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The module will address sustainability issues in the context of increasing pressure on companies to be seen to be acting responsibly in relation to their social and environmental impacts; but also the increasing realisation, by businesses, that embedding sustainability into strategies can strengthen their competitive position, and increase profitability. The module content, therefore, covers the key factors in a changing business environment, such as increasing populations, (meeting) resource depletion, food shortages (and higher prices), climate change, and discusses the multinational government initiatives to address these issues. Then, the module turns to the formulation and implementation of ‘sustainable strategies by businesses, focussing on theoretical frameworks by Laszlo, Porter and Kramer, and Prahalad (see Reading List).

1. To understand the concept of sustainable development
2. To appraise the key sustainability issues, and to assess the impact on business organisations
3. To assess the processes by which businesses can embed ‘sustainable development’ in their strategies
4. To evaluate how engagement with sustainability can be beneficial to businesses in terms of creating competitive advantage...
5. Assess the role of corporate social and environmental reporting (‘social accounting’) in contributing to the attainment of sustainability goals.