University of Technology Sydney

20107 Sustainable Enterprise

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject considers the relationship between business and sustainability with reference to stakeholders including shareholders, consumers, NGOs, employees, clients and the natural environment. Using a number of case studies of Chinese and multinational organisations, the regulatory and competitive pressures on business and the ways various organisations have responded are examined. Also examined are the organisational changes required for an enterprise to reach compliance and to go beyond compliance towards efficient, strategic and ethically committed operations in terms of both human and ecological sustainability. Students are given a range of practical methods for improving corporate performance and measurement in order to achieve these aims.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
1. Recognise that businesses have social, environmental and economic responsibilities to society and identify the factors that contribute to sustainability problems.
2. Understand the range of organizational stakeholders and their role in driving corporate change for social responsibility and sustainability.
3. Analyse the key elements of human and environmental sustainability which have implications for organisational decision-makers, including corporate managers.
4. Apply key concepts and techniques of voluntary reporting, management and certification systems that could progress organisations towards social and environmental sustainability.
5. Think creatively and make critical choices concerning complex social and environmental issues.

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

In this subject we will consider the relationship between business and sustainability with reference to stakeholders including shareholders, consumers, NGOs, employees, clients, and the natural environment. Using a number of case studies of Chinese and multinational organisations, we will examine the regulatory and competitive pressures on business and the ways various organisations have responded. We examine the organisational changes required for the enterprise to reach compliance and to go beyond compliance towards efficient, strategic and ethically-committed operations in terms of both human and ecological sustainability. Students are given a range of practical methods for improving corporate performance and measurement in order to achieve these aims.

Teaching and learning strategies

The subject will be taught using a combination of large lectures and smaller tutorials. The lectures provide the structure of the topic area, discussion of the theory and some practical examples. Tutorials provide an opportunity to discuss ideas, issues and make practical application of the theory, as well as encouraging students to think in a creative manner to solve real world problems. Use is made of the UTS web-based communication tool Canvas, which will be used to share information, provide feedback and encourage interaction between staff and students.

Content (topics)

  1. Drivers of change for sustainable business
  2. The concept of corporate social responsibility
  3. Crisis management: deal with corporate scandals
  4. Reaching compliance
  5. Eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness
  6. Strategic sustainability
  7. Sustainable enterprise
  8. Change for sustainability
  9. Sustainable Consumption

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Group Presentation (Group)*

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

5

Weight: 20%
Criteria:

*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero.

Assessment task 2: Sustainability Case Writing (Individual)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2 and 3

Weight: 25%

Assessment task 3: Final exam (Individual)

Objective(s):

This addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Weight: 55%
Length:

120 minutes + reading time.

Minimum requirements

To pass the subject, students need to achieve at least 50% of the total marks.

Required texts

There is no required textbook for 20107. Students can refer to Suzanne Benn, Dexter Dunphy, and Andrew Griffiths, Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability, Routledge for information of the phase model of sustainability.