GRA 6849 Sustainable Strategy and Circular Economy

GRA 6849 Sustainable Strategy and Circular Economy

Course code: 
GRA 6849
Department: 
Law and Governance
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Caroline Dale Ditlev-Simonsen
Atle Midttun
Course name in Norwegian: 
Sustainable Strategy and Circular Economy
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Business - Elective course
Semester: 
2021 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Addressing sustainability is a necessity in today's business environment. Civil society, media and governments increasingly expect that companies look beyond short-term profit toward a broader goal of long-term sustainable value creation. The launch of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also reflects this broader business agenda.

A good sustainability strategy provides opportunities to improve day-to-day business, establish a competitive advantage and develop new and sustainable products. . A move from linear to circular economies require revised strategic approaches. Systemic thinking and sustainable business strategies are addressed. The circular economy, defined as eliminating waste and extending the use of resources, is crucial to achieving a sustainable future. To move from talking about “waste” as a problem to realizing it as a “resource”, is a key element in this process. In this course, discussions and case studies will address such topics as eco-design, industrial symbiosis, functional economy refurbishment, repair, re-manufacturing and recycling.

The course will focus on understanding how to develop and integrate a sustainable strategy approach. Circular economy, innovation, customer behavior, risk management, communicating/reputation and media management, governance and responsible investment (ESG) will all be addressed. Since sustainability is a global issue, challenges and opportunities in emerging markets will be incorporated into the lectures. Students will be given the opportunity to collaborate with students and potentially businesses/organizations virtually from other international institutions in the Global South.

The teaching will be based on lectures, presentations, and outside speakers, all in close collaboration with corporations engaged in sustainable business strategy and circular economy.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

This course is designed to provide:

  • Strategy development and system thinking
  • The circular economy
  • New business models for sustainable innovation
  • Sustainability and circularity in a global setting
  • Relevant tools to evaluate and report on activities
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) associated with sustainability
Learning outcomes - Skills

Skills developed upon completion of the course include the abilities to:

  • Develop a corporate strategy for sustainability in a circular economy
  • Identify profitable ideas for sustainability-based innovation and value creation
  • Collaboration throughout the supply with different stakeholders, like customers, sectors, employees etc.
  • Apply leadership models for sustainable circular economy
  • Analytical thinking and problem-solving applied to real cases
  • Evaluating eco-design, industrial symbiosis, functional economy refurbishment, repair, re-manufacturing and recycling in business development
General Competence

Upon the completion of the course, students should be able to reflect on:

  • Sustainable strategy and circular economy in a global setting
  • The role of companies in the pursuit of sustainable development
  • Distinguish between sustainability and greenwashing
Course content

The teaching will be based on lectures, presentations, and outside speakers, all in close collaboration with corporations engaged in sustainable business strategy

  • New business models for sustainable innovation and circular economy
  • Development and implementation of a sustainable strategy
  • Circular economy (including eco-design, industrial symbiosis, functional economy refurbishment, repair, re-manufacturing and recycling)
  • Business opportunities and challenges in a circular economy
  • Innovation through circular economy - life cycle analysis
  • Leadership and management of sustainable business
  • Customer management and stakeholder collaboration
  • Supply chain collaboration and management in a circular economy
  • Sustainability in global economy
  • ESG and finance in a sustainable setting
Teaching and learning activities

The teaching will be based on lectures, cases, group work, presentations and multimedia tools.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Covid-19 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Teaching 

Information about what is taught on campus and other digital forms will be presented with the lecture plan before the start of the course each semester.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Class participation
Weight: 
30
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 8)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Class participation included presentations.
Exam code: 
GRA68491
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
70
Grouping: 
Group
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Exam code: 
GRA68491
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
36 Hour(s)
Seminar groups
29 Hour(s)
Submission(s)
33 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
62 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
160

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.