| Long Title: | Corporate Environmentalism |
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| Language of Instruction: | English |
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| Field of Study: |
Business and administration not further defined or elsewhere classified
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| Module Coordinator: |
FABIAN ARMENDARIZ- CORDOVA |
| Module editor: |
FABIAN ARMENDARIZ- CORDOVA |
| Teaching and Learning Strategy: |
The design of this module incorporates elements of problem based learning (PBL), for the purpose of student motivation, and is mostly based on active learning to promote analysis of the course content.
Learning activities are centred on a number of case studies, class discussions, small group exercises, presentations and individual reflection and skill-building assignments. Complementary readings are also provided to students aiming to give contextual information and alternative perspectives. Case studies are analysed from a variety of viewpoints based on the conceptual frameworks provided in the course content.
Contact hours are conducted in the form of lectures, practicals and tutorials. Guest lecturers from industry will also provide seminars. Sessions are broken down into different activities such as instruction, lecturer guided group discussion and student presentations.
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| Learning Environment: |
This module presents a blended learning design with a purpose-specific configuration of, on-line and off-line, activities and tasks which include the following:
• Face-to-face instruction (lecturing)
• Lecturer-guided group discussions
• Individual reading and reviewing of content materials (on-line and off-line)
• Individual and group research
• On-line discussions and collaborative writing assignments
• Individual writing assignments
• Student presentations
Provision of feedback (including marks), distribution of content materials, structuring of course activities, asynchronous communications to students and monitoring of student engagement are done centrally in the virtual learning environment (VLE).
All results from activities which involve a deliverable are fed to the VLE gradebook where student get marks and qualitative feedback, both for formative and summative assessments.
Access to selected activities and/or content is conditioned upon completion of other activities and/or the review of certain content, to help students structure their independent learning.
To promote student engagement, asynchronous on-line collaborative spaces are set up on the VLE for students to interact with each other outside contact hours. This also provides a channel for the lecturer to monitor student involvement.
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| Module Description: |
This module provides an understanding of modern corporate environmentalism to link business strategy to the natural environment. Broadly defined, corporate environmentalism is the process by which firms integrate environmental concerns into their decision making. There are many reasons to care about how businesses interact with the environment – from basic reasons such as cost reduction and regulatory compliance to more innovative, entrepreneurial opportunities. The module begins with an overview of the major environmental threats and challenges facing business and society both presently and in the future. The historical, technical, and regulatory background behind these issues is explained and evaluated in terms of the corporate impacts. The module will then examine how the natural environment can be positively associated with business and analyse the opportunities that may arise from corporate environmentalism. The module provides students with a balance between conceptual and practical material. The goal of the course is to enable students to create positive interactions between corporations and the natural environment. |
| Learning Outcomes |
| On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to: |
| LO1 |
Acquire the core historical, technical and regulatory information necessary for effective corporate environmentalism. |
| LO2 |
Develop an understanding of the key issues, problems and management tools in the field of business environmental management. |
| LO3 |
Be able to critically analyse corporate environmental reports, assess investment decisions and interpret marketing strategies with respect to environmental qualities. |
| LO4 |
Be able to think critically with respect to the analysis and appraisal of environmental challenges and opportunities influencing business decision making. |
| LO5 |
Produce a corporate environmental report describing a company’s record with respect to waste, water and energy consumption, and additional efforts to reduce environmental impact. |
| Pre-requisite learning |
Module Recommendations
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is required before enrolment on this module. While the prior learning is expressed as named NCI module(s) it also allows for learning (in another module or modules) which is equivalent to the learning specified in the named module(s).
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| No recommendations listed |
Requirements
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is mandatory before enrolment in this module is allowed. You may not enrol on this module if you have not acquired the learning specified in this section.
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| No requirements listed |
Module Content & Assessment
| Indicative Content |
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Historical context
The evolution of environmentalism is examined with an emphasis placed on the historical corporate impact on the environment, using case studies such as the Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal; the 1952 London smog disaster; The Exxon Valdez oil spill; and Three Mile Island near nuclear disaster. As part of this section, we will discuss a wide range of seminal environmental literature, such as Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring””; Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons”; and Jared Diamond’s “Collapse”. This section will give students an understanding of the development of environmental ethics in society.
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Modern Environmental Issues
The technical concepts underlying the environmental issues facing business and society will be explained. The environmental issues under investigation will include global climate change, air and water pollution, soil contamination, energy, and biodiversity, among others. The role of business in the cause and prevention of these issues will be examined.
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Environmental Legislation
This section will explain the need for environmental legislation and introduce the various approaches to regulatory development, such as the “command and control” and “self-policing” approaches and the “technology forcing” concept. We will examine current and future legislation, both in Europe and elsewhere in the world, related to the environmental issues studied in section ii. Students will gain an understanding of the regulatory requirements facing businesses today with respect to the environment. From a business perspective, significant regulatory requirements include legislation on product take-back and waste disposal; the protection of endangered species and air and water resources; and new legislation relevant to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Sustainability
Sustainability is now a fundamental component of international agreements, business charters, and government policies. Understanding sustainability as the incorporation of environmental and related social and economic considerations provides a foundation for solving global business challenges. This section will define the concept of sustainability and include discussion on topics such as sustainable agriculture and sustainable development, both from an urban planning perspective and an international development perspective.
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Fundamentals of Environmental Management
Environmental management tools include environmental accounting, reporting, auditing, stakeholder management, risk management and insurance schemes. This section examines processes and procedures for monitoring and managing corporate environmental activities. Students will learn how to critically evaluate corporate environmental programs. In addition, they will study a number of internationally recognised guidelines and standards put forward and these set up structured environmental management systems that can be applied across many types of business, such as the Equator Principles and ISO-14001
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Environment, Accounting and Finance
Environmental accounting considers how organisations can "quantify" an organisation’s positive and negative impacts on the natural environment by quantifying environmental costs and benefits. This section will teach students how to convert environmental impacts (externalities) into monetary value (natural capital), and how to understand the value of basic tools of environmental accounting, reporting and auditing in assessing the environmental performance of businesses. Students will also examine the concepts of 'ethical investing' and emissions trading.
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Environmental Marketing
Environmental marketing concerns with all aspects of corporate-consumer exchanges. Students will develop an awareness of the environmental attributes of goods and how they can be made known to consumers. They will also learn about utilising environmental concepts for product differentiation and addressing green consumer behaviour.
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Green Operations and Supply Chain Management
"Greening" business operations involves determining how environmental issues can be incorporated into business practices, such as building techniques and product manufacturing, which can significantly reduce input and operating costs for firms. Students will learn about closed-loop supply chains and learn how to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment.
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Eco-Entrepreneurship
Product innovation and eco-entrepreneurship are ways of “doing well while doing good”. This section will explore how organisations can address environmental issues through development of new products. Products such as Food Cloud, compostable plastic, and electric vehicles may be used as examples of successful Eco-Entrepreneurship.
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Environmental Stewardship - The Competitive Advantage
In a global economy, competitive advantage between organisations is associated in part with good environmental citizenship. This section will discuss how corporations are increasingly collaborating with non-profit organisations, governmental bodies and private companies to address global environmental issues. Students will develop an understanding of the benefits of “green alliances” and corporate social responsibility. The Body Shop International and Ben and Jerry’s are examples of potential case studies that could be used to illustrate examples of successful environmental stewardship.
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| Assessment Breakdown | % |
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| Coursework | 100.00% |
Full Time
| Coursework |
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| Assessment Type |
Assessment Description |
Outcome addressed |
% of total |
Assessment Date |
| Case Study |
The purpose of these assignments is that students analyse a real life situation of a given organisation (short case studies) in terms of the environmental context surrounding it. Students must review, critically analyse and synthesise at least all the readings suggested in the reading list. Ideally, students should go beyond such reading list and source complementary materials. Students must ensure that their arguments integrate the theoretical framework from the readings and lectures with the evidence from the case studies. They should source additional up-to-date secondary data about the company and/or the event in question, where possible, to support the analysis. |
1,2,3,4 |
60.00 |
n/a |
| Project |
Students are required to develop and present an environmental sustainability report on a company of their choosing, analysing the environmental impact of the company with respect to waste, energy, and water utilisation among other issues. Students are expected to prepare and deliver a presentation on their reports. The ideal aim of the project is that companies could use this information for submission to environmental awards contests or to reflect on how they might improve their environmental impact based on the students’ findings. |
4,5 |
40.00 |
n/a |
| No End of Module Assessment |
| Reassessment Requirement |
Repeat examination
Reassessment of this module will consist of a repeat examination. It is possible that there will also be a requirement to be reassessed in a coursework element.
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Reassessment Description
Any student, who is unsuccessful in their attempt to pass the module by completing the above series of assignments, is required to sit a repeat exam in August.
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NCIRL reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment
Module Workload
| Workload: Full Time |
| Workload Type |
Workload Description |
Hours |
Frequency |
Average Weekly Learner Workload |
| Lecture |
No Description |
2 |
Every Week |
2.00 |
| Tutorial |
No Description |
1 |
Every Week |
1.00 |
| Practical |
No Description |
1 |
Every Week |
1.00 |
| Seminars |
No Description |
1 |
Every Week |
1.00 |
| Independent Learning |
No Description |
16.5 |
Every Week |
16.50 |
| Total Hours |
21.50 |
| Total Weekly Learner Workload |
21.50 |
| Total Weekly Contact Hours |
5.00 |
| This module has no Part Time workload. |
Module Resources
| Supplementary Book Resources |
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- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, Gardners Books [ISBN: 9780141184944]
- Herman E. Daly, Joshua Farley, Ecological Economics, Second Edition, Island Press [ISBN: 9781597266819]
- Jared Diamond 2011, Collapse: How societies choose to fail or survive, Penguin [ISBN: 9780241958681]
- Chris Goodall 2012, Sustainability: All that Matters, Hodder & Stoughton [ISBN: 9781444174403]
| | Recommended Article/Paper Resources |
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- Banerjee, S. B. 2002, Corporate environmentalism: the construct and its measurement, Journal of Business Research, 55 (1)
- Hardin, Garrett 1968, The tragedy of the commons, Science, 162
| | Other Resources |
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- Periodical: Harvard Business Review
- Periodical: Journal of World Business
- Periodical: Business Strategy & the Environment
- Periodical: The Financial Times
- Periodical: The Economist
- Video lectures/talks: TED, iTunes UUnavailable
- Data bases: OECD, European Statistics Office, Central Statistics Office (Ireland)Unavailable
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Module Delivered in
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