IGESSIGESS (Institute for Global Economics and Social Sciences)

This course offers students opportunities to acquire knowledge and skill to analyze the role of businesses to contribute to global sustainability. There is growing expectation for businesses to play more important roles to solve global problems such as climate change, poverty and various forms of inequalities as governments alone cannot solve these problems anymore. Businesses are uniquely positioned to work with their stakeholders to reduce negative impact across their value chains and deliver high-impact business solutions to the challenging sustainability issues. Through this course, students will learn various efforts of global companies on sustainability, how they are creating shared value (CSV) and realizing sustained growth.

Students are aiming at the following goals:
(1)Understand the basic functions of companies including corporate/business strategy, organization, marketing, finance, and human resources.
(2)Learn global sustainability challenges and how companies are contributing to solving various problems by creating shared values (CSV) and realizing their sustained growth.
(3)Analyze actual business cases with analytical frameworks students learn in the class.

英語 / English

Feedback on assignments submitted by students will be provided in class or through the Learning Management System. Class consists of lectures, in-class presentations by students and group discussion.
Please note that the teaching approach may vary according to which threat level we are at. The details will be announced through the Learning Management System.

あり / Yes

なし / No

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1：Introduction
Overview of business and sustainability(1)

Why sustainability matters for business?

2：Overview of business and sustainability(2)

Relation between sustainability challenges and business

3：Key concepts of business and sustainability

Learn ISO26000, CSR, CSV, SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

4：Sustainability and corporate strategy

Understand why and how sustainability needs to be integrated in corporate strategy.

5：Corporate sustainability and stakeholders

Understand various stakeholders for companies and what needs to be done to meet their needs.

6：Business and labor/human rights issues (1)

Understand labor and human rights related issues to be addressed by companies.

7：Business and labor/human rights issues (2)

Understand labor and human rights related issues to be addressed by companies.

8：Sustainability and supply chain

Understand global supply chain problems and what needs to be done to solve these problems.

9：Business and environmental problems (1)

Understand environmental problems impacting corporate management and actions taken to address them.

10：Business and environmental problems (2)

Understand environmental problems impacting corporate management and actions taken to address them.

11：COVID-19 crisis and business(1)

Understand how businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 crisis and how businesses are expected to respond.

12：COVID-19 crisis and business(2)

Understand various efforts taken by companies to tackle and conquer the COVID-19 crisis.

13：Sustainability for financial industry and ESG investment

Understand unique opportunity for the financial industry to contribute to a sustainable society. Learn Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and recent development of ESG investment.

14：Sustainability management and corporate governance

Understand sustainability management is becoming integrated as a part of corporate governance.

Students need to prepare for and review each session by reading textbooks, references, and distributed materials. So preparatory study and review time for this class are 2 hours each.

Marc J. Epstein & Adriana Rejc Buhovac,"Making Sustainability Work: Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts” (2nd Edition) Routledge

Latest references will be introduced in class.
For students’ information, the below books were used in previous courses.
(1) Stuart L. Hart, “Capitalism at the Crossroads: Next Generation Business Strategies for a Post-Crisis World (3rd Edition)” FT Press,2010
(2) Andrew S. Winston, “The Big Pivot: Radically Practical Strategies for a Hotter, Scarcer, and More Open World” Harvard Business Review Press, 2014

Grading will be decided based on the following criteria:

(1) Active class participation:40%
(2) Completion of in-class presentation: 30%
(3) Final writing assignments:30%

Please note if you miss four or more classes, you cannot receive credit unless you have a justifiable reason. Even with a justifiable reason, if you miss four or more classes, your evaluation may be adjusted.

Responding to students’ comments, we will review more actual business cases.

No special equipment is needed in this course.

(1) Please note that if the number of students attending the first class significantly exceeds expectations, in order for the instructor to effectively manage the class, the number of students who are allowed to register for the course may be limited.

(2)As all the class discussion and group work will be conducted in English, students whose English proficiency is introductory level may have difficulties in keeping up with discussion in class. If you have any concerns, please contact the lecturer in advance.