Postgraduate Course: Sustainability in Context (CMSE11571)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Sustainability is a concept that has increasing use in a business context generally and strategy context in particular. This course will explore the history of the concept, and its iteration through and relationship with other concepts such as sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and triple bottom line. It will then explore the ways in which sustainability is conceptualised today in different industries, organisations, and geographic contexts. Finally, it will take a forward-looking view to start thinking about how, why, where, and to what extent sustainability will form a core topic for organisations in the future. This course is the foundational sustainability course and should ensure students can confidently identify and discuss and debate the relevant history, concepts, and constructs related to it, as they move into more in depth topics. |
| Course description |
Sustainability is becoming a core strategic issue for business and other organisations irrespective of size, industry, or geography. But what is it, where does it come from, and how has it influenced (or failed to influence) business - and in particular core business strategy? This course provides an essential foundation for studying sustainability in depth. By starting with the purpose, history, and disruptions facing business the course ensures that sustainability is not just treated as an 'add-on' but as a core aspect of business models, strategy, and decision-making. Moving into the second part of the course, we explore the concept of sustainability in much more depth including breaking down the environmental and social topics that are typically included. In part 3 with look at how sustainability is enacted within business - the drivers, the measurement and reporting, as well as scaling the topic to become a core strategic issue. Finally, we look forward to the future of sustainability specifically, and business more generally in a world of change due to environmental and social crises.
Part 1: Context
- Purpose of Business
- History of Business
- Global Challenges and Disruptions
Part 2: Concepts
- Origins and iterations of sustainability in business
- Sustainability as an environmental issue
- Sustainability as a social issue
Part 3: Enactment
- Drivers of sustainability
- Measuring and Reporting sustainability
- Scaling sustainability within business
Part 4: Future
The future of sustainability in business
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 1 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
83 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% coursework (individual) - assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Mid-course Argument Map submission linked to sustainability and business will include individual feedback to students.
Summative: Summative feedback will be provided on the assessment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the purpose of business in a historical and contemporary context
- Recognise and evaluate sustainability and similar concepts as they relate to business
- Identify and analyse the global challenges which are contributing to the need for sustainability in business
- Analyse and apply effective solutions to sustainability challenges for business
- Analyse and apply effective solutions to sustainability challenges for business
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Knowledge and Understanding.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines; comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly.
- Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Work with a variety of organisations, their stakeholders, and the communities they serve -learning from them, and aiding them to achieve responsible, sustainable and enterprising solutions to complex problems.
Apply creative, innovative, entrepreneurial, sustainable and responsible business solutions to address social, economic and environmental global challenges.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sarah Ivory
Tel: (0131 6)51 5323
Email: Sarah.Ivory@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Mary Anne Boeff
Tel: (0131 6)50 8072
Email: MaryAnne.Boeff@ed.ac.uk |
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