MNM3SUS: Sustainability

Module code: MNM3SUS

Module provider: International Business and Strategy; Henley Business School

Credits: 10

Level: Postgraduate Masters Stage 3

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Peter McManners, email: p.j.mcmanners@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Aim: To enable participants to critically evaluate the potential impact of sustainability on a sector, sustainable business models and approaches to enhance sustainability.

Purpose: Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for society, driving government policy and an important influence on business strategy. Understanding sustainability and the implications has become a vital component of strategic analysis. This module is designed to enable participants to critically evaluate the potential impact of sustainability on a sector and analyse how business can respond.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that the student will be able to:

1. Understand sustainability within a business context;

2. Awareness of the lenses of sustainability and how to apply them;

3. Be able to analysis an industry or firm to assess the opportunities and potential impact of sustainability.

Module content

Sustainability and today’s business perspective

Lenses of Sustainability:

• External: Environment and resource limits
• Internal: Strategy and Reputation

Looking to the Future

Putting it into Practice

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The learning transmission is through studying the on-line module. This includes all the main study material and links to recommendations for wider reading. There are a series of exercises offered to participants to reinforce their learning. After completing the on-line course, participants will have the opportunity to carry out a sustainability analysis on a particular industry and consider the implications for one particular firm. The results to be presented in a report which will be examined. The timing depends on cohort start date and could be in any semester.

Study hours

At least 0 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

This module is subject to the Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes policy, which can be found at:

https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties to work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs