Corporations can no longer ignore the impact of increasing formal (regulatory) and informal (community) expectations relating to their impact on society and the natural environment. As a result, implementing sustainability has become an increasingly important strategic intent of corporations. This course examines the scope and reasons behind these expectations, and evaluates the impact on corporations operating in a dynamic competitive environment in a capitalist economy. The course takes the perspective of an individual corporation that wants to: examine both its internal and external environments to determine the range of sustainability issues that it faces, including climate change and the path to net zero; develop strategies for sustainable practices that enhance its competitive position; make a case to a range of stakeholders, including owners, for the adoption of those sustainable practices.

 

This course aims to promote an understanding, within the context of a capitalist economy, of:

• the importance to each individual corporate entity of corporate sustainability;
• the inter-relationship between the natural environmental, social, and economic aspects of corporate sustainability;
• key drivers and inhibitors, both external and internal to the corporation, of the natural environmental and social aspects of corporate sustainability;
• the impact that climate change has on organisations operations and strategy;
• the roles of social and natural environmental risk, and product and process innovation, in developing corporate sustainability; and
• theoretical and practical constraints on the development of a business case for corporate sustainability;

 

and provide an overview of:

• the principal ‘toolkits' currently used by practitioners to recognise and appropriately resolve natural environmental and social sustainability issues in pursuing sustainable business strategy; and
• current best practice in corporate sustainability.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Identify issues that relate to the relationship between the corporation, its natural environmental and social sustainability
2. Apply sustainability concepts in the business context
3. Discuss contemporary issues driving business model innovation for sustainability
4. Argue the business case for sustainability for an organisation
5. Develop appropriate policies and tactics to address sustainability strategies for the organisation 

Research-Led Teaching

Teaching in this course takes place through three processes. Firstly, the content of the course is assembled drawing where appropriate on the latest academic and industry research, along with industry practice. Secondly, students will be required to examine and evaluate scholarly research to draw out the important concepts, models and theory and apply these to contemporary practice. Finally, summative assessment in the course requires the student to undertake independent research. This may involve secondary research and the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

N/A

Examination Material or equipment

There is no final examination.

Required Resources

A 'Course Book' will be provided on Wattle that sets out your weekly readings, questions designed to guide your reading, and other useful resources. All readings, assessment briefs and marking rubrics and other resources required for this course are provided on Wattle at the beginning of semester.

Recommended Resources

Other useful resources include;

Stanwick, Peter. A., and Sarah D. Stanwick (2021) - Corporate Sustainability Leadership. Routledge ISBN: 978-1-351-02498-3

Online textbook: Available through the ANU Library - View online

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Weekly online practice MCQ sets designed to evaluate learning on each topic. These are non-examinable.
• Quiz 1 is designed to give students feedback on their progress with weekly topic prior to the break.
• Assessment Items 1 and 2
• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to the course. What is corporate sustainability?	Course introduction State of play Defining corporate sustainability Social and environmental pressures Introduction to assignment structure
2	A Stakeholder Approach	Stakeholder theory Distributive justice Intergenerational justice Tragedy of the Commons Assessment 3 - Awareness
3	Making the case for corporate sustainability	Drivers of sustainability for organizations Ethical and economic arguments for sustainability Environmental challenges The “Five Capitals Framework” SDG's
4	Corporations and sustainability, use and abuse of nature	Economic growth, free markets, and the failure of market-based policies Ecological economics Ecosystem services
5	Business and Social Stakeholders	Risk I: Social Risk How do we perceive risk? NGOs: friend or foe? Managing social risk
6	Seminar - Week 6: Business and the Natural Environment I	Risk II - Environmental Risk The Precautionary Principle Identifying and managing environmental risk Environmental Impact Assessment Quiz 1
7	Benchmarking, Reporting and Communicating Sustainability	Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Climate-change risk disclosure Accounting and finance issues
8	Demand-side Innovation	Consumption and Consumerism Value New models of consumption
9	Innovation I - Business Models for Sustainability	New Business & Governance Models Natural Capitalism Product Service Systems Biomimicry Individual Project Due
10	Innovation II: Process Innovation	Life cycle analysis: cradle to cradle Circular Economy
11	Innovation III: Product Innovation	Design for Sustainability (DfS) Carbon capture and utilisation
12	Taking stock & looking forward: The future of sustainability & organisations	Corporate environmentalism Future directions & opportunities in sustainable business

Tutorial Registration

Registration for tutorial is required - see Wattle. ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage. https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/timetabling]."

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quiz 1 (15%)	15 %	30/03/2023	31/03/2023	1
Tutorial Preparation (30%)	30 %	*	*	1,2
Sustainable Business Strategy (35%)	35 %	20/04/2023	04/05/2023	1,2,3
Quiz 2 (20%)	20 %	02/06/2023	02/07/2023	1,2

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

The course will be taught using synchronous (live streamed) delivery mode lectures and F2F tutorials. Participation is expected in all classes and assessments

Examination(s)

There is no final exam

Assessment Task 1

Quiz 1 (15%)

Individual assessment

30 Multiple Choice Questions - 45min covering ALL material from readings and activities week 1-6 inclusive

Due: Online during the last hour of Week 6 lecture time.

Return of marks: by end of Week 6. Feedback will be provided with return of marks.

Assessment Task 2

Tutorial Preparation (30%)

Individual Assessment

You cannot learn just by reading. It is vital to have interaction with others and to be exposed to the ideas and views of others, and to understand the interaction between your views and those of others. Thus, it is expected that all students will prepare for, attend, and fully participate in every tutorial. 

To assist you in preparing for the weekly tutorials and for the final examination, question/s are set for weeks 3 to 11 inclusive; students are required to submit 6 of the possible 9 for grading. Only 6 weekly submissions will be graded for each student. Students should give careful consideration which 6 they submit. The suggested length for each question is 250 words (+/-10%) - this will be a written response to question/s on the set readings or cases. You should prepare your answer in advance on the weekly question and answer form provided and add to this from in-class learning

All seminar preparation assignments must be submitted online within 30 minutes of the end of your tutorial at which they are due. As the answers are discussed in class, late assignments will not be accepted. 

Assessment brief: More information on this assessment task is available on Wattle at the beginning of semester

Weighting: 5 marks each - total 30 marks

Due: weeks 3 to 11

Return of marks: within 2 weeks of due date. Feedback will be provided with return of marks.

 

Assessment Task 3

Sustainable Business Strategy (35%)

Group Assessment (35%)

Students will analyse a case study and develop a sustainability strategy for a business by considering the organisation’s ecological, social and prosperity (economic) footprint and based on their stakeholder commitments. 

Word limit: 3,000 words, (+/- 10%)

Assessment brief: More information on this assessment task is available on Wattle at the beginning of semester.

Rubric: A marking rubric will be available on Wattle. There will be two support sessions organised for this assignment: Week 3 and Week 6

Due: Final project due Monday, April 20th, 2023 (Week 09) - submitted via Turnitin link on Wattle

Return of marks: within 2 weeks of due date. Feedback will be provided with return of marks.

Assessment Task 4

Quiz 2 (20%)

Individual assessment

30 Multiple Choice Questions plus 1 short answer question - covering ALL material from readings and activities week 7-12 inclusive

Marks: 20 [15marks -MCQ, 5 marks - Short Answer question]

Assessment brief: More information on this assessment task is available on Wattle at the beginning of semester

Due: In exam period beginning 02 June 2023- further information will be made available from the Examination office

Return of marks: Grades released with final course grade July 2023.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Assessment items 2 and 3 are to be submitted using Turnitin. Please see the assessment briefs for details. The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Assessment items 1 and 4 will be run under ANU Proctorio conditions.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilize the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission is not permitted for tasks 1, 2 and 4.

Assessment task 3 - Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

All requests for extensions to assessment in RSM courses must be submitted to the RSM School Office with a completed application form and supporting documentation. The RSM Extension Application Form and further information on this process can be found at https://www.rsm.anu.edu.au/education/education-programs/notices-for-students/extension-application-procedure/

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Please see relevant assessment task details above

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Unless specified otherwise in the assignment requirements, resubmissions are permitted up until the due date and time, but not allowed afterwards

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students