1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the theoretical views, relevant concepts, and the underpinning global frameworks and national policies on the issue of sustainability in business operations.

2. Examine the sustainability challenges at the organisational level, the changes in the business environment, and the various forms of organisation response to the changes and challenges.

3. Critically reflect on the impact of engagement with sustainability on organisation development, competitive advantage and culture.

4. Investigate ethical dimensions of management, governance, and social accountability and articulate the processes and forms by which businesses can entrench sustainable development (sustainability goals) in their business strategies.

Element 1: The initial assessment is a group poster presentation comparing two or more industry cases (organisations) in their engagement with sustainability in its fullness (i.e., environmental, CSR and business ethics), weighted at 30% of the overall module mark, and assesses LO1, LO2 and LO3.

Element 2: The final assessment is an individual piece of written coursework on a relevant topic weighted at 70% of the overall module mark and assesses LO1 - LO4.

The module covers the three dimensions of sustainability – environmental, social (CSR) and economic (ethics) including the following.
Introduction to sustainable business and the theory of sustainable development
Review of some sustainability frameworks and policies
The significance of sustainability approach in management
Contemporary debates around sustainable development (including climate change, notions of consumption, equity, business ethics and CSR)
Governance of sustainable business and financial implications of sustainability
Designing monitoring mechanisms and indicators of sustainability,
Strategy and Execution ramifications - change, innovation, perceptions, market reactions and competitive advantage
Collaboration, co-operation and partnership factors
leadership and Entrepreneurship factors
Sustainable consumption and production

How would you like to develop the commercial knowledge, vision, management and leadership skills to establish innovative strategies, programmes, and relationships to enhance business growth and revenue in a sustainable way?

An understanding of sustainability, business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly attracting the attention of graduate employers.

This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to apply these concepts to everyday business management practice. You examine case studies from a wide range of sectors to explore why and how organisations embrace sustainable approaches to managing their business and understand the sustainability challenges and benefits businesses face at the international and national levels. You gain the capacity to analyse and interpret the connections between global sustainability frameworks and the local action of commercial enterprises to fulfil sustainability objectives.

The module requires a total of 200 hours towards the learning outcome, involving 36 hours of a combination of activities, including lectures and in-class discussion of a wide range of industry cases, and 164 hours of guided self-study. The students are provided with a variety of learning materials to enhance learning.

There will be formative assessments to monitor student learning and engagement and provide them with the necessary feedback to facilitate learning and better performance in the summative work at the module end.

The Imperatives of Sustainable Development: Needs, Justice, Limits. (2017). Routledge.

Wynn, M., & Jones, P. (2019). The Sustainable Development Goals: Industry Sector Approaches (1st ed.). Routledge.

Hess, P. N. (2016). Economic Growth and Sustainable Development. Routledge.

Sustainable Branding: Ethical, Social, and Environmental Cases and Perspectives. (2021). Routledge.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development: Strategies, Practices and Business Models. (2021). Taylor & Francis Group.

Kealy, T. (2021). Evaluating Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility Projects: An Ethnographic Approach. Springer.

Module handbook.
VLE learning materials.
University’s library and learning resources.
A selection of peer reviewed papers, research reports, contemporary case studies and some informative videos.