MSc Sustainable Business

The Navigating System Transitions unit contextualises sustainable business within the wider sociotechnical, political, social, and institutional systems undergoing transition. It critically examines the enabling and impeding dimensions of pathways to sustainable futures in major societal domains including energy, food, mobility & the built environment. Students will learn about key theories of sustainable transitions, apply those theories to real world cases, and consider how organisations can facilitate change to sustainable futures. They will critically engage with transition controversies and debates, learn to communicate well reasoned, evidence-based arguments, and produce digital materials.

The unit aims to:
• explore key theories of sustainability transitions, and encourage critical evaluation, problem definition, and problem solving through application of theoretical knowledge 
• provide advanced knowledge of, and the ability to critically engage with, sustainable transitions perspectives to facilitate societal transitions to sustainable futures 
• expose students to various examples that demonstrate the value of a sustainability transitions perspective in a real-world decision-making context 
• explore the politics and controversies of sustainable transitions and encourage the development of well-reasoned opinions and arguments  
• provide an inclusive learning environment and encourage respect for a diverse range of perspectives through peer-to-peer learning and supporting and valuing students as partners and as members of our broader academic community 
 

Students develop an understanding of large-scale, system level sustainability transitions and the forces inhibiting or facilitating their progress. This understanding provides critical contextual knowledge for prospective sustainability professionals. The unit supports students to think about the range of occupational pathways that are open to sustainable business professionals wanting to act as change agents in transitions to sustainable futures. Students will learn how to develop and communicate well reasoned, evidence-based arguments and associated skills of persuasion. They will learn to work effectively in diverse teams and manage situations where team members may hold different views and values, similar to many occupational contexts.
 

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

The unit contextualises sustainable business within the wider sociotechnical, political, social, and institutional systems undergoing transition. Critically examines the enabling and impeding dimensions of pathways to sustainable futures in major societal domains including energy, food, mobility & the built environment. The unit explores the following topics, analysed through the sociotechnical perspective: the idea of sociotechnical system transitions; sustainable production and consumption systems; who are the transition actors? How do institutional environments constrain and enable transitions? how do systems become locked-in and how lock-in can be escaped? How can innovation niches be strategically managed? how do sustainable innovations spread through society? power, politics, and the governance of transitions; geographies of transition – scales and places; visions of sustainable futures.

This unit adopts a blended learning approach, with asynchronous material made available via VLE, a live instructor-led interactive lecture, and a student led seminar each week. The asynchronous material provides a basis for the weeks learning. It uses short videos to explain key concepts; and provides supplementary readings, cases and exercises. Students work through the material in their own time and at a pace that suits their learning style. Having studied the asynchronous material, students arrive prepared for the weekly live interactive lecture. This instructor led session recaps core concepts, elaborates and applies them to empirical examples and facilitates discussion and debate around transition controversies. Interaction and participation are encouraged using in-class voting and word cloud generation, ‘think-pair-share’, Q&A etc. Seminars are student led and require preparation by students, which is introduced in the asynchronous material. Seminars are used to refine knowledge of core concepts through role play, team-based exercises, debates, and practising core skills including academic writing, digital media content production, and critically engaging with academic research studies.
 

KU1 Identify and explain theories about the dynamics of transition pathways to sustainable futures - Presentation, blog, essay

KU2 Identify and evaluate real world transitions in the major societal domains of energy, mobility, food and the built environment - Presentation, blog, essay

KU3 Examine the politics and governance of sustainability transitions at different scales and in different places - Presentation, blog, essay

IS1 Synthesise and critique theories of sustainability transitions - Presentation, blog, essay

IS2 Evaluate empirical research on sustainability transitions - Presentation, blog, essay

IS3 Formulate academic analysis of sustainability transitions - Presentation, blog, essay

PS1 Research, synthesise and critically analyse data and information from published literature, databases and internet sources - Presentation, blog, essay

PS2 Communicate theory and evidence-based arguments through a team-based presentation - Presentation

PS3 Write a blog about a sustainable transition development or controversy - Blog, essay
 

TS1 Formulate arguments to demonstrate skills in debating, persuasion and compromise verbally, in writing and through digital media - Presentation, blog, essay

TS2 Collaborate and develop effective team dynamics and project management processes -Presentation

TS3 Develop strategies to work effectively with teams comprising all dimensions of diversity - Presentation

TS4 Apply reflective practice to engage in continuing self-improvement in a professional academic context - Essay

Written assignment (inc essay) 40%

Oral assessment/presentation 20%

Blog 40%

Formative feedback will be provided throughout the course from peers and seminar leaders. Summative feedback will be provided 15 days after submission of assignments, with a grade and constructive guidance on how to improve in the future.

Köhler, J., Geels, F.W., Kern, F., Markard, J., Wieczorek, A., Alkemade, F., Avelino, F., Bergek, A., Boons, F., Fünfschilling, L., Hess, D., Holtz, G., Hyysalo, S., Jenkins, K., Kivimaa, P., Martiskainen, M., McMeekin, A., Mühlemeier, M.S., Nykvist, B., Onsongo, E., Pel, B., Raven, R., Rohracher, H., Sandén, B., Schot, J., Sovacool, B., Turnheim, B., Welch, D., Wells, P., (2019) 'An agenda for sustainability transitions research: State of the art and future directions', Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 31, 1-32.

Geels, F. W. (2005) Technological transitions and system innovations: a co-evolutionary and socio-technical analysis, Edward Elgar Publishing.

Draper, S. (2013) 'Creating the big shift: System innovation for sustainability', Forum for the Future London.

Grin, J., Rotmans, J. & Schot, J. (2010) Transitions to sustainable development: new directions in the study of long term transformative change, Routledge.

Farla, J., Markard, J., Raven, R. & Coenen, L. (2012) 'Sustainability transitions in the making: A closer look at actors, strategies and resources', Technological forecasting and social change, 79, 991-98.

Loorbach, D., Frantzeskaki, N. & Avelino, F. (2017) 'Sustainability transitions research: transforming science and practice for societal change', Annual review of environment and resources, 42, 599-626.

Smith, A. & Raven, R. (2012) 'What is protective space? Reconsidering niches in transitions to sustainability', Research policy, 41, 1025-36.

Geels, F.W., McMeekin, A., Mylan, J., Southerton, D., (2015). ‘A critical appraisal of Sustainable Consumption and Production research: The reformist, revolutionary and reconfiguration agendas’, Global Environmental Change, 34: 1-12
 

ENHANCEMENT OF DIGITAL LITERACY  

Students will learn a range of digital skills, including:
- For collaboration with team members during group projects
- For searching, analysing and presenting information. 
- To support learning, via the VLE and tools for exchanging ideas including e.g. padlet
- For communicating ideas through the production of digital media content (e.g. blog or podcast)
- Appropriate online etiquette to ensure digital well-being, especially on controversial issues
- For engaging with programme alumni and sustainability professionals

STATEMENT TO SUPPORT EQUALITY,DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Throughout the unit students will be introduced to, and have opportunity to explore aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion. Cases and examples will be chosen to cover issues of wealth, social class, gender, race. Students will be encouraged to work together and develop strategies to work effectively with teams comprising all dimensions of diversity. Teaching materials will be selected with sensitivity to inequalities in authorship, which will be discussed explicitly. Students will be able to choose the topic for their final summative assessment, providing them with an opportunity to focus on something that matters to them and aligns with their values and cultural backgrounds.