Better Business for a Better World

Introduksjon

Class format: This course is offered as an online summer course. Students may complete the course entirely asynchronously, or may choose to attend optional synchronous discussions. The course is graded as a pass/fail.

People often make decisions that hurt themselves, other people, society, and the planet. Businesses often make these problems worse. In this course, we examine why people make decisions that are bad for themselves and others, and ways that firms can influence behavior to improve decision making.

This course examines how business and consumption impact social welfare, happiness, social cohesion, and sustainability, both favorably and unfavorably. We will draw on insights from business research, which include perspectives from psychology, sociology, and economics. 

The course has two major objectives within the program portfolio. First, students will become familiar with critical perspectives and scientific findings about the (potential) impact of their profession on society. Second, students will learn how they can apply their expertise to help firms succeed while also helping to transform society and create a better world.

This course is offered in the following programmes:

• MSc in Business
• MSc in Strategic Marketing Management
• MSc in Digital Communication Management
• MSc in Sustainable Finance

The course is not open to students on the BI-LUISS Joint Master of Science in Marketing (the contents of this course are covered in GRA 6446)

Kursets innhold

Issues covered in the course:

• Firm's potential positive contributions to society. 
• Corporate social responsibility as a business practice.
• Negative impacts of business:  materialism, stereotyping, overconsumption, exploitation, impulsive & compulsive buying.
• Marketing, self-control, and the pursuit of happiness.
• Evolutionary origins of unsustainable consumer behavior.
• Social Marketing.
• Behavioral economics: Nudging of sustainable consumer behavior.
• Moral balancing and rebound effects.
• Effects of political orientation
• The sharing economy. 
• Recycling - circular economy – upcycling.
• The beneficial and detrimental impacts of technology.

Forbehold

Dette er et utdrag fra den komplette kursbeskrivelsen for kurset. Dersom du er aktiv student på BI, kan du finne de komplette kursbeskrivelsene med informasjon om bl.a. læringsmål, læreprosess, pensum og eksamen på portal.bi.no. Vi tar forbehold om endringer i denne beskrivelsen.