Business Design and Sustainability (GRAI025)

The goal of the course is to transfer students theoretical and practical knowledge on the role of business in tackling sustainability and societal grand challenges. The students will learn how business model design and innovation can support business in advancing the sustainability agenda, while addressing wicked problems and societal grand challenges. Students are first introduced with the concept of corporate sustainability and then exposed to academic literature on business model for sustainability and practical tools supporting business model design and innovation for sustainability. The course will use theories, models, tools and practical examples to enhance student theoretical and practical knowledge on how to use business as a force for good, while striving to create a positive impact on society. The course readings consist of journal articles, book chapters and cases. The students will learn through a variety of teaching and learning methods, including in-class workshops, exercises and dialogues.

• Understand the definition of sustainability and distinguish between absolute and relative sustainability.
• Describe the role of business in advancing sustainability and addressing societal grand challenges.
• Explain the concepts of business model, value proposition, value creation, value delivery, and value captured.
• Apply business model frameworks and tools to analyze the business models of companies that aim at advancing sustainability and addressing societal grand challenges.
• Analyze the sustainability output, outcome and impact of a business model, along with the value captured by stakeholders.
• Design new business models based on patterns supporting sustainability-oriented business model innovation.
• Formulate a research problem statement in relation to business sustainability and address it by formulating a new sustainable business model idea, building upon conceptual and empirical contributions.