Sustainable Business Practices

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

144 hours per semester, including self-directed study and research

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject addresses the sustainability related challenges confronting business organisations, and how these can be overcome. Many organisations find it difficult to balance short and long-term objectives relating to economic, social and environmental outcomes. The subject addresses the complexity and multi-faceted nature of social and environmental issues and why they present significant challenges to organisations. Principles of sustainability will be discussed with reference to concepts such as corporate social responsibility, corporate political responsibility, triple bottom line thinking and creating shared value. It will then review how organisations respond to these challenges, both negatively and positively, and why they respond in these ways, including strategic, ethical and critical perspectives. The subject then addresses approaches that increase organisations’ capability for continuous renewal and long-term success, whilst also promoting social and environmental benefits. This will be done through a focus on topics such as managerial competencies and organisational capabilities for sustainability, stakeholder management, industry and transnational guidelines for sustainability, national regulation and self-regulation, and an integrated supply chain perspective.

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• appreciate the variety of social, political and economic forces, stakeholders and issues affecting business organisations today at the global and local levels;
• identify and analyse current public issues in the interplay between businesses and their stakeholders, such as social justice, environmental degradation, varieties of globalisation, and privatisation;
• critically evaluate the debates around ethics, social responsibilities and sustainability for business; identify the different ethical frameworks for engaging in those debates; and understand how managers and marketers can respond to calls for social responsibility and sustainability; and
• apply the above learnings to real-world cases and situations.

• Class participation, due throughout the semester (10%);
• Group assignment of 3000 words, Week 7-9 (30%);
• Reflective essays (2 x 500 words), Weeks 3 & 11 (10%); and
• 2 hour examination, end of semester (50%).

A collection of readings and case studies will be provided.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:

• critical thinking about societal and ethical issues in organised settings;
• oral and written communication;
• problem solving and collaborative learning; and
• synthesis of data and other information.