Sustainability has become a defining feature of the global business environment, with increasing pressures for organizations to engage with the sustainability agenda. Stakeholder expectations and scrutiny have led to increases in sustainability reporting, transparency and benchmarking. However, there have also been challenges targeted towards organizations of window dressing, the “cherry picking” of low hanging fruit and superficial engagement. This results in sustainability featuring as a “bolt on” to key business activities and significant sustainability impacts and risks not being addressed or integrated. The question arises how can organizations assess and prioritize the key sustainability issues to manage sustainability risks emerging along the value chain and to develop value chain activities that reinforce, protect and develop value along the value chain both for the organization and for the societies within which it operates. This course enables both the assessment of an organization’s current activities within the value chain and the development of new ways of creating value.

The aim of this course is to enable participants to gain an understanding of how sustainability issues can arise from value chain activities but also how sustainability issues can impact upon the ability of an organization to create value and competitive advantage.

This involves developing knowledge and skills that enable participants to:

a) assess key sustainability issues arising within the value chain of an organization

b) prioritize sustainability issues for the organization based upon both value creation and sustainability impact

c) develop an understanding of the interconnectedness between both sustainability issues and stages within the value chain

d) make recommendations to both protect and build value creation within the value chain based upon sustainability.

Minimum attendance is 80% of course hours, the first and the last session is mandatory.

Adopting a case study approach, participants will apply a range of different methods, theories and tools to understand how sustainability can create both risks and opportunities for organizations within the value chain, both in the short and long term. The participants will develop a consultancy briefing for the top management team of their case company, identifying the key sustainability issues that the organization should engage with and the rationale behind the recommendation. This will take the form of a group presentation, a group report and an individual reflection on the recommendations made.

Key Elements:

Sustainability

Value chain analysis

Resource dependency Theory

Externalities and Sustainability Impact

Stakeholder Analysis

Future proofing and megatrends

The course grade is based on the following components:

» Group presentation - 20%

» Group report - 40%

» Individual reflection - 40%