@cbs.dk |
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| Examination | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
Session #1) Course Overview and
Introduction
Session #2) An Introduction to The Nordics & Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Session #3) Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (MOOC module 1) Session #4) Scandinavia: An Introduction (MOOC module 2) Session #5) Scandinavian Leadership & Management (MOOC module 3) Session #6) Case study of a Scandinavian sustainability leader: Novo Nordisk (MOOC module 4) Session #7) Exemplar Nordic Sustainability Companies Session #8) Scandinavian Corporate Governance (MOOC module 5) Session #9) MOOC Reflections: On Becoming a Sustainable Viking (MOOC module 6) Session #10) Nordic Capitalism vis-à-vis American Capitalism Session #11) Review & Reflections |
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| Description of the teaching methods | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching methods will be digital. Direct teaching through a live link (like Skype, Team, Zoom…) and indirect with pre-recorded material is uploaded on Canvas and will utilize the CBS produced Coursera MOOC "Sustainable Vikings." The instructor will inform participants about the precise format on Canvas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Feedback during the teaching period | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Students will be provided feedback throughout the
course.
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| Student workload | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Further Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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To help students get maximum value from this course, 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. |
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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. |
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