Responsible Learning Organizations for Sustainability

The world is changing quickly and so are the challenges tomorrow's entrepreneurs and business professionals face. One of these challenges is that an organizations' license to operate is no longer seen in terms of maximizing economic profits alone. Increasing social and environmental pressures provide opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship and the development of more responsible and sustainable practices. To prepare future entrepreneurs and business professionals for this challenge, the way (new) businesses can deal with the necessary changes are explored from the points of human resources and social capital. Changes largely dependent on human efforts; identifying new opportunities and realizing sustainability goals are better possible with the right people (with regard to their qualities) supported by the right environment (learning organization). Managing and developing those (organizational) capacities is key. To address these issues, in this interdisciplinary course a multilevel perspective on organizational learning is taken:

• the individual level; competencies for sustainability and sustainable leadership;
• the team level; dynamics within teams and teams as accelerators of ideas/venture creation;
• the organizational level; embedding intra/entrepreneurship within organisations and the development of responsible learning organisations.

• Analyse and apply theories, concepts and models with regard to human resource management with special focus on individual learning, team learning and learning organisations in the framework of sustainable development and responsible innovation

• Analyse and apply these theories, concepts and models in the field of sustainable development and responsible innovation, recognising the ethical dilemma's concerning balancing economic, socio-cultural and environmental interests

• Identify, based on theoretical underpinnings, how to improve organisational sustainability and responsibility performance

• Analysing the role of individuals, teams, and their managers in the organisation and other stakeholders that work on sustainability

• Construct an advisory report for a (real) organisation in the agro-food/life sciences, on the crossroads of responsible learning organisations and sustainability

• Reflect on the content of the advisory reports in a discussion with peers and teachers

• Assignment report (50%)
• Oral test (50%) The oral exam will be based on answers given in a take home exam.

Knowledge on the softer aspects of running an organization or business, such as in the BMO course Strategic Change Management and Innovation or something alike.

• The course guide and scientific papers will be offered online through Brightspace.