Global sustainability and corporate social responsibility: Be sustainable

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/global-sustainability-be-sustainable

Introduction

### Course Review: Global Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Be Sustainable In a world increasingly governed by the principles of transparency, accountability, and social responsibility, the course "Global Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Be Sustainable" on Coursera comes as a timely and essential proposition for professionals and students alike. This course is meticulously designed for individuals wanting to expand their strategic thinking beyond mere financial success and explore the broader societal impacts of business practices. #### Course Overview As corporate scandals continue to rattle investor confidence and consumer trust, it's becoming apparent that a sole focus on financial success can lead to significant long-term repercussions. This course addresses this shift by guiding participants towards a more holistic understanding of sustainability and its imperative role in contemporary business strategies. Through a series of well-structured modules, you'll explore the multifaceted nature of sustainability, juxtapositioning financial outcomes against community impact, and ultimately fostering a mindset geared towards sustainable growth. #### Syllabus Breakdown The course is divided into six comprehensive modules, each delving into critical aspects of sustainability in the business context: 1. **The Nature of Sustainability**: Here, you'll discover the origins and strategic importance of sustainability. Through contemporary corporate case studies, you’ll witness the financial and reputational damages caused by neglecting ethical practices, genuinely setting the stage for understanding sustainability. 2. **Concerns with Business Impacts**: This module addresses the historical relationship between business practices and societal concerns, focusing on industrialization, neoliberalism, and globalization. By understanding these concerns—like environmental degradation and inequality—you'll grasp the need for businesses to cultivate trust with various stakeholders. 3. **Strategic Responses to Sustainability**: The course will introduce you to sustainable strategies such as business ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and green capitalism. Insight into different business value positions regarding sustainability illustrates the variety of responses firms may adopt. 4. **The Difficulty of Being Ethical in Organisations**: This fascinating module examines why ethical lapses can occur within organizations, partly due to structural dynamics. Participants will engage with social scientific research that sheds light on the often-complex environment of ethical decision-making in corporate situations. 5. **New and Emerging Sustainable Business Strategies**: As the course progresses, you'll learn about innovative strategies in social entrepreneurship, micro-finance, and public-private partnerships. This module illuminates the creative approaches smaller entities and community-focused businesses are taking to embed sustainability into their operations. 6. **Taking Sustainable Strategy Forward**: Finally, you'll explore how to apply the knowledge acquired about sustainable strategies into actionable practices. This module emphasizes key resources, industry best practices, and principles of ethical governance that you can employ within your own organizational frameworks. #### Why You Should Enroll This course is highly recommended for anyone looking to elevate their understanding of sustainability in the corporate context. Not only does it equip you with vital theoretical knowledge, but it also empowers you to make practical, well-informed contributions to your organization. The insights gained will be invaluable for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals seeking to align their organizations with the global standards of corporate responsibility and sustainable practices. #### Conclusion In today's corporate landscape, ignoring the broader societal implications of business operations is no longer a viable option. Coursera’s "Global Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility: Be Sustainable" is not just a course; it’s a call to action for current and future leaders to marry profitability with purpose. By fostering a comprehensive understanding of sustainability, this course prepares you to navigate and lead in a world where social impact is paramount to long-term success. Don't miss the chance to be part of this essential educational journey!

Syllabus

The nature of sustainability

What is sustainability, why, and when did the concept develop, and why is it of crucial strategic importance for business? This week you will be introduced to the drivers that have given rise to the concept of sustainability; the diverse range of ethical, social, and environmental issues it contains; and the main global definitions, goals and frameworks of sustainable development. To provide context for the above, you will start by reviewing contemporary examples, from some of the world's most powerful corporations, of how neglect of sustainability has resulted in massive financial, reputational, and social costs.

What is it about the history and practices of business that have given rise to wider societal concerns regarding its impact on the sustainability of our world? Focussing upon three major developments – i) industrialisation, ii) neoliberalism, and iii) globalisation – this week you will examine the root of concerns with business impact on areas such as environmental pollution, inequality, and the quality of working lives. Understanding some of this wider critical context is an essential foundation if businesses and business leaders are to retain or gain the trust of the community, consumers, regulators, and employees.

Given the complexities of the relationship between business and sustainability, what are the key sustainable strategies that businesses can employ? You will be introduced to three such strategies this week, organised around: i) business ethics, ii) corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy, and iii) natural or green capitalism. Through an examination of contemporary business practices, you will see that strategies in the above areas may still signal a variety of value positions by businesses, including those proactively committed to, reactive to, and resistant of sustainability.

Why is it that some business leaders may knowingly engage in strategies that are unsustainable? Is there something particular to formal organisational structures that make them spaces where being ethical can seem the hardest thing to do? This week we consider important social scientific research that examines the dynamics by which such things as organisational hierarchy, too close an identification with work roles, a focus on procedures and instrumental outcomes, even relations of authority, can dramatically inhibit or subvert our sense of ethical responsibility in organisations.

Much of the strategy field concentrates upon the strategies of large, profit maximising, corporations. Some of the most interesting and innovating strategies however may emerge across different types of organisation and context. This week you will examine some of these – concentrating upon the areas of social entrepreneurship, micro-finance, public-private partnerships, and examples of smaller businesses embedding sustainability in their local communities. There is considerable promise with some of the above strategies and practices, but as we shall examine, even here we still need to be attentive to tensions and open to critique in terms of how sustainability is achieved.

How can you transfer knowledge about sustainable strategies into effective practices in the business domain? This week directs you to resources that you can draw upon to seek to develop more sustainable strategy in your own current and future organisational roles. Organised around industry, firm, and individual levels, these lessons considers international best practice on corporate governance systems, global business sustainability compacts, guidance on responsible supply chain practices, and research on raising ethical issues in a business setting.