The Politics of Sustainability
| Module title | The Politics of Sustainability |
|---|---|
| Module code | MBAM848 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 5 |
| Module staff | Dr Onna Van Den Broek (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2.5 days |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
Ford being accused of ‘greenwashing’ as they lobbied in favour of the controversial the Keystone XL pipeline while their sustainability policies pled otherwise. Philip Morris being shamed for not divesting their Russian assets after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These examples show not only that environmental and social sustainability is inherently linked to politics, but also how corporations are expected to take their political responsibility seriously. In this module, you will explore corporations’ socio-political environment and their political strategies and responsibilities. The module will give you hands-on tools to successfully take political responsibility for your corporation and drive sustainability change at the system-level.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module, you will explore corporations’ political strategies and how they can be responsible in times of political discord. The objective is two-fold. First, you will examine current trends in socio-political environments and their relevance for corporations. Second, you will delve into corporations’ different political roles and strategies. This part of the module has a clear practical and hands-on focus. During the module, you will engage with a combination of articles from journals such as Harvard Business Review and California Management Review, as well as practical industry guidance tools, for example by the Global Reporting Initiative. You will then connect the different parts by providing a written industry guidance in groups. Individually, you will develop a corporation-specific advice, that is accompanied by an elevator pitch aimed at getting buy in at the board level.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Explain the current socio-political environment and how this relates to (and is relevant for) different types of corporations.
- 2. Discuss the different ways corporations can be (and are) politically active, ranging from lobbying to speaking out on politically sensitive topics.
- 3. Evaluate the extent to which a corporation is assuming its political responsibility and define what the risks are for misalignment and/or inaction.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Critically analyse socio-political developments and their consequences for social and environmental sustainability, broadly speaking.
- 5. Simultaneously abstract political responsibilities and specify them in precise context(s) for individual- and group-level action.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Navigate politically sensitive waters by devising and sustaining a logical argument.
- 7. Summarize an argument by developing an elevator-pitch.
- 8. Transfer knowledge of the socio-political political environment into advice and guidance for particular entities
Syllabus plan
This module has a seminar-based structure. Below an overview of the topics that will be discussed. The convenor provides a full programme of each academic year’s topics prior to the start of the module. The module will be tailored, where possible, to the socio-political context that is relevant to the students.
Part A. The socio-political environment:
- Political strategy and the need for responsibilities
- Geopolitical tensions, populism, and political divisions
- Dealing with different types of regimes, including authoritarian and non-democratic regimes
Part B. Political roles and strategies:
- Responsible lobbying (including donations, industry associations, think tanks, etc.)
- Speaking out and making political statements
- Providing public goods and services
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | 33 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 17 | Face-to-face seminars and workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 33 | Additional research, reading and preparation for module assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion and Q&As during face-to-face seminars and workshops | Ongoing throughout the module | 1-8 | Oral feedback |
| Outline company-specific advice | 200 words per student | 1-6, 8 | Written feedback |
| Proposal for guidance | 15 minutes meeting per group | 1-3, 6-8 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company advice | 60 | 1000 words | 1-6, 8 | Written and Verbal feedback from tutor |
| Elevator Pitch | 40 | 1 minute video | 1-3, 5-6, 7 | Written and Verbal feedback from tutor |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company advice | 1000 words | 1-6, 8 | July/August Reassessment Period |
| Elevator Pitch | 1 minute video | 1-3, 5-6, 7 | July/August Reassessment Period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Levin, B., & Downes, L. (2022). Every Company Needs a Political Strategy Today. MIT Sloan Management Review, 64(1), 1-4.
- Kaplan, R., Levy, D. L., Rehbein, K., & Richter, B. (2022). Does corporate lobbying benefit society?. Rutgers Business Review, 7(2), 166-192.
- Winston, A., Doty, E., & Lyon, T. (2022). The Importance of Corporate Political Responsibility. MIT Sloan Management Review, 64(1), 1-4.
- Lyon, T. P., Delmas, M. A., Maxwell, J. W., Bansal, P., Chiroleu-Assouline, M., Crifo, P., ... & Wijen, F. (2018). CSR needs CPR: Corporate sustainability and politics. California Management Review, 60(4), 5-24.
- Lock, I., & Seele, P. (2016). Deliberative lobbying? Toward a noncontradiction of corporate political activities and corporate social responsibility?. Journal of Management Inquiry, 25(4), 415-430.
- Aaron K. Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel (2018). The New CEO Activists. A playbook for polarized political times. Harvard Business Review, The New CEO Activists (hbr.org)
- Rehbein, K., Leonel, R., Den Hond, F., & de Bakker, F. (2020). How do firms that are changing the world engage politically?. Rutgers Business Review, 5(2), 203-225.
- Moorman, C. (2020). Commentary: Brand activism in a political world. Journal of public policy & marketing, 39(4), 388-392.
- Feldmann, M., & Morgan, G. (2022). Business elites and populism: Understanding business responses. New Political Economy, 27(2), 347-359.
- Valente, M., & Crane, A. (2010). Public responsibility and private enterprise in developing countries. California Management Review, 52(3), 52-78.
- Mair, J., Kindt, J., & Mena, S. (2023). The Emerging Field of Political Innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 21(2), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.48558/R5XX-CP70
- Morrisson, J. (2023) The political environment: Democracy under Threat. In Morrison, J. The global business environment: Sustainability in the balance, 6th edition, Bloomsbury Academic, London: UK.
Other resources:
- Online database containing information on corporations lobbying on climate issues: LobbyMap Home
- Online database containing national and regional sustainability policies: Carrots & Sticks (carrotsandsticks.net)
- Academic guidance on “corporate political responsibility”: The Erb Principles for CPR - U-M Erb (umich.edu)
- Academic guidance on lobbying and climate change: Company-lobbying-and-climate-change_good-governance-for-Paris-aligned-outcomes.pdf (lse.ac.uk)
- Industry guidance on responsible policy engagement (by CERES): Ceres Blueprint for Responsible Policy Engagement on Climate Change
- The Global Report Initative 415 on public policy: gri-415-public-policy-2016.pdf (globalreporting.org). Read also the perspective by the Global Reporting Initiative on responsible lobbying: gri-perspective-lobbying.pdf (globalreporting.org).
- CPA-Wharton Zicklin Model Code of Conduct for Corporate Political Spending: CPA-Wharton-Zicklin-model-code-of-conduct-for-corporate-political-spending-10-13-20-.pdf (harvard.edu). Read also the 2020 index: 2020-CPA-Zicklin-Index.pdf (politicalaccountability.net).
- Example of “climate contracting” by the Chancery Lane Project: Climate Lobbying and Responsible Investments: Policy Requirements | The Chancery Lane Project
- Financial Times teaching case on the divestment dilemmas in Russia: Divestment dilemmas in Russia: business teaching case | Financial Times (ft.com)
- Harvard Business School teaching case on political donations after the Capitol Insurrection: AT&T and Corporate Political Donations after the Capitol Insurrection (hbr.org)
| Credit value | 5 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 2.5 |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 15/08/23 |
