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Strategy and Sustainability

Approx. 16 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course teaches students about sustainable business strategies and how to implement them. It covers topics such as stakeholder engagement, eco-efficiency, and corporate social responsibility.

Key Learning Points

Learn how to integrate sustainability into business strategy
Understand how to engage stakeholders in sustainable practices
Explore eco-efficiency and resource management
Discover best practices for corporate social responsibility
Gain skills to drive sustainable change in your organization

Learning Outcomes

Develop a sustainable business strategy
Engage stakeholders in sustainable practices
Implement eco-efficient and resource management practices
Understand best practices for corporate social responsibility
Drive sustainable change within an organization

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic understanding of business principles
Interest in sustainability

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced

Similar Courses

Sustainable Business Strategy
Sustainability in Business Operations

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

John Elkington
Anita Roddick

Related Books

Description

Business and environmental sustainability are not natural bedfellows. Business is about making money. Sustainability is about protecting the planet. Business is measured in months and quarters. Sustainability often requires significant short term costs to secure a sometimes uncertain long-term benefit. To some activists, all executives are exploitative, selfish one percenters. To some executives, all activists are irresponsible, unyielding extremists.

And yet engaging with the issue isn’t optional – all businesses must have a strategy to deal with sustainability and, like any strategy, this involves making choices. This Strategy and Sustainability course based on Rosenberg's recently published book by Palgrave (http://www.palgrave.com/la/book/9781137501738) that encourages learners to filter out the noise and make those choices in a hard-nosed and clear-eyed way. Prof. Rosenberg’s nuanced and fact-based point of view recognizes the complexity of the issues at hand and the strategic choices businesses must make. He blends the work of some of the leading academic thinkers in the field with practical examples from a variety of business sectors and geographies and offers a framework with which senior management might engage with the topic, not (just) to save the planet but to fulfill their short, medium and long-term responsibilities to shareholders and other stakeholders. This course promises to be both engaging and thought-provoking, aimed at anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of a subject that is no longer perceived as a choice but a necessity for future managers and business leaders alike.

Outline

Course Overview & Week 1: Business & the Environment
Welcome to the Course
1. Course Introduction
2. Governance & Sustainability
3. Six Differences
4. The Last 60 Years
5. How Business Has Responded
6. Session Summary: It's Not About Right and Wrong!
About This Course
Course Syllabus
Required Reading Week 1: "A Strategic Approach to Sustainability"
Optional Reading: Strategy & Sustainability
Quiz 1 Solutions
Week 1

Week 2 - Strategic Issues
1. Five Strategic Issues
2. Catastrophic Risks
3. License to Operate
4. Consumer Response
5. Technological Innovation
6. Globalization
Ted Talk: Elon Musk and the mind behind Tesla
Quiz 2 Solutions
Week 2

Week 3 - Strategic Options
1. Sensibility and Compliance
2. Take the Low Road & Break the Law
3. Wait and See
4. Show and Tell
5. Pay for Principle
6. Think Ahead
Learning Objectives
Ted Talk, "Ray Anderson: The business logic of sustainability"
Quiz 3 Solutions
Week 3

Week 4 - Environmental Interest Groups
1. Introduction: The Sierra Club and Four Types of Environmentalists
2. Conservationists
3. Activists
4. Localists
5. Advocates
6. Non-Market Strategy
Ted Talk, "Global priorities bigger than climate change"
Quiz 4 Solutions
Week 4

Week 5 - Differences Across Industries and Around the World
1. Introduction: Differences Across Industries and Regions
2. Automotive and Oil & Gas
3. Consumer Goods & Consumer Electronics
4. The United States & Europe
5. China & India
6. Africa
Ted Talk, "Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: How Africa can keep rising"
Quiz 5 Solution
Week 5

Week 6 - How to develop a sustainability strategy
1. Introduction: Framework
2. Do the Math!
3. The Past, the Present and the Future
4. The Role of the Board
5. Crafting the Plan
6. Summary
Required Reading, "Using Scenarios to Plan for Tomorrow"
Quiz 6 Solutions
Week 6

Summary of User Reviews

Read reviews of the Strategy and Sustainability course on Coursera. Users have praised the course for its practical approach to sustainability and strategic thinking. Overall, the course has received positive reviews.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Many users appreciated the practical approach to sustainability and strategic thinking.

Pros from User Reviews

Real-life examples and case studies to apply concepts to practical situations.
Well-structured content that builds knowledge progressively.
Engaging lectures with clear explanations.
Good opportunity to network with other professionals interested in sustainability.
Great value for money compared to other courses or certifications.

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course content too basic or repetitive.
Lack of personalized feedback from instructors.
Lengthy course with a lot of material to cover.
Some technical issues reported with videos and quizzes.
Not suitable for learners who are looking for a quick or easy course.

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