COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: SOCIAL BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Code Course Type Regular Semester Theory Practice Lab Credits ECTS
BUS 506 B 2 3 0 0 3 7.5
Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: Xhimi Hysa
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: NA
Language: English
Compulsory/Elective: Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:
Course Description: The world of business has been, is and still will be dominant for moving forward the entire economic system. However, the traditional business influenced by the classical economic postulate of profit maximization is unsustainable from a stakeholder approach. On the other side, charity as an opposite form is just a short-term justification of help, but cannot be consistent in solving social, economic and environmental problems in a global perspective. Therefore, an emergent business paradigm defined as Social Business is coming on the surface as a solution for social causes. First, coined and promoted by the Nobel Laureate Professor Muhamad Yunus, actually is offered also in this course. Because the Social Business, according to its mission and principles, is by default a sustainable business, the present course will consider also research and perspectives of Corporate Sustainability and especially the Triple Bottom Line Approach as well as sustainability reporting. Thus, the course offers a global, comprehensive, and well-formed knowledge infrastructure for understanding the dynamics of social business and social entrepreneurship through sustainability lens.
Course Objectives: The main aim of the course is to create a deep awareness among students and practitioners about the social business principles, cases, and best practices with the hope that they become the source of future social innovations and social entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore, the course intends to give the state of the art of sustainable-corporations-related topics under a number of perspectives, which include: economy, finance, measurement and reporting, organizing for sustainability, green products, green buildings and IT. The topics provides good insights to address future research and define a proper research agenda for the coming years.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week Topics
1 Introduction to Social Business: background and theory
2 Designing the Social business: social business planning
3 Social Business: Albanina Cases and videos
4 Social Business: International Cases and videos
5 What Capitalism Can Learn from Innovation and Social Business? Toward the Social Capitalism (part 1)
6 What Capitalism Can Learn from Innovation and Social Business? Toward the Social Capitalism (part 2)
7 Reducing Labor Migration by Increasing Local Employment and Talent Engagement through Social Businesses
8 Introduction to sustainability
9 Corporate Sustainability: the triple bottom line
10 Managing and engaging stakeholders
11 Managing sustainability risk
12 Sustainability Reporting
13 Social business as a sustainable business: Cases and videos
14 Yunus Social Business Balkans: looking forward
Prerequisite(s):
Textbook: Grove, A., Berg, A. G. (2014). Social Business: Theory, Practice, and Critical Perspectives. Berlin: Springer.
Other References: • Yunus M, Moingeon B, Laurence L. O. (2010). “Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience”, April-June, vol 43, n° 2-3, Long Range Planning, p. 308-325. • Yunus, M. (2009). Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. PublicAffairs. • Yunus, M. (2011). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs. PublicAffairs. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-58648-956-4. • Hysa, Xh.,Zerba, E. (2015). What Capitalism Can Learn from Innovation and Social Business? Toward the Social Capitalism. Saarbrücken: Lambert Academic Publishing • Farver, S. (2013). Mainstreaming Corporate Sustainability: Using Proven Tools to Promote Business Success. Cotati, CA: Greenfix, LLC • Epstein, M.J. (2008).Making Sustainability Work: Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts. UK: Greenleaf Publishing. • Elkington, J. 1997, “Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business”. Capstone.
Laboratory Work:
Computer Usage:
Others: No
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 To be familiar with the Yunus Social Business paradigm.
2 To help students gain necessary knowledge regarding Corporate Sustainability
3 High awareness for new business models like the social and sustainable business
4 Understanding how to make social, economic, and environmental reporting
5 Learning how to make a social business planning and marketing
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)
No Program Competencies Cont.
Professional Master in Business Administration Program
1 Integrate tools and concepts from business and economics to solve business problems. 5
2 Inspire an open minded-attitude through continuous learning and team-work. 5
3 Demonstrate ethical, social, and legal responsibilities in organizations. 5
4 Critically evaluate business case studies. 5
5 Manage business operations effectively and efficiently. 5
6 Report project results. 5
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
Method Quantity Percentage
Project
1
100
Total Percent: 100%
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
Activities Quantity Duration(Hours) Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) 16 3 48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 16 3 48
Mid-terms 0
Assignments 0
Final examination 0
Other 10 7.9 79
Total Work Load:
175
Total Work Load/25(h):
7
ECTS Credit of the Course:
7.5