Business in Society (2235.YR.015616.1)

General information

Type:	OBL	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	4 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Janina Grabs	Sociedad, Política y Sostenibilidad	ENG

No prerequisites

No previous knowledge necessary

The workload will be divided as:

20% Class attendance and participation
20% Weekly progress on final project and peer reviews
40% Final group project (presentation and final output)
20% Individual reflection

In this course, we explore the role of business for a sustainable society and planet, for which we have two broad goals:
First, we want to get a better grasp of the challenges that we face. For that, we take a look at the current state of the planet, and we consider what might result from the overuse of natural resources, from damage to ecosystems, and from highly inequitable wealth distribution within and across countries. Importantly, what do these challenges mean for business? Today, firms and organizations of all kinds are faced with the challenge of environmental and social sustainability, often urged on by consumers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders. How to rethink the relation of business with society and the environment forms part of this challenge.
Second, we seek to gain an understanding of the role that business can and must play in moving to a more sustainable future. Firms are key to this shift since they have the ingenuity and the resources to enact the needed changes. Yet this shift poses both opportunities and risks for firms. For some, the challenge of sustainability offers possibilities for new products and services, for reinventing old ones, for solving problems in new ways, and for reaping economic and reputation benefits from pursuing sustainability-oriented strategies and innovation. Others, however, face real struggles with far from obvious solutions.
The departure point of this course is thus that the future of management requires that we integrate ethics and sustainability as a central strategic issue in business. We believe that companies need to re-think and re-frame their role in society, particularly in terms of contributing to sustainable development; which requires re-thinking and re-framing central business concepts. This means that future managers and entrepreneurs will have to integrate ethical, social and environmental issues in their responsibilities. Put differently, from a purely pragmatic point of view all managers and entrepreneurs, regardless of their position, will have to deal with sustainability issues as they are a central source of long-term competitiveness for the firm. The central premise of the course is that sustainability and firm competitiveness are connected through innovation.
To achieve that, the course is designed as a funnel that mirrors the process companies must follow to understand, frame and integrate these issues in their operations. We start with a discussion of the current issues in the field so as to fully understand what we are talking about (Part 1), followed by an overview of different framings of business responsibility (Part 2). Parts 3 and 4 then translate this sustainability vision into a culture of sustainability and innovation by looking more closely at examples of how entrepreneurship (Part 3), and innovation (Part 4) may address and intersect with societal challenges. Through our team projects, we explore how to integrate all these pieces into a coherent narrative.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify and map relevant social and environmental issues: learn to step out of the firm, understand key sustainability challenges and connect them to the firm
- Identify and manage key stakeholders: look for long-term value creation through the stakeholder view of the firm
- Integrate key sustainability issues in the organization: connect these issues to corporate identity, corporate values, mission and business model
- Innovate: understand sustainability as a key source of innovation, and how we need to change our innovation mindset to create new sustainable solutions
- Become social intrapreneurs: design creative solutions to sustainability challenges
- Manage sustainability: design and implement shared value or responsible competitiveness strategies
- Change the nature of the firm: look at how all the preceding issues effectively change or re-frame key business assumptions, and implement this through creating an exemplary social business model
The goal of this course is to equip students with a general understanding so that as future managers and/or entrepreneurs they know what the issues are, and they can therefore interpret and integrate potential ethical, social and environmental challenges into their management practices to generate value for the firm and for society. In other words, we expect to help them become more conscious managers who are able to make more conscious choices.

In order to achieve these objectives, participants in this course are required above all to have an open mind and to be willing to discuss even the most basic or sacred of business assumptions. If the key is the innovation of ideas the only way to change mindsets is to be willing to dialogue (not debate), which means to argue and listen rather than expose and defend. In that regard students should come to this course with a strong and honest desire for self-improvement, interest in questioning central management, ethical, social and environmental issues from different points of view, as well as open mindedness and tolerance toward different ideas. This course is designed to shake core beliefs and to open the door to other possible solutions, which means that the course will often confuse students. The end goal is for this course to plant a seed which you will develop and grow making it a part of your sense-making and sense-giving process.

Specific competences the course will contribute to develop are:

1. Critical thinking and ethical reasoning
2. Understanding complexity
3. Collaboration
4. Dialogue
5. Project management
6. Team management

1. PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2. Unit 1: Introduction to the course In this session, we will present the course by explaining its main objectives, methodology, evaluation, etc. We will leave ample room for questions and concerns to ensure everybody is on the same page. In addition, we will get to know each other, and the thorny issue of sustainability, via playing The Fish Game - Will you manage to sustain your resource base so that your company can thrive?

3. Unit 2: Global sustainability challenges: The state of the planet and society The challenge of sustainability comes into focus as we approach or cross environmental planetary boundaries while social foundations remain precarious. We look at the systemic drivers of unsustainability. Importantly, we ask: what are possible pathways for business and society toward sustainability? What does the state of the planet mean for us personally?

4. PART 2: DEFINING BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY

5. Unit 3: Theories of evil: Is Don't Be Evil a good enough strategy? Why do human beings do evil? Is it in our nature? Is it part of our instinct? Is it a miscalculation? Is it a result of ignorance or a clear byproduct of our consciousness? In this unit we will focus on the systemic nature of evil, and how the environment can condition our behavior for better or for worse. Exploring real historic examples as well as several psychological experiences, we will aim at learning lessons that can helps us as managers or entrepreneurs, and critically probe whether a strategy such as "Don't Be Evil" (famously the former unofficial Google motto) is enough to assure business responsibility.

6. Unit 4: From the Triple Bottom Line to B-Corp Certification In this unit we survey the main theories that have linked business activities with their societal impact, and associated responsibility. Starting with the Triple Bottom Line, we also review the concepts of stakeholder management and corporate social responsibility. We place a special emphasis on the idea of Creating Shared Value and its promise to connect the dots between the ethical challenges, our sustainability vision and social innovation to generate value for the company and for society. We also examine new ways of defining the purpose of the firm that centers their contribution to solving global challenges, and critically examine the B-Corp certification as a practical tool for achieving responsible businesses.

7. PART 3: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SOCIETAL CHALLENGES

8. Unit 5: Social entrepreneurship and its paradoxes Social entrepreneurs develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. While many social enterprises function as non-profit organizations, others blend for-profit goals with generating a positive "return to society". Through the case study of Thrive Farmers, a B Corp-certified company with the mission to help coffee farmers access the international market at beneficial conditions and improve their livelihoods, we look at the possibilities and challenges of social entrepreneurship.

9. Unit 6: Entrepreneurship to serve the Bottom of the Pyramid According to the Creating Shared Value theory, one major area where firms can create both business and societal value is by meeting the needs of underprivileged populations in developing and emerging markets. This unit will review examples of such business models and critically ask questions such as: who is in the "bottom of the pyramid" and how can we know what they want? How can we ensure that our activities do not cause unintended consequences for such vulnerable populations? And to what extent can or should companies take on development missions?

10. Unit 7: Sustainable business models and organisational forms In order to contribute to societal transformation, entrepreneurial start-ups as well as established businesses may also need to question and transform their core governance, ownership, and financing structures. We dive deeper into innovative ways of creating business models and organizational forms that are fit for purpose, and survey communities of practice such as the Doughnut Economics Action Lab, Zebras Unite, and Exit to Community.

11. PART 4: INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL CHALLENGES

12. Unit 8: Can new technology tackle wicked problems? We are in an age with increasingly sophisticated methods to generate and use large quantities of data. This unit asks: How can technological advances, e.g. in satellite surveillance, machine learning or big data analytics, help address some of the most intractable problems of our day? We use the example of commodity-driven deforestation to explore how innovative tech-based approaches have allowed start-ups to support societal problem-solving while experiencing strong business growth, and explore the limits of technology-driven innovation in solving complex problems.

13. Unit 9: Examining the dark side of Big Data, AI, and their ethical implications Information technologies have become part of our everyday lives and are increasingly acting as intermediaries in our workplaces and personal relationships or even substituting them. Much of technological innovation and big data advances similarly rely on the ever-more granular collection and exploitation of personal data, while AI methods may perpetuate biases present in their training data. This unit examines the ethical dilemmas surrounding big data, AI, and algorithms, but also highlights the opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship in providing consumers with more ethical and secure alternatives.

14. PART 5: SUMMARY

15. Unit 10: Reflection and presentation of final projects In the last session, we will present the final projects the students have worked on over the course of the semester, look backward at what we learned over the course of the semester, and discuss how each of us aims to deal with all the topics we have touched along the course.

The methodology of this course is designed to foster critical thinking, dialogue, reflection, connect ideas and manage complexity. With that in mind there are three basic working units in the class: plenary work, team work and individual work. The central premise around which the course is designed is participation, meaning participating in class discussions, working with the group and contributing to the class through individual work. Our goal is threefold: (1) to foster an atmosphere of openness and dialogue; (2) to challenge participants to give the best of themselves; and (3) to look at issues from different angles and perspectives.
To achieve these goals, we will divide the tasks in different working units: in plenary we will have in depth dialogue; in teams we will work on complex challenges to offer creative solutions; individually we will foster analysis and reflection. The three working units are designed to reinforce each other as to offer a multiplier effect. Each week, students will have to work individually as well as in teams on the course, connecting the different tasks (i.e. reading, reflecting, team discussion, research, writing). Students are expected to dedicate an average of 6 hours per week outside the classroom to do the readings, reflect on topics discussed in class, and to work on the projects.
The in-class sessions will combine short theoretical inputs with interactive exercises, full-class discussions, group work, and Q&A's with invited guest speakers.
On the other hand, students will also have to work each week in teams on their final projects. The final project will consist of a business plan for a (hypothetical) social enterprise that tackles a key social or environmental sustainability challenge of the team's choice. In the last session of the course, each team will have to present their business plan and pitch how their strategy presents an ethical, innovative, and competitive solution to the problem at hand. These business plans will be created step-by-step using the online Social Business Model Panorama Platform created by Copenhagen Business School. This platform will also allow students to comment on each other's projects in progress and create iterative progress on the basis of peer review.
The project should integrate issues and tools learned in class, and we will dedicate parts of the class sessions on translating their relevance to the project. After each week, students will need to deliver an added component of the project, allowing for continuous progress. The final project will consist of the exported business model report, with sections 1-10 (excluding 8) as mandatory components and sections 8 & 11-14 as components that will garner extra credit. The delivery will be two weeks after the last session of the course. One report should be delivered for each team, and each team member is expected to dedicate at least 45 hours of work in total to the final project (about 3 hours per week on average plus some additional time at the end to produce the actual report and presentation).

Finally, at the end of the course students will have to hand in an individual final reflection on the class, their project development, and on their own ideas about sustainability around one or two topics. Students have the option to hand in a short paper (1,200-1,500 words), or a 8 min video or podcast. These reflections will have to be turned in three weeks after the last day of class.

Thus in total this course expects students to dedicate about 75 hours of work outside of class, plus the hours in class where students should be present and fully focused. In other words, this course requires a bit over 100 hours of work, including class, team work, readings and individual reflections.

What we expect from you in class

- This is a discussion course, where most of the learning will happen as we express and listen to different points of view. Thus, it is crucial to establish a strong dialogue around central topics. We expect an attitude of collaboration rather than competition. We will all be responsible for the quality of the discussion. Therefore we expect students to act responsibly and to try to help the flow of the dialogue, avoid repetitions, keep their comments concise, and so forth. In this regard it is important to remember that there is a big difference between debating and dialoguing, where in the former often the goal is to defend or persuade of a pre-conceived idea, while in the latter the goal is to reflect, search, explore, and discover.
- To have a productive dialogue it is imperative that students come to class prepared and that while in class you are focused. This means not using your laptop, tablets or phones for other purposes than class and not being distracted. That is, laptops/tablets may not be used for emailing, facebooking, tweeting, chatting, skyping, internet surfing, and so forth. Using them for such purposes will penalize strongly the class participation grade. We are all responsible for creating an atmosphere that is conducive to the learning goals of the course.
- For the class to work properly we need you to be on time and respectful of your classmates. Contributions should be always constructive and all points of view should be allowed. That means that tardiness or disrespectful attitudes will be penalized deducting points from the participation grade.
- In a discussion and dialogue environment it is more important to listen actively than to speak. In that regard focused listening will be rewarded and the opposite will be penalized. If you did not have a chance to give your opinion move on, follow the flow of the discussion, but don't take us back. In that regard it is important to keep in mind that with such a large group of people you will not be able to speak many times, so use your time well.
- As we explained previously, this is a course designed to embrace complexity, and therefore to confuse you. Therefore is paramount to keep an open mind and to be willing to question everything. In that regard great contributions to the dialogue can come in the form of questions or doubts. In any case in these discussions by definition there will be no correct or wrong answers. The goal of the discussion will not be to provide you with an answer, but rather the opposite, to see that there are many different alternatives, and to understand the reality and implications of each of them and how they are connected. Most of the learning is supposed to happen when you reflect on the issues discussed after class, or even later on in time.
- For team assignments it is extremely important that you do not divide the work among team members and do it individually. As we explained the learning method is designed so that team and individual work reinforce each other. The goal of teamwork is to have in-depth discussions and brainstorming among group members, to work together and come to more evolved and complex solutions, where working separately defeats the purpose. Furthermore, dividing the work diminishes the quality of the work and will be very clear in your deliveries and will be reflected in your grades.
- ESADE's honor code is very much applicable here. First of all we expect students to treat each other and professors with respect. We will not accept plagiarism, cheating or lying.
- Each student must attend at least 8 units to pass the class. Since we check participation we will also control attendance.
- Attendance to the final session is mandatory, and not attending it will be grounds for failing the course and going automatically to the re-take.
- Students who attend and are focused in all sessions will receive extra credit.
- Class starts on time, at the beginning and after the break. We consider disrespect to classmates and professors coming late to class. Tardiness will be penalized in the participation grade.
- A learning area will be available in the intranet where you will find instructions for the sessions, readings, forums, communications and so forth. We expect you to check the course site a couple times a week.
- We will publish all course slides in the course website always AFTER each class.

Course will include some required and optional readings, which will be detailed in the syllabus as well as the Moodle, but which will include materials such as the ones below. We will also include other forms of knowledge such as videos and postcasts.

- Foley, Jonathan. 2010. "Boundaries for a Healthy Planet.? Scientific American 302(4):54-57.
- Kramer, M. R., & Porter, M. 2011. Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 62-77.
- Hockerts, K. 2015. How hybrid organizations turn antagonistic assets into complementarities. California Management Review, 57(3), 83-106.
- Prahalad, C.K. 2004. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, ch. 1
- Karnani, A. 2005. Romanticizing the Poor. SSIR
- Waddock, S. 2013. The wicked problems of global sustainability need wicked (good) leaders and wicked (good) collaborative solutions. Journal of Management for Global Sustainability, 1(1).
- O'Neil, C. (2016). Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data increases inequality and threatens democracy. Penguin Random House. Introduction and Chapter 1: What is a model?

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 1	Janina Grabs	Sociedad, Política y Sostenibilidad