Master
Sustainability & Management
| Gesamtarbeitsaufwand | 6 Leistungspunkte (2 + 1 SWS) |
| DozentIn | Prof. Dr. Timo Busch |
| ÜbungsleiterIn | tba |
| Lehrform | Vorlesung & Übung |
| Beschreibung | Today, firm of all kinds - including traditional manufacturing firms, those that extract resources, a huge variety of new start-ups - are tackling the massive challenges of sustainability. For some, this shift offers new business opportunities, for developing new products, for reinventing old ones, or for solving problems in new ways. For other firms sustainability puts their business model under pressure and solutions for new paths are far from obvious. Thus, understanding and addressing sustainability in businesses is of key importance for long-term success and competitiveness. The course will discuss real-world sustainability challenges in the environmental (e.g., planetary boundaries), social (e.g., labor standards in global supply chains), and economic (e.g., limits to growth) dimension. Translating these challenges to firms and managerial decisions the course will address questions such as: What are future business opportunities and risks? How can firms undergo change at the pace needed to create a more sustainable world? What are strategies for sustainable business practices (e.g., in the area of renewable energies, biomass, and biofuels)? Is there a business case for sustainability (win-win situations)? Where do firms face trade-offs when addressing sustainability? |
Business and the Natural Environment
| Gesamtarbeitsaufwand | 6 Leistungspunkte (4 SWS) |
| DozentIn | Prof. Dr. Timo Busch |
| ÜbungsleiterIn | - |
| Lehrform | Seminar |
| Beschreibung | The seminar’s main purpose is an in-depth discussion of the ecological embeddedness of firms and the resulting consequences for business strategies. At the core we will debate how and why firms should address ecological issues and if there is a business case in doing so. Throughout the seminar participants are confronted with ecological challenges firms face; participates need to analyze and explore different strategic options. Besides this, the seminar has a strong focus on organizational theories and sustainability-centered discussions in the academic literature. In part one of the seminar a general introduction to course and its requirements is given and the background to the topic is introduced. In part two we get to know a real-world company and discuss its current situation with regards to ecological issues / challenges. Students are asked to develop a strategic plan how the CEO of the firm best should position the firm under ecological aspects on competitive markets. Part three of the seminar is focused on the academic literature dealing with business strategy and natural environment. Each participant is asked to present an academic paper and lead a discussion in class. |
Sustainability Management in Business Practice
| Gesamtarbeitsaufwand | 6 Leistungspunkte (4 SWS) |
| DozentIn | Dr. Sven Lundie |
| ÜbungsleiterIn | - |
| Lehrform | Seminar |
| Beschreibung | Today companies are facing more and more the challenge of sustainability. Hence, future-oriented companies do need to figure out how to become more sustainable. When engaging in sustainability companies have to answer questions such as - What is the business value of sustainability? - What is the companies´ current status quo on sustainability? - What are material issues to the company? - Who are relevant stakeholders? How to engage with them? - How to implement sustainability in product development? This seminar is designed towards the practical implications and day-to-day challenges of sustainability management. In part one of the seminar a general introduction to course and its requirements is given and the background to the topic is introduced. A case study is investigated and discussed. For part two students are asked to develop a strategic plan how to answer the above listed questions in order to position the firm in a more sustainable manner in the competitive market. Student(s) will work on one of the questions above as a homework (based on academic literature and real-world examples). Each participant is asked to present her/his results at the end of the seminar. |
Industrial Ecology
| Gesamtarbeitsaufwand | 6 Leistungspunkte (2 + 1 SWS) |
| DozentIn | Prof. Dr. Timo Busch |
| ÜbungsleiterIn | Carolin Hoyer |
| Lehrform | Vorlesung & Übung |
| Beschreibung | The globalization of the economy leads to increasing consumption of non-renewable and renewable resources as well as growing emissions. This implies a change of the natural as well as the business environment. Industrial Ecology acknowledges the embeddedness of firms in the natural environment. It is the study of material and energy flows in industrial and consumer activities and of the effects of these flows on the environment. The main characteristics of Industrial Ecology include: a system view of the interactions between industrial and ecological systems, harmoniously integrating industrial activity into ecological systems, and a change from linear (open) processes to cyclical (closed) processes. The lecture provides an overview of the theoretical background of Industrial Ecology and outlines how ecological sustainability can be implemented in everyday business activities. Hereby, various practical examples are incorporated and critically evaluated in classroom discussions. The lecture starts with a discussion of the necessity for a life-cycle approach when pursuing ecological analyses and evaluations. Thereafter, important theoretical fundamentals of Industrial Ecology are reviewed in detail (Macro-, meso-, micro-level). Different pathways on how businesses can implement ecological innovations and improvements are illustrated and discussed. In this context the focus of the lecture is on different ecological assessment approaches (indicators, methodologies). Topics are, for example, life-cycle assessments (LCAs), environmentally driven investment decisions, and eco-design for products. The class will conclude with a discussion on current issues regarding ecological sustainability and the role of proactive business strategies. |
Energiewende
| Gesamtarbeitsaufwand | 6 Leistungspunkte (2 SWS) |
| DozentIn | Prof. Dr. Timo Busch |
| ÜbungsleiterIn | - |
| Lehrform | Seminar |
| Beschreibung |
Energiewende - Technische Grundlagen und Transformationsdynamik aus physikalischer und wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher SichtDieses interdisziplinäre Seminar ist auf die deutsche Energiewende fokussiert. Das Seminar ist primär für Studierende gedacht, die umfangreiches und detailliertes Wissen über den Energiemarkt und das Thema Energieversorgung erwerben möchten. Das Seminar findet in deutscher Sprache statt.Wirtschaftswissenschaften und Physik sind zwei wissenschaftliche Disziplinen, die aus komplementärer Perspektive auf die Energieversorgung der Gesellschaft blicken. Die Veranstaltung untersucht die physikalischen und gesellschaftlichen Voraussetzungen für die Umsetzung der Energiewende in Deutschland, mit Schwerpunkt auf Strom. Die Physik betrachtet die naturwissenschaftlichen Grundlagen und die technischen Möglichkeiten bzw. Risiken, die die unterschiedlichen Quellen der Stromversorgung ausmachen. Die Wirtschaftswissenschaften beschäftigen sich mit den finanziellen, gesellschaftlichen, und politischen Möglichkeiten einer alternativen Energieversorgung. Beide Disziplinen zusammen erlauben wertvolle Einsichten in die Voraussetzungen für eine Transformation auf erneuerbare Energieträger. Jedes Thema wird durch zwei Vorträge beleuchtet, je einer aus den beiden Disziplinen. |