GLMI 707 : Responsible Business and Sustainability

Business and Economics

2021 Semester Two (1215) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Engages with pressing contemporary topics such as corporate social responsibility, sustainability, ethical business and governance, Māori and indigenous leadership, the stakeholder approach to responsible business, and diversity and inclusiveness in organisations.

Course Overview

  • This course  informs and investigates social and economic challenges facing business as we look to the future. In addition, the course encourages students to actively interrogate  the meaning and actions of responsible and resilient business leadership  within these contexts. This course is also designed to be responsive to both unfolding events such as the current CoVid 19 pandemic, and to broader student interests relevant to Ethics and Sustainability in Business. Core themes of the course will include but are not limited to topics such as Business strategies to mitigate against climate change and resource scarcity , Resilient and Responsible Leadership,  technological adaptation and innovation , circular economy, future-proofing economies of wellbeing,  Business, politics and power and Indigenous perspectives, principals and priorities. The course references the UNSDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). Students will be encouraged to demonstrate the relevance of these goals to Business.

Course Requirements

Restriction: MGMT 733, 737

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Master of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Critically discuss the range of meanings associated with the concept of sustainability and responsible business leadership (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.2)
  2. Identify different actors, ideas and institutions that affect the economic, environmental and social sustainability of business operations (Capability 1, 2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2 and 6)
  3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of contending arguments about the relationships among business, politics, economic development, society and the physical environment. (Capability 3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 and 6)
  4. Apply theoretical arguments about the actors, ideas and institutions that affect sustainable, ethical and responsible perspectives of business to specific contemporary situations and cases. (Capability 3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2 and 6)
  5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of circular economy (Capability 1, 3, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Discussions 10% Individual Coursework
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Presentation 15% Group Coursework
Reports 15% Group Coursework
Test 30% Individual Test
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Discussions
Essay
Presentation
Reports
Test

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard [15] point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect [2] hours of lectures, a [1] hour tutorial, [3] hours of reading and thinking about the content and [4] hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation as a minimum.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including lectures. There may be some blended delivery i.e. a mixture of both in-class seminars and on-line lectures.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including will be made available via recordings also.
The course may  include live online events including group discussions/tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the in-class test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Berkes, F., Folke, C., & Colding, J. (Eds.). (2000). Linking social and ecological systems: management practices and social mechanisms for building resilience. Cambridge University Press.

Berkes, F., Colding, J., & Folke, C. (Eds.). (2008). Navigating social-ecological systems: building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge University Press.

Berkes, F., Colding, J., & Folke, C. (2000). Rediscovery of traditional ecological knowledge as adaptive management. Ecological applications, 10(5), 1251-1262.

Bocken, N. M., De Pauw, I., Bakker, C., & Van Der Grinten, B. (2016). Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, 33(5), 308-320.

Bocken, N. M., Short, S. W., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2014). A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of cleaner production, 65, 42-56.

Borrello, M., Pascucci, S., & Cembalo, L. (2020). Three propositions to unify circular economy research: A review. Sustainability, 12(10), 4069.

Wolfgramm, R., Flynn-Coleman, S., & Conroy, D. (2015). Dynamic interactions of agency in leadership (Dial): An integrative framework for analyzing agency in sustainability leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 126(4), 649-662.

In addition, please familiarize yourselves  with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. UNSDGs.
https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 13/07/2021 08:42 p.m.