Sustainable Business Development and Innovation: Introduction (MSB305)
No firm or organization operates in isolation. Rather the contrary is true. Via a multitude of complex relations to other agents and organizations, they are embedded in diverse sets of networks and socio-economic systems. This embeddedness thereby greatly matters for their business success and transition to more sustainable operations. For instance, it influences their access to critical inputs, such as human and financial capital as well as knowledge. Their embeddedness in local socio-economic systems takes center stage in this. In the end, most job hirings are local, the majority of production inputs are provided by nearby suppliers, and marketing, as well as distribution channels, are strongly shaped by access to transportation infrastructure and the activities of (local) branding initiatives as well as trade associations.
The course presents students with the scientific underpinnings of the beyond-the-individual-firm perspective that are at the heart of modern approaches to sustainable business development. Drawing on core concepts and insights from the fields of Regional Science and Economic Geography, as well as Complex System Theories, students will learn about and discuss the roles that locations, networks, and system embeddedness play in their developments and for their transformation toward more sustainable business practices. The course thereby forms the basis for the subsequent courses: SBDI: The firm perspective and SBDI: The policy perspective.
Course description for study year 2023-2024. Please note that changes may occur.
Course code
MSB305
Version
1
Credits (ECTS)
10
Semester tution start
Autumn
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Autumn
Language of instruction
English
Content
Subject areas that are most likely covered are:
- A perspective beyond the boundaries of the firm
- Classical theories of regional development (e.g., agglomeration, urbanization, polarization)
- Modern theories of regional development (e.g., human capital, evolutionary, institutions, cluster, complexity)
- Interfirm linkages, networks, and spillovers
- Knowledge- and innovation-based economic development
- Sustainability and transformation
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Students will learn:
- How and why a system- and network-based perspective is crucial to understanding the development of firms, technologies, and territories
- How and why economic activities locate in various ways in space
- How and why externalities arise from agglomeration, urbanization, and learning networks
- About the importance of knowledge and innovation for firms and regions development and their transition toward more sustainable business practices
Skills
- Applying multilevel, network, and evolutionary thinking to economic problems
- Working with and summarizing the contemporary academic literature
- Assess regions‘ and firms‘ developments from a sustainability perspective
Required prerequisite knowledge
Recommended prerequisites
Exam
In-class Group Presentation and Oral Examination
Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
---|---|---|---|---|
In-class Group Presentation | 1/2 | Letter grades | ||
Oral Examination | 1/2 | Letter grades |
Coursework requirements
- completed and handed in on time all individual & group assignments during the semester
- contributed to and participated in (including presence during) the presentation of their group work
Course teacher(s)
Course coordinator:
Tom BrökelCourse teacher:
Jason DeeganStudy Program Director:
Yuko OnozakaMethod of work
Overlapping courses
Course | Reduction (SP) |
---|---|
Perspectives on Strategic Innovation (MØA305_1) | 10 |