Core Module Information
Module title: Building a Purpose-driven Organisation

SCQF level: 11:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10

Module code: SOE11145
Module leader: Miles Weaver
School The Business School
Subject area group: Management
Prerequisites

N/A

Description of module content:

The module will address sustainability issues in the context of increasing pressure on organisations to be seen to be acting responsibly in relation to their social and environmental impacts. This includes a critical appreciation of the “challenges” that business may wish to address. Many of these challenges are set out in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have been contextualised alongside other initiatives in a Scottish context (e.g. Scottish Business Pledge, Scotland CAN-B). You will gain a critical appreciation of these challenges in relation to how business can pro-actively respond. This is part of an emerging movement that recognises “business as a force for good” and that business “do well, by doing good”. The difficulty lies in clarifying organisational purpose and embeddingsustainability into strategy and understanding how this can strengthen an organisation competitive position. This includes the formulation and implementation of ‘sustainable value creation’ strategies that seek to create value for discretely defined stakeholders, such as the ‘shared value’ concept that proposes to use a business model to address social/environmental/community issues.
You will also learn about different models for doing business such as social enterprises, co-operatives, employee ownership and BCorps etc., Cases will be used alongside practical application to appraise different organisational stances and consider social business start-up issues. There will be an opportunity for you to understand the steps to becoming a purpose-driven organisation with the support of our Bright Red Triangle unit. This includes how organisations can redefine how they measure success, in terms of their impact using tools such as the Blab impact assessment tool. Additionally, you will appreciate how ‘shared spaces’ can be created to facilitate a meaningful engagement between business and communities (represented by third sector organisations), leading to new inspiring partnerships.

Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:-
LO1: Evaluate the increasing pressures on organisations to act responsibly to engage with key sustainability issues and to assess their economic, environmental and social impact
LO2: Analyse the drivers of the social economy & the third sector and their implications for emerging collaborative cross-sector business models for sustainability
LO3: Assess the importance of social capital and its contribution to community engagement and development
LO4: Critically appraise the different sustainability stances taken by organisations and the process by which ethical issues influence strategic purpose and promote shared value with their stakeholders
L05: Critically analyse different models and approaches to building purpose-driven organisations to create competitive advantage

Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2023/4, Trimester 2, FACE-TO-FACE, Edinburgh Napier University
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: FACE-TO-FACE
Location of delivery: CRAIGLOCKHAR
Partner: Edinburgh Napier University
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Miles Weaver
Module Organiser:


Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)
Face To Face Lecture 11
Face To Face Practical classes and workshops 22
Online Fieldwork 40
Independent Learning Guided independent study 127
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words
Oral Presentation 20 1,4,5 4
Portfolio 80 All 14/15 , WORDS= 3000
Component 1 subtotal: 20
Component 2 subtotal: 80
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
Business as a Force for Good
Building a Purpose-driven Organisation