Sustainable Business – an ecological perspective

Aim

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• identify, explain, and integrate key sustainability phenomena with marketing and management literature
• analyze various aspects of sustainability, its role in today’s society, and its historical development in relation to business activities
• identify and analyze sustainable business practices in companies and other organizations, develop reasonable improvements, propose possible solutions, and reflect on the outcomes of actions taken
• critically analyze and integrate knowledge of sustainability with marketing and management literature through reading, discussions, and project work, and express this knowledge both orally and in writing

Content

The course addresses the increasing sustainability requirements imposed on companies worldwide. It covers how resource use in production, emissions to air, water, and soil, and impacts on animals and nature present challenges, but also opportunities, for organizations. The integration of sustainability concepts with theories and models about companies and markets, and how these can correlate in green business models, sustainable niches, corporate communication, and strategic work is discussed. Sustainability as a phenomenon that creates both challenges and opportunities for organizations is explored from a management and marketing perspective.