This course provides the fundamental concepts, theories, and tools required to understand and navigate the grand challenges of our time, aiming to maximize students’ personal growth and development. It enables a holistic understanding of how global systems influence country contexts, decisions, strategies, and operations of global and international companies. Students will explore systems-level concepts, complexity, and systems thinking, alongside ethics and responsibility at both organizational and individual levels. In addition to establishing the conceptual foundations of global responsibility and sustainability management, the course is committed to preparing students for proactively addressing grand challenges, sparking curiosity for personal growth, and developing solutions that meet emerging local, regional, national, and global needs. 

Key contents include 

• Grand challenges and sustainable development 
• Institutional and cultural variation 
• Complexity and complex systems 
• Purpose, responsible leadership, and global governance 
• Business model innovation 
• Global-local strategic responses 

Upon completion of the course, students will be equipped with foundational knowledge and skills to: 

Understand grand challenges and contexts of global responsibility and sustainability management: 

• Assess complex systems and their impacts on corporate sustainability.  

• Explore variations across institutions and cultures. 

• Analyze global-local differences in sustainable development. 

• Identify opportunities for transformation at both organizational and societal levels. 

• Enable responsible and sustainable practices that reflect upon local sustainability issues. 

Recognize the role of global business in societal transformation, governance, and risk: 

• Enable global and international companies to address grand challenges, delivering value across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. 

• Understand the importance of “future-proofing” organizations against long-term megatrends and risk. 

• Understand the role of purpose and responsible leadership in safeguarding responsible and sustainable global business. 

Reflect on personal development and career trajectories: 

• Evaluate their personal growth and career paths in relation to addressing grand challenges. 

• Understand their own agency in global responsibility and sustainability management. 

Attendance of all scheduled sessions and meetings is a firm requirement for this course as much of the learning outcomes stem from the discussions during class and through interactions with peers. The attendance requirement is met if students are present for at least 80% of the scheduled sessions. Students who fail to meet the attendance requirement are de-registered from the course. Missing sessions will affect class participation credits and may also affect other graded components.

This course adopts a multi-level approach, drawing from multiple disciplines including business and economics, the natural sciences, sociology, and political sciences, among others. Through mini-lectures, small projects, discussions, simulations, personal reflection, and case analyses, the course introduces key concepts related to responsibility and sustainability in global business while focusing on students’ personal roles and opportunities in navigating grand challenges. 

Individual component: 

• Class participation - 20% 

• Reflection interview – 40% 

Group component: 

• Video case example – 40% 

AI-based software and tools of all kinds (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Grammarly, Copilot, etc.) may be used but only with proper documentation and transparency. This course does not focus on how to use AI in research. In case of undue AI usage, an audit interview with the student will be scheduled. Follow-up consequences will be determined afterwards. Official WU guidelines apply.

An obligatory entry process constitutes the beginning of the RSGB Specialization and this course. Please note that you will not be able to participate in this course if you do not pass the entry procedure and are accepted as student of the RSGB Specialization. 

Upon being assessed as "successfully participated" (refer to LPIS/grades), students become eligible to register for this course within the stipulated registration period. Failure to register for this course within this timeframe will lead to forfeiture of eligibility and loss of the spot in the RSGB Specialization. Admission in subsequent semesters necessitates undergoing the entire entry process anew.

Should available slots remain in the RSGB Specialization after the registration period concludes, students will be considered in accordance with their entry-procedure rank order. They will be notified via email and invited to register for this course.

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