This module aims to:

Equip students with systematic knowledge of the approaches, processes, actors, and current issues of corporate sustainability in a globalised world that is integrated with and complementary to their learning about business ethics, responsible business and sustainability;

Equip students with the analytical skills to criticise and challenge the environmental and social impact of multinational corporations’ business activities;

Prepare students for developing and leading sustainability projects and taskforces in business organisations;

Build ethical awareness through the practice of reflexivity so students make the behavioural changes not only in their professional role as business managers but also in their individual action as global citizens.

(LO1) Students will be able to integrate corporate sustainability together with relevant concepts in managing responsible business, namely, business ethics and corporate social responsibility.

(LO2) Students will be able to identify and critically analyse the tensions introduced by different approaches, processes, and actors of corporate sustainability.

(LO3) Students will be able to critically evaluate the role of different stakeholders in different institutional contexts.

(LO4) Students will be able to criticise and challenge the economic, environmental, and social impacts of multinational corporations on society using organised facts and information about multinational corporations’ business activities.

(LO5) Students will be able to analyse and demonstrate critical awareness around how corporations can be part of the problem and the solution to sustainable development.

(LO6) Students will be able to actively reflect on how they can act responsibly as global citizens and professional business managers.

(S1) International awareness
Students will gain this skill by acquiring the knowledge of global business activities of multinational corporations, and how these activities could be the solution or the problem to the many environmental and societal problems in society.

(S2) Ethical awareness
Students will gain this skill by practicing reflexivity using the weekly reading and other digital sources.

(S3) Numeracy
Students will gain this skill by constructively criticising the sustainability business cases introduced as asynchronous learning materials and subsequently provide sound proposal based on organised facts and information.

(S4) Teamwork
Students will gain this skill by working in group for their groupwork assignment, in which they practice project and conflict management.

(S5) Written communication (professional communication)
Students will gain this skill by writing a critical reflection of their individual learning journey and by efficiently communicating ideas using infographics.

(S6) IT skills
Through engagement with pebble pad and infographic design, this module will enable students to develop their IT skills.

(S7) Leadership
Through the group work and the engagement with how to lead sustainable businesses in the learning and assignment material, this module will enable students to develop their leadership skills.

Lectures:

Synchronous x 8 hours (2 hours x 4)
Asynchronous x 6 hours (1 hour x 6)

Seminars x 12 hours (2 hours x 6)

Self-directed learning x 174 hours

Students are expected to prepare for the lectures, seminars and assignments every week.

Theme 1: Defining corporate sustainability

This theme serves both as an introduction and refresher to corporate sustainability. The theme covers topics, such as how the concept corporate sustainability is connected to business ethics and corporate social responsibility.

Theme 2: Approaches to corporate sustainability

This theme covers different approaches to corporate sustainability. It will cover topics such as ethical, strategic, and stakeholder approach.

Theme 3: Processes and actors of corporate sustainability

This theme covers the governance of corporate sustainability with a particular focus on multinational corporations. Different actors, such as, governments, NGOs, international agencies will be discussed. Another topic covered under the theme is recent trend on corporate sustainability officers together with their function in shaping corporate sustainability strategy.

Theme 4: Corporate sustainability issues

This theme covers sustai nable development goals (SDGs), current environmental and social issues in the society that is attributed (or associated) to multinational corporations.