Timetable and Modules

Michaelmas Term September to December	Hilary Term January to April	Trinity Term  May to August
Business and the Natural Environment: Global Ecosystems and Planetary Boundaries Sustainable Corporate Governance and Inclusive Business Research Methods Resilience and Values-Driven Leadership	ESG-Reporting: Measuring and Disclosing Sustainability Impacts Climate Action: the Essentials of Carbon Accounting and Life Cycle Assessment Innovation Strategy and Systems Thinking Responsible Technology and Digitalisation	Research Dissertation

Michaelmas Term (September to December)

• Business and the Natural Environment: Global Ecosystems and Planetary Boundaries
• Sustainable Corporate Governance and Inclusive Business
• Research Methods
• Resilience and Values-Driven Leadership 

Hilary Term (January to April)

• ESG-Reporting: Measuring and Disclosing Sustainability Impacts
• Climate Action: the Essentials of Carbon Accounting and Life Cycle Assessment
• Innovation Strategy and Systems Thinking 
• Responsible Technology and Digitalisation

Trinity Term (May to August)

• Research Dissertation

Module Descriptions

Business and the Natural Environment: Global Ecosystems and Planetary Boundaries (10 ECTS)

This module focuses on the environmental dimension of corporate sustainability and covers the fundamental concepts and frameworks of corporate sustainability and how to apply them to real-world cases.

Topics covered in the course include:

• Global ecosystems and planetary boundaries
• Biodiversity and business
• Transition to a net-zero carbon footprint
• Sustainable Business Models
• Circular Economy
• Regenerative Business

On successful completion of the module students should be able to:

• Identify and explain fundamental concepts and frameworks regarding business and the natural environment and apply these concepts and frameworks to real-world cases.
• Describe the key concepts of global ecosystems and planetary boundaries, sustainable business models, climate action, and circular economy.
• Evaluate the environmental dimension of corporate sustainability and responsibility and integrate this dimension into related decision-making policies and practices.
• Implement a stakeholder-oriented approach to solving environmental business challenges through responsible management policies and practices.
• Demonstrate effective professional oral and written communication skills (i.e., group presentations, discussions in class, individual written assignment).
• Work effectively in a diverse team environment to generate an appropriate solution for a real-world environmental issue (through group presentations as well as case studies in class).

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Sustainable Corporate Governance and Inclusive Business (10 ECTS)

This module provides a stakeholder-oriented approach to solving sustainability challenges (such as sustainable procurement and sourcing) through responsible management policies and practices across global supply chains. There will be a focus on exploring sustainable corporate governance and inclusive business in the context of transnational, inter-connected business activity.

Topics covered in the course include:

• Stakeholder engagement and stakeholder value creation
• Societal grand challenges and wicked problems
• Multistakeholder initiatives, partnerships, and networks
• Sustainable supply chain governance
• Diversity and inclusion
• Business and human rights

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

• Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative research;
• Develop a qualitative/quantitative or mixed-method research proposal;
• Explain the underlying assumptions and ethical principles related to research;
• Apply three distinct qualitative or quantitative research methods; and
• Explain approaches to data collection and data analysis.

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Research Methods (5 ECTS)

This module introduces students to research methodology with a specific focus on qualitative research. While quantitative research focuses on mathematical modelling and statistical analysis, qualitative research employs research methods such as action research, case study research, ethnography and grounded theory. With qualitative research the focus is on text, and geared towards understanding social and cultural phenomena. The module will explore research design and essential research methods, underlying assumptions and ethical principles related to research as well as data collection and data analysis techniques. Students will reflect on how their research ideas for the dissertation or consultancy project relate to the taught module content of the programme. The module will also discuss the challenges and opportunities of generative AI tools for research and academic integrity.

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Resilience and Values-Driven Leadership (5 ECTS)

This module will explore the concept of leadership with a specific focus on values, ethical business conduct, and personal as well as organisational resilience. Following Pless (2007), values-driven leadership describes a values-based and ethical principles-driven relationship between leaders and stakeholders who are connected through a shared sense of meaning and purpose through which they raise one another to higher levels of motivation and commitment for achieving sustainable values creation and societal change. Real-life case studies of values-driven leadership will be investigated, and practical guidelines will be provided on how this style of leadership can be implemented in an organisational environment. Furthermore, it will be explored how this style of leadership fosters personal and organizational resilience enabling sustainable careers as well as sustainable business performance in a volatile business environment.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

• Provide different definitions of responsible leadership, and articulate a preferred definition;
• Describe and evaluate different responsible leadership styles; and
• Define values-driven leadership and assess its application in an organisational context.
• Describe the concept of resilience on an individual and organizational level and explain the relationship between resilience, sustainability and leadership

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ESG-Reporting: Measuring and Disclosing Sustainability Impacts (10 ECTS)

This module investigates the concepts of trust, transparency, and accountability, with specific reference to the need for organisations to measure and report on both financial and non-financial performance to all their stakeholders. This history of sustainability reporting will be traced and the roles of standard-setting bodies such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board will be explored. There will also be a focus on integrated reporting, specifically on the six capitals model that forms the foundation of the International Integrated Reporting Framework, as well as the impact of the investment community on disclosure, with specific reference to the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. Regulation of reporting will be addressed in terms of both voluntary and mandatory reporting standards.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

• Describe the concepts of trust, transparency and accountability and explain how they apply to the field of disclosure.
• Compare and evaluate the main international reporting standards.
• Apply the six capitals model and the ESG framework to assess the disclosure quality of individual organisations.

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Climate Action: The Essentials of Carbon Accounting and Life Cycle Assessment (10 ECTS)

This module will explore the essentials of carbon accounting and life cycle assessment by introducing the essential frameworks, concepts, standards, and tools to implement a progressive climate action agenda for business.  

Topics covered in the course include:

• The carbon accounting process
• Establishing a baseline and accounting for scopes 1, 2, 3
• Setting science-based targets and net-zero
• Making use of relevant international standards, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Life cycle assessment methodologies

On successful completion of the module students should be able to:

• Identify and explain fundamental concepts and frameworks regarding carbon accounting and life cycle assessment and apply these concepts and frameworks to real-world cases.
• Describe the key concepts of carbon accounting, scope 1-3 emissions, science-based targets, net-zero, life cycle assessment, just transition, climate justice.
• Evaluate the climate action dimension of corporate sustainability & responsibility and integrate this dimension into related decision-making policies and practices.
• Implement a collaborative approach to climate action through responsible management policies and practices.
• Demonstrate effective professional oral and written communications skills (i.e., group presentations, discussions in class, individual written assignment).
• Work effectively in a diverse team environment to generate an appropriate solution for a real-world climate action issue (through group presentations as well as case studies in class).

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Innovation Strategy and Systems Thinking (5 ECTS)

This module will cover the principles and practices associated with innovation strategy and systems thinking in the context of sustainability transitions in business and how processes of systems innovation and creativity can support positive sustainability action and nature-based solutions.

Topics covered in the course include:

• Theories and processes of sustainable business innovation strategy.
• Theories and processes of Systems Thinking.
• Critical Thinking for Sustainable Development.
• Creative Problem Solving & Design Thinking for Nature-based Solutions.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

• Describe frameworks and concepts of sustainable business innovation strategy.
• Evaluate theories and concepts associated with systems-thinking for sustainable development.
• Investigate the impact of current global economic, social and environmental pressures on business in a global context.
• Discuss how economic, social and environmental challenges can be met through systems-thinking and nature-based solutions.
• Evaluate the role of governments and other stakeholders in large-scale systemic change.

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Responsible Technology and Digitalisation (5 ECTS)

This module investigates the ethical impact of digital technology on society. It will provide a to provide a high-level overview of the different ways in which technology and ethics interact. The objectives are to familiarize them with key concepts and topics, and to equip them with a non-technical understanding of key developments in the technology space.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to: 

• Distinguish between and describe the two main focus areas of responsible digital technology.
• Apply core ethical theories, e.g., deontology and utilitarianism, to dilemmas involving digital technology, e.g., artificial intelligence.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of digital regulation from an ethical perspective.

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Research Dissertation (30 ECTS)

This module gives students a choice between two pathways: an individual research dissertation or a group student consultancy project. The individual research dissertation is an in-depth research study of a particular issue within the field of responsible business and sustainability. Students need to demonstrate their capabilities to engage with academic literatures and to identify and address a relevant research gap by applying rigorous research methods. As an alternative, this module provides an option to interested students to undertake a consultancy project that is conducted as part of a team of students. The student teams will be provided with necessary data and guidance from the relevant businesses, civil society or public organizations that will also provide feedback on the quality of the deliverable and assessment of the students’ effort in the consultancy project.

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